The Stickman's Understanding...

  For we walk by faith, not by sight:                                           -2 Corinthians 5:7 Good morning and God Bless you. Imagine, it is Friday in the year ‘1 in Jerusalem and you are a tourist passing by a hillside. Your tour guide points out the upcoming hill called Golgotha, making note that today a Roman execution is taking place.  He then explains the method of execution and that this is a multiple one and particularly bloody as one man had been beaten senseless.  If you walked by this scene, your mind would surely write off those being executed, not needing anyone to testify of the gruesomeness or brutality because you saw it first hand. But as the redeemed of Christ you can’t believe everything presented by your natural eyes, because we walk by faith.  Why is walking by faith important? One reason is because this world is a perpetual train wre...

  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. -1 Corinthians 13:1 Good morning and God bless you.  In the 1980s’ Tina Turner released a song which now is legendary, a hit song which has bridged several generations. The song was, “What’s love got to do with it?” I hummed along with the best of them belting out verse after verse. I thought of that long ago song and it’s resiliency and it then hit me how this song is so contrary to the word of God found in the scripture above.  How confusing it must be to people who relegate love to a second hand emotion. How disheartening when lust and love are placed on their scales and are weighed equally? And simply wow, when your own direction takes precedence over love? The scripture clearly defines love as the primary principle, John 3:16 tells us it was love that kept Christ on the cross and His love that has kept us.  You may preach like Bishop...

  And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. -Luke 4:4 God bless and happy Monday...Today completes the Jewish Celebration of Yom Kippur. It is a day of national atonement. As a nation I believe we need to atone for our sins. True atonement is based on the sacrifice of Christ and rests upon us to accept His gift so graciously given to us. The celebration includes many things to include praying, abstaining from washing and adorning yourself with fancy perfumes and the strict Jewish adherent would wear ceremonial white signifying Holiness. Another thing they would fast and read prayers and scriptures.   As I recalled the celebration, the scripture above came to my heart.    In it the Lord Jesus is speaking in the greatest sermon ever, saying there is natural bread as well as spiritual bread. We grow wheat, make flour, mix ingredient and bake bread to eat (food prepared), but it is the word of Go...

  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; -2 Corinthians 10:5  Good morning and God bless. On this week I have been writing on thought life and it’s impact on the world we create.  The scripture above stresses the importance of the captivity of thought. Imaginations, vain, lofty, lowly or otherwise originate in our thought life.  Vain, arrogant, selfish and self promoting thoughts are contrary to the    knowledge of God as God sets Himself against the proud.  Those types of thoughts speaks to being puffed up, but also thoughts contrary to God’s goodness stand against what we know about our God.  Our very dominion mandate requires faith in the goodness of God, knowing what He says is true and acting on what He says (obedience).  The enemy knows that the world is upheld by the word of faith that God spoke at the begin...

  Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. -Proverbs 18:21 Good morning and God gets all the glory! That very familiar scripture above can be a catalyst for either option, that is life or death.  But isn’t it interesting how in death any and all plans you have for self have been cancelled and what is substituted is your reward (heaven or hell).  Those in Christ past thru, but those not stay put in death (total separation).  Yet let’s look at thought and it’s effect upon life and death. Previously stated, never has any word been uttered without some thought. It takes thought to form either a coherent or even an incoherent sentence.  So someone saying I didn’t think before I said it, isn’t really true. As fast as someone talks, it doesn’t compare to how fast the mind works or a thought is transmitted.  Death and Life is in the power of the tongue. Thought life determines what comes from your mouth. And ...

  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. -Hebrews 11:1 Good morning and God bless you.  This week I have been writing on thought life and the power lost or gain based on how you view your situation.  When the glass is half empty vs half full, when you are able to number your good days as more than your bad.  There is an unbreakable line between faith and thought life. The scripture above brings to us the truth that faith is thought, and how can speech become speech without thought first.  Your thought becomes your focus and your great hope and from that substance, the very matter forms in your minds eye.  I’ve always marveled at how this scripture is constructed. It is literally saying form the thought, work toward the thought and encourages you to think things that are not as if they already were (see Romans 4:17).  Your comments and questions are welcome. Contact me at drschaefferinterceding@yahoo.com You can...

  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. -Philippians 4:8 Good morning and God bless you! What drives thought life? As a pre-school student I was taught my letters using what was called phonics. Phonics is a method of sound association.  The more you hear a sound the more apt you are to remember it’s associative partners. So A-ah-Apple, B-ba-Bear.   As a child the catchy songs got and kept our attention and as we thought on the songs the Alphabet became part of our thought life as they entered our gates.  (The gates of man. The ear gate, the eye gate, the mouth gate and the nostrils. All are receivers but only two transmit. The eye and ear gates are easier to understand their role.) It isn’t as much what enters your gates that de...

  For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. -Proverbs 23:7 God bless and happy Monday. Very critical to our health is our thinking. It has been proven that thought life plays a crucial role; literally whether we live an abundant life full of age with health and vitality or we succumb at an early age after years spent in misery, can be a matter of the mind.   The scripture above testifies of this truth as it describes the thought life of a vile man and parlays itself easily as the opposite is true. A good man thinks on good things.  What you think on is what composes your world. You even draw things into your world based on your thoughts. A young lady who complains of the poor choices in young men usually looks for them in the wrong places.  Her thought life takes her there and there she finds what she has been thinking on; and this works both ways. Changing your thought life is the most important ...

  For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: -Job 19:25 God bless you and good morning. The beauty of the gospel is it’s simplicity. A simple message of love and its credibility is astounding.  In the scripture above Job prophecies of the final judgment of God and His Christ, saying I know... In the throes of his persecution he had been told by his friends surely he deserved this and his wife to just commit suicide by cursing God.  Yet Job proclaimed his innocence and refused to release his grip from God’s hand.  You may feel like Job right now, suffering through the pandemic, loss of job, gain of fear and as you examine yourself, you aren’t able to find fault that warrants the punishment.  Consider Psalms 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the RIGHTEOUS but God delivers... Beloved I encourage you to hold on and let God do His work in and through you. Let God be glorified by your faith even while you are in the f...

  Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! -Psalms 133:1 God bless and good morning. When my children were growing up, each morning we would start the day with a devotion. The devotion included recitation of several scriptures to include the one above.  I believe it set the tone for not only that day, but many days thereafter and has provided a foundation for their lives.  In the scripture above I see that a distinction can be made between just living together and living together in unity.  There is a strong argument to be made about just living, peaceful living and or unified living. Just living is the will to tolerate, peaceful living meaning at peace even with a bad situation, or living in unity.  What a contrast! Unified living lends itself to prosperous living. So the writer of this Psalms understood peace is important but love as shown by unified action is ultimate.  So many will tell you just have your peace,...

  And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell:  but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.  - Joshua 24:15 God bless you and good morning. In this world we seem to have alternatives to every thing. Not just the up to the down, left vs right, nor the this or that. But more relevant are our choices in the spirit.  As we are told to eschew the very appearance of sin, there are some choices we make that literally give legal authority over our life to the enemy.   This is the case with the children of Israel. After wondering the desert because of  CHOICES , they had now come into the Promiseland. Though they had God’s blessings they still were practicing idol worship, and suffering in their Promiseland.  When they came to a national convocation the keynote speaker,...

  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. -2 Timothy 3:5 God bless and good morning. I will bless the name of our Lord, forever and beyond. In the scripture above Paul is teaching Timothy to not be blind to spiritual fallacy.  The fallacy he is writing of has to do with people who claim to be sold out but in actuality they have taken a “wait and see” position. They believe out of fear or convenience.  The scripture above talks of carnal Christians, ones who will quote the Bible but will not live by it. What’s worst is that the changing power of the word is ignored for the voice of offense.  My heart cries because some very influential church leaders are described by Paul here. They are more in tune with the world system, dressing like, listening too and watching what the world watches.  Saying what the world says afraid of what the world is afraid of.  Having a form of godliness, that is the appearance of, but for the...

  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. -Hebrews 12:3 Good morning, God bless you and happy Monday. I often reminisce about a time when we never had to lock our doors and as long as you were home before the street lights came on. If you failed in that simple rule, you ran the risk of mom, not a stranger getting you.  In those days the spirit of offense wasn’t as strong allowing such hate to drive compassion, just simple human decency from hearts.    Standing for what is right was previously not only an easy, but an expected task.  When you stand for what’s right more will stand against you than with you. But even in this take joy because Christ warned us and we suffer with Him to reign with Him.  The scripture above gives us a pause to think on the current world and its lack of a moral compass. As we look onto Jesus, we look beyond just the blessings of protection, joy, peace...

  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. -Romans 16:17 Good morning and God bless you!  There is one true gospel but many interpretations. I have found that though some are based in pure misunderstanding, many are based in that individuals arrogance, and inability to    admit to being wrong. The inability to learn is described below  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. -2 Timothy 3:7 This scripture reflects that among us will be smart people who don’t know anything.  They talk well, dress well, appear well but in reality, they are confused and please note here that confusion and rebellion are joined at the hip, because rebellion hangs out with confusion.  As Christians we must take note of those who cause confusion. I take note of members of the five fold who spew hate, fear and their frustration on public forums and I mar...

  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. -Romans 12:1 Good morning and God bless you.  The scripture above has always given me pause, where it states we are to be a sacrifice.  Yikes!!! I thought Christ had already done that part? No this sacrifice has to do with placing the sin nature under the subjection of righteousness. The Lords sacrifice placed his sinless nature under subjection of sins penalty.  Placing the body as a living sacrifice requires that you must be alive. Meaning as a saint you must resist the sin nature.  Easier said than done, imagine a train wreck and not rubber necking...But still not impossible...You will fail to make the mark more often than you want, but remember to kill the flesh daily.  Your comments and questions are welcome. Contact me at drschaefferinterceding@yahoo.com You can give to Interceding Chr...

  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. -Romans 12:2 It’s amazing how quickly someone can change their mind. The change can be due to a one time horrible experience, circumstances, maturity, health, personal and many other reasons people change their minds.  But what I’ve noted is that nothing can be as sudden and sometimes unpredictable as a changed mind.  A changed mind changes just as quickly your ultimate place in eternity. Though somethings in life, dare I say most things take time to steer in a way that may be 180 degrees in the opposite direction.  Your mind change begins the change, but it may take a while for your circumstances to align with the changed mind.  Say someone decides to quit smoking, their mind has changed but the habit hasn’t opened it’s mail and therefore doesn’t know. The habit may rebel, asking for a recount o...

  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. -Romans 12:2 Good morning and God bless you.    Yesterday while backing into the driveway with my lawn trailer, I saw my neighbor outside washing his car while watching me.    The task was made more difficult because someone had parked directly across from my driveway.  But nevertheless I completed the task of straightening the trailer to offload my riding mower.  I spoke and the neighbor said, “how did you do that, (back the trailer) I’d be still trying to figure it out?” I then referred him to the process of backing, meaning to turn the trailer right, you turned the steering wheel left and vice versa. Then I said it requires changing your thinking.  The scripture above rushed into my mind. The world has one vision, but the kingdom another. What seems logical in the natural  ...

  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, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. -Hebrews 12:1-2 Good morning God bless you. Happy Monday and happy Labor Day. In the city of West Memphis, AR, there is a small Christian book store that I frequent.  Oftentimes I purchase nothing but go in just to speak to the owner. The reason being he is a man of great faith and it is infectious. He waits for the second part of the typical greeting of hello, when you ask, “How are you?” so he can say “holding onto Jesus like a new piece of Velcro!”  Despite his many challenges over the years including the death of his wife, health issues and for sure economic change...

  There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches. -Proverbs 13:7 God bless, happy Friday and praying you enjoy your weekend. Monday is Labor Day, a day set aside for well...your labor.  Many work hard and consider a day off the fruit of their labor, but the question is, does the end justify the means?  You can pour your all into your job and be a great provider, but have nothing left to pour into what’s most important, your family.  It shouldn’t be such a wonder that so many who are famous among others are not even known among their love ones.   It is a balancing act that only placing things into the hands of the Lord can one be stable.  Enjoy the fruit of your labor, but value relationships more than those things that only contribute but do not forge them.  A man with bars of gold would trade it for golden relationships.  Your comments and questions are welcome. Contact me at drs...

  Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured. -Proverbs 13:18 Good morning and God bless. The importance of humility can never be overstated, whereas pride never understated.  Be prayerful, remain teachable and humble. On this past Tuesday I celebrated 38 years of Federal service, though celebrated is not the right word in terms of the ceremonial affairs many would hold (lol). God gets the glory as if He hadn’t kept me, I’d been long ago a memory.  My celebration (sic) was not hampered the pandemic’s effect as previous milestones have had as much fanfare. The only fanfare was sharing of old posts from FB.  I have on occasion been asked for the secret which I answer back with, “what secret?” But what I do share is always remain humble and above all continue to grow, never be above saying, I don’t know or asking how does that work and if you are like, me ask more than once.  Those things are importa...