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Martyrdom

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 21, 2019
Today’s entry from EQUIPPED! (written years ago) is very appropriate with the news I just got: yesterday a expat worker in T was stabbed and killed, the first martyr since 2007. Others, both expat and local believers have received death threats.
 
This is in addition to the expelling of dozens of long term workers from the country,
 
And, the government just approved turning a historic church building into a mosque.
 
Pray for the expat workers and local believers to not give in to fear, but to keep on the armor, to be strong in faith, in the Lord who is their shield and fortress.
 
“Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight.”
Psalm 119:143
 
I praise you this morning, Heavenly Father, for you are the Sovereign One, controlling all that goes on, all that comes to me. You hold back the tide of evil, allowing Satan only so much rope, and you use the fury of his attacks to advance your Kingdom.
 
I read of how many thousands in Haiti have come to faith after the great earthquakes of 2010. You used this tragedy to plow the hard and rebellious hearts of people, opening them to hearing Truth and surrendering to you.
 
Suffering is an unavoidable part of life in this sin-warped world; you are the One who allows the suffering that comes to us, regulating it according to what we need to grow and give you glory, as well as what we can bear with your grace.
 
In the suffering that comes, you have reasons, you have goals, you have growth, you have privileges for us. And we have the responsibility to flee to you, to turn to your Word, to take up and use your grace, to praise, to rest in you, to embrace what comes as opportunity to bring you glory.
 
I praise you:
• for your wisdom, which is far above our understanding;
• for your grace, which is more than enough;
• for your compassion, which provides all we need;
• for your love, which you pour out on us every moment.
 
The words of Psalm 119:141-144a come to mind, “Though I am lowly and despised, I do not forget your precepts.” The negative reactions and hurtful words and actions of people and their rejection of us can easily block out Truth from our thoughts.
 
But our response must be to go immediately to your Word, Lord, to find our comfort, perspective, help and direction. People may not understand us, but you do. We may not understand what’s happening and why, but you do and will help us through it.
 
“Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight.”
 
We so easily confuse comfort and convenience with good; but you so carefully teach us that weakness, hardships, insults, persecutions and difficulties are also things to delight in—when we have your perspective, think your thoughts and see with your eyes (2 Cor. 12:9,10)
.
Praise you that with your Word you work to give us the big picture, to help us understand what you are doing. You draw us up above the snares and rebellious thoughts of the world, the flesh and the devil.
 
Thank you for the shield of faith that we can raise with praise to ward off the fiery darts of self-pity, anger, frustration, impatience, self-centeredness and hurt as well as short-term thinking and feeling.
 
• Praise raises the barrier of protection.
• Praise heals the wounds.
• Praise opens our eyes.
• Praise produces perspective.
• Praise brings freedom.
 
May Your commands be our delight no matter what we may experience.
 
Prayer: “Praise you for your great wisdom, love, grace and goodness. We bow before you in worship, we lift up your name, we exalt you in your perfection and we surrender our hearts to your love. We rise up now to obey you through the day as part of our worship. May you be glorified in our lives today. Amen.”
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God’s Wonderful Word

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 20, 2019
From the devotional book EDIFIED!
 
“Deal with your servant according to your love and teach me your decrees.” Psalm 119:124
 
Praise you, Lord Jesus, Heavenly Father and Holy Spirit, the great Triune Revealer and Teacher of Truth. You have given us the written record of your revealed Word, supplying what we need to know so we can believe in you, trust in you, follow and obey you.
 
I praise you for the partnership you call us to. You supply the Word, then you give us the task and joy of seeking to understand it, searching it, memorizing and meditating on it, internalizing and obeying it. In response to our searching, you teach, give insight, open new understanding, apply truth and bring transformation.
 
“The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Ps. 119:130).
 
The truth is that we are, in comparison to you, Lord, simple, shallow, unknowing and uncaring. But your Word is the means of changing that. With the brightness of your Word, you give understanding to our simple minds so we can begin to see the correct foundation of thought, of life, of truth and philosophy, science and history, politics and religion.
 
With this foundational grasp of the reality of your existence, of your character, acts and power, we can have some understanding of how you work, what you are doing and how you want us to join in and cooperate with you.
 
Your Word tells us that you are the meaning of life, Lord, and through your Word you give us:
light for living,
principles for perception,
wisdom for relationships,
glimpses of the future,
a grasp of history,
a certainty of your presence and
great guidance and protection.
 
Your Word is wonderful, Lord Jesus:
It is living, rich, powerful and deep.
It is sharp to shape us,
gracious to guide us,
kind to comfort us,
enlightening to empower us,
right to reprimand us,
loving to lead us.
 
Your Word is what we need:
In it your character is revealed,
your plan explained,
your wisdom displayed,
your grace demonstrated,
your goodness shown,
your power revealed.
 
In it we can trust,
through it we can believe,
by it we can live.
Praise be to you.
 
Prayer: “We praise you for your tremendous, transforming, trustable Revelation, Lord. Help us to diligently dig into daily, to learn, apply, live and love it to the end. Amen”
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Desperately Biblical Prayer

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 19, 2019
A desperate prayer, written a good number of years ago in my worship journal while living in another country. It was written during an ugly conflict among the members of the church we attended, a prayer for healing and restoration.
 
Praying Scripture:
 
Praise you, Lord, that I awoke this morning to find you there. In fact, I woke up several times in the night and also found you there, leading me to pray, especially for our church, using Psalm 86:1,16-17, (which shines like a light in the darkness, to be reflected in our souls). We are poor and needy, Lord, hear us, have mercy on us, help us to lift our souls to you, to trust you. I cry out to you in the day of trouble that you will save us. I pray that you will grant us a token for good that those who hate you may see it and be ashamed.
 
Praying God’s will:
 
Let this blow that fell Sunday on the wall of pride, tradition and fear of man be effective. Press the attack, Lord, widen the crack, blast through. Bring revival, bring great conviction of sin, a vision of your holiness, a grasp of how much we have undeservedly been forgiven. Lord, only you can do this, I cry out to you for a working of power, a defeat of the enemy, a powerful overcoming of his plans and tactics with your great wisdom, power and love.
 
Praying for the right motive:
 
Shine on us, expose sin, bring repentance, deal with pride, clean house that this church may become again a beacon for you. I ask that you answer in power for the sake of your name, for the sake of your glory, for the sake of more worship in eternity.
 
Praying in line with God’s character:
 
Answer out of your great love, your mercy and grace. Sweep in in strength, transform in power, tear down in wisdom and build up in grace. I praise you now for what you will do. Work especially in the leadership, Lord, and bring to pass what will glorify your name.
 
Epilogue: God did answer, although much more slowly than I wanted. He answered thoroughly, and carefully as far as all of us were willing to change. And years later, the church is doing well. He is faithful to His Word, and praying it is how we join Him in what He is doing.
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Ultimate Refuge

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 18, 2019

From EDIFIED!

“You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.”
Psalm 119:114
 
Praise be to you, O Lord God, Yahweh, the Great and Holy One. You are utterly other than anything in your creation.
 
–You are beyond comprehension—yet you have made yourself known.
–You are beyond understanding—yet you clothed yourself in human form.
–You are Holy and pure—yet you love sinners.
–You are totally just—yet you have made it possible for mercy to triumph over justice.
–You are perfect—yet you have great patience with imperfect, twisted, rebellious, stubborn people.
–You are complete in yourself—yet you offer relationship to those who don’t deserve it.
–You are righteous—yet you forgive the unrighteous.
–You are eternal—yet you enter time to bring mortals into your forever Kingdom.
 
I praise you that you have made yourself a refuge for us, an escape from self and sin and Satan. In you we can be freed from the senseless, meaningless, randomness of the unregenerate world—because in you there is meaning and purpose and direction.
 
–You are a refuge from the hopelessness, the powerlessness, the futileness of human life.
–You are a refuge from our own anger, frustration, impotence and self-pity.
–You are a refuge from the evil of men and devils, from injustice, violence and shame.
–You are a refuge from fear, anxiety and anguish.
–You are a refuge from idol worship, materialism and the tyranny of the urgent.
–You are a refuge from junk stress, wrong values and short-term thinking.
–You are a refuge from harmful, self-destructive, caustic behavior.
–You are a refuge from lust, lying and laziness.
–You are a refuge from failure, factionalism and favoritism.
–You are a refuge from all that is negative, sinful and impure. .–You shield us from the daily onslaught of Satan and his forces.
 
In you we are safe, in you we are accepted, in you we are protected. Praise be to you for your powerful, proven provision. You have given us the armor needed to stand. You have offered us power, endurance, guidance and light—all we need to walk in the valley of this world fallen, to escape the corruption that comes through evil desires and to be more than conquerors.
 
As we come to you and dwell in the shelter of your Word and the way you have given us, you shield us from wrong thoughts, wrong desires and wrong perspectives. You shield us from what is distracting, destructive and demanding. You shield us from what is caustic, competitive and cynical. You shield us from what is foolish, selfish and unwise.
 
Truly, Lord God, Triune King, Eternal Ruler, Owner of everything, you are our hope: our only Hope; our Huge, Eternal, Almighty, Sustaining and entirely Adequate Hope. And your Word gives us what we need to nurture and sustain this Hope.
 
Praise be you, the God of hope who desires to fill us with all joy and peace, if we will only trust in you, so that our lives may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 15:13).
 
Prayer: “Yes, Lord, may the fragrance of your hope flow out of my life throughout the day and edify all those around me! May praise for the Eternal, Great, Good and Glorious God be the keynote of my life, of my day. Glory be to you, the God of Hope, the God of Protection, the God of Refuge, the God who is our shield! Amen.”
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God’s work in my parents

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 17, 2019

At this time (1999) my parents were rapidly declining in their health and were rapidly losing their ability to adequately care for themselves.

My brother-in-law, Jerry, had just retired from his many years of teaching English and coaching basketball. He and my sister, Andrea, had planned to move to Pennsylvania, where their son was living, but sensed instead that God was calling them to come to Canterbury to care for our parents.

Our little house in Canterbury made it feasible for them to make this move, because now they could have their own place to stay. God had known the timing of my parents’ coming needs and He led us, through Barbara’s insight, to build this house to be of practical help to them.

So, as we were leaving Canterbury to return overseas, Andrea and Jerry moved into our little house and began caring for Mom and Dad, who lived just across our pond. This was a wonderful demonstration of obedience and self-denial on their part.

Their stay expanded from the planned one of two years into four.  During this time Andrea was used by the Lord to lead to Christ both Dad and Mom in their eighties, as well as Mom’s eighty-seven year old sister. A wonderful answer to our prayers for them over more than 50 years.

Mom was in the midst of her Alzheimer deterioration, needing much care. Andrea was faithful in meeting all her needs, spending time, encouraging her in doing what she could. In one conversation Mom said she was going to heaven because she was good. This was a total surprise to all of us, for Mom had been a Sunday School teacher for 40 years, had been baptized and certainly lived a godly life. In fact, if anyone could go to heaven by being good, she would be the one.

Andrea talked with Mom about the gospel, but she was adamant that she was good enough on her own. Now Mom’s father, a faithful church goer, had finally come to Christ at 73 and became quite the evangelist. Andrea had one of the booklets he used to share his faith and gave it to Mom to read. When she finished she said, “Well, if my father believed this, then I’m ready to pray and accept Christ as my savior!” They prayed together, and Mom definitely changed.

Shortly after Mom said she wanted to go to St. Louis to visit her 87 year old sister who was in a nursing home. That didn’t seem like a realistic possibility, as Mom found it difficult to even go to the grocery  store with Andrea, but Andrea took her at her word and purchased plane tickets for the trip. They spent 3 days visiting Aunt Hazel, who was bed ridden. Like Mom, Aunt Hazel was relying on her goodness to get to heaven and had been resistant all her life to the gospel, which requires an admission of being a sinner.

During the visit Andrea asked Aunt Hazel if she’d like to accept Christ as her savior, and she answered with a strong “Yes!”  So they prayed together. After returning to Canterbury, Andrea got a letter from Aunt Hazel’s care giver, asking “What did you do to your aunt? She is so different after your visit!” Even in her state, being born again made a difference. She died three weeks later.

When both of my parents needed more care than my sister could give them, she move them into a nursing home in Ohio, where both my sisters were able to visit them every day until their death, giving them and many others in the nursing home wonderful, loving care and help.

As mentioned, Dad was not open to any spiritual input until he was totally incapacitated. Starting at 81, he had a long series of small strokes that left him sitting in a wheelchair, unable to do anything but put a fork in his mouth. The day after Mom died, he had another stroke and this robbed him of his speech; he could talk, but it came out all garbled. The doctor said his hearing was also affected so he could not understand what was being said.

I’d been praying for Dad’s salvation for 52 years and now this seemed impossible. I began to pray, “Lord, speak to Dad in the prison of his mind. Help him to remember all he’s heard over the years about you and salvation.

The Lord answered graciously, giving him times of half an hour or more where his mind opened up and he could both speak and hear clearly. In the first such incident, my brother-in-law Chris dropped by to visit and found Dad reading his Bible. Together they went through several chapters in John and Chris prayed with him. During another one of Dad’s lucid times, my sister Andrea asked if he’d like to accept Christ as his savior. Dad answered, “yes.” Andrea prayed for him, and even in his limited state he changed! He died peacefully two years later. It is wonderful to know that we will see him again in Heaven!

Pictures: Dad rode his motorcycle until he was 81. In his later years in a grandson powered type of wheeled transport.

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Wow!

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 16, 2019
Praise you, Lord, that you are the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-loving God. You never lose your way, never lose your focus, never lose in the end, but always bring a just and positive conclusion. I praise you that you have the will and power to do so. This is possible because you live outside of time, because you are everywhere at once and exist forever.
 
After recently watching the film of the Gospel of John, I thank you for the reminder of the difficulties you suffered in living as a human being and revealing yourself as God.
 
It also reminds us of how naturally stubborn and negative we are as humans, protective of our position and status, willing to reject eternal truth in order to keep some temporary comfort.
 
I praise you, Lord Jesus, that, as the God-man, you did not shrink back from any challenge, that you did not move too fast, and that you did not give up.
 
I praise you that you pressed on to the conclusion of your task here on earth, suffering agony physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually, dying so that we, your enemies, might be set free from the clutches of Satan, self and sin.
 
Praise be to you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit for your noble, gracious, loving acts of redemption and restoration. To you we must give glory and honor and praise in and for all. Help us to live in the light of your lavish and luscious love all through this day.
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Psalm 37:38-40, the last verses

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 14, 2019
 
Psalm 37:38 “But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.”
 
[The certainty of your judgment, Lord, is absolute: sin and all who choose to remain in it will be condemned, taken from this world and removed from your presence forever. Then the new Heaven and the new earth will come, beautiful and pure with no evil, no sin, no wickedness–only beauty and purity like in the picture here, only obedience, love, glory-giving and worship of you, Lord God–Father, Son and Holy Spirit. You are worthy, the only One to be exalted, for you are the wise and good God.
 
Psalm 37:39 “The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.”
 
[we should look nowhere else for salvation, protection or help, for no one and nothing else can save us, protect us, keep us as You can, Lord God. You are our Savior, our Shepherd and our Warrior King.]
 
Psalm 37:40 “The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,”
 
[You, Lord, are active, powerful and always present; you save us out of the pressures that are good for us and remove those which are destructive. We can trust you to work all things out, as you did in defeating the wicked at the cross.
 
“because they take refuge in him.”
 
And lastly, here’s God’s condition for protecting us. You call us, Lord, to find our refuge in you, our great and good God. When difficulties come, we so naturally and quickly flee to ourselves or others for help.
 
We run first to the doctor for a pill, to the banker for a loan, to the politician for influence, to a friend for comfort. These are not wrong at the right time. Bu first we must come to you in prayer, seeking wisdom, direction, help, protection and healing.
 
You give us direction here: “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14). After we seek you in prayer, you may direct us to human help that you will use, although many times you act without that help.
 
I praise you, Lord, for your calling us to partnership with you. Help us to remember to come to you first, all the time, displaying before men and angels our trust in you. You have proved yourself many times over to be our refuge, our fortress, our shield and our defender.
 
And then from this refuge, you will guide us in utilizing whatever human resources you choose to bring about the conclusion you desire for us in each difficulty you allow.
 
Praise be to you, the God of Abraham, the Lord of Joseph, the Shepherd of David, and the Savior of the world. May you be honored, exalted and glorified as we respond in all things with the sacrifice of thanksgiving, the calmness of faith and the obedience of trust.]
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Psalm 37:35-37

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 13, 2019
 
Psalm 37:35-36 “I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil, but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.”
 
[Think of Stalin, of Hitler, of Genghis Khan, and Napoleon. They all died and are no more. Their evil was dealt with, their powerful condemnation is now implemented, taken down like the huge tree in the picture below. You, Lord God, are just, working out proper punishment while using the evil of men to bring about your purposes in the lives of many.
 
As it says in Psalm 33:10 “the Lord foils the plans of the nations and thwarts the purposes of the people. but the plans of the Lord stand firm forever and the purposes of His heart through all generations.” Continue to do so in these days, Lord, to work against the designs of the devil, to destroy the plans of death and darkness. ]
 
Psalm 37:37 “Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future for the man of peace.”
 
[Think of Abraham, Joseph, David, Elijah and Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Paul, Luther and Billy Graham–these all have an ongoing positive influence on the world. In spite of dying physically, they live on, having an endless existence and unlimited joy with you. So do we now, being safe in the arms of Jesus.
 
I praise you, Lord, for the certainty of our future with you, filled with life, light, love and lavish goodness. I praise you for your unending, undeserved, unreserved, unrestrained grace, flowing from your heart of holiness into our lives with light.
 
We stand in your presence, chosen, cherished, cleansed, dearly loved, deeply cared for, doted on and delighted in. You, Lord God are a wonder–no, you are THE Wonder of all existence, the God who lives in multi-dimensions, full of multi-goodness, operating out of multi-wisdom.
 
In the light of these great Truths, help us to consistently listen to your Word and respond to your Spirit, to grow in humility, brokenness, obedience and praise.
 
May we daily take up your grace, receive your wisdom, add endurance to our obedience, and grow in godliness, extending brotherly kindness and love to all those around us. May you be honored, glorified and pleased with our walk today.
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Psalm 37:34

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 12, 2019
Update: Barbara is doing well, her intestinal problems have dissipated, her pain is less and her abilities have increased (now able to climb stairs). We are thankful, and thank all who have been praying for her.
 
Psalm 37:34 “Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land;”
 
[The necessity of surrender is so clear: it is His timing and His way that are right, not mine. I must deny myself, take up His patience, obey what I know to be true and wait for His work. Guide me today, Lord, in walking in your way. Thank you that you will help us at the right time.
 
Yesterday in my quiet time I lifted my soul to God, telling him of the frustrations in my life, of the many mechanical problems I have with equipment, etc. Then I surrendered to His Truth and thanked God both for the problems and for what He will do, as well as His timing in it. Then during the day 7 different solutions came to pass!–the Lord just brought people along to help me. Surrender and trust open the way for His working.
 
What you do is always good, Lord, so your timing is good, your outcome is good as you lead us through the twists and turns of life. We can trust you and we choose to do so, praising you now for the outcomes of all before us.
 
“when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.”
 
[The outcome is sure–am I willing to wait for it and to join you in what you are doing now, Lord, leaving it to you to deal with the wicked. Help me to rest in the outcome you promise and to endure through the misunderstanding of others, the disapproval of others, the negatives of their responses. Help me to think and live in truth. Help those who oppose me to see truth also, to surrender to you, to come to walk in your light.
 
Praise you, Lord God, that you are the Winner, the Victor, the Triumphant One in the end–always. Praise be to you for your power, your wisdom, your patience, your grace and your goodness. We can wait for you, knowing that you will go before us, giving us light in this dark valley and leading us out the other side, strengthening and maturing us along the way.
 
Help us all to endure, to move through with your power, listening to you, doing what is right and best, cooperating with you rather than doing our own thing in our own timing. Help us to avoid the mistake of Abraham, who in his impatience, fathered Ishmael, bringing trouble to many. We submit to you, Lord, for you are the wise One, the good One, the holy One.
 
I thank you for the certainty of your being with me through this day, Lord Jesus, of my being able to join you in what you are doing. Show me continually how to do this and I praise you now for the help you will give.]
 
Picture: Barbara doing crossword puzzles
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Contentment

Published by S.M. Wibberley on November 12, 2019
This excerpt from EDIFIED is very relevant to me today, as there are a number of large issues facing me, over which I have very little control–but in which I can be content.
“My soul finds rest in God alone.” Psalm 62:1
 
***************
 
The Puritan writer Burroughs says that contentment is not what we have when looking back, able to see what God was doing through a difficult time. It is being at peace in the midst of difficulty and suffering without any visible clue as to what our Shepherd is doing, and in that knowledge vacuum, resting in Him.
 
Knowing the character of God is enough. He whose wisdom created the world, made the complex human body and gave man dominion over the earth; He who did not give up when Adam sinned and twisted the whole of creation; He who secured salvation at huge personal cost, and loves us to the end–He is trustable when all else is hidden from our understanding.
 
Knowing You, Lord God, the great Yahweh, holy, glorious, entirely other, hater of sin, lover of the sinner—to know you is enough to give us contentment when everything goes wrong, when we suffer pain, when we are mistreated, when we fail and are, humanly speaking, hopeless.
 
Contentment is knowing the power of your right arm. You, Lord Jesus, spoke and created all that we see, with its incredible variety, beauty and vastness. You hung, spun and run the earth. You ride, guide and hide the winds. You hold, mold and unfold events. You send, bend and end history. Never defeated, never stretched, never inadequate, your power is immeasurable. In you we can trust.
 
Contentment is knowing the patience of your will. You have a plan, you will reveal it at the pace you know to be best. You will not rush, you will not be late, your timing is perfect. When nothing appears to be happening, you are at work on deep levels, persistently, patiently, powerfully bringing to pass events and conditions that will move history to the conclusion you have determined. We can trust you in your timing.
 
Contentment is knowing the greatness of your love. You are Agape Love itself: the commitment to act for the good of others, no matter how they may react. The wonder of your rich, deep, powerful, unending, gracious love is an ever-growing joy as we walk with you, learning of you from your Word, from your works, from your way.
 
As we climb the golden staircase of your grace, care and love, knowing you more and more each day, we can be content in you and in whatever you bring, whatever we suffer, whatever we lose, for you are good.
 
Prayer: “When all is meaningless, when all we do seems foolish, when pain obscures our vision, still our hearts to know your heart of love and grace. Help us then to rest in your contentment. Glory be to you, the Great God of contentment, worthy of all worship and wonder and trust. Amen.”
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