TWO LEGS AND A PIECE OF EAR

It had been a long, fun-filled week at Niswonger Grandkid’s Camp 2014 and I was totally exhausted.  The grandkids had gone home, my house was a cluttered mess and after a week of sleep deprivation all I wanted was a steaming cup of coffee, as I stumbled out of bed on Sunday morning.  To properly function, a body requires uninterrupted rest during each 24 hour period to heal, replenish the spent energy and store up a surplus of energy to be used the next day.  If your body goes without this restorative process for too many days, you will tire more easily, your immune system will break down, leaving you vulnerable to illness and disease and eventually complete collapse.  As the caffeine coursed through my veins, bringing me back to life I counted the hours of sleep over the last week and realized 4 to 5 hours per night was not enough to replenish the energy expended every day trying to keep up with 6 kids all under 10 years old.  I was physically exhausted.

It was Sunday and my teaching and tradition told me I should be getting ready for church but on this specific morning, getting dressed, driving an hour for 3 songs, an offering, sermon and prayer was something my mind couldn’t wrap around.  Pouring another cup of coffee, I turned on one of my favorite streaming church services in Louisiana.  I sang along with the awesome worship and prepared myself to hear a good sermon.  But today, it would be more than a sermon; God had a message prepared for me.  I cannot tell you the title or the text but there was one verse that grabbed hold of me and began to do its work. Amos 3:12 Thus says the Lord: “As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear, so shall the people of Israel who dwell in Samaria be rescued, with the corner of a couch and part of a bed.”  Suddenly God wasn’t speaking to Israel, He was speaking directly to me and it hit me I was SPIRITUALLY EXHAUSTED and in danger of being completely devoured.

I honestly felt that about all I had left was two legs and not even a whole ear, just a piece.  Oh, I knew God still loved me and I rested in His salvation but spiritually, I was completely spent.  For too long I had been taking in just enough to pour out something to others but not enough to build up my own reserves.  Having been raised in church and filled with the Spirit as a child, I was an expert at going through the motions, saying “Amen” at just the right time, smiling and giving just the right word of encouragement, praying just the right prayer, then making my way home totally drained.  My Spiritual Immune System was breaking down, I was becoming vulnerable to the attacks of Satan and I didn’t even have the strength to pull my two legs and ear out of the mouth of the lion; I was exhausted.

The beautiful thing about God is He doesn’t leave us in our exhausted state to rescue ourselves.  No, Amos 3:12 says “As the Shepherd rescues..”  Healing tears began to flow down my face, a glimmer of hope shone faintly in my spirit as I snuggled comfortably in His everlasting arms. “But God is it enough?”  “What can you do with two legs and a piece of ear?”  And God softly whispered, “I created the two legs and the ear; they belong to me.”  If you will listen closely with even one ear, you will hear My voice which bids you come to me on your two legs and I will give you rest.”

Perhaps, you feel pulled apart and devoured until there is only two legs and piece of ear remaining.  You have given of yourself for too long without replenishing the reserve; you are Spiritually Exhausted.  Allow the Shepherd to rescue the parts of you that remain and remake you as only the Creator can.  Rest in His Presence, listen to His voice, allow His Spirit to rejuvenate and reenergize you.  Prepare to be amazed at what God will do with “TWO LEGS AND A PIECE OF EAR.”

 

GRACE SPEECH

I was about 12 or 13 when I first heard the phrase, “No offense, but.”  I still remember the exact place and who said it and the event we were discussing…Isn’t it strange that the phrase would still ring in my head 40+ years later? I was having a teenage-girl conversation with my friend Brenda Carol about, of course, BOYS!!!  She was telling me about her new boyfriend and that a church friend had said, “No offense, but your boyfriend is ugly.”  Why would someone say that?  It didn’t make sense; of course it was offensive and I’m sure it was said as an insult so why would it be compounded by lying and saying “No Offense?”

I was raised by a Dad who “Said what he meant and meant what he said.”  There was not a lot of “flowery” talk or drama and definitely no politically correct speech to soften the blow of word meanings.  My Dad was not a mean person and didn’t go around insulting people but if you ever felt offended or insulted by him, believe me it was INTENTIONAL and was not prefaced by “No Offense, but.”  So, although I didn’t always follow his lead, I learned that if you didn’t want to “own” your words, keep them to yourself and if you were going to speak be prepared for the consequence that would follow.

I began to think of the different ways we have learned to preface statements so that the insult or put down is softened and the risk of personal consequence is lessened.  There is, of course, “No offense, but" which translates, “I’m about to say something you will find offensive but you do not have permission to be offended.” Sometimes we use, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but.”  Obviously, we are about to say something ambiguous.  It might hurt the other person’s feelings but “I’m really saying this to help you,” so YOU need to listen with a “right” spirit.  My all time favorite “insult preface” is “With all due respect.”  The correct interpretation of this phrase is, “I really have NO respect for anything you just said and I am about to issue a correction.”  Other popular response prefaces include, “I probably shouldn’t say this, but,” “You may not like this, but,” or “I wouldn’t do that, but if you want to.” Now with social media, instead of prefacing our derogatory comments we add “LOL” at the end.  As if adding LOL takes the sting out of the insult or insulates you, the poster, from any fallout from the putdown you just issued.

Colossians 4:6 admonishes us to, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”  You may argue that the prefaces you use are the “salt” spoken of in Colossians but you are forgetting the first part of the verse, “Let your speech always be with grace.”  GRACE SPEECH is always kind, is never rude, does not promote its importance over another, doesn’t hint at evil or provoke another.  GRACE SPEECH is always spoken in love and intended to encourage and lift up the other person.  GRACE SPEECH is GOD SPEECH.

OK, I’m repenting because I have been guilty of using some of these “Prefaces” with full knowledge that the statements following would tear down instead of build up, would discourage rather than encourage and would offend although I told them they had no right to be offended. GRACE SPEECH may not be your “native” language but it can be learned and with practice you can begin to speak it fluently.  It starts by training your mind;  Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. When all of things spoken of in Philippians sink deeply into your heart, your mouth will begin to speak things that are noble, just, pure, lovely and of a good report.

GRACE SPEECH, you can begin speaking it today!!!

FREEDOM FOR THE FISH OF EGYPT

It didn't take long for the Children of Israel to forget the bondage of Egypt and the purpose of their freedom.  They had not been delivered from Egypt just to escape the evil taskmasters.  Oh no, God had delivered them because He had a covenant with their Grandfather Abraham.  They were a people, set apart to worship Him.  A few days out of Egypt, we find them willing to embrace the bondage of Egypt to alleviate their growling stomachs.  Numbers 11:5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 6 But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”  Look at the first part of verse 5, “Remember the fish which COST NOTHING!”  OH NO, ISRAEL!   The “Fish of Egypt” cost you EVERYTHING!!! The “Fish of Egypt” cost you your children, your health, your ability to make your own decisions; it was the COST OF FREEDOM.

It didn't take long, after the Birth of the Church for some Believers to forget the bondage of sin and the purpose for their freedom.  We have been delivered from sin not just to escape Hell but because we are a “chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a people for His own possession, that we may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9, paraphrased)  But just a few short years from Pentecost, we find Paul and Peter warning the young Church to not ABUSE their freedom, trading it for the “Fish of Egypt;” reminding them the reasons for their freedom. 

Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

1 Peter 2:16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

Today, we celebrate Independence Day; the day we declared our independence from a tyrannical king; but America has forgotten the true reason for freedom.  We did not fight an empire as a country just so we could make our own laws, then use those laws to mean anything we could twist them to mean.  Oh America, how far you have come from the day of declaring “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed;”  The founders of this great nation fought because of a deeply held belief in God; a God that had given all people the right to LIFE, LIBERTY AND A PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS!

America, 238 years after declaring these words is trying to remove God from the equation.  In doing so, we are perverting the rights endowed by this same God.  The right to LIFE; our “Free” nation has passed laws allowing its “Free” citizens the liberty to deprive our unborn of the right to LIFE and many would desire prosecution for those who dare to guarantee that right to the millions of babies who cannot speak for themselves.  The right to LIBERTY;  our “Free” citizens willing hand our blood-bought liberty back to a government who has forgotten that rights are not bestowed upon us by government but by our Creator, in which they no longer believe.  The right to THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS; the greed of “free” people has traded their right to pursue happiness for the “Fish of Egypt.”  We no longer understand the satisfaction of the reward of labor.  Instead we ask and expect our government to provide our reward.  If we work, we allow those in power to confiscate our harvest, distribute it as they wish, and then thank them for their largesse in allowing us a small portion.  These are the COST OF FREEDOM and as Americans we have forgotten the true purpose of our freedom.  

Today as we celebrate with picnics, fireworks, parades and wave the “Red, White and Blue,” take a few moments to remember.  Remember those who have sacrificed their lives and families to guarantee the right to live as a free people.  Remember the Rights that were declared 238 years ago.  Remember the God who has endowed all people, not just America with those rights.  Remember the cost of the “Fish of Egypt” may be the loss of that precious freedom.  Finally, remember WHY we have been set free; free from a tyrannical government, free from sin, free to live, free to breathe in the winds of liberty, free to pursue happiness and determine that you will live in that freedom today and every day.  LET FREEDOM RING!!!