THE NEW EWE

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'"

Luke 15:4-6

June 28, 2023

LIFE IN THE FOLD

I enjoy watching the old westerns. Something that is pretty typical is that when two men stand face to face to have a shoot-out, one of them gets killed or wounded. But if someone gets away on a horse and is shot at, they typically don't get hurt.

It's the same in old cop shows. At close range, someone gets shot.... but if they are shooting at a moving vehicle or target, then typically, the person gets away.

When working at the bank, we had a lot of safety trainings. We were told if someone points a gun at you, to run. If someone tries to take you as a hostage, do whatever you have to do to get away, because once you leave the building with them, your chances of survival are pretty much zero. Fake a heart attack, pull your feet up so that they are holding dead weight to try and knock them off balance...... whatever you have to do so that it's taking longer than they want to get away.

I read a training specifically for churches after some shootings had taken place during church services. The training said to run and scatter. It's harder for a shooter to hit a moving target, than one that is stationary. If you sit or stand still, or are underneath a pew and not moving, then you are an easier target.

When christians are at close range to the devil or are unmoving, they are going to be an easier target for him to strike. That doesn't mean that steadfast, committed believers won't suffer attacks. But the men and women of God, who are actively working and serving in the kingdom of God are harder targets for him to strike at and hit. And when he does hit them, they are stronger in their faith and harder to take out. They know how to fight back!

Weak christians, who aren't praying and reading the Word of God and growing in their faith, aren't trained in how to use the weapons which God has given us to fight the enemy. They may know what needs to be done, but if they've not been training and practicing, then it's going to be harder for them to fight the attacks that Satan brings against them.

Those who are in constant spiritual training and are using the weapons and armor which God has given us are going to be much harder to fight against than those who say that they are christians, yet aren't rooting themselves in the Word of God and developing their relationship with God. Even if someone used to be a stronger christian, yet has grown complacent and no longer using the armor and weapons which God has given to them, they may be surprised to find that when Satan attacks, they no longer know how to use those things. That doesn't mean that those skills can't be redeveloped and they grow stronger in their faith, but they have to choose that that is what they want.

Last week my sisters and I spent a week together. One of my sisters was telling us that her daughter heard someone speaking in some type of training and they said that one of the skills that older people lose is the ability to skip.

My sisters were all like, "I know I can still skip! I've been skipping since I was a little girl. I'm sure I can still do it." So one night we decided to try it. I'm not as graceful as I once was, due to my weight, but I could still skip. The sister just older than me could skip a little... but had a hard time getting her feet off the ground. The next to the oldest sister could still skip fairly well. The middle sister could not skip at all! She could not get her feet to move in the right motions and absolutely could not do it. My oldest sister said that she was sure she could still skip, but when she got up to try it, her legs would not cooperate and she was not even close to skipping. She said that in her mind, she could still skip. She and the middle sister tried 2-3 times and couldn't do it. The next day, my oldest sister was outside and tried it again, because she felt like she should be able to do it. We had a lot of laughs, watching each other. But the two who couldn't do it at all were so surprised that they were unable to skip.

I think sometimes spiritually we think we still have the power and still have the skills to fight the enemy, because we once did. But over time, we grew comfortable and spiritually lazy, and our relationship with the Lord became weak. When we are tempted or have an attack from Satan, we are surprised when we are unable to fight as we once did.

The good news is, God is so patient and loving and willing to train us and give our armor back to us. He desires that our roots grow deep so that when bad things in life happen, we're not uprooted and destroyed. Regardless of our age or health or what is going on in our life or family, we all have a work to do in the kingdom of God. We can keep active and work for the Lord, so that we are a moving target and harder for Satan to strike.

JON'S PERSPECTIVE:

Many (probably all, but I'm not certain) military groups do regular training. Even in the reserves, they gather a unit together for exercises on a regular basis. They might train in special ways depending on what world events seem most likely to call on their help. But they also go over the most basic elements of training.

In "The Karate Kid", like many other stories, the student must go through exercises over and over again, even when there doesn't seem to be a real reason for it. They must learn those basic steps so well that they become instinctive. Then, when they need them in battle, they are already there, waiting to be called on.

When Satan confronted Jesus in the wilderness, every time Satan made a challenge, Jesus responded by quoting scripture. It was an instinctive reflex because Jesus knew those scriptures.

The best and most basic exercise we can do is to study the Holy Bible, and know scriptures. When situations come up to challenge our faith, we should have those scriptures ready. "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." "The love of the Lord never ceases... His mercy is new every morning." "The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer." "Resist the Devil, and he will flee."

Different verses may be more meaningful to each person. Find some for yourself that you can carry with you, and practice it often.

ON THE MENEWE:

Mango Chicken

You can used grilled chicken or rotisserie or really whatever you have. Cook or grill and cut into bite-sized pieces or shred. Put a little olive oil in a skillet; add in the chicken. Add in chopped onions and chopped mango. Really, you can adjust the amounts to how much you want to cook and to your preference. Season with soy sauce. If it seems too dry or there's no liquid, add in a little chicken broth.

Serve on top of cooked rice.

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER:

My sisters and I just spent a week together. We get together each summer for a few days. We laughed, shared stories, talked, napped, did a few outings, shopped a little, and enjoyed out time together. I've heard parents say their memories of various things in the past are much different from their children's memories. It's the same with sisters! We found that there were a few things that we remembered differently; but perhaps it's because we have different perspectives and are at different maturity levels when it occurs. It really doesn't matter who's right and who's wrong! It's fun to hear the stories and the various versions.

I encourage you to really hear one another's stories! Adult children listen to your parent's stories.... parents listen to your kid's versions.... siblings listen to each other... laugh, cry, discuss.... but don't get upset if someone remembers things differently than you do. It's not about who's right, but about sharing memories!

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

Worrying doesn't change anything, but trusting in God changes everything. -unknown

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU:

We love you!

Loretta & Jon

http://www.graysheep.org