#64 - RECLAIM IT ALL!

Good morning! It is a beautiful morning here in Columbia!! Fall weather is just beginning to grace us... I can tell because I have jeans on and it's not unbearably hot here on the porch! I don't even think it's in the 100's! Whoa! Maybe 90's or high 80's... but with the fan on and light breeze, it doesn't feel too bad. Tyler Jr has his 9 month "well visit" today to the pediatrician. It's usually fun! He's so good at the Doctor and Dr Sooros always goo's and ga's over how good he's doing. No shots today, so that is good!! AND the treat afterwards!! Firehouse Subs!! I think we do that just so dad has an excuse to go to the Dr's apt with us, and then can look forward to a yummy sandwich. Hey! Whatever works so dad comes with us. It's fun to have him with us!! He's a super fun person, so ANY time I can have lunch with him is a good time. We are still honey-mooning. We will celebrate 10 years January 6th! WOW! And definitely still honey-mooning. Alright... let's roll this morning... 


Today's Reading Schedule: Proverbs 8, Proverbs 31:10-31, Psalms 8, 38, 68, 98, 12

Proverbs 31:28a - Her children rise up and call her blessed....

Psalms 8:6 - You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet.

Psalms 128:3, 6a - Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the innermost parts of your house; your children shall be like olive plants round about your table.Yes, may you see your children's children.

I am always saddened when someone tells me that they can not have children. Not saddened at the "words" of them telling me, but saddened at the lack of knowledge. Over and over in the Bible it talks about "none are barren, not one" or "children are a heritage" or "leave an inheritance for your children's children." If it talks about it as a promise, it is there for us! In the Bible it talks about women who were barren and their wombs were opened. They had children! 


Let's have a quick history lesson... Psalms 8:6 talks about US being given DOMINION. What does that mean really? Well, back in the garden, Adam was given the keys to everything! He had dominion over the whole earth. He had authority over everything that happened on the earth. It was HIS to rule. Well, as the story goes, you and I know that Adam and Eve sinned. When they sinned, they handed the keys over to Satan giving him dominion and authority over the earth. Giving him rulership. So, God HAD to have a plan B. God had to bring the opportunity back to man-kind to rule again. To have authority. Since God had already GIVEN it to Adam he could not take it back. Adam had dominion and through his sin, he GAVE the dominion to Satan. God could not just "take it back." He had to have man-kind take it back from Satan. God could not go back on His Word. You and I both know what happened next.... after a series of events, Jesus comes into the picture. The valiant Savior. The one who could come and RECLAIM what was rightfully ours! Who would RECLAIM our Dominion and Rulership over Satan and ALL the "works of His hands." All the works! ALL. What does ALL mean? ALL means ALL! Land, money, children, food, animals, things.... ALL. All means ALL. Jesus came back for a battle. Jesus came back to RECLAIM the keys of ALL that God created during the 7 days of creation. Jesus came to reclaim them from Satan, so he needed to DEFEAT Satan, and hand the keys back over to US, BELIEVERS in CHRIST. Death, hell and the grave. Jesus defeated Satan, defeated DEATH, rose again on the third day... and now assumes his position at the right hand of the Father, ALIVE! Why does the "Catholic Cross" not portray things accurately? Because Jesus is NO LONGER ON THE CROSS, He is NO LONGER IN THE GRAVE. Jesus ROSE again from death. Defeated death & Satan, and Jesus is NOT on the cross or grave, HE IS ALIVE! 


"Ok Amy. That all sounds great! What does that mean to me? How does that affect me?" 


"How does that affect YOU?" you ask! It affects you in a HUGE WAY! HUGE!!! I just want to type the word HUGE so big that it takes up your whole computer screen! As a believer in Christ, when you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, you are a "co-heir." (Romans 8:17 -Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.) - You are now a CO-HEIR with Christ, and you now have a position of AUTHORITY and DOMINION! We share in the VICTORY that Jesus had in defeating Satan. NOW, as a Believer, EVERYTHING is under our feet! Including Satan! Including sickness, disease, poverty, barren-ness, including death! We will live eternally with Jesus when we die. As believers we have inherited eternal life! If the Doctor has given you a bad report, do you know where to put it? UNDER YOUR FEET! We, as believers, need to KNOW our AUTHORITY, KNOW what rightfully belongs to us and RECEIVE IT! RECLAIM IT as ours! You and I are CO-HEIRS with Christ! Do you realize the MAGNITUDE of that? What is a Co-Heir? Someone who has "possessory rights to property or things", an estate, ALL the belongings of the successor. If we are a Co-Heir, we have EQUAL SHARE in EVERYTHING that belongs to Jesus. And He is HEIR to who? Heir to God who created it all! Read it for yourself in Romans 8:17 - "We are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ"


If it doesn't line up with the Word, don't accept it. A report from the doctor. They say you can't have children? That's not what my Bible says! You're sick and dying? That's not what my Bible says! You're young and told that cancer is going to take your life at 40 or 50? That is NOT what my Bible says! Not only are we the healed (Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24)... but as we see in our verses for today, "Yes, may you see your children's children."  If you haven't seen your grandchildren yet, it's not time for you to go. 


And... our Proverbs 31 woman is holding up her end of the stick.... she has CHILDREN! Not one, but many. She has children and they call her blessed!!! 


SO... KNOW who you are in Christ! Know your authority! Know the promises that are YOURS! Don't accept reports that, as a CO-HEIR with Christ, don't belong to you. Ask yourself.... if JESUS CHRIST Himself received this __________, (you fill in the blank - bill, debt, poverty, sickness, etc) would He accept it? If he received this disease? If the thief came and stole from Him? Would He let the thief walk off with HIS goods? Take your RIGHTFUL position as a CO-HEIR with Christ and RECLAIM ALL that is rightfully yours! RECLAIM IT ALL!

#59 - Go ahead and Cry

GOOD MORNING!! What a great morning it is! :) I AM HOME! It is so nice to be home!! It has been almost 2 weeks that I have been gone. Home sweet home for sure! It was such a blessing to be with my family. It was a blessing to visit with my grandma before she passed away. The viewing and funeral brought back floods of memories as 250+ people came through visiting with the family. Friends, neighbors, extended family, lakers. What a blessing. The floodgates of tears did come at the last good-byes. Seeing grandma in the flesh for the last time before the casket was closed....that was a bit hard. But.... overall, there was closure. There was rejoicing. And, there was much time spent with family during the unrushed trip to Northern Indiana. Praise the Lord that I was blessed to be able to resign from Corporate America to be able to spend time, unrushed. What a blessing!


Well... this morning... we are going to add a few things to our daily "reading". I have thought this would be coming as I have just been stirring inside, but have not been ready until now. Along with our Proverbs chapters, we are going to add in Psalms. I heard Billy Graham talk about reading Proverbs and Psalms every day, "Proverbs helps me in my relationship with men, Psalms helps me in my relationship with God." So.... check out the "Bible Reading Schedule" tab to see what chapters to read each day. We will continue to read Proverbs 31:10-31 daily, as well as our regular Proverbs verse. Ok... let's go...


Reading Schedule Today: Proverbs 31:10-31, Proverbs 30, Psalms 30, 60, 90, 120, 150. 

Psalms 30:5b, 11a - Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. You have turned my mourning into dancing for me.

Psalms 50 - PRAISE THE LORD!

Proverbs 31:18b - ...her lamp goes not out, but it burns on continually through the night [of trouble, privation, or sorrow, warning away fear, doubt, and distrust].

It's ok to cry! Cry it out. In the Bible, we know of the word lamp as it refers to the Word, the Bible, Jesus, Jesus being the "way", the guide, the lamp! The Lamp... guiding us to where we want to go, guiding us to the next place, giving us light, revealing, exposing, showing us the way. The Lamp. 


Here, we see that our Proverbs 31 friend keeps her Lamp continually burning. It is continually burning, in troubled times, God is close. In sad times, her Word is at hand. In sorrowful times, she is still being guided by the Holy Spirit. In tough times, she is being comforted by her closest friend, Jesus. During the night, even she, even our excellent Proverbs 31 friend.... even she during the dark hours of the night may weep, may cry, may mourn. But PRAISE THE LORD, JOY COMES IN THE MORNING! Throughout the mourning and sad times, JOY will come! 


The WORD. The WORD is our Lamp. At a time of loss, death, or trying times, the WORD is there to comfort us. We are not macho to try and just "stay tough".... even the Word acknowledges that there are times when weeping may come, sorrow may arise.... but there is a time to look forward too... a time of JOY. A time that JOY will arise, and sorrow will not remain. It will not be night forever. JOY will come! But even during those hours or days where the night seems to be all we can see... the darkness seems to be all there is, the LAMP does not go out. We are not alone. If we could see through spiritual eyes, we would see our friend, our confidant, our comfort, Jesus, sitting right there with us... and probably even joining in our tears. Crying with us with compassion for our loss, on behalf of our sadness. 


But... PRAISE THE LORD, He does not leave us there! He does not leave us there in the darkness, in the night. He is WITH US until the morning comes. He is with us to see us to the JOY! And the JOY WILL COME! With the joy there will even be a time of dancing! Where the music is turned up, we are spinning in circles, arms spread wide, just thinking, thanking and praising God, "Does it get any better than this? Could I be more blissful?" Our faces to the sun, eyes closed, heads faced up to the heavens, "Does it get any better than this?"


Morning will come. Joy will come. But tears are ok. Cry if you need to but look forward to YOUR MORNING. Your morning where there will be no more mourning. It will come. Keep you lamp on. Cry and be comforted. You are not alone. Your morning will come. :)