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| Why didn’t I look to heaven sooner? |
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Today was one of those days I would really prefer to forget. On top of stress at work, home, and church, I had a run in with arrogance personified. I was insulted, falsely accused, called a liar, and other names as well. But I have to admit, during the entire time I was attempting to defend myself against this person (who I’d say had absolutely no grip on reason whatsoever during the whole affair), my eyes were not really on the LORD much at all. In fact, there were moments when my anger could have driven me temporarily insane!
But the point did come when I couldn’t go any further without giving the situation over to the LORD. The Spirit finally broke through, reminding me of more important things than my personal justice.
Later this evening, at youth group, I found that I was able to give myself up in worship. This was such a sweet diversion!! During this lovely time, I found that the only two persons left in the world were me…and the LORD. All problems completely faded away, and all attackers too!
Finally at home, as I resumed my personal study of the book of Daniel before bed, I came across the one verse in the entire bible that explains how I was able to recover from such a lousy day!
4:34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever.
His dominion is an eternal dominion;
his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
(Nebuchadnezzar, filled with pride, received judgment from the LORD—seven years wandering alone in the wilderness, until he acknowledged God!)
I pray next time I look to heaven a lot sooner!! |
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Megan |
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April 25, 2008 at 10:52pm |
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| Amen my friend and I pray that you will look to heaven sooner next time too. |
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| Well sometimes we have to eat the grass and live with the beasts until we figure it out. Peace to you brother. All who live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Count on it and just go with the flow. Vengence is mine says the Lord, I will repay. You are His annointed, and when they touch God's annointed they are messing with God Himself! Satan is the accuser of the brethern, let them say what they want, God knows our hearts. Be strong and of good courage for the Lord your God is with you! Be blessed my brother. |
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| Mike n Laura.... thank you, your experience and your solution has lifted my spirit. |
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It was raining. Guy slammed my car door hard with his, in front of his family called me a liar and asked me what I was going to do about it. He stormed into the store, family in tow and I eyed his front tire's air valve... reached down... it would be sooo easy ... got under conviction. God stayed my hand. Sanity restored.
Still I wrangled with the Spirit indwelling within me until I saw him in the store. He avoided my gaze, his shoulders slumped. He wasn't the problem. His anger was the problem.
As it was with me.
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Hal, that is a great story, and pretty fitting parallel to my own experience. It is so infuriating when we are the subject of an injustice, especially a little one that we should be able to fix on our own, with just a little more effort...no, leave it to God, says the Spirit. Thanks for sharing, Hal!
Robin, I appreciated your blog post too! Thanks for reading and commenting!
Megan, thanks for being there for me.
Bro Todd, everyone deeply appreciates having friends like you, understanding and compassionate. Thanks! |
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Mike n Laura... great writing! I LOVE that Scripture in Daniel, a perfect one for your difficult situation. To be immovable out of the spirit takes time and lessons such as the one you encountered today.
Next time it might be a little different because you learned another valuable lesson of life today... and you wrote about it which reinforced it! When we ask the Lord for help in our difficult situations, He is faithful to provide what we need at that moment such as wisdom, direction, spiritual insight, revelation, changes, etc.
You are a blessing to so many... for your candid, honest integrity... which is the refreshing truth. I love to hear how God's children learn, grow and are molded into His image. You are real, Mike... and a blessing ro so many! I pray your day tomorrow is full of laughter and joy and that you will forget the trials of today and remember the lessons which shape your tomorrow.
1,000 Blessings to your family... |
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Yep been there done that, tore up the T-shirt in anger, oops, I mean, well you know........
Thanks Mike for a really good reminder. I'm going to be working all day in a very charged atmosphere. 1/2 mil projest coming to completion in a tight warm area. I will definitely remember this blog and work to be that agent of peace and clarity. Thanks so much for preperation! |
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Rosie |
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April 26, 2008 at 4:31am |
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| Mike I am so sorry to hear of your really bad day.....The enemy is so relentless at times....I work at one church and that's all they do is jump me about this that and the other....God has really had to deal with me at times i want to smack them all....hehehe ....He just keeps telling me that my time there is soon coming to an end....I will be so thankful when it does...... |
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| Great one most of us been there!!!!!!! |
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"For I the Lord love justice"
I just wrote about that. We as a people want anger to be the first but God says "slow to anger"
Your awesome Mike! Cuz some never get that far. This is your fruit. |
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Ruth....that means a whole lot, coming from you!!
Thanks Paul -- appreciate seeing you drop by! n Doyle, you're the best!
Rosie, you are a dear. Your compassion is really appreciated...just what I need! Ooh, I see you do understand how I felt! Is it just me, or does it seem like some of the most obnoxious people in the world are in the Christian church??? (note, seems like)
Dennis...praying for ya now, dude. Please - just be careful out there!!!!!!
Melanie...where do I begin? I don't know what your middle name is, but if I had to guess, I'd say "Encouragement". Other possibilities include Exhortation, Empathy, Caregiver.....ah, I've got it..."Grace"!!!!! I love your comments, and am so thankful to find them on my blogs!  |
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"...reminding me of more important things than my personal justice.."
YES!! It is something I know I have to remember, keep my memorie green! For I know Looking up to heavean & giving it over to Him is the only way to deal with things that upset me. Lessons learned .....sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly...*giggles*
Peace*Love*Blessings |
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| Thanks Donna....you really are a dear sister... :-) |
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Deb |
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April 26, 2008 at 7:22am |
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| At least you weren't wandering around as long Nebuchadnezzar was! I love it when we are able to see clearly, even if only for a brief time, God clears away the cobwebs and reminds us of what it is all about. |
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| Deb-- you wrote a blog a while ago, "OK I Admit There Are Some People I Just Don't Like"-- that made a good point about part of the problem being our attitudes. While I will not explain away the injustice of unfair treatment, I will say that my attitude tanked. And your blog even came to my mind a couple of times...I guess I should have re-read it (lol). BTW, I'm so glad you've linked all your blogs to your profile page...what a great resource! |
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Mike, we've definitely all been there. I respect the fact that once you got to worship you were able to let go and focus on God. Too often, we still keep the focus on ourselves and miss out on what can be an incredible experience. And its amazing, once we get a taste of God's presence, how small our earthly problems start to seem. Thanks for keeping it real and reminding all of us to keep looking up, Maureen |
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Mike n Laura... woke up this morning thinking about your lesson of yesterday and thought about the hundreds/thousands of people who would read your blog and remember what YOU learned. One of the biggest lessons of life... staying focused on HIM (immoveable from the Spirit), and out of the flesh (of retaliation, defense, etc). Because you dared to share your trial and test... others will be strengthened with wisdom. Thanks so much for your obedience.
Our greatest trials reap the greatest rewards.
Mark 10:30… But he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. This is God’s promise to you… that even though you were judged, persecuted and even misjudged… HE WILL TURN IT AROUND FOR YOUR GOOD and you will reap increase because of your humility and desire to please the Lord! Rest and thank Him… He gave you an A+ yesterday!! Rest in that. Thanking God for your obedience, again and again. ;-)
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| Mike, we all do it. It's just easier when we learn the first time. lol Yeah, right! How many of us do!!! |
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| BTW, I think you are swell! |
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Cheryl |
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April 26, 2008 at 10:20am |
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Mike, as others read this and Melanie's comments, she would not tell anyone, but she has recently been through a whirl-wind herself and greater was He within her than he in the world!
She would not mind me saying that and I only do for others to see and we as people have a tendency to say....THEY don't have a clue about what I am going through....
God knows!
34:1 I will bless Jehovah at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 34:2 My soul shall make her boast in Jehovah: The meek shall hear thereof, and be glad. 34:3 Oh magnify Jehovah with me, And let us exalt his name together. 34:4 I sought Jehovah, and he answered me, And delivered me from all my fears. 34:5 They looked unto him, and were radiant; And their faces shall never be confounded. 34:6 This poor man cried, and Jehovah heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. 34:7 The angel of Jehovah encampeth round about them that fear him, And delivereth them. 34:8 Oh taste and see that Jehovah is good: Blessed is the man that taketh refuge in him.
God bless you brother, much love. |
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| People can certainly try us, but thankfully we have someone bigger and wiser on our side. Bless you |
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Grant |
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April 26, 2008 at 12:19pm |
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| Thanks for the reminder bro. I get distracted too easily. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! |
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I have seen ashes shine like chrome.. someday i will see home. -Switchfoot. God bless Mike ! |
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Glenn |
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April 28, 2008 at 5:46am |
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Mike thanks so much for sharing your experiences with us here. Your transparent and self-revealing blogs are often right on the mark and God uses them mightily.
peace |
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Rosie |
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April 28, 2008 at 6:14am |
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Mike i have discovered that the truely obnoxious people in any church are the ones who don't have a true relationship with Jesus...They think they do by keeping a bunch or silly man made rules but as far as having the love of Jesus in their hearts it's nowhere to be found.....True Jesus loving ,bible believing people just don't treat others that way.....God says they will know us by our LOVE.......Love isn't arrogent or rude.....RIGHT????? |
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Mike, I knew you were human too, I just knew it!
I just want to encourage you that, yes you should always look to God first before someone gets deep enough under your skin to cause you to react, but even those walking the closest to Jesus can be subdued from time to time, that is why we turn to him for the renewel of our sanity and our spirit. Please just know that those who really see you.... know your character is filled with a blessed dignity, a humble spirit, and a gentle loving demeanor. God knows it too.
4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
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| Mike, I'm thinkin'.......the sooner we look, the sooner we see ! |
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The comments that come into a blog like this awe me, they are filled with compassion (1st), and understanding, empathy, concern, agreement, love.....so nice to feel my Lord reaching out to me through YOU!!
Paul, that's so simple yet so brilliant! (and I feel so dense!! lol)
Tammy, perhaps I need to share my human side more often then. It's ok to look up to someone, but as soon as we forget they are human and struggle too, we are in trouble! (oh my, I am so, so human too)
Rosie, right! Indeed our Lord said "by this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." For this reason, I am especially disappointed in myself when I react selfishly, rather than by the Spirit.
Thanks Glenn. Wish I could say that I enjoy writing blogs like this one, I just hope I don't have to write too many like it! (Now I get to see if I can actually learn from my own mistakes...)
TDK, love it when you drop by! Good talkin to ya on the Easter blog!
Grant, I've profited from sitting at your feet, glad I could return the favor!
Shirley, amen! Now if only I can remember that when the time comes... 
Lara, thank you for your understanding, and for sticking by me through this one.
Melanie, difficult to put my full appreciation to you into words. You are tremendously encouraging, thank you for building me up and pointing us all to Christ! You have a powerful ministry going on there!!! |
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hey, could be worse... you could be an alien lol! who knows how you would react to this crazy world then! Im just glad your real Mike.... totally "real" -God bless! |
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Becky |
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May 01, 2008 at 4:56am |
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Wow! Always something I need to read, Thanks Mike!
I know that we should always fix our eyes on Jesus, especially during that very moment when our persecutors are attacking us. But putting into practice during that very moment, can be extremely difficult. This year I too have had the pleasure to experience this at so many levels I never thought I would be tested to this level. But in reality it has been the best blessing I could have experienced because of that concept you mention only "two persons left in the world were me…and the LORD". No matter how I am persecuted, my peace should come through HIM and only HIM. No matter what I say, or what is really the truth, or whatever my eyes should be fixed on him. He will reveal deciet. He will restore my soul. He will comfort my hurt. Only He will be the final answer on everything. So why do I struggle with trying to play God? Because my pride is in the way and my trust isn't fully in HIM. Maybe when I really grow up I will learn to put this in practice and not struggle for days, weeks, months, years I will be able to do His will always.
Good word. Thanks so much. |
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Becky, wonderful comment....honest! Most of us share your struggle to some degree. I too look forward to the day when I can look back and say "I remember when my pride used to be a problem." God bless you, sis.
ps... I sent a friend request to someone named "Nerd" several months ago, and never got a response. Could it be I'm too nerdy even for a nerd? lol |
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Becky |
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May 01, 2008 at 7:01am |
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| I will message you on that question |
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....some things I read this morning in PSALM 37 which I really need to keep in mind in these situations....
7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes. 8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
11 But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy great peace.
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Amy |
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May 01, 2008 at 8:20am |
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| hey Mike, thanks for posting this. I am going to remember this verse. Isnt God so wonderful! He has all the bases covered on our emotions and experiences. We have such a loving, and caring Father. Thanks again! |
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Hi Mike,
I've been dealing with long-term anger and rage dating back to 1973 when I was only 5 years old. Today, I still get sideways whenever something goes unexpected or an unforeseen event happens to throw a kink in my plans.
Like problems associated with being paralyzed. Every time it happens I go through the roof in a flash, then I try to start calming down to avoid having a stroke. I mean this seriously. My internal guages go beyond the redline: my blood pressure shoots way up, my brain hurts, my eyes turn red, and my hands begin to shake.
I have a good friend that has been talking to me about heaven. I'll be honest with you, heaven never meant much to me. I never cared for gold, gems, jewels or wealth of any sort, so telling me all about how heaven looks has been very pointless. But my friend got to talking about how good it's going to be when we get there: being in close proximity to God, no more tears, no more sorrow, no more death or destruction, no more amputations, no more surgeries.
He has shared with me some music he discovered on www.ElijahList.com that focuses on heaven and the heavenlies. I've been listening to it for several hours a day for about a week now. The rage is gone and the sudden anger is suffering a sudden death. Deep inside me I can feel a peaceful presence that constantly reminds me how temporal everything here is.
Heaven is now my focus too. But I never would have thought about sharing that anyone. So I'm glad you did bro. |
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| Jonathan, I'm so glad to hear that you are "looking heavenward." And even more glad to hear how it has helped you out! If I weren't active on mychurch, I never would have enjoyed the benefit of knowing how your thoughts (and ears) turned heavenward have helped improve your quality of life -- your faith is a great example for us, Jonathan. Others may find the music you spoke of helpful as well! Thanks for sharing that. |
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