...the Word of their testimony!

 Revelation 12:10-11

King James Version

10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Read these verses carefully. Opinions vary as to when this event will take place, or has taken place. But, did you catch the significant phrase in verse 11?

Satan is cast down to earth finally and totally. It says that we (the brethren) overcame him by a) the blood of the lamb, b) the word of our testimony, and c) we loved not our lives unto death.

I've been born again since 1990. 

One of the major parts of our services that used to happen was euphemistically called, "testimony service." 

People would stand and give testimony to what God was doing, and had done in their lives. Excitement would grow in the service as people would praise God for all he was doing in their midst. People's faith would grow! 

As a result, some folks would receive more miracles. Others would receive strength to push on through just a little longer, knowing that somehow, God would make a way for them, too- or at least give them the strength to carry the load. 

This used to be a big part of an Apostolic church service. 

While no one would've looked down on anyone who went to a doctor, it was understood that all healing comes from God, regardless of how he chose to bring it about. Thus, there were many more healings and many more personal miracles than we see now in our midst.

What happened? 

Somewhere along the way, leadership decided that:

a) services were too long and therefore some things needed to be cut out. So, at first, rather than letting people stand and testify as they felt led by God, the preacher would pick out a few that he would ask to testify. The message was clear, if I don't ask you, don't stand up and speak. Then, they stopped asking a few and brought it down to one. Finally, the testimony service, in most places, simply went away. After all, we got to keep the service short! 

Incidentally, the most powerful service I was ever in lasted six hours! And so much was going on that it felt like 30 minutes! Not one person complained about the length of the service. Everyone left excited about God and where he was taking us. There were songs, many testimonies, and many healings. Several received the Holy Ghost and all repented of our sins. 

b) Another reason testimony service was stopped was that the leadership had more control of the service and kept long-winded sister so and so from droning on about the same thing she talked about several times before. Sometimes, well-meaning saints would speak of things that could have been worded better or had been said many times before. This was embarrassing to the leadership, so they began to cut the whole service out. 

Now, most of our services are streamlined and very professional. But, the personal impact of what God is doing in brother or sister so and so's life- the person that we know- is lost. Yes, the music and the singing may sound better. Yes, the teaching is more professional sounding (especially since most places use Sunday School books printed by the organization) and is being taught by someone trained in how to do so. 

But, we're losing something in all this sleek professionalism. 

God's word says we overcome the attack of Satan in our lives, in part, by the word of our testimony. 

These testimonies lift the faith of us all-including the new person who knows nothing about what God can do! As faith rises, God responds and does even more in our midst. 

Church, stop worrying about the time. Let God decide how long the service will be.

Stop worrying about how sleek and professional we look and sound. Some of the greatest moves of God have started with a stuttering saint who can't carry a note, but God shone through and a move of God was born! 

The early church was filled with the power and glory of God. And most were uneducated and decidedly non-professional. Yet, they turned their world upside down because they stepped back and allowed God to move.

Now, we have very little of the power of God but we're all educated and professional. 

The secret to Biblical revival is prayer, prayer, prayer, and more prayer! They prayed until God moved. Then, they told people how God had just moved. Then, they prayed some more! 

Let's follow the same formula and watch God turn our world upside down! 

In other words, as the old saying was, it's time to "let go and let God!"

A heart problem

 

Isaiah 53:6

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Matthew 15:8

This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

This world is getting crazier and crazier. 

In my grandparent's generation, killing a child on purpose whether in or out of the womb would have been unthinkable. Now? Many consider it a Constitutional right to murder a baby in the womb- and some even advocate that we should be able to kill a child up to 2 years old for any reason at all! Never mind that children are a precious gift from God no matter the situation or how the baby got there.

In my generation, it was still considered taboo to be gay- and it was still a crime in many states. Now, not only is it not criminal to be so perverted, it is considered criminal to speak out against anything LGBTQ in many places. It doesn't matter that these lifestyles lead to death, depression, disease, etc, we're supposed to stand back and approve. 

I learned the other day that a young girl I know through my work is proudly moving to another town soon to "move in with her boyfriend." I couldn't help but think, "Doesn't anyone get married anymore?" 

Everyone is hollering about their own rights to do what they want, politicians are promoting crazy policies, and people are killing each other over stupid stuff. 

What has happened? How did our once somewhat pure society get this bad? 

The answer is a simple one:

"All we like sheep have gone astray..." 

We've turned from the principles of God and turned to the principles of "if it feels good, do it."

Everyone keeps pointing to Government, education, philosophy, and new ideas as ways to protect our society and keep us going. But those are the very things that have gotten us this bad off in the first place! 

The early church was largely uneducated and somewhat poor. But they followed Jesus and experienced and lived his truths. As a result, they changed the world they were living in into a much better place. 

Now, we have educated preachers and teachers in churches in almost every corner of the western world, but can't seem to do anything to stop the deepening decay of our world.

Why? 

To use an argument the gun rights people use (and I agree with), we don't have a gun problem. We don't have a law problem. We don't have a drug problem. We don't have a crime problem.

WE HAVE A HEART PROBLEM!

We go to church to check our religious blocks and say we are believers. Yet, we spend our days and nights pushing things that God says are abominations! We allow music and movies into our lives and homes that promote all the ungodly things that drove God to go to the cross in the first place! 

We can't change our world through political action- though we should vote.

We can't change our world through programs and policies- though helping people is never a bad thing. 

But as an old-time Pentecostal preacher once preached- WE NEED TO KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING!  

What is that main thing? 

 Matthew 6:33

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

We need revival! We need an old-time move of God to sweep over our world and bring us to real repentance! 

The real answer to all our ills is found on our knees!

 2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

If we want to see people being kind to one another, helping one another, and living the kind of lives the scriptures say we should, it starts with us falling on our faces before our merciful God in real repentance!

Repentance is not saying, "God I'm sorry," and then continuing to do the same things! 

Why are young people leaving the church in droves? Because they're looking for something real that they're not finding in the religion they're being given. 

But, if we will fall on our faces and let God clean us out and refill us with his powerful Spirit again, then start living what we're teaching- then we will begin to see people begin to turn to Jesus again! 

Why? Because they will see him living through us! They'll see the changes he's making in us! They'll see the miracles of the Bible coming to life before their very eyes! 

Come on church!

Stop playing politics and vying for tax dollars, bigger buildings, and religious degrees! 

Start praying! REALLY PRAYING for God to cleanse us- and then the world around us! 

He's the answer that our world needs- but they won't see it unless we begin to pray and truly repent! 

For God's sake, and for the sake of our world, let God change our wicked hearts! Let him turn our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh once again! 

The God of the universe became a man and allowed his own creation to nail him to a cross made of wood he created, using nails made of metal that he spoke into existence, all to shed the cleansing blood that his righteousness required to save us from our own sins! 

He gave his all and defeated death in order to allow us a way to become the sons of God! 

What we've given him lately is far far less than he deserves! 

Let's give him our all! Let's truly let him live through us! 

Let's truly Repent and turn back to him and his ways! Then, let's watch the changes he brings to a lost and dying world! 

Another lesson from my dog: The call of the Father

 John 6:44

King James Version

44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

This is Angel. Her nickname from me is Angel Cakes. She's a sweet little girl who's currently 5 years old. About 4 years and 8 months ago, Angel and her brother (Teddy Bear) both came down with the deadly dog disease, Parvo. We knew they weren't feeling well but we weren't quite sure what the problem was. 

One stormy night, Angel didn't come in with the rest of the pups. She stayed out in the back of our backyard, in the rain, just lying in the grass. Others in the family called and called her but got no response. Finally, my wife came to me with desperation in her voice saying, "Honey. Something's wrong with Angel. She's out in the rain and won't come when we call."

I was alarmed and went and opened the back door. I stepped out onto the back deck and called out into the storm, "Angel Cakes!" 

No response. 

Again, "Angel Cakes, come here girl." 

No response.

Knowing that when dogs feel they are about to die, they will (many times) seek a dark place apart from others, I went and got the huge flashlight we had and shined it out into the storm. When I located her with the light I again shouted, "Angel Cakes. Come here, girl!"

She looked toward me, slowly stood up, and began to make her way to us as fast as she was able (which wasn't very fast since she was not feeling well at all). 

The next morning, we took Angel and Teddy Bear to the vet and they were diagnosed with Parvo. They were given IVs and shots and were sent home with us. 

They both survived, thank God. 

But, what if Angel hadn't heeded the call and stayed out in the storm in her sickness?

She probably would've died that night- alone in her storm. 

But, she did respond. And she received the love and treatment she needed to bring her through her sickness, enabling her survival. 

John 12:32

And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

Jesus said that his purpose in coming to this earth and being lifted up on the cross was to draw all men unto (him). He further stated that he came to "seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10)

Many of us like to say that we "found God," like he's lost somewhere and we had to look really hard to find him. And to us, it may have seemed that way. We were lost in our sickness (sin). We were at the end of our ropes. We thought it was too late for us. When suddenly, a light shown around us and we were able to see the way home out of our storm. And we thought, "this is what I've searched for all of my life."

But, the truth is, Jesus was calling to us. In the middle of our sins. In the middle of our storms. Jesus saw our predicament and was calling to us- drawing us. He shined his holy light of love around us and illuminated our path home. 

We thought we were looking for him, but he was looking for us. 

We thought it was all over, but he showed up and brought us out. 

When we, like Angel, got up out of our sickness and storm and made our way to him following the path he showed us (repentance), we began a relationship with him that is unlike anything in this world. 

Sometimes, when I'm letting the dogs inside, Angel will deliberately hang back. She waits for me to open the door and call her name. Then she excitedly comes in all smiles (yes dogs can smile) and wagging nearly her whole body because I once again proved to her that I'd come calling her. Then she knows she is still loved and important to me. 

Just as, when I get a little bit lost in this big old world, my savior calls me back to him. And he proves one more time that he loves me and he'll still leave the 99 behind to come looking for the one who's gotten a little lost (me). 

So, I love you, Angel Cakes. 

And I love you, Jesus for continuing to prove how much you love me. 

How do we "see God" in all situations?

 

Matthew 5:8

8 "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."

I've always heard this scripture taught from a futuristic standpoint. In other words, If we become/stay pure in heart, we will one day see God when he calls us home and tells us "well done." And I'm not here to refute that interpretation.

But, what if there's more to it than meets the eyes? Are there things we can do that will enable us to not only see God on that future day but that will also enable us to "see God" working within whatever situation we find ourselves in daily? 

And I'm not referring to just the everyday acts of kindness that show God's hand working through us. While it is true that when we "feed the hungry, visit and pray for/with the downtrodden, etc" then we are showing the love of God in action to a lost and dying world. This is not the "see God" I'm talking about.

I'm talking about seeing God on a much more personal level.

This famous scripture that has blessed and encouraged so many people can also become an impediment for some. 

Why? 

Because many do not look at it and say, "If I can just hold onto Jesus, I'll see him one day in the end (meaning when I die or am raptured out of here)." 

No, many read this scripture in the light of the world that they live in right now- physically, emotionally, and spiritually. 

Many look around at the chaos in the world, the violence in the world, the utter dog eat dog attitude that is embraced by the "it's all about me" philosophy that seems to run everything and think: If there's a God, I sure don't see him in all of this! 

In truth, many Christians (including myself) have reacted similarly. We find ourselves dealing with struggles (lack of finances, relationship issues, sickness, stress, death, and so on) and we look around and wonder. 

We wonder "where is God in all this? I thought he said he'd never leave me or forsake me? I sure feel forsaken and alone. It's all I can do to try and hold everything together. I've got no help. I've got to work harder to shape my world into what it's supposed to be." 

There's a frustration pattern there that all humans fall into:

 

A) We focus on our problems.

B) Frustration sets in.

C) We start trying to figure out solutions to solve them.

D) We act on our plans.

E) When our plans fail (as most do because we are fallible humans), we reevaluate our plans to tweak them in order to fix what went wrong.

F) We act on the adjusted plans.

G) We focus on the problems that still exist.

H) More frustration sets in. 

I) Repeat steps B-H (probably many times over)

J) Frustration turns to anger and/or despair.

K) We give up.

But, it's in those times that we need to change our vision. 

We need to stop looking at our difficulties. This is because we tend to walk toward what we are focusing on. And it's very easy to try and fix whatever we're focusing on- including other people. 

We need to stop trying to fix things (and others) and start allowing God to fix us.

It's been said that if you have difficulties no matter where you are then the problem is not where you are, but who you are. YOU are the common denominator in all your life's problems. Put more succinctly, No matter where I go, there I am!

It is true that Jesus told us that in this world we will suffer tribulation. There is a certain amount of things we go through that are a direct result of us living for and being dedicated to Jesus. 

However, many of the things that we go through that cause us suffering are a direct result of our own focus and efforts.  In everything that we go through our true efforts should be on "what does God want in this situation?" 

SEEK YE FIRST

The first thing we have to remember is to seek his kingdom (his desires and his plans for ourselves, our families, and our communities) FIRST.

That's a tall order in and of itself. How do we seek his kingdom in the midst of trying to build our own?

The truth is that we should not try to build our kingdom. Yes, we have needs to take care of. But, Jesus said: 

Matthew 6:7-8:

"But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."

Our focus tends to be on our needs, wants, and desires. But Jesus says we should be God-focused. 

His needs. His wants. His desires. 

That's not to say that we shouldn't pray for our needs. But, we should focus on what he wants to a much greater degree than we focus on what we want. When we do, then he will take care of our needs in whatever manner he chooses. 

SEEK GOD

But, the first thing we must do in order to seek his kingdom first, is to seek him first. The essence of prayer is not a list of things I want. The essence of prayer is communication and communion with God. When we pray, it is in order to build our relationship with him. The closer we get to him, the less likely we are to fall into that frustration pattern. Why? Because the closer we get to him the more we trust him. The more we trust him, the more we rely on him. The more we rely on him, the less frustrated we become!

AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS

This goes along with the fact that the pure in heart shall see God. God is a holy God. He will not walk in close relationship to sin. So in order to see God, we must first become pure. 

Oh, we can see evidence of God in the world through his creation. And, if we're honest, everyone has seen a miracle that could only be God at some point in their lives. In fact, I believe, probably several miracles. I could name several I saw BEFORE I was born again. But, that didn't mean I was right with God. It just meant that God was drawing me in so I could become born again. 

But, to really SEE GOD. To really discern God in all things, we must become pure. 

As humans, that's impossible for us. But, with God, ALL things are possible. 

He became a man, lived a perfect life, allowed himself to be crucified to shed the blood required to pay for all of our sins, was buried, rose up from the grave, and lives forevermore as king of kings and Lord of Lords!

So all who obey Acts 2:38 are made pure and holy in his sight.

If we fall after being born again, scripture tells us that "If we confess our sins (to God) he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us of ALL unrighteousness." - 1John 1:9 

The first thing we must always strive to do is be in and maintain the right relationship with God. 

James 1:21

"Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls."

Hebrews 12:1

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,"

As we get into the word of God and pray, we must humbly ask God to show us ourselves. And as his word illuminates our faults, rather than try and make excuses for our sins, or rebelliously hold onto our sin and pride, we must turn to him, bend our wills to his, and repent (confess and turn away). When we do that, he forgives those sins (washes them with his blood) and we then stand righteous in his eyes once again. 

The word for engrafted here, in Greek, means implanted. In other words, we are to allow the seeds of his word to be planted in our hearts and minds. These seeds are watered with his word by his spirit and through prayer. So the more they're watered, the more they grow. And the more we humbly submit to his will and allow him to correct us, eventually, we will begin to display in our everyday lives, the "peaceable fruit of righteousness." (Hebrews 12:11) 

Why is all of this important? What does this have to do with seeing God? 

Well, first we practice seeking him and his kingdom, through prayer and study. 

Then, while continuing that, we humbly repent when we are corrected by him. 

Then, whatever situation we find ourselves in, whether good or bad, we will be able to "see God." 

We will have a much better understanding of God and his ways because we are walking in relationship with him and studying his word. We will be able to see his undeniable footprints walking through the situation. And even if we don't understand what's going on, we will trust him to take care of things. 

But, and more importantly, if we absolutely cannot see God working in a trial, we will still have enough faith and trust in God that we probably will not resort to trying to make things work out. We would rather wait on him to move than try and fix it.

Recently, we were in a very grave trial. We were in a situation that absolutely required a move of God to fix. Rather than just live, pray, and trust- only moving when he told me to, we (especially I) tried our hardest through many different possible avenues. The more these avenues didn't pan out, the more frustrated we (especially I) grew. Finally, when every other human effort had failed, THAT IS WHEN GOD MOVED. 

I really had to repent.

All my worry fixed nothing. All my efforts solved nothing. All my anger and frustration just made ME a worse person and had NO effect on the ones causing the problem. Nor did my manipulations cause God to move on my situation one second before he was ready to. 

But, when he did move, it was as if he had leveled a mountain! It was done in a way that only he could arrange and do. 

We can't change our situation without God. 

God's goal for our lives in every situation is to "conform us" into what he wants us to be. 

So every situation and trial we go through is allowed by God for our good and his glory. So, hold to God's unchanging hand, as the old song says!

And always remember as my pastor Stanley Lane quotes:

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. And lean not on thine own understanding, In all thy ways acknowledge him. And he shall direct thy paths." -Proverbs 3:5-6

The parable of the herd

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There are many different theories on how to successfully live for God. And there are many aspects to living for God in different areas of our lives. 

However, we, like the Pharisees of old have a tendency to add rules in an effort to keep people from crossing the line from holiness to sin. Man excels at coming up with fences (Christian standards) to place inside the fences that God has already built within his word. 

But we don't realize what we are doing when we do that. 

Do we, for instance, treat cows the way we do each other?

Do we build fences to keep them safely within a pasture (and to keep predators safely outside the same pasture)? Do we then, after building the fence, then turn around and build another fence yet a few more feet within the fence we've already built just to keep the cows from going outside the original fence? 

No! 

What sense would that make?

First of all, we'd be keeping the cows away from perfectly usable grazing land that could help to nourish our valuable livestock. This makes us have to work that much harder to feed them because we aren't allowing them to eat from that section of the field. 

Secondly, by not allowing the livestock to graze in the perfectly acceptable land, the grass and weeds that would otherwise be eaten or trampled down are allowed to grow wild. And what happens when grass and weeds grow tall? Snakes and preditors come in, hidden by the brush that has been allowed to grow. 

And what do we do? 

Rather than tear down the inside fence and cut down the wild brush, when we see the dangers that now exist there, we build yet another internal fence to protect the flock from these dangers. 

And the process happens over and over. More wild brush leads to more dangers- and more fences put up to protect them from the outside of that fence dangers.

Before long, the pasture area that is meant to be a place of provision and safety is neither. It's become too small to be able to nourish the flock. And the areas on the other sides of the fences that used to be good pasture are now full of snakes, wild predators, and poisonous vegetation. 

Soon the herds that we are trying to protect begin to feel malnourished because they're running out of food. They begin to fight each other for the scraps of food that can be found in an effort to stay alive. And finally, some will decide to crash the fencing in a desperate attempt to find the sustenance that their body craves. 

I pray that as Christian leaders we will learn the lesson presented here. 

Yes, there are dangers in the world that we want people (including ourselves) to stay away from. There are many, many things out there that will absolutely destroy us and our walk with God. And these we should stay away from and publically denounce! These fences should be built and heartily maintained- because they are established by the word of God. (The ten commandments come to mind as an example)

But, we must also remember that Jesus, and not us, is the great shepherd. It is his spirit that will "lead and guide into all truth." If we begin to build fences within the fences already established by God's word, we are headed down an ultimately destructive path. 

Want to know why so many are leaving the fold? Because in many cases (not all) we've built so many interior fences that they are forced to break out in an effort to survive!

Our job is to speak the truths that the Lord leads us to speak and to live a Godly example. Our job is to be the hands and feet of God. We are to allow God to love them through us to help to lead them (and us) to where he wants us all to be- with him. 

It is not our job to run anyone else's home and life. That's between them and Jesus. We're just a tool that he uses to help to do this. 

When God calls us out of darkness and into his marvelous light, he gives us a command: Follow thou me. 

Our whole life is to be devoted to being in hot pursuit of one thing- a closer walk with God almighty. 

True Christianity is a personal walk with God. Our relationship with God does not depend on other people. Our relationship with God is dependant upon our own praying, our own worshiping, and our own bible study. The more we do these things, the more his light shines into our lives. This light then shows us what things to repent and walk away from, and what things we should do more of. 

Yes, God gave us the five-fold ministry to help to guide that process, but what is the real goal of the five-fold ministry?

Ephesians 4:11-12

King James Version

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

So, the five-fold ministry is to help to perfect the saints through our teaching and example. Why? So that they (the flock) will perform the work of the ministry. And this edify's (builds up) the whole body of Christ. 

In other words, through seeing the example of our walk with God and hearing the truths that God has taught us being taught, they learn to follow God (not us) for themselves. Then, God can use them to blaze the trail for other hungry souls! Then we have a real revival! 

But, if we keep adding layer upon layer of extra rules that the Bible doesn't actually teach, then we start to hem them in, and soon they are literally dying to get out.

God's way leads to a hunger for him and holiness will grow. The Pharisee's way leads to danger and starvation. And many that get out won't come back because they'll remember the prison they were in. 

When God calls us out it is an individual call to leave the world and follow him. Just as Abram of old, we are personally called and told to leave our old lifestyles, to follow a God we don't know to a promised end. 

If we leave God's biblical fencing up, many can find the way to God. If we put up extra fencing, many will leave his way and die outside the fold.

It's our choice whether to follow God's way- to let God be God and stop trying to control others- or to try and control everything and wind up making them two-fold the child of hell (and we become the first fold child of hell).

What's your choice? 

I pray we make the right one.

"12 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

4 So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran."

Another lesson from my dogs

 

ANOTHER LESSON FROM MY DOGS

James 4:8

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

The older I get, the more I am learning that attitude is everything. Two people can be in the same meeting and hear the same words being said, but the meaning they get from the words they have heard will be determined by their attitude.

Today, I learned a valuable lesson from my dogs about that very thing. 

Della and I own 3 mixed breed large dogs: Dakota, Cole, and Cowboy. 

Dakota is the mother of the other two. She's a mixed breed lab, huskey, and Weimaraner. Cole and Cowboy have those breeds in them , plus Chow and Staffordshire Terrier. We love all three of them, but they all have vasty different personalities. And with those personalities come attitudes. And those attitudes affect how they see things and how they react to certain situations. 

Dakota is a little bit full of herself. The rest of us live in her world in her opinion. She's got a big heart. But she holds it in reserve. She wants attention when she wants it and how she wants it. It's her way or no way at all. So consequently, she suffers and so do we. She gets in trouble for scratching our arms trying to get our attention when we're busy trying to do something else- like sleep. She sulks in the position she's in (chair, corner, carpet, etc) rather than respond to a call to come to us so we can pet her, etc, when we have the opportunity to do so. But, she's ours and we love her dearly.

Cowboy is a bighearted little boy with a bit of attitude. He's the smallest of the boys in his litter and therefore he has the small dog attitude. He wants to prove (mostly out of fear) that he's just as big and bad as his brothers. This has caused him to be hurt by his brothers. Consequently, he walks around with both a chip on his shoulder and a heart that screams "somebody love me, please!" So when it comes to Della and I, Cowboy tends to hang back from fear, but when he sees a clear opening, he charges in happily to gain our attention. He is most at peace when he's laying on one of us in some way with us stroking his head and neck. 

Cole is the big ball of sunshine. He's not perfect. He can sometimes be a little full of himself. But, mostly, he's happy go lucky. He charges in for our attention like he hasn't seen us in years- even if we just stepped out the door and came right back in. He's quick to climb up in my lap or jump up on the bed and begin to kiss Della or I just to say: "I love you! I love you!" And Cole is so sensitive to the moods of his masters that he lovingly responds when we are upset. He can't fix whatever is bugging us, but his loving response helps to ease our aggravation. 

That having been said, due to their attitudes, I am closer to Cole, who I call my 120 pound lapdog, than I am the other two. 

I love them all the same, but it appears to the other two that Cole is my favorite. 

But the truth is that Cole from day one has actively worked at showing us his love and building a relationship with Della and I. He doesn't expect us to meet him on his terms. He just takes full advantage of every opportunity he has to tell us he loves us and to show it in every way he can. He deliberately spends as much quality time as he possibly can with us.  

The difference between the three is their attitude. The difference between our relationships with them is their attitude. 

It's the same with us and God. Jesus loves us all the same. Jesus died on the cross for us all. Jesus gives the same offer of salvation to all. "And few there be that find it. Matthew 7:14"

Even to those of us who are born again, there can be a difference between our individual relationships with God. 

Some of us are like Dakota. We love God, but we expect him to do what we want, when we want, and how how we want. And when he doesn't, we try to punish him by holding ourselves back and giving him our cold shoulder. All the while, we long to be close to him and held in his arms. Sometimes, we'll take jabs at God to try and scratch him to get him to move in the way we want him to. But God is God and we ain't. He moves and does things when he knows it's right for us and the right time for it to happen. All the while, he beckons for us to come close and let him give us the love he wants to share. 

Some of us are like Cowboy. We have low self esteem- even though the cross proves just how valuable to God we truly are. We spend our time fighting with our brothers in an effort to show that we're just as good as they are. We try and get the attention of those that we don't feel threatened by to gain their approval and feel validated. And when an opportunity comes where we feel totally safe, then we drop all our walls and run to Jesus screaming, "I love you, daddy, I love you!" And for a short time, we feel the love and acceptance we truly long for. A love that we truly had all along, if we had just not held ourselves back. And sometimes, we even get to lay our head in the lap of our master to soak in as much love as we possibly can- in perfect peace. 

And some of us are like Cole. It doesn't matter to us what others think, we're going to charge in to be as close to Jesus as we can at every opportunity. Sometimes, we do dumb things and get into trouble because we get our attention diverted by things other than our master. But, always we run back to him looking to lavish him with our love and build our relationship with him. And like Cole, we are sensitive to the moods of our Lord. We become instantly attuned and are moved by what moves Jesus.

The truth is that we probably all have moments where we are all 3. Sometimes we act like Dakota. Sometimes we act like Cowboy. And sometimes we act like Cole. 

But always, God is totally in love with us and has our best interest and care in mind. 

So the question, every day, truly is what is our attitude with God? Because what our attitude is will determine our relationship with God and what we are able to get from God.