Thursday, June 30, 2011

Psalm 37-God's Got This.

We had an overwhelming response of contacts this week, asking for the scripture passage quoted by Pastor Torrey in the opening of (June 26, 2011) Sunday morning's service. Pastor Torrey concluded by saying,  "The enemy may appear to be getting away with his plans and schemes, but you can be assured, God's got this."


Psalms 37: 1-13
Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong;  for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: 
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;do not fret—it leads only to evil. 
For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.

David the little boy who killed Goliath, wrote these passages. What I find so amazing is God chose a little shepherd boy to take down the Philistine Giant and save his people. If God can use a little shepherd boy, He surely isn't limited in taking down the giant set against you, your family, your church, your community, your nation!

The enemy would like you to think otherwise, that's why he continues to make threats, just as Goliath did to the armies of Israel. John Hagee said about enemies, "A magnified enemy is one who likes to run his mouth alot, but in reality he can be defeated by one stone!" So do not be intimidated by the enemies threats. His public & private attempts to gain allegiance to his cause, are futile in God's eyes. 

All God needs is one little Shepherd boy who is willing to:
  • Put down another man's armor and use his own.
    • David told Saul he didn't need his armor. Which lets us know God had equipped little David with all he needed to slay the Giant. You don't need the armor of man when you have the armor of God? 
  • Label the enemy.
    • David had no problem labeling the enemy. As a matter of fact that's how he addressed him. He called him an "Uncircumcised Philistine"!  (T.D. Jakes said, He makes no apologies in labeling his enemies, because it's God's requirement for defeating them.) When engaged in spiritual warfare, call it what it is and make no apologies. The enemy doesn't like to be exposed -- You can count on it! 
  • Pick up your sling and a few stones.
    • Be ready to move forward when God says move...but not a minute before.
It's so exciting to be on God's team. Let Him position you on the field anyway He chooses; even if it is to move mountains, slay giants, and free nations! Don't doubt Him, He knows what He's doing.



Thursday, June 16, 2011

Happy Father's Day Daddy!


“Through It All”
Jackson Stegall (My Dad) 1975
At 67, my Daddy is now handicapped by the brutal, and viciously aggressive disease, known as, Frontal Temporal Dementia. Although he will be unable to read this blog, or understand the Father’s Day card I sent him by mail, (which I am sure Mom will read to him.), I still want to say: Daddy, I love you and I am so thankful for the Father you have been to me.

In your own way you loved me, the best you knew how. Teaching me how to throw a new spin on my softball pitch or showing me how to change the oil in my car. Other outward expressions of love usually consisted of a tackle to the floor, squeezing my leg so hard and tickling me until I could no longer breathe and Mom would yell, “Stop Jack, before you hurt her unintentionally.” Your love was different: strong, reserved, lacking the normal emotions, but then again what’s normal. Through it all I knew you loved me.

As I’ve grown up and become a parent myself, I understand your story better. You started your childhood with the odds against you. Born to a young mother and a father twice her age, who worked in factories and made moonshine for a living. Walked bare foot most of your life (that was the country way)without a “pot to pee in” as you would say. (That still makes me laugh.) You experienced physical & sexual abuse, abandonment, rejection, and betrayal before the age of 11, and without much hope you ventured to the streets to find acceptance, but always looked out for one another. For you and your brothers the gang was your family, a “brawl” was something you had to do for a brother and whiskey was your bottled water.

Back and forth between Virginia and Maryland, you hoped to find acceptance with your father or mother, but to no avail, so you eventually transferred your pursuit to football. You were very athletic and had a mouth on you to terrorize any opponent, which landed you a spot as Linebacker on the Philadelphia Eagle’s farm team. It looked like there was a future for you ahead and the possibility of feeling accepted was hopeful, until you were injured which forced you to resign from the team.
I guess that’s when your pursuit focused on Mom. You use to tell me, “I sure don’t know how I ever landed her? I came from the other side of the tracks, your Mom had real silver spoons, white carpet and a full-time maid named Mrs. Loddie who worked in their home”, and then with the sigh of disappointment Dad would conclude, “I guess it was my unending persistence of asking her out, that landed me a date with her. ” (I agree Dad; you were a lucky man to catch Mom!)

Things didn’t get any easier when you married, the dysfunctional family drama you grew up in spilled over into your adulthood. I was old enough to remember some of the drama that broke your heart and caused you to burst out in anger and regret. I now realize it was the lifelong “rejection” that hurt you the most. As mom puts it, you had all you could take and then God stepped in. Sometime in 1971 you accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, and even going to church for the first few years, without us. But eventually by the time I was four we were committed to church and the Lord. I really don’t know life without the Lord, and I am so grateful! Your dedication to the House of God put your family on the right course leaving us with so much more than material possessions or political title. You left us with Jesus, the greatest gift I have ever received.

There were eighteen years from the time I was born in 1969 until I ventured off to college never to return home. Some of those years better than others, but Through It All ---- You taught me so much that has made me into the woman I am today.

You taught me:
§  How to change the oil in my car and to check the air pressure in my tires.
§  How to make fried potatoes in a skillet pan.
§  How to pick steamed crabs, quickly and efficiently.
§  That when you said it the first time, you meant it and I better listen.
§  At least 50 scripture verses including the entire chapter of the 23rd Psalm and helped me to memorize all of them.
§  All 66 books of the bible and said I would thank you when I got older. You were right.
§  My dates (boyfriends) should show up to the door when picking me up.
§  To throw a mean fast pitch and to quicken my throw from shortstop, which earned me a spot on the Varsity Softball Team in 10th grade and a few State Titles for our travelling team.
§  Perfection isn’t necessary.
§  Not to be afraid to voice my opinion.
§  To take care of others.
§  That we are never rejected by God.


But the greatest lesson I learned from you Dad, was the benefits and power of prayer.

I remember in high school, on Friday nights my curfew was 11:30 pm. Sometimes I would have to pass by the church on my way home and I would see your truck in the vacant parking lot. You spent most of your Friday evenings at the church praying after midnight and sometimes even into the wee hours of the morning. I witnessed your commitment extend into my college years and one time when I came home for the summer, Mom asked me to stop by the church to check on you or take you a Big Gulp drink. I remember that night a friend and I stopped in to deliver your drink, but it was very dark and I didn’t know if you were there or not. It was so dark we were a little hesitant to go farther, but when I opened the second set of doors to the church sanctuary I heard your voice. It was a cry like I have never heard before. Your prayers were strong, like you Dad! You prayed uninhibitedly, and without restraint! I heard you call out the names of your brothers asking God to save them and as I lingered a little longer, I heard you pray for me. It was life changing! I knew this was the LOVE OF MY FATHER! A father who wasn’t always perfect, but loved me enough to sacrifice many weekend nights interceding for me, Mom, Shelley and Erik.

Thank you Dad for the Godly heritage you left to your family! I am convinced the many, many prayers offered up for us and your lifelong commitment to God and the things of God are the reason I know Him as Savior and serve Him in fulltime ministry today. I know it won’t be long you will meet our Savior in heaven and He will show you the many other lives that you have touched, motivated and encouraged along the way.

So today Daddy, as you sit in your comfy blue and white chair in Maryland, staring out the window…unable to comprehend the words of my letter….. I will sit with my family on my sofa and------Thank God big-time, for you!

The vicious disease of Dementia has taken almost everything from you, but it WILL NEVER TAKE AWAY the promise that awaits you on the other side! I honor you today Dad, by singing the song that I grew up hearing you sing often. The words mean so much more to me today and as I sing them, I commit you to the Lord. 

I love you Daddy!

This songs for you:
Through it all, through it all ---I’ve learned to trust in Jesus, I’ve learned to trust in God. Through it all, through it all ---I’ve learned to depend upon His word. I thank God for the mountains and I thank God for the valleys and I thank Him for the storms he’s brought me through. For if I never had a problem I wouldn’t know my God could solve them, I wouldn’t know what faith in God could do.
Lexy, Pop and Karson --Pop in his blue and white chair!
Pop (My Dad), Nana (my Mom) and grandkids, Zion, Noah, Taylor, Logan, Karson and Lexy
  


Polly

Monday, June 6, 2011

Who Does She Think She Is?

If we were there that day in the home of Martha & Mary and their brother Lazarus, we would have seen Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet. She was eager to worship Him because He had just performed a miracle for her; He raised her brother Lazarus from the dead. Out of her gratitude she responded by giving the best she could. Grabbing her Alabaster jar, the most costly perfume she owned, she extravagantly poured it out on the feet of Jesus. So much that it ran down his ankles and between His toes, the puddle overflowed onto the floor. I’m sure she felt a little embarrassed by what seemed to be a careless act, so she loosened her hair and quickly used it to absorb the excess.

No doubt the aroma filled the house and anyone present could not ignore her act.  Many looked on in disbelief while others showed their dissatisfaction of her behavior on their faces. “Why waste this expensive perfume? It could have been sold for a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” Judas, reprimanded her. He saw nothing good in Mary’s act.  

Oh the sting of criticism and judgment!

Maybe Judas was right, she could have saved some of the oil and sold it to the poor. Now feeling irresponsible she gazed around the room to see all the others shaking their heads in agreement.
I can relate to Mary. What about you? Have you been there on the floor in the presence of your King pouring your jar of expensive perfume upon the Savior’s feet, only to hear the remarks of those who observe you? “Who does she think she is?”

Those are the voices of the envious, who desire to do the same, but are unable to make the sacrifices. Jealous of your unrestrained display of worship to the Lord they belittle you, for choosing consecrated prayer over lunch dates with the girls, family devotions over watching Desperate Housewives, monthly bible study over girls’ night out. They despise you for your commitment to His word, His house and the things of Him, because they find too much pleasure in their words, their house, and the things of the world.

Like Judas, they are quick to criticize publically, hoping to pull together an allegiance on their side, distracting distract you from your extravagant worship. Yet in the midst of their ridicule Jesus comes to Mary’s defense and commands, "Leave her alone! Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ….I tell you the truth what she has done will also be told in memory of her forever."  Mark 14:6-9


Ah the truth bothers those who are filled with unfavorable motives and pretentious attitudes. Judas’s criticism was skewed and came from an ugly heart. He chose to judge Mary out of his own insignificance. He was angry she would choose better then him.

Sometimes the Jesus in us will bring out the devil in others. They don’t like it when we pursue righteousness while they lavish in worldliness.

But when you know the love of Jesus, when you experience who He really is, you can’t help but act different than the crowd. What seems costly and wasteful in the world’s view is ultimately beautiful, lovely, and acceptable in God’s view.

Don’t let their comments of judgment and secret ridicule of your consecration to the King of Kings distract you from your purpose. True worshippers will worship Him in spirit and in truth and will not be persuaded by the ways of the world who love Him in name only. Our King deserves our extravagant praise; He calls it beautiful!

Polly