The Hand That Fills The Glove

(by Lorie Codispoti)

I’m over four years into this trial now, & though I’ve come a long way, (Praise!) the battle is still very heavy at times.

(Something they don’t tell you when you’re diagnosed with a disease that has no cure is that sometimes the mental strain is as relenting as the pain.)

During my darkest days I teetered on the border of a dark precipice, praying that the wind of God’s voice would push me over the edge & into the relief of His presence. I was not suicidal, in the respect that I wanted to kill myself, but I did want to die.

God’s comfort comes to His people - not in the lifting off of their weight of sorrow or pain - but in strengthening them for victorious endurance. (J.R.Miller)

What if victory is found in the strength to press into & endure the very thing we dread?

Think about strength training. It involves weights & pain (sore muscles). There’s no way to avoid it in order to build strength. Sure, I’d prefer to have the weight of this disease lifted off; who wouldn’t? But, here’s the cool thing: I have a Spotter. And the goal of a spotter isn’t limited to simply providing safety for the lifter.

While preventing injury is part of their job, the resume of an exceptional spotter includes one vital component: emotional support. It's their ability to encourage the discouraged that infuses the lifter with the confidence they need to endure & move forward.

We have a Spotter!

If you are a believer, you have been given an amazing gift - the Holy Spirit. And His spotting ability goes well beyond the confines of a human spotter.

Do you remember what God told Gideon when he was faced with unsurmountable odds?

The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor! (Jud.6:12)

"Mighty man of valor"? Really?

When most of us think of Gideon, this is not the moniker we would assign to him.

Gideon was called by God to save Israel from the Midianites. For a variety of reasons, he knew he did not have what it would take to defeat this formidable foe. He lacked both the strength & the courage he needed to win this victory for his people. But by the time it’s all said & done, Gideon - vastly outnumbered by the enemy - wins the victory. The Midianites end up in such a state of confusion that many turn & kill each other, & the rest run away in the chaos.

One thing that stands out to me is that God made this proclamation over Gideon BEFORE He even gave him the assignment. He sent the Spotter to instill confidence. God’s Spirit would not only help him fulfill his calling, but He proclaimed Gideon to be a “mighty man of valor” when Gideon knew full well he was anything but mighty & courageous.

My wimpy, marshmallow-muscled self is greatly encouraged by this story. And it’s not because Gideon was anything special. (Really, it’s because he wasn’t.) The spotlight shines on the One who is special. God promised that His presence would be with him, but Gideon still had to pick up the weight & move forward in faith in order for God’s strength to manifest through him.

Another thing that speaks to me is where is says that the “Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon…” (6:34). This is God filling Gideon with Himself, much like a hand fills a glove before a lifter approaches the bench. So, I ask you, who is actually doing the heavy lifting? It is God who fills & enables us. Gideon’s enemies were camped in the valley we call Armageddon. He was so vastly outnumbered that without God his little band of warriors would all be wiped out in a single, very short battle.

The Might that emboldened Gideon is the same Might that emboldens us to charge into the battles we face.

Do you know what Gideon did right before he engaged in the battle of a lifetime?

Two things.

First, he worshipped. Lesson to us: worship before you war. The Spirit will fill & empower you to charge fearlessly into battle when you armor-up with praise.

Second, he took on the role of a spotter, encouraging his army & proclaiming the victory that God promised BEFORE they even marched into the war zone.

In our world, victory is secured after the battle. But, in the spiritual world it’s the opposite.

Gideon was a wimp; I’m a wimp.

Gideon was afraid; I’m afraid.

Gideon lacked faith; I lack faith.

Gideon surrendered all of his inadequacies to God & trusted Him for the outcome.

I can do that - and so can you!

What did the glove say to the hand? “I need something outside of myself in order to pick up this weight, press forward, & win this fight.”

The Hand replied: For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory. (Ps.29:11)

With that, the glove proclaimed: “For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose against me. (2Sam.22:40)

The LORD is with us - mighty men & women of valor!

Surrender your weakness & trust His strength. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you & go get the victory. After all, He secured it before you even stepped on the battlefield.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com

Bullshido

(by Lorie Codispoti)

I heard a new word this week: bullshido.

Naturally, I had to investigate.

The term is a fusion of two words, both of which I’m sure you’ve already figured out. It’s meant to be derogatory as it describes fraudulent martial arts practices. A bullshido instructor is referred to as a McDojo. They make false claims & use tools of manipulation to lure their victims into believing they possess a special set of self-defense skills, all of which they are happy to share for a price. The ironic part of this deception is that many of these practitioners are self-delusioned into believing the very thing they peddle, making them as much of a victim as their students.

Bullshido was used in an expose' that I watched on some of the techniques used by one specific prosperity gospel preacher.

This particular “minister” is one we actually met & engaged with many years ago as John provided the special music for a large convention where he was one of two main speakers. My impression of him has not changed; he is a fraud & I would not hesitate to categorize him as a false teacher - a bullshido practitioner.

Am I being judgmental? Yes!

Many people think that the Bible tells believers not to be judgmental. That may be because they don’t understand that we are actually called to judge, but with the caveat of judging correctly & not hastily. Jesus' command to “judge not lest you be judged with the same judgement” (Matt.7:1) is not a prohibition on judging others. Within the same sermon He warns His followers to beware of false prophets, who are known by the fruit of their lives. In the book of John, Jesus actually commands us to judge, “not by mere appearances,” but “correctly.” (Jn.7:24) In other words, our judgement is not hasty, hypocritical, self-righteous, superficial, or untrue. This means we need to sharpen our discernment & exercise it rightly.

Discernment is key!

Anything (or anyone) that contradicts the truth of God’s word is a lie & lies are to be exposed. In fact, Ephesians 5:11 say that we are to expose the “fruitless deeds of darkness.” It's sin if we don't.

Charles Spurgeon said that “discernment is not a matter of simply telling the difference between right and wrong; rather, it is telling the difference between right and almost right.”

How true is that in our day & age? It’s that “almost right” part that can throw us. A good lie is one that contains a vain of truth; it’s simply twisted to fit the agenda of the one telling it. A good liar not only has the ability to deceive others, but Scripture indicates that given enough time the liar will himself become deceived by his fabrications.

While God grants some the “gift of discernment” - the ability to quickly & intuitively perceive, understand, & judge rightly - every believer must develop & learn to exercise our ability to discern rightly. This is, in part, to keep ourselves from falling prey to the enemy’s lies, but also to help fellow believers walk in truth.

How do we learn to discern?

We start by humbling ourselves before the Lord, confessing our propensity to fall victim to the McDojos of the world & communicating our desire to grow in truth. A good place to start is by praying the word & asking for God to develop within us His Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, & fear. (Isa.11:2-3) We can ask God to put us with a body of believers who are actively involved in seeking & exercising the gifts mentioned in Romans 12:6-8. (Discernment’s classroom requires more than one pupil.)

Do you know what I found to be the most interesting (& sad) thing about those who engage in the art of bullshido? It’s that no one can become a student unless they are fully cooperative & non-resistant. Spiritually speaking, this means in order to qualify to sit under a false teacher you must be gullible. (Otherwise, how would their technique work?) Don't question. Never doubt. Lose your inhibitions, & surrender. No critical thinking allowed.

There are some very popular prosperity gospel preachers on television who parade their false signs & wonders, on stage to masses of deceived people. They exploit those who are genuinely in need help, but worst of all they are misrepresenting the God of the Bible & His Son, Jesus Christ. Many become disillusioned & walk away because they’ve been deceived into believing that this is an accurate representation of truth.

The apostle Paul warns Timothy about evil people (false teachers, preachers) who will creep into the households of the gullible - those who are easily led astray. He says these McDojos will have “a form of godliness” but they are imposters who defraud & captivate their victims. (2Tim.3)

Here’s the thing about false prophets & teachers: they are counterfeiters, but the fact that a counterfeit exists means that there is the real thing.

If you’ve fallen prey to the manipulation of false teaching & been disillusioned by a doctrine that you thought was legitimate, know that the God of all creation will not only provide a way for you to escape the chains of that circus act, but if you humble yourself before Him He will set you free & place you on a path that leads to absolute fulfillment, joy, & eternal life in His presence. That, my friends, is the real prosperity gospel.

GloryUsGate.blogspot.com