Shirlee Abbott

Armed with Discipline

Posted on June 7, 2018 by Shirlee Abbott

“Discipline is the soul of an army.”
George Washington (1732-1799)

Washington’s wisdom also applies to God’s army.

Posted in other | Tagged discipline, George Washington | 3 Comments

Ready for War

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Shirlee Abbott

Psalm 144:1 (ERV)
Praise the Lord!
He is my Rock.
He prepares me for war.
He trains me for battle.

Better to fight with the Lord than against him.

Posted in other | Tagged battle, K.I.S.S., Keep it short and simple, Psalm 144:1 | 3 Comments

Almighty Violence

Posted on June 5, 2018 by Shirlee Abbott

Genesis 49:25 (NIV)
. . . the Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the skies above.

“The Almighty.” In his Sunday sermon, my husband noted that the Hebrew word here, Shadday, can mean “deal violently with.”

God, violent? Dose that surprise you?

It shouldn’t, considering how violently God dealt with sin.

Posted in other | Tagged Genesis 49:25, Shadday, The Almighty, violent | 2 Comments

This Is War

Posted on June 4, 2018 by Shirlee Abbott

Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

So we’re in a battle. How do you feel about that?

I want love, not war
Life is a struggle
We know how it ends—God wins

Much as we’d like to keep it all peace and love, God is quite clear: there’s a battle between good and evil. We have an enemy, and he is at war with us. We need to fight back.

Posted in other | Tagged Enemy, Ephesians 6:12, war | 3 Comments

Safe Shelter for Those Who Provide Safe Shelter

Posted on June 2, 2018 by Shirlee Abbott

We read stories about brave folks who, back in Hitler’s time, risked their lives to protect others.

We may wish that had been the end of religious persecution, but we know better. There are still places where people of faith are on the run. We pray for them, for their safety, for their escape.

But let’s not forget to pray for those dear souls who give them a moment’s safe passage: a bit to eat, a place to sleep, a space to hide.

Lord, protect those who take risks to protect your persecuted people. Do to them as they do to others — be their safe shelter even as they provide safe shelter for others.