Lisa Buffaloe's Blog, page 7

Air Rights

In urban areas where ground space is limited, air rights are often given as the right to use and develop the space above the earth���s surface. The concept comes from the Latin phrase, Cuius est solum, eius est usque ad coelum et ad inferos meaning ���Whoever owns the soil, it is theirs up to Heaven and down to Hell.���

Have you sold your air rights? What thoughts are you freely allowing to live in your head? Every moment there is a bombardment of information, news, comments, social media postings, and a variety of information coming at warp speed to fill our thoughts. Satan is ���the prince of the power of the air ��� the spirit who is now at work in the disobedient [the unbelieving, who fight against the purposes of God] (Ephesians 2:2, AMP). The devil has an arsenal of devious methods to steal, kill, and destroy to bring fear, division, hate, doubt, and despair.

Paul reminds us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ looking away from all that will distract us and focus our eyes on Jesus (2 Corinthians 10:5, Hebrews 12:2).

The Israeli Iron Dome is a 90% effective mobile air defense missile system designed to intercept and destroy short-range projectiles from distances ranging from 2.5 miles to 90 miles away.��As Christians, we are given a 24/7, 100% effective, God-given protective shield of faith with which to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one (Ephesians 6:16). We are never left defenseless.

In the middle of the night, I had a series of strange dreams that weren���t good but weren���t exactly classified as nightmares. The first one I had I partially awakened then went right back into the dream. I didn���t want to stay, but I did want to know the ending. Yet, when I partially awakened again, the words of Jesus came to mind, ���Come to Me.�����I realized I had a choice to stay in the dream or allow Christ to save me from that dream. I chose Him and the dream vanished. I no longer can remember anything about those series of dreams, but I know by choosing to look to Christ, He rescued me.

Jesus beckons to us all, ���Come to Me and I will give you rest��� (Matthew 11:28). Christ has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18). His authority reigns in our waking hours and even in the hours we sleep, therefore we can take every thought captive in His authority.

Christ is with us 24/7. He promises, ���Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge]��� (John 14:27, AMP; underline mine).

Whether by night or by day, in every circumstance and every challenge, God will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast, committed and focused on God because they trust and take refuge in God (Isaiah 26:3). We are protected by our Most High God, and He promises to never leave or forsake His children.

Take back your air rights! When thoughts come, focus on Christ, and take thoughts captive in the authority of Christ.

���Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God���s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart]. … practice these things [in daily life], and the God [who is the source] of peace and well-being will be with you.��� (Philippians 4:8-9, AMP).

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Journey to The Master’s House

Chapter 24 of Genesis tells the story of Abraham sending his servant to find a wife for his son, Isaac. There are so many sweet aspects of the story and many lessons to apply to our lives.

The servant was told to go in the authority of his master, Abraham. ��� As followers of Jesus, servants, we also are told by Jesus to go in His authority (Matthew 28:18-20).

The servant asked for clarity. — We too can ask for guidance and direction from God through prayer and reading God���s word (James 1:5, Psalm 73:24, 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The servant responded in action. — We also need to be faithful servants (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, 1 Corinthians 15:57-58, Matthew 25:14-46, Psalm 31:23, Psalm 37:3).

The servant prayed for favor and specific guidance. — We should always pray, praying for favor, specific guidance and wisdom (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Psalm 90:17, Psalm 25:4, James 1:5).

The servant kept alert, waiting and watching to see what God would do. ��� We also should keep alert, watching and waiting to see how God is moving (1 Corinthians 16:13, Habakkuk 2:1, Psalm 27:14).

The servant shared his mission and why he had come. ��� As followers and servants of Jesus, we are to tell others about Him and make disciples, to share His good news (Matthew 28:19-20, Romans 10:15).

The servant thanked God and rejoiced when His prayers were answered. — We too should be thankful in all things, rejoicing always, telling others of God���s faithfulness (Ephesians 5:20, Psalm 75:1, Psalm 40:10).

The servant and Rebekah returned to his master. The bride came to her new home. ��� We, and those we have told about Jesus and accepted His offer of grace, also will joyfully go to our Master���s House as the bride of Christ (Matthew 25:21, John 14:1-3, Revelation 21:3-4), Revelation 22:17).

As believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we have good, good news to share. Go, tell others about Jesus and His wonderful offer of eternal life in heaven.

If you don���t know Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life, God���s Son, Jesus Christ, offers for you forgiveness, mercy, and eternal life. Open your heart to Jesus, drink deep of His grace, and come home to The Master���s House.

���The [Holy] Spirit and the bride (the church, the true Christians) say, Come! And let him who is listening say, Come! And let everyone come who is thirsty [who is painfully conscious of his need of those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, and strengthened]; and whoever [earnestly] desires to do it, let him come, take, appropriate, and drink the water of Life without cost.��� ~ Revelation 22:17 (AMPC)

From We Were Meant for Paradise by Lisa Buffaloe

https://lisabuffaloe.com

The God who Loves

In the 1930s, Gladys Aylward left England to serve as a missionary in China. Her journey and time in that country is an amazing testimony of her faithfulness and obedience to Jesus Christ.

At one point, although barely recovered from illness, she felt directed by God to journey to an unreached part of China. Traveling alone, she set out and went from village to village sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In one village the people told her, ���this is the end. Further on there is nothing.��� However, a doctor who just happened to be a Christian agreed to travel with her for five days. Dr. Huang and Gladys shared Christ with everyone they met.

The five days stretched to ten, and at this point, they had not encountered anyone By mid-afternoon, Gladys wrote she was ���perturbed.��� Placing their traveling bundles on the ground, they knelt to pray, and Gladys admitted her prayer was for her comfort and needs. Dr. Huang���s calm prayer was, ���O God, send us the one You want us to tell about Jesus. We have witnessed to no one today, but You have sent us here for some special purpose. Show us where to find the man You intend to bless.���

Gladys was humbled and ashamed that her prayer had only been for her comfort whereas Dr. Huang���s prayer had been for the souls of men. Still on their knees, Gladys suggested they sing a chorus. Their voices carried in the clear mountain air, and then Dr. Huang suddenly jumped to his feet and exclaimed, ���There is our man,��� and he ran off.

Feeling alone and very small, Gladys waited until she saw in the distance two tiny specks on the mountainside. Dr. Huang shouted for her to come up, but at first, she didn���t move. Finally, the doctor ran to her, and half carried, and half pushed Gladys up the mountainside where a Tibetan lama priest stood.

Dr. Huang shared that the man had invited them to stay the night. Gladys wasn���t sure that was a good idea since lamas were not supposed to have anything to do with women.

However, the priest replied, ���We have waited long for you to tell us about the God who loves.���

Upon their arrival at the huge lamasery, Gladys was fearful of what would happen to them. Instead, she and the doctor were greeted almost reverently, and their every need was met to make them comfortable. They were then escorted into a large room filled with five hundred priests with their hands devoutly crossed and their heads bent.

The doctor and Gladys sang and shared the Gospel until they could barely stay awake. Moving to their private rooms, Gladys collapsed from exhaustion. Yet that night, two-by-two, the priests kept coming to her and the doctor asking the same question, ���Will you explain how and why He died? Will you explain how it is He could love me?���

She wrote, ���These men never questioned that God was the Creator of the world, they never doubted the fact of the virgin birth, they did not consider any of the miracles incredible. To them it was the wonder of God���s love which obsessed them. The story of Christ���s death on Calvary filled their minds with awe and reverence.���

Later Gladys, alone, was invited to meet the head lama. After discussing various things, she dared to ask him why he would allow a foreign woman to come into their lamasery and speak to their priests.��The man told her that many years before several of their priests had gone to a village to sell some herbs. While there, a man had been waving a paper and calling out about salvation and inviting people to a gospel hall. The lamas took the tract and brought it back with them.

The paper now in pieces was stuck on the wall. The words were John 3:16, ���For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.�����From those words, the priests learned that somewhere there was a God who loved. For five years they searched for more information but could learn nothing more.

The man who had first received the tract vowed he would not come back until he learned more about this God. Several of them traveled until they finally came to a small mission outpost where a man there talked to them about Jesus and gave them each a copy of the Gospels. They returned to the lamasery, and they all read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The head priest continued, ���One verse seemed of special importance. Christ had said, ���Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel,��� so obviously one day someone would come to tell us more about this wonderful God. All we had to do was to wait and, when God sent a messenger, to be ready to receive him. For another three years we waited.���

When they had heard Gladys and Dr. Huang singing on the mountainside, they knew they were the messengers the lamas had been waiting for because he said, ���Only people who know God will sing.���

Gladys and Dr. Huang stayed several more days singing, sharing, and teaching about Jesus Christ and God.��When we get to heaven, how many will we meet who heard from these two faithful servants about the God who loves?

How many people now are waiting and longing to hear the Good News? Will you sing God���s praises?

Will you go and tell others about the God who loves?

���For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved��� (John 3:16-17, NKJV).

���Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen��� (Matthew 28:19-20, NKJV).

The post, The God who Loves, first appeared on https://lisabuffaloe.com

Aylward, Gladys, The Little Woman, Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL, 1970
Ibid
Ibid
Ibid
Ibid
Ibid

The Masterpiece Beneath

FREE eBook��12/14/22 – 12/18/22

As my first-fruit offering to the Lord, my latest release is free on Amazon 12/14 – 12/18! Download for #FREE on Amazon Kindle Unlimited or buy for free –>�� https://amzn.to/3FNdaM0

For decades, Veronika���s past stayed hidden. Yet the repercussions of what was done to her and what she had done continued to ripple through time.

As her secrets come to light, will they destroy those she loves or reveal God���s masterpiece beneath?

 

Show them the Way Home

Years ago, I was blessed to interview a man whose ministry used airplane parachute drops into the Columbian jungle to share the gospel of Jesus Christ by distributing packages containing Bibles, Christian books and movies, and radios tuned to Christian radio stations. Can you imagine the delight of those who were isolated by their environment when they heard the good news of Jesus Christ?

There is such wonderful joy when a person turns to Jesus, and forgiveness is received, the weight of sin is removed, and fellowship is given with God, His Son, Holy Spirit, and other believers.

Why is there hesitation in sharing this wonderful news?

Tell others that God loves the world so much He sent His Son to save those in the world. Jesus told His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20).

Tell others about Jesus ���to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God���s people, who are set apart by faith in Christ (Acts 26:18, NLT).

When Andrew encountered Jesus, he ran to tell his brother they had found the Messiah, and Andrew brought his brother (Simon) to Jesus (John 1:41-42).

Have you shared the good news with your family?

Jesus told the man who Jesus set free from a legion of demons to go and tell what God had done for him (Mark 5:1-20).

Has Christ set you free? You, too, can share what Christ has done for you.

George Mueller wrote in 1829, ���Deep within my soul, I was moved to feel compassion for perishing sinners and for a world lulled to sleep by the wicked Enemy. And I began to think, ���Should I not do whatever I can for the Lord Jesus and try to awake His slumbering church before He returns?������

Are we moved to compassion for those who don���t know Jesus Christ as Savior?

���A great sorrow has come into the heart of God. Let it be told only in hushed voice���one of His worlds is a prodigal! Hush your voice yet more���ours is that prodigal world. Let your voice soften down still more���we have consented to the prodigal part of the story. But, in softest tones yet, He has won some of us back with great gladness���we won ones may be the pathway back to God for the others.��� ~ S. D. Gordon

Will we be one who shows others the pathway Home to God through Christ?

Each of us has a calling, a place in the here and now to tell others about the Savior who died to set us free. Tell others about Jesus and bring others to Jesus. Go in your own home and tell your family. Go at work and tell your co-workers. Through letters, texts, online, or in person, go and tell of our amazing Savior and wonderful God. Tell them so they also can find the pathway Home.

God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (John 3:16, Romans 5:8)

Jesus said, ���I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me. ��� For ���there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.��� (John 14:6, Acts 4:12).

���Anyone who confesses (acknowledges, owns) that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides (lives, makes His home) in him and he [abides, lives, makes his home] in God��� (1 John 4:15, AMPC).

���May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, that you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God���s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; that you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and ]become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! (Ephesians 3:17-19, AMPC).

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Cowman, L. B., Streams In The Desert, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan) 2016

Gordon, S. D., Quiet Talks on Prayer, Barbour and Company, Inc. Westwood, New Jersey

Insecurity

Sweet hubby and I watched an old movie with Audrey Hepburn. Stately, elegant, beautiful yet approachable, Audrey Hepburn. The next day, insecurity jumped all over me. I don���t look like Audrey Hepburn, my hair isn���t as cute as hers, and I can barely walk straight in high heels. Whimper.

Comparing myself to Audrey was not a smart move. I���ll be honest, I wasted an entire day internally whining about my inadequacies. The more I thought about her and her beauty, the more I compared myself to her, the more insecure I became.

What was I thinking? Audrey Hepburn was an actress with perfect lighting, professional makeup artists, tailor-made clothing, and scripted dialogue. Under those conditions, I probably could look and act pretty good myself.

Insecurity is a tool from the enemy to keep us so self-focused we can���t see the reality and beauty of our God-created uniqueness. Insecurity keeps us from enjoying today, enjoying God, and enjoying others.

I want to get rid of insecurity by remembering I am in the eternal security of Jesus. It���s not about being conformed to the image of an actress or person, but about conforming to the image of Christ.

The good news is, as a Christian, the process is an inward change, we are predestined to be conformed, called, justified, and glorified. The change is inward, taking place within the soul radiating out, transforming, renewing, redeeming, making whole ��� wholly loved, wholly accepted, and wholly restored.

Insecure? Remember you are secure in Christ. You don���t have to look to other people, compare yourself to others, but keep focused on Jesus, He is the author and perfecter, The One who takes and makes you His beautiful, transformed, renewed, glorified, wonderful work of art.

���For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, ��� and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.��� Therefore, ���fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith ��� do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.��� ~ Romans 8:29-30 (NASB), Hebrews 12:2 (NASB), Romans 12:2 (NASB)

���For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above���spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].��� ~ Ephesians 2:10 (AMP)

From We Were Meant for Paradise by Lisa Buffaloe https://amzn.to/3UlhBSn

 

Win a gift card and free books

Hi, friends. I just celebrated another birthday and am so grateful God blessed me with books to write.

Join me in the celebration by entering to win a $25.00 Amazon gift card and your choice of two free books (your choice of format). Enter to win -> a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blessings to you!

Lisa Buffaloe

Love’s best

Have you ever talked with someone and walked away troubled by the conversation? Or you say something to a friend or loved one, and from their reaction, realize they misinterpreted your meaning?

Since we don���t read minds, effective communication can be difficult.

However, if we are in a love relationship, what we hear and what is heard, regardless of reaction or circumstance, is filtered through love.

Can you imagine the freedom we would have if we truly understood God���s love?

God not only loves us, God is love. He is love that isn���t just an emotion. God. Is. Love.

If we are God���s, if we are in a love relationship with Him, anything that happens to us, regardless of the pain and suffering, we can be assured is filtered through His loving hands.

Paul, who endured many a trial and hardship, wrote ���we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.��� ~ Romans 8:28 (NLT)

Because of that truth, we can live in freedom. We can drive God���s love so deep into our hearts and souls that we���re not buffeted by the worries of this world. We can live like little children excited to see what our Heavenly Father has in store for each day.

���So, we can say with confidence, ���The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?��� We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. We can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. And we have received God���s Spirit (not the world���s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything He does.��� ~ Hebrews 13:6, Romans 5:3, Romans 5:11, 1 Corinthians 2:12, Psalm 33:4 (NLT)

Mining for Treasure

��No matter how rich the human love, nothing and no one will love us as much and no one can show us more that we are loved than God. God���s love is perfect love, love that is beyond the gentlest touch, the sweetest kiss, and the warmest embrace. His Love is faithful, compassionate, gracious, magnificent, infinite, overflowing, unfailing, and eternal love.

Would you be willing to take whatever you are facing, whatever is happening in your life, and filter it through God���s love?

From Unfailing Treasures by Lisa Buffaloe

 

I caught it!

Enjoying the warm summer evening, I stood in left field. My softball skills weren���t the best, and the coach had placed me where he thought I could do the least damage. But then��� with a crack of the bat, the ball zoomed right at me. I held up my glove for self-preservation. With a whump, the ball landed safely in my mitt. I jumped for joy, hooting and hollering, celebrating with all my might. I caught it!

My teammates weren���t celebrating with me, instead they were yelling. Why? Wasn���t catching the ball a good thing? Wasn���t everyone supposed to be excited?

Why was the other team still running? They weren���t supposed to run. They were supposed to stop, because I caught the ball.

Unfortunately, I didn���t know I needed to get the ball back into the field of play until it was too late and the other team had scored. I���m embarrassed by my previous lack of ball skills, and I wish I could tell you I was just a child. The truth is, I was in my twenties playing with people from work. (my softball career ended quickly.). I know better now. I understand the rules. Catching the ball was only part of the process, throwing it back into play would have kept the other team from scoring. Releasing what I had in my hand would have doubled my joy (and definitely made my teammates happier).

When we receive Jesus as Lord of our lives, we are joyfully given His mercy, grace, and eternal life. And when we pass on what we have been freely given by Christ, our joy doubles — we celebrate, Heaven celebrates, and the body of Christ celebrates.��As we share the good news, we also stop the enemy from advancing.��

Have you been blessed to receive Jesus as your Savior? Please remember to share Jesus��and let the joy parties begin!

������there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.��Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.��� ~ Luke 15:10,��Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB)

From, We Were Meant for Paradise by Lisa Buffaloe, http://amzn.to/2FK7S5Q

 

 

 

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Stockingful of Books Giveaway

It’s giveaway time!

I am thrilled to announce my book,��Open Lens, is part��of��the Stockingful of��Books��Giveaway. This giveaway runs 11/6 through 11/12, and the prize consists��of ten��Christian��books. The 1st place winner will receive all ten��books��(authors’ choice��of��format) and the 2nd place winner will receive three��books��(authors’ choice��of��format)��of��their choosing. A variety��of��genres, from fantasy to historical romance to suspense and more, are featured.

You can enter to win here:�� http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/bfce54d312/?

https://lisabuffaloe.com