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  • J. R. Peyton's Ministry
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12/27/2022 0 Comments

Stop, Look, and Listen!

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These three words were taught to me as a young child as instructions on safety when crossing roads or other areas where there were hazards. They were meant to make me think and to take precautions to keep me from harm, or even death. And they worked! I am still alive today as a result. Our family lived in the country where traffic went by our house quite fast. I can still recall to this day the horror I felt when I saw our dog get hit and killed by a truck. I sorrowed for the loss of our dog, but it made me aware of the reason behind the warning to stop, look, and listen! It could make the difference between life and death.

As I reflected on this, I realized there was a spiritual application to these three words as well. We are living in a time of unawareness to things happening around us that could be dangerous to our spiritual wellbeing.

Stop and look around you.  Take a good look.  Listen closely.  How many people do you see staring hypnotically at their handheld devices?  How many phone conversations are intruding into your space?  How many vehicles are being driven by people talking or texting while driving? How many children are playing video games or watching movies rather than interacting with other children or playing outside?  At social gatherings or restaurants, how many people are in their own world, checking social media or playing games on their phones rather than having meaningful conversations and enjoying the company of those around them?
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We are living in a media fog. It is so thick that it is preventing us from truly seeing those around us. Relationships are suffering as a result.  Family members are being ignored.  Children and spouses are starving for attention while we are escaping reality in social media, games, and videos.

But these are only relational issues. What about how it affects our spiritual life? We need to be intentional about stopping, looking, and listening for what God is trying to do or say. Are we stopping our frantic activities to make space for God in our lives? Are we looking to see the hand of God working in our lives to provide, protect, and bless us? Are we listening closely to hear His still, small voice giving us guidance and direction?
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I realize that we live busy lives, but let’s not get caught up in the distractions of this world. Let us take the time every day to stop, look, and listen to what God wants to do in our lives. What is He trying to speak into our lives? What is He trying to prevent? Stop and spend quality time with God, it might save you from spiritual disaster, and protect you and your family from destruction, both present and eternal.


STOP, LOOK, AND LISTEN!

Psalm 63:1a “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: …”

Hebrews 12:2a “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; …”
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1 Samuel 3:9b “… thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. …”   

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6/25/2021 2 Comments

Distractions

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We were driving up north on I-95 to Aroostook County in our new car, and I was just taking in the beauty of the scenery in Maine. My husband was driving, so I was free to relax, look around, and enjoy the journey. Then it happened … a huge bug splattered on the windshield directly in my field of vision. Suddenly that was all I could see! Not because it filled the entire windshield, but because my eyes were fixated upon the huge smear left behind. To be truthful, it really aggravated me that it would have to splatter right in that spot! It spoiled the view! No longer was I seeing the beauty of the countryside and the woods. All I could see was that big yellow spot on the windshield!
 
After listening to me sputter and mutter about it for a few minutes, my husband finally asked me if I wanted him to stop the car, get out, and physically remove it for me, seeing as the windshield wipers and washer were having no effect. Realizing how childish I must have sounded, I sighed, decided to be an adult about it, and replied, “No, I’ll just shift my position.”
 
Sure enough, by shifting over a couple of inches in my seat, I could see past the smear and enjoy the scenery once again. No longer was it a distraction! I could look past it, and ignore it, even though I knew it was still there.
 
As I reflected on the incident, I began to relate it to how easily we let little things distract us spiritually and prevent us from seeing the big picture, so to speak. When our eyes should be focused on Christ and His Kingdom, messy things happen to draw our attention away, and we become focused on the disasters taking place in the space around us. Sometimes it takes someone else to speak into our lives and remind us that we need to shift our position and refocus our eyes on the beauty of Christ and His coming Kingdom.
 
I love that old chorus by Helen H. Lemmel: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus; look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”
 
Bad things can happen to us when we become distracted. Many deaths are caused every year because of driver distractions. I read some statistics from The Zebra stating four types of driver distractions: 1.) Visual: looking at something other than the road. 2.) Auditory: hearing something not related to driving. 3.) Manual: taking hands off the wheel. 4.) Cognitive: thinking about something other than driving.
 
Wow! If we would think about those four types of distractions from a spiritual perspective, we could come up with a whole lot of comparisons and reasons why so many have had spiritual wrecks in their lives, with some ending in spiritual deaths!
 
Dear Jesus, help us to keep our eyes focused upon you, and not allow ourselves to become distracted by the things of this world, no matter how troubling they may be. Keep us safe by the power of your Spirit, throughout this life to the end of our earthly journey. Amen
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2 Comments

11/29/2019 1 Comment

“Rules are no fun!”

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This statement was made by a youngster who was just reprimanded by a lifeguard. A group of young boys had entered the swimming pool and were splashing, thrashing, laughing, and yelling. This escalated to the point where they began bodily lifting each other out of the water and seeing how far they could throw them across the pool. Of course, the lifeguard blew his whistle and informed them that such behavior was not allowed.
 
Obviously, the boy thought that the swimming pool rules were only to ruin his fun! He wasn’t able to reason beyond that to realize that the rules were actually to keep him safe and protect him and others from harm.
 
As I reflected upon this incident, I couldn’t help but compare how this way of thinking carries over into so many areas of our lives. We enjoy laws – until we don’t. 
 
Rules and laws are great as long as they are for everyone else but us.  But let them infringe on our fun, happiness, or freedoms and it’s another story. When someone speeds by us on the highway and then we see them pulled over a few miles down the road, we smirk to ourselves and think it serves them right. However, if we are late for an appointment and going over the speed limit to try to make up time and get pulled over, then we fume. We always seem to try to justify our own sins.
 
Now, I realize that some man-made laws lean towards the ridiculous and are outdated, but at the time they were made, it was probably with good intent. Most rules and laws were implemented to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the majority, as well as the individual.
 
Can you imagine living in a world with no laws or rules? It would be total anarchy! Everyone doing whatever he/she desired, regardless of how it affected anyone else!
 
Although we can appreciate the safety and order societal laws bring to us, we do not do as well when it comes to embracing God’s laws, which are for our spiritual health and well-being.  We are convinced that God wants to be a spoil sport and ruin all of our fun, freedom, and happiness, when all He really has in mind for us is true joy, spiritual freedom, and the blessed hope of eternity with Him!
 
If we could only see our lives through God’s eyes, we would see the loving care He has for us as His dearly cherished children and how much He wants what is best for us. Any rules He makes is only to ensure our soul’s salvation and safety that we may make it to our final destination – Heaven!
 
If only we could have a heart like the psalmist when he wrote Psalm 119. It is the longest chapter and is found in the middle of God’s Word. Almost every verse is about appreciation, thankfulness, and delight in God’s Word, laws, and attributes. 
 
At this season of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for God’s laws!!!
 
Psalm 119:97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.

1 Comment

12/18/2018 1 Comment

Finishing well . . .

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Yesterday I was reading the account of King Josiah in my Women’s Devotional Bible and was really disturbed by reading about how he died (2 Chron. 35:20-25). It’s been on my mind since then, and since it’s been awhile since I’ve blogged, I thought I would share my thoughts with you.

I have never really focused before on the death of Josiah, only on the great accomplishments of his life. As a child, I was encouraged by the story of the boy who became king at the young age of eight years old. In spite of the wicked examples of his father and others before him, Josiah began seeking the God of his forefather David at the age of sixteen.  At the age of 20, he began to purge the land of all its false idols, altars, priests, and images. At the age of 26, he began to repair the temple of God, during which time the Book of the Law was discovered. This discovery in itself shows the abandoned, forsaken state of the temple at that time. Upon discovery, the Words of the Law were read, and Josiah immediately sent to inquire of the Lord. 

I love the fact that the men that were sent to inquire of the Lord went to a woman, the prophetess Huldah. Upon receiving her response, Josiah immediately gathered together all the people, and they renewed their covenant with God and pledged to serve Him. Next, there was a great celebration of the Passover such as had not been observed since the time of Samuel the prophet.

Yet, after all this good that Josiah had accomplished, at the age of 39 Josiah died needlessly in a battle that wasn’t his to fight. Neco, the king of Egypt had approached to fight the king of Assyria, and Josiah went out to meet him in battle. Neco warned him against it, at God’s command. Instead of listening, or even inquiring of God for himself, he bullheadedly disguised himself and engaged Neco in battle anyways. He was fatally wounded by archers and taken back to Jerusalem where he died. It became a tradition for the singers to commemorate him with laments for years to come. 

Such a sad ending to such a great life! What happened? What changed? Why did Josiah’s life end so tragically when it began so heroically?

After reflecting on this story, I am taking to heart the following thoughts for my own life:
•    Don’t see others as imagined enemies.
•    Choose your battles wisely.
•    Don’t question who God can speak through; He once used a donkey.
•    Pray before making reckless or rash decisions.
•    Don’t allow arrogance, pride, stubbornness, or self-importance to ruin your life.
•    Ask “Will this decision/choice/action allow me to finish my life well?”

I couldn’t help but contrast Josiah with the Apostle Paul, who started out badly with his cruel persecution of the early Christians, but at the end of his life could say: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Tim. 4:7

1 Comment

1/26/2018 1 Comment

Is it time to declutter?

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It’s been a little crazy, sometimes painful, yet at times funny around our house these past few weeks. We have been trying to downsize, deciding what to keep, what to sell, and what to throw away. Since I am a keeper and my husband is a tosser, there have been a lot of decision-making discussions going on! We are transitioning from a home to a small basement apartment, so you can imagine the dilemma.
 
What I have found to be interesting is, although I don’t like to part with stuff or change in general, the more I eliminate, the better I feel. There is a sense of freedom that comes with getting rid of excess things that you really don’t need, or haven’t used much, even though it seemed like a great thing when you acquired it. There is a saying that there comes a time when you don’t own possessions, but your possessions own you! There’s a lot of truth in that saying!
 
In reflecting on all this, I better understand how this applies to our spiritual lives and why the Scriptures instruct us over and over to declutter spiritually. Without realizing it, we tend to collect attitudes, habits, relationships, false doctrines, behaviors, etc. that are not in keeping with the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles. They become a way of life that will lead us away from a close relationship with God and leave us feeling weighed down, spiritually cold, passionless, and depressed.
 
Is it time to declutter? Hebrews 12:1 encourages us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us.” Ephesians 4:31-32 tells us we should “get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice,” and to be “kind and tender-hearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.”
 
We sometimes forget that the Scriptures that advise us to get rid of lying, selfish ambitions, anxiety, fears, abusive language, gossip, worldly desires, love of money, and all other forms of self-serving behavior were written to believers, not to sinners.
 
How about we all try to declutter spiritually in 2018 and intentionally spend more time in prayer, studying the Bible, growing closer to God, and loving and treating others as we would Christ?
 
Matthew 22:37-40  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
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1 Comment

11/24/2017 1 Comment

Nasty Drinking Water!

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I thirstily took a big gulp of water and then almost spewed the whole mouthful across the restaurant table. Almost. Presence of mind kept me from making such a scene and embarrassing my husband; but seriously, that water was nasty! I like to drink water, so I usually order ice water with lemon whenever we eat out. This time, however, I simply could not make the water drinkable. I added more lemon, even some sweetener, but nothing helped.
 
We have been doing some traveling/evangelizing, and it has sure made me appreciate good drinking water! You know the old saying, ‘You don’t miss the water ‘till the well runs dry!’ This means, of course, you don’t really appreciate what you have until you no longer have it.
 
This got me thinking about all the Scriptures regarding water in the Bible, especially those that are referring to the Holy Spirit. How satisfying and refreshing it is to drink from the well of living water that never runs dry! When we try to satisfy our souls with anything else, how it pales in comparison! We can try a lot of different ways to make it work, but nothing in this world can satisfy the thirsty soul like God can with His sweet, life-giving Spirit.
 
If your life feels like a desert today, try spending time in His presence until your thirst is quenched by the Holy Spirit. Drink deeply from the well of living water and find new, refreshing life springing up inside you. You will think you have discovered the Fountain of Youth, because God’s Spirit gives us eternal life.
 
Drink deeply, my friend, drink deeply!
 
John 7:37-38 (ESV) On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’
 
Jeremiah 2:12-13 (ESV) Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the Lord, 13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water.
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1 Comment

10/31/2017 1 Comment

​Lessons from a Vacuum Cleaner

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There is a chorus our Sunday School children used to sing,  “You’ve got to be plugged in, turned on, connected to the power...”

Thinking of this chorus, I recall when one of my sons was small and wanted to help me vacuum the house (somehow, he lost that desire when he got older!). I would give him one of the vacuum cleaner’s attachments, but didn’t have it connected to the vacuum cleaner. He would happily work beside me “cleaning” the stairs. Although we were both going through the same motions, only one was getting results. Being connected to the power source makes a BIG difference. Without the power of God’s Spirit in our lives, we cannot be effective Christians. We will just be going through the motions, with no results.
Then there is always that temptation to go just a little farther. The cord is stretched to the limit, but there’s that one corner you’re trying to reach! Suddenly the vacuum cleaner goes silent and you realize that the cord has been pulled from the outlet. Isn’t that how we all try to test the limits of God’s love? As we get farther and farther away from the power source, we try to reach for one more thing to satisfy, entertain, or further our earthly goals, and suddenly we find ourselves disconnected from God, the true source of our strength.

There is nothing more irritating than trying to vacuum with a loose connection. First it’s running, then it’s not! You wiggle the cord, and it starts running again, then off, then on, then off again. So it is with us when we don’t maintain a consistent spiritual connection through prayer and reading God’s Word. We become an irritating on again, off again Christian.
If the bag become too full of dirt, the vacuum cleaner becomes ineffective.  If we take in too much of the corruption of this world, we will not be a very effective worker for the Kingdom of God. We may look the same and sound the same, but we are not getting the job done. We need to find a place of repentance and ask God to create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us. Some vacuum cleaners come with a reset button. Fortunately for us, God supplies one as well: His Grace and Forgiveness.

Just as there are different attachments to use for special purposes, such as hard-to-reach spots, corners, blinds, and upholstery, God has provided spiritual tools to meet every need in our hearts and lives.

The next time you vacuum, reflect on these thoughts and assess if you are abiding in Christ, being effective, and making a difference in your world.

1 Comment

10/10/2017 3 Comments

A Foggy Morning...

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​My alarm goes off at 6:00 a.m. and I sleepily turn it off. I am NOT a morning person, but I know I can’t put it on snooze, because we are driving this morning to a church about two hours away to minister. I feel my way to the shower to help me wake up, turning on the Keurig on my way. (My sweet husband put this in the bedroom so I could have my morning cup of coffee first thing. Not sure if he did this for me or for him.)
 
“You’re driving,” my husband says as we are headed out the door. I don’t mind, because I know he likes to take advantage of the time on the road to listen to hymns, meditate, and confirm what he feels that God would have him share with the church.
 
We no sooner get on I-270 East when we run into fog. Great! Knowing that I really don’t care to drive in iffy weather conditions, my husband offers to drive. I decline his generous offer and continue driving, figuring surely we would be clear of the fog as soon as we crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois . . .
 
Wrong! The bridge was actually clear of fog, but we hit fog again as soon as we crossed the river. My husband explained all about the reasons for fog, warm earth versus cooler air, cooler river so no fog, warm earth again so more fog, etc. I really didn’t care about the reasons, I just wanted to drive fog free. Surely, it would clear up in a few miles!
 
Wrong again! For 55 miles my thoughts went like this: Wow, above the fog the sky is so pretty this morning! Oops, another fog bank, better slow down. I know there was a car ahead of me, where did it go? Here’s a break in the fog, better speed up to make up for lost time, don’t want to be late for church. Good thing we always allow extra driving time for the unexpected. Oh, the sun is so pretty through the fog. I hope it hurries up and burns off this fog. This fog bank is pretty thick, I wonder how close that trailer truck is behind me! Hills and valleys, in and out of fog. I’m cresting another hill, sure hope there’s no pileup ahead, I’d never be able to stop in time, better slow down! Finally! No more fog, it sure is a beautiful day!
 
In reflection, I realize how this experience is so like walking by faith! We are in a time of transition, trying to figure out God’s will and direction for our lives. This is not a new thing for us. We have gone through many phases on our ministerial journey. We both had fathers who were ministers, so the pattern of our lives have similarities. Teaching Sunday School classes at a young age, following a call to ministry, starting new churches, working in the mission field, evangelizing, pastoring, teaching, and now evangelizing again.
 
Each new phase is like going through a fog bank. Are we going in the right direction? Are we going too fast or too slow? Shouldn’t we be through this valley already? I think this may be the direction God is leading us! No, maybe not . . . God, please protect us and direct us. We don’t want to get off on the wrong exit or miss the exit we are supposed to take!
 
Once again, I reflect on Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT): “ Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
 
And I keep on going, walking by faith . . .
3 Comments

9/19/2017 2 Comments

Dirty Fingerprints...

2 Comments

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