Pray, period. February 29, 2016

Boaz Ministries

Here I am again, Lord. You meet my needs all the time, and for that I thank You! As I present my needs to You, please remind me of the needs of others, so that I may be Your answer to someone else's prayer today.

Pray, period. February 28, 2016

Boaz Ministries 

Lord, please don't let me stumble. Eliminate the obstacles of worry and fear that line the path ahead. Give me hope and courage to face my future. Give me a clear mind to make the right decisions.

Pray, period. February 27, 2016

Boaz Ministries

My heart rejoices in Your presence this morning! To Your ears, Lord, I pray that my singing will be a joyful noise. You are my all in all. I worship and adore You. Lean down Your ear to me as I sing about Your love, for how great Thou art!

Pray, period. February 26, 2016

Boaz Ministries

You know the plans of my mind and the desires of my heart, but as Your Word says, it is Your purpose that will rule the day. Help me to step aside if I am blocking Your way. I await Your instructions for the day.

(Bible reference: Proverbs 19:21)

Pray, period. February 25, 2016

Boaz Ministries

Give me the humility You had when You washed the feet of the disciples. I am willing to take on whatever task - high or low - that You have for me. Grant me the spirit of cooperation as I work with others. I serve to bring glory and honor to You.

Pray, period. February 24, 2016

Boaz Ministries

Lord, You are the source of all I need. It is in You alone I trust. Lift me above this obsession with material goods. I want to live in Your kingdom, not man's. Help me not to get caught up in this "me" world. I want my life to be all about You.

Pray, period. February 23, 2016

Boaz Ministries

I don't know why, Lord, but I keep bringing up old offenses and throwing them into the faces of those who have hurt me. If I keep on this course, there's no telling how many people I will alienate. Help me to forgive others and pour out Your love to all.

Pray, period. February 22, 2016

Boaz Ministries

Dear God, I don't know what lies before me. Help me to be confident in Your wisdom and power to guide me, so that, although You have concealed from me the knowledge of future events, I may be ready for any changes or challenges that may come.

Pray, period. February 21, 2016

Boaz Ministries

Lord, my spouse and I are two who have been united into one. I praise You and thank You for leading me to my other half. He/she is more than I could ever have hoped for or dreamed. Bless our marriage, bless our union, bless our lives. Amen.

Pray, period.

As we move through 2016, prayer will be the primary focus. There's a great saying, "In these emergent times, pray." We at Boaz Ministries, believe that the practice of intentional prayers, daily, strengthens faith and trust in God; builds the relationship between partners, which in turn, leads to an even deeper relationship WITH God.

When there's an intimate relationship with the Lord, we find that prayers begin to sound like conversations. And these 'talks' can go on throughout our day, which gives a practical example of Paul's admonition to "pray without ceasing" in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. 

There is a prayer calendar with wonderful, short prayers for each day. We'll be sharing them daily to inspire, uplift, and encourage us all.

Please join us in this call to prayer.
Boaz Ministries 

I've made some changes

I was going through my blog stats and found a strange IP address listed as a recent viewer. It was curious, so, I looked it up. Seems this exact IP address is linked to a site or web address that, a. browses anonymously, and, b. can/will hack and or duplicate, redirect, falsify information on your blog.

Of course, I knew all this was possible. And I had thought about the content of some of my writings. There's no way that I feel I'm so important, or that my words are extreme or radical, not enough to warrant any attention or serious scrutiny. But I do have an issue with being misrepresented.

I'm not sure what's really going on with that strange IP address - but I am being "viewed" in foreign countries, places in which I have no connections. Yes, yes, yes...this is the internet. I know.  I've had enough of my name, rank and serial number being out in cyberspace. I'm not hiding...that's impossible.

But I am protecting what I can from here on out, and keep saying what I need to say.

If, in the process, 'they' come for me - it's fine. I sent for them.

My Apolitical Statement

As I was trolling (or is it rolling, scrolling, I forget) through my news feed on Facebook this morning, as I do every morning, I saw so many well written, well thought opinions and observations about the various issues that are present in our culture today. Good stuff. True and real stuff.

However, since my view is always filtered through a spiritual lens; and while I am continually shaking my head at the new lows into which folks are plunging (that I actually witness firsthand), reported by the media, I don’t tend to get as worked up by the greed, and the outrageous statements of puffed up politicians. While I am disturbed by the obvious injustices and blatant disrespect displayed toward the POTUS and all he has accomplished in the face of so much ridiculous opposition; all of these things are an ever-present reminder (for me) of everything the Bible says about the human condition in a Godless world.

In recorded history, if we look back at every major kingdom of the earth from Babylon to the present day, there is an undeniable running theme. Plain English: remove the standard of God from the society, it will fall. <Not an original saying, but it’s my paraphrase of the basic idea. There’s another saying, “History repeats itself.” Sir Winston Churchill said it this way: “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

Most of you saw the movie, “The Matrix” - the first one. It has a lot of symbolism in it that resonated with me. The wool has been pulled over the eyes of the vast majority of us. Most people are just following a pattern, allowing “the powers that be” to do their thinking for them. But there’s something else really at work that the people cannot/will not see. Some of you read the book, “1984” - George Orwell was truly before his time with that piece. 

There is a force at work in this world, and some of us are waking up - even non believers are noticing there’s something very wrong with this picture. What’s right is wrong, and what used to be wrong is quite all right - and you’re labeled with a phobia if you don’t agree. I’m not going to push my beliefs on anyone else, nor will I back down from what I believe in my heart. I’m here to love folks. All folks. I see my stay here as temporary, anyway. My charge, my marching orders were given to me at birth - I just didn’t recognize and accept them until I was about 38 years old.

So when I see or hear of people in “position” and “power” saying nonsensical things; when I read where the polls and numbers are increasingly high for candidates who have no business (in any thinking person’s opinion) being in the race - I just smile, and remember where I am. I’m on a battlefield. The battle is for the mind and for allegiance to one of two sides. I also remember that this is war - and I know that the war (and the race) is ALREADY won.

There’s a saying that dates back to 1546, by John Heywood, the full version says: “There are none so blind as those who will not see. The most deluded people are those who choose to ignore what they already know.” This quote resembles Jeremiah 5:21,“‘Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not” (cross reference texts found in Isa. 6:9, Matt. 13:13-14, Mark 8:18, Acts 28:26, Romans 1:20 - and as always, read in context). 

The horrible things going on in this country, yea, this world, must needs take place. And for the Christians out there reading this - it’s not your job to change the WORLD. That will NOT happen. The Lord called us to reach out, IN LOVE, to those who will accept the charge,we are to be about the great commission (Matthew 28:19), by HIS POWER - not our own trumped up, traditional/non-biblical and impotent means. God already knows who belongs to Him, and is ABLE to preserve us unto the day of Redemption. 

In conclusion, hear what the Bible says about how we’re to conduct ourselves while we’re here:

“Nevertheless the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, The Lord knows them that are His. And, let every one that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 2 Timothy 2:19.”

“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.…Ephesians 4:29-31.”

S/he that hath ears, will hear.