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This was a wonderful biography of a true American Hero. Adam was the golden boy growing up, friend and defender to all. He became up as a drug addict as a young adult, but turned his life over to God, and became a Navy Seal. His team is the one who ultimately took out Bin Laden. This true story will touch your heart and make you proud of our enlisted men and women. I give this book 5 stars and recommend it to Christian and non Christians alike. A piece of modern history!
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At some point we all ask ourselves the question, “Who am I?” Answers vary. Some say, “I am a McCoy,” “I am a writer,” “I am a Packer Fan,” or “I am a mother.” Others may say things like, “I am a college graduate,” “I am an alcoholic,” or “I am nobody special.” Our ideas about who we are run the gambit. The opinions we have about ourselves are mostly rooted in what others may have said about us, or told us about ourselves. Growing up, we may have rebelled about the labels that others have placed on us and determined to prove them wrong. Weather we think of ourselves as important or unimportant, beautiful or ugly, useful or useless, what we think matters.
Why?
Well, you see before we can truly love others, the way God wants us to, we first have to love ourselves. Not in a narcissistic way, where we think too highly of ourselves and only of ourselves, but in a healthy way. Any type of identity crisis will hinder God in our lives. Weather it is pride and selfishness, or low self esteem and self loathing.
So, how do we get a real picture of who we are? How do we have balance in our opinion of ourselves?
Through God’s word and the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Do a Bible search! Modern technology is great. Here are just a few scriptures that I found helpful:
Psalm 139:13-18 (NIV), “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you.”
Galatians 6:3 (ASV), “For if a man thinketh himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”
1 Thessalonians 5:5 (ESV), “For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.”
Matthew 5 13-14 (NIV), “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.”
Here are a few more “I am’s”: I am a child of God (John 1:12). I Am a friend of Jesus (John 15:15). I am a new creature in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17). I am His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10). I am a citizen of Heaven (Philippians 5:8). I am love by God (John 3:16). I am chosen by God (Colossians 3:2). That is only a minute portion of what God thinks about you, who He says you are.
So, when Satan tries to tell you you are a loser, and he will, you tell him that God always causes you to triumph (II Corinthians 2:14). When you are feeling depressed, tell yourself, “Why are you downcast, put your hope in God!” Psalms 43:5).When you feel like even your own family doesn’t care say, “even if my mother and father forsake me, God cares for me! (Psalm 27:10).
You see, He has an answer for every negative thought, because you are important to Him. So much that He hasn’t left us comfortless. His Holy Spirit is here to reveal to us everything God thinks about us. He convinces us of who we are in Christ and convicts us of sin. He keeps us on the right path, if we listen and obey Him.
I never wonder who I am anymore. I know who I am!
I am His!
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Last book! “The Earth Dwellers” finishes off two series by David Estes: “The Dwellers” and “The Country” sagas. It all comes to and end in this one book with all of your favorite characters, at least the ones who lived through the adventures. I love these books. They are well written, quirky and funny, yet serious and thought provoking at the same time. Dystopian at it’s best. Great for ages 13 and up as there is no swearing (other than some made up words) and no sex. Strong loyalty and morals, lots of action, including violence and fighting. There is some romance, not cheesy or sappy at all. I am sad to see the story end and was thrilled with the free short stories at the end. Great Job! 5 solid stars!(
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Psalm 33:11 (NIV), “But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.”
Isaiah 14:24, 27 (ERV), “The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand…For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? And his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?”
Do you ever feel like you just can’t get with the program? You make plans, set goal, only to have them thwarted again and again. You end up feeling like a failure with a big “L” stamped on your forehead (for loser). Well, you’re not alone! And there is probably a good reason why.
You see our plans are not the same as God’s plans. His are better. Way better. If we could just get a glimpse of a portion of them, they are as many as the sand on the earth, we would be blown away. So He reveals bits and pieces to us and then expects us to obey and walk in faith. Our plans may seem good, but if it doesn’t line up with God’s plans, it leads to death (Proverbs 14:12). Have you ever heard the saying, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions?” Or what about this saying originally from Scotland, made famous by the poet Robert Burns, “and the best laid plans of mice and man often go awry.” Both of these sayings are very biblical.
Proverbs 19:21 (Holman Christian Standard Bible), “Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the LORD’s decree will prevail.”
It’s pretty simple really. God gets to do whatever He wants. I for one am glad. I would mess it up, and so would you. We don’t see the end from the beginning. God sees the whole timeline. He dwells outside of time. He sees everything, the whole of existence at once. So, I think we can agree, He probably knows what’s best for us. In my opinion, if we could see our lives as a movie, after we pass away, it would be filled with missed opportunities, missed blessings, wrong roads, and wrong choices. (Hopefully, we won’t have to watch that, after all He promises no more sadness and no more tears).
Isaiah 46:8-10 (NIV), “Remember this, keep it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.”
How do we know if a man’s plans line up with God’s? If I can quote another old saying, “the proof is in the pudding.” Puddings were baked, and full of eggs, if the oven was jiggled, or the pan not handled carefully, the pudding would collapse into a pile of mush. The Apostle Paul says it this way, when faced with some complaints about the actions of some people who’s motives were in question, “Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” Acts 5:38-39 (NIV).
We should take confidence in the fact that God’s plans are unstoppable. Sure, we can choose not to go His way. But, His ultimate plan for His creations will come to pass. His plan for salvation and redemption will take place. His timeline will come to His expected end. Hebrews calls this confidence our “anchor.”
Hebrews 6:17-20 (God’s Word Translation), “God wouldn’t change his plan. He wanted to make this perfectly clear to those who would receive his promise, so he took an oath. God did this so that we would be encouraged. God cannot lie when he takes an oath or makes a promise. These two things can never be changed. Those of us who have taken refuge in him hold on to the confidence we have been given. We have this confidence as a sure and strong anchor for our lives. This confidence goes into the [holy] place behind the curtain where Jesus went before us on our behalf. He has become the chief priest forever in the way Melchizedek was a priest.”
The beginning of verse 19 in the Amplified Bible says it this way, “[Now] we have this [hope] as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whoever steps out upon it—a hope]”
That, my friends, should be reassuring. It should also prompt and motivate you to know His plans for you. The Bible and sound teaching will tell us God’s general will for our lives. The Holy Spirit will give us specific instruction. Make sure you make sure that it is the Holy Spirit. God tells us to try the spirits. If what you are hearing doesn’t line up with God’s word it isn’t His Spirit. For example: if you think you hear the Spirit of God telling you not to give to your local church, we know that isn’t God’s plan, for He tells us in several places to bring in our tithes and offerings. It is a command of God. If you aren’t sure, seek godly counsel. Not someone younger, or more immature in the things of the Lord, seek counsel from those who live a committed life, who are in relationship with the Father. With two or three witnesses things are established. The Holy Spirit is one.
So, what will it be?
Your stoppable, changeable, messed up, misinformed plans?
Or His?
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I was given a copy of “The Island Collection Complete” through Story Cartel (http://storycartel.com/about), in exchange for an honest review. I “liked” the story. The writing style was easy to read. The theme runs through all three dystopian books, basically a “book” from each society was misconstrued and taken as Holy writ. I found it humorous that one of the books was a journal of a 10 year old boy who used a Star Wars notebook, and wrote about the “force.” Parts of the book reminded me of “Lord of the Flies,” and parts reminded me a bit of David Estes’ “Dwellers” series. Each book can be read as a stand alone. In fact there are some repeated scenes in books one and two, to keep you informed. If you are reading them back to back, it is a tad repetitive. A good read. I would read more by this author. I don’t recommend for ages younger than 16. There is implied sex between teens and some swearing. Though there isn’t a lot of “real” swearing, most of it is made-up swear words, there is some strong language. I give it 3 stars.
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Proverbs 18:20-21 (ESV), “From the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach is satisfied; he is satisfied by the yield of his lips. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”
Proverbs 18:4, 6-8 (NIV), “The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; The fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook. A fool’s lips bring strife, And his mouth calls for blows. A fool’s mouth is his ruin, And his lips are the snare of his soul. The words of a whisperer are like dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts of the body.”
Proverbs is full of good advice about our mouths. You can’t read too many wise sayings without the subject being addressed. We, in the western world, are too careless with our words. We say whatever pops into our puny minds without counting the cost, without asking ourselves if what we are saying is helpful or hurtful. Yet God clearly tells us that life and death are in the power of our tongue. What are you confessing? Do you whisper and gossip? Does your words bring peace or strife?
James understood the power of our tongue.
James 3:1-12 (NLT), “Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. We can make a large horse go wherever we want by means of a small bit in its mouth. And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.”
Read that again and if that doesn’t make you want to control your tongue, read Matthew 12:36 (ESV), “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,”
Somewhere in heaven there is an angel recording what you say. How many of us have stuck our foot in our mouth and sputtered something stupid, hurtful, or embarrassing? We all have. Then we prayed that everyone who heard would just forget what we said. It was too late to take it back, we just had to apologize, and hope for the best. What if they never forgot, but wrote it down so that they could bring it up again and ask you to explain what you said…
A smart little Disney bunny once said it this way, “if you don’t have somethin’ nice to say, don’t say nothin’ at all.” Sometimes the best thing we can do is-shut up.
Proverbs 17:27-28 (NIV), “The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.”
Of course if we have something good to say, don’t hesitate! We are to encourage and build each other up. We are to have a ready testimony to witness to the lost.
Proverbs 16:24 (NASB), “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”
Proverbs 25:11 (Holman Christian Standard Bible), “A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples on a silver tray.”
Matthew 12:35 (NIV), “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.”
The only way we will have good things stored up in us is to put it in there to begin with. God, through His Holy Spirit does deposit revelation in us, but mostly we get it there by reading God’s word. Meditate on His goodness. Think about all the blessings in our lives. Where were you before The Father called you into His family? How much have you changed? Get to know God. Stand on His word and build your faith. Then if anyone cringes when you speak it will be because the Spirit is convicting them, not because you just said something foolish.
Our words reveal our character.
Do you have the character of Christ, or the character of this world?
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Isaiah 30:15-17 (NIV), “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. You said, ‘No, we will flee on horses.’ Therefore you will flee! You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’ Therefore your pursuers will be swift! A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee away like a flagstaff on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill.”
God gave them a choice. Trust Him, repent, and find rest. In peace and quiet they could find strength. What did they choose? To run. How many of us do just that. When faced with the old choice of “flight or fight,” we fly, we flee…we run away. God offers peace and rest and yet instead of running to it, we run away from it. Maybe the road looks scary, but He promises strength and rest.
Paul new all about this choice. He went through some stuff. Viper bites, stoning, beatings, jail time, ship wrecks, and then a messenger from Satan comes to buffet and harass. Notice what God says when Paul asks Him to remove this “thorn.”
II Corinthians 12:7-10 (AMP), “And to keep me from being puffed up and too much elated by the exceeding greatness (preeminence) of these revelations, there was given me a thorn (a splinter) in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to rack and buffet and harass me, to keep me from being excessively exalted. Three times I called upon the Lord and besought [Him] about this and begged that it might depart from me; But He said to me, My grace (My favor and loving-kindness and mercy) is enough for you [sufficient against any danger and enables you to bear the trouble manfully]; for My strength and power are made perfect (fulfilled and completed) and show themselves most effective in [your] weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me! So for the sake of Christ, I am well pleased and take pleasure in infirmities, insults, hardships, persecutions, perplexities and distresses; for when I am weak [in human strength], then am I [truly] strong (able, powerful in divine strength).”
God doesn’t take the thorn away. He basically tells Paul to take His strength and “man up.” God’s grace is sufficient. I used to hear it preached that Paul was supposed to suffer, so God left the thorn. There was even a popular song that said something like, “if the thorn needs to remain,” thankfully the Holy Spirit clarified this for me. I had lots of thorns! His GRACE , His power and strength are fulfilled and completed in our times of weakness. That’s when He comes through. That way we don’t get the glory, He does. He never leaves us in a mess. He always gives us a way out! He promises us that. So He would never leave us to suffer any messenger of Satan. What He does do is give us the authority and the power to overcome any attack. Isn’t that good news?
Paul figured it out and then he instructs us on what to do.
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV), “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
We fix our eyes on Jesus, not the thorn, the trouble, the evidence of Satan’s attack. Then we stand and fight like men (or women of God). An older lady from the south said it this way, “play the man.” When Jesus was faced with a hard choice, He didn’t run. He endured the cross.
So maybe you have run in the past. Maybe that is all that has been modeled for you. It’s not too late to change. God is gracious. He longs to be gracious to you.
Isaiah 30:18,21 (NIV), “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him…Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
What is the reward for staying to fight?
Revelations 3:5 (NAS), “He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”