Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Take the Bull by The Horns...Life by the "You Know What"...Fortitude is Courage in Pain or Adversity

In my spirit, I heard the Lord say that I need to “take life by the balls.”  I thought that was interesting comment from God, because I am a woman physically not a man!  I have found many times persistence is a key to get what I want in life and also taking advantage of opportunities in life.  America is the land of opportunity

In Jesus Christ, there is no male or female so I am a forceful man lying hold of the kingdom of God in life!  (There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28)

From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. Matthew 11:12

I had to look up some definitions on the Internet, since I was not gifted sexually with the anatomy as a woman! “You were to grab a guy by the balls you literally have total control over him...the expression therefore means to take total control of your life.”  Another phrase is “take the bull by the horns.”  I know it is related to not let Satan through people knock me over and another one is my circumstances.  Part of fighting back (putting on the gloves and duking it out with Satan) is through intercession prayer for others and in my own life. 

To get what we want in life, we are going to have to bind Satan in our prayer life.  It is the very first item on the prayer agenda!  It’s like when you are at business meeting.  What is the first item on the agenda?  It’s usually the most important item.

In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house. Mark 3:27

We are Not Alone in The Bull Fight! A Husband’s Mustard Seed Faith

When you are “taking the bull by the horns” go watch a Matador with the red cape and realize that there are some risks or dangers involved.  Read the book of Acts and look at all the dangers and perils of life that Paul went through in preaching the gospel.  My daughter told me about a video she saw, “A man tripped so the red blanket fell on the side of him. So the bull attacked the man and the bull horns went right through the man’s chin out through his mouth! It was very graphic!”


And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose......What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:28-31

I've done what I call some crazy things in life for God and my family.  We do what it takes to feed and clothe our families.  We do what it takes to get the work of God’s ministry done. 

If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1 Timothy 5:8

I’m not Mormon, but God sent me on a two-year mission for him in my life from the time I was 19-20 years old, I packed up my things and went into a tent revival ministry called, Christ is the Answer.

I lived in a tent/camper with my son to go preach the gospel, go witnessing in and out of bars and in front of pornography shops and red light districts.  I had my life threatened for saying "Jesus loves you" to prostitutes.  Pornography shops owners who got mad that I and others were protesting their establishment and called the police. I was thrown in jail for passing out Christian tracts at K-mart for trespassing.  Many others were thrown in jail
for passing out Christian tracts at shopping malls and saying, “Jesus loves you.”  They called it solicitation, but our ministry won a lot of those court battles.  I got involved in a riot in California where I was witnessing in front of stores and a police officer had a Billy club in my back and he was apologizing for pushing me because people were throwing bottles at store windows and he was moving everyone for crowd control.  I was witnessing on a beach in Ft. Lauderdale Florida when "streaking"/taking off all your clothes was popular at night.  I've seen periods of unrest in this country when I was street evangelizing in Washington D.C. during the Vietnam War protesting and on every street corner there were different cults like the Children of God and Hari Krisknas. 

There are many things that have happened to me in life and as early as 19 years old, I was learning to endure hardship as a good solider in Jesus Christ.  2 Timothy 2:3

I’ve thought about lame excuses I’ve heard of why people’s relationships don’t work out.  These excuses are very lame in my book being that my spouse and I were dating and he had two children and I had four at home and one in college, and we made it work. We made a blended family work.  Just the element of time in putting such a venture together with all that baggage of us being hurt/divorced/rejected by a former spouse, and each child had their own little baggage.  I was listening to a talk Sunday night and he talked about how a woman must respect a man to take a man’s name.  I was more than pleased to be Mrs. O’Neill.

In thinking how God put me with a baby Christian man spiritually, and yet where there is a “will there is a way.”  As far as he had faith as a grain of mustard seed to make our marriage work.  Working out the logistics, there were times we realized that certain kids could not babysit and be with certain kids without us being there, or they ended up locked in the tool shed!

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Mathew 17:20

I built my faith up over a period of years….in full time ministry in seeing God provide over and over …many of the things I go through now is I’ll meet a Christian guy and he will say things like…I don’t get past the first date because women find me boring…or I’m afraid of women…I had anger problems with my last girlfriend, or all seven times I spoke to him he talked negativity about the ex-wife as “that” woman.  It reminds me of that scripture…Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. Proverbs 6:2  

Right now I believe that having that faith as a grain of mustard seed is very important and hard to find a man who has that type of faith for a good relationship.  It’s the foundation I’m looking for in building a relationship.  It’s amazing that it does not take much in the fact that my husband had just come back to the Lord for one year.  How just a “little faith” will get you over to have a great marriage.   He said he always felt the hand of God on him like one time he almost rolled a large lawn tractor over on himself backing it out of a trailer.  But he did not serve God for 13 years when I met him and yet his little mustard seed faith put us over in life.  I believe it’s because although my husband failed in marriage, he did not see himself as a failure in life.  That was clear by the words of faith and comfort he spoke through his lips in difficult times of trials in our lives we went through.   Jesus took a little boy’s two fish and five loaves and he fed five thousand people.  Apparently, God blesses a little we give him.

For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. 1 Peter 3:10
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. James 1:26
We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. James 3:2

Fortitude Is Courage in Pain or Adversity

At times in my life, I ran after the bull in life.  I found many good things in life are not “automatic.” As a Christian, I keep on seeking, knocking, and asking.   I have experienced in working with International students is the amount of their persistence in getting their voice heard since they come from a country of over population.  They will call and email me several times and then email everyone else in our school to get an answer.   I am in a small school, and occasionally with over 50 emails a day, I could miss their email, but they are going to make sure they get an answer.  I don’t find that persistence with Christians when it comes to getting what they want in life from God.   

Rosa Parks decided that she was not going to put up with discrimination in sitting on the back of the bus.   I have an easy going personality and I’ve had a tendency in my life to let people boss me around.  My daughters correct me about that.  In the past it has not worked well in the type of relationships I got into and even with my husband, I found that he would take advantage of my good nature at times.  I blogged about that I did not let him get away with being selfish as a man in not spending quality time with me.

In the past, I was the kind of person that if the door is not open, I’m going to bang down the door at times to get it to open or I’ll just rip the door down.  It’s a tenacity I have in life.   I remember my girlfriend had an ex-husband who had a Red Nose Pit-bull dog and if he asked the dog to ““Sikhim” and the dog would jump up in the air and just hang on that rope and would not let go until he told the dog to “heel.”   Doberman Pinchers and German Shepherds dogs are very tenacious like that also.  I believe like those Pit-bull dogs, Doberman Pinchers or German Shepherds in life, certain personality types go for what they want out of life.

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!'" Luke 18:1-5

I believe the above scriptures describes a large part of the American population ….the judge did not fear God and he did not care about his fellow man.  

All widows I have spoken to have lost most of their fortitude in life.  We are like Peter Pan looking for our shadow or Austin Powers looking for his Mojo.  It’s one thing to fight an illness for yourself on your own body, it’s another to watch a loving mate go downhill.  Cancer of a spouse is dying a slow death with them and then you die again when they die.  Sudden death is more of a shock and usually by year two it starts sinking in as far as realizing that person is gone. I told my friends to pray that my fortitude comes back.  

Fortitude…Courage or strength in pain or adversity: "she endured her illness with great fortitude. She has endured disappointments with fortitude and patience…..Mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity, danger, or temptation courageously: Never once did her fortitude waiver during that long illness.  The gift of fortitude brings to those who have it a dauntless spirit of resolution, firmness of mind, and indomitable will to persevere with a quiet faith in God’s providence that overcomes all obstacles.  It also brings courage to persist in the practice of virtue despite trials, illness, persecution or external failure. The virtue of fortitude, or courage, is firmness of spirit, steadiness of will in doing good despite obstacles in the performance of our daily duty.  It suppresses inordinate fear and curbs recklessness. Because fortitude also moderates rashness, it is the special virtue of pioneers in any field.”  Strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage.”


2.      Antonyms: spinelessness

I would not recommend you currently choose me on your Survivor team or Die Hard with a Vengeance with Bruce Willis, however I would recommend that you choose me on your prayer team. I remember in elementary school almost being picked last for the kickball team.  It was because I was a “ruddy” woman like David was a ruddy shepherd boy.  I was thin growing up.  After a few slams over in left field and bringing in everyone on the bases on my team…well let’s say I did not get picked almost last after that.  I like the movie, Rudy who played for Notre Dame.  Yeah, Rudy did not have the raw talent of being a star athlete, but he had the tenacity.  Some books that talk about strengths consider that Rudy wasted his time, because he did not have “what it takes” in talent.  Rudy contributed to the Notre Dame team his tenacity and spirit.  Since Jesus picked the “B” team in life, which were his disciples, and he did not pick the Rabbis, which were the A -team, I’m glad I’m on God’s B team.

I rarely take “No” for an answer from my heavenly Father in prayer.  I was the same way with my earthly father.   I did not necessary get the car I wanted out of my earthly father as far as he gave me a car he sprayed painted with cans of gold paint, but my earthly father gave me wheels to drive.   He did not expect me to take the bus to work and school or walk.  Of course in my prayer requests it all comes I’ve shared that God has given us a free will in life and the best I’ve got to offer God is my free will.   My heavenly Father is very pleased when I offer him my free will offerings!

Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Luke 22:42
your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10
Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: 'If any of you--either an Israelite or an alien living in Israel--presents a gift for a burnt offering to the LORD, either to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering, Lev. 22:18

I used to go visit relatives, vacation, go boating, dancing, socials or Bible studies and just go because I consider that either you need to do that as far as family obligations, and getting yourself out of the house, etc.  I pray now whenever I go on vacation if God wants me to go, socials or a Bible study.   I want God to be God of my vacations, hobbies, fun, activities.  My parent’s always fostered family is important in my life and I know God considers family is important too.  God has shown me to “honor” my in-laws like my own parents.  The Bible talks about doing good especially to the household of faith.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:10

Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever…the woman who had an issue of blood knew how to press through a crowd of people and get what she wanted from Jesus! In the same way we “press through”..“press on”… bind the strong man, and get what we want from God and take it away from the evil judge (Satan) in life.

Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment. Matthew 9:20-22 

Reach Out and Touch the Lord

If your heart is sad and lonely, there's no joy anywhere.
If there's no one left to comfort, and there's no one left to care.
Just cast your cares on Jesus and upon His arms rely,

And reach out and touch the Lord as He walks by.
Though a stranger to the Master and His wonderful grace.
If you've never had the pleasure in beholding His face.
Would you lay aside earth's treasures for a home in the sky,
Then, reach out and touch the Lord as He walks by.

All along a dusty roadside, on His way to raise the dead.
Mighty was the crowd that followed, hungry for that Living Bread.
"I must touch Him", cried a woman, "I must touch Him or I'll die."
So, she reached and touched His garment as he passed by.

Chorus:
Reach out and touch the Lord as He goes by.
You will find He's not too busy to hear your heart's cry.
He's passing by this moment, your needs He'll supply,
So, reach out and touch the Lord as He goes by.

Reach out and touch the Lord as He goes by.

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