Category: Bible thoughts

New Life

  “He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; He suspends the earth over nothing. He wraps up the waters in His clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight. He covers the face of the full moon, spreading His clouds over it. He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters for a boundary between light and darkness. The pillars of the heavens quake, aghast at His rebuke. By His power He churned up the sea; by His wisdom He cut Rahab to pieces. By His breath the skies became fair; His hand pierced the gliding serpent. And these are but the outer fringe of His works; how faint the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power?” – Job 26:7‭-‬14 NIV
New LIFE. That’s what the Creator has breathed into the world, and into to us. As we move into spring, we see the renewing of the earth in the early daffodils and hyacinths and tulips, trees bursting out in blossoms, and babies being born all through creation. Beauty surrounds us when we open our eyes enough to behold it. Jesus chose the time when the earth begins to stir to new life to sacrifice His life so that humanity could have new life. Beautiful, indeed! Are we spending our time of renewal sleeping with the Apostles, or praying with our LORD?

  Then [Jesus] returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” He asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” – Matthew 26:40‭-‬41 NIV

Hurting, feelings of depression, believing that we are not worthy are all coming directly from the enemy. Look to Jesus Christ! As C.S. Lewis said “Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look to Christ, and you will find Him, and with Him everything.” 

(Scriptures from http://bible.com)

Joyful, Patient, Faithful

​  “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” NIV, or as the NLT translates, “Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” – Romans 12:12 NIV, NLT

Hope, Patience, and Faithfulness. Not exactly what we want to hear when we are going through trials, and it’s a daily struggle for me to do these things. I like the way the NLT phrases it: “Rejoice in our confident hope…” Hope is what gets us through the hard times, but not just any hope. Without the Hope of Redemption by Jesus Christ, anything else fades away. 

  “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” – Matthew 11:28‭-‬30 NLT

Have you given much thought to this scripture? Jesus asks us to take His yoke – but why would I exchange one burden for another? We talk about a yoke as if it is a commonplace item,but I’m certain there are people who don’t have any idea what it is. 

A yoke can be used on oxen or on people, as illustrated above. It is a tool to allow more weight to be carried, and done properly, we can carry much more with a yoke than in our hands and on our backs. An oxen can pull many times his weight with a yoke. Most of my adult life I spent dragging a tremendous amount of baggage with an ill-fitting yoke, and it weighed me down, exhausted me, and kept me in pain. I’m not talking about physical baggage. This is emotional, physical baggage, and it is what Jesus wants to take away to replace with His yoke. Having that tremendous weight taken away allowed me to breathe, really breathe, for the first time in years. I didn’t understand that all that time, the reason I was in so much pain was because I wouldn’t – couldn’t – let go of the baggage. It was mine, and it was all I had. If I let go of it, what would be left?

There is beauty in letting go! I still hold on to some baggage. It’s a process, a journey. Jesus takes the majority of my burden – as much as I can let go off – and in return, all I have left to carry is His Love, His concern for others, His Light, and His Word to share with others. His burden is LIGHT!! (Yes, it’s a pun, AND it is pure truth!) Let it go, let it go, let it go… whether you are singing Elsa’s song from the movie Frozen, or you are repeating the words from a 12-step group (Let go and let God), what counts is that you are letting go of the baggage and looking to Jesus for His help.

When we let go and let God have our burdens, even the scary, dramatic, drastic ones, then no matter what the enemy throws at us, we can and will overcome because we have God with us; GOD with ME. Amen!

(All scriptures from http://bible.com)

RUNAWAY…

I couldn’t sleep for the concern on my mind tonight.

I spent some time today on the phone and messaging with the family of a young friend (whom I will call Bea – to protect her). Her family knows basically what the problem is and they are beginning to understand addiction, but they can’t fix it and they don’t know how how to act with her. Why do some of us end up acting out with addictive behaviors? It’s because the wiring of our brains got crossed and we don’t know how to fix it. We know that hurt people hurt people, and reacting to hurtful comments with more hurtful comments just keeps the wheel spinning. I suggested unfriending Bea on social media. When a loved one is in their addiction, we only hurt ourselves by trying to see what’s going on. Snooping is a destructive action for everyone involved. If Bea wants or needs her family, she knows how to reach them without relying on social media.

Offering our love and our prayers is the the very best thing we can do for the addict. We talked about money and bank accounts and personal belongings. I believe that by withholding those things, at least any funds, is important to prevent them being used to support the addiction. As for disposing of clothes or personal items, I wouldn’t. At some point, she may be able to return and the presence of those things could be important for her to know she wasn’t unimportant or cast away. 

Accusations, demands, and ultimatums against the addict, more often than not, backfire on us. Think about the definition of the word ultimatum: “a final, uncompromising demand or set of terms issued by a party to a dispute, the rejection of which may lead to a severance of relations or to the use of force; or, a final proposal or statement of conditions.” From my own experience, anytime I have been offered an ultimatum, it goes directly to the severing of that relationship. Addicts, especially, don’t like having demands or accusations or ultimatums. 

I’m so thankful for having parents who never gave up on me. As my mom told me after I wrote my amends letter to her, they never stopped loving me or praying for me – but they didn’t like me. Thank you, Mom and Dad.

Bea’s mom asked what it took for me to stop my addiction. The answer is something of an oxymoron. It took 40 years of ups and downs, being in and out of church (but never really surrendering), and tremendous amounts of spiritual and physical pain. Being told by others, even counselors, didn’t make it real. My saying it didn’t make it real. Admitting it to God first, then to myself, and finally to others…. that’s when the reality of it hit me. I had to acknowledge that I did not have control of my addiction (or my life), and then I had to hand over control to God. How do you hand something over if you don’t have it in the first place??? 

Ah, therein lies the rub! Reality. The catalyst for my behavior was hidden in my subconscious for years. When the buried memories would try to surface, I denied them. I had to accept the truth of what happened to me, and then I had to forgive ME (it really wasn’t my fault!) so that I could forgive the perpetrators. By denying the realities, I lived in a fantasy. I KNEW I was worthless and no good because of what was done to me. That was the enemy, Satan, telling me that and selling me a bunch of garbage. I bought into it when I was young, so my sham of control was just that. In addiction, the enemy is in control. We have to deny him, and give God permission to take it.

Pray, pray, pray, and pray some more. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – Thessalonians 5:16‭-‬18 NIV

My prayers will be for the protection of the whole family. I can visualize God’s angel army standing guard over each of them! When a member of the family is under attack, everyone is vulnerable. When people ask if they can pray or how they can pray, or if you ask someone to pray, give no details. It’s private. It’s not for discussion. Even, it’s none of their business. We have to be willing to PRAY and not gossip. God loves us. We need to love His children.

  “With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of His calling, and that by His power He may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.” – 2 Thessalonians 1:11 NIV 


(All scriptures: http://bible.com/111/NIV)

HANGRY?

Are you tired? Sick? Angry? Hurt?

  “Think about what is true. Think about what is noble, right & pure. Think about what is lovely & worthy of respect. If anything is excellent or worthy of praise, think about those kinds of things.” – Phil 4:8 
It’s amazing what can happen when you just THINK.
You probably want to know what, exactly, is “Hangry.” It’s a word I first heard in a Celebrate Recovery meeting. Hungry, angry, tired. These are the fuses, or triggers, to revert to our addictive behaviors, whether it is drugs, alcohol, sex, abuse, out of control eating,… even shopping. I wonder if Cain was ‘hangry’ when God addressed him here.

  “Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” – Genesis 4:6‭-‬7 NIV ‬‬‬

Is this you today? Are you downcast, and at the mercy of the sin crouching at your door? I wonder if Cain’s parents had told him and his brother about the Garden; about how breathtakingly beautiful it had been, and why they couldn’t be there anymore. I wonder if perhaps he was a little bitter and envious that they had lived in the perfect place, and because of their sin, he had to work hard working the land to grow his crops. His brother Abel kept flocks, and as difficult as that can be at times, it feels so rewarding to see your labor grow into beautiful animals. Personally, I enjoy gardening and the harvest that comes from it, but having animals… They click within my soul and bring me a joy and peace, much more than my garden. Could that be why Cain was jealous of his brother?

It isn’t a contest. God loves us the same, whether we plant like Adam and Cain, or we care for our herds like Abel, or we nurture and grow our family like Eve. It seems that so many of us spend our lives looking downcast and searching anything around us that we can treat negatively and disdainful. We feel superior to others because they haven’t dealt with the horrible life we have. We are so unfair and judgmental in our thoughts and our words… But what do we know about that person, really? They could have recently received news of a parent or sibling or child dying. Maybe their spouse had an affair , or left unexpectedly; they could have been fired or had a wreck or lost their home through some disaster. Life continues, even when our world is falling apart. No matter what we are facing, 

  “When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before You. Yet I am always with You; You hold me by my right hand. My flesh and my heart may fail, but GOD is the Strength of my heart and my Portion FOREVER.” – Psalm 73:21‭-‬23‭, ‬26 NIV 

GOD will never leave us or forsake us – it is us who do the leaving and forsaking, every single time. It’s such a rush, and relief, when we finally get it. Earlier today, a friend contacted me about an underage family member who has left home and is deeply involved in a sexual addiction. Please pray for that family. In Romans 12:12, Paul says:

  “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” – Romans 12:12 NIV

As difficult as that can be, I know it to be true. Without the prayers of my parents and my family, I am convinced that I would not be alive today. We are all different, and we react differently to events in our lives. Especially with girls, physical affection, i.e. hugs – are vital to being healthy. God is the God of second chances, and I am incredibly grateful He never gave up on me!

Why Church?

Grew up in church, ran away from church, bounced between going and not going, immersed in church, gradually fell away to not going (again)…. it’s so EASY to sleep in on Sunday mornings, and there are other things going on Saturday nights. Nevertheless,

  “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.  Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:1‭-‬6 NIV 

Why Church? 

  “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” – 1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV

The LORD never intended us to be on our own with no support. As our bodies are dependent on each part, so the church is dependent on each part. The CHURCH is not a building or gathering place, but it is the individual Christians who make up the body. At any given place, the church may be 2 people, or 10,000 people. As long as we are gathered to worship our LORD, we are in church because we are the Church. 

  “For where two or three gather in My Name, there am I with them.” – Matthew 18:20 NIV

It concerns me more than I can put into words at the divisiveness of the Church, the body of Christ. From the beginning if history with Adam and Eve, to the life and times of Jesus, to the current day, we have divided ourselves by beliefs and customs. I expect to see violence from people who don’t have Christ, but certainly not from Christians. I’m not espousing Baptist or Catholic or Church of Christ, Methodist or Lutheran or Episcopalian. I am, however, pursuing the church of the Body of Christ, non-judgmental and welcoming. 
Why Church? Because on our own, we slip and fall and don’t have anyone to help us up. Because on our own, we have no one to keep us accountable. And because on our own, we have no one to fellowship and worship with. It is a mind-numbing separation from fellow believers, and ultimately separation from our LORD. We NEED fellowship and worship, because without it, our souls shrivel. God designed us with a God-shaped hole in our hearts that can only be filled with worship of Him and fellowship with other like-minded people. 

I confess that I have fallen away from attending church. It’s difficult for me to get up and go alone. I imagine it is difficult for most people to get up and go by themselves, especially when a spouse or other significant person shows no enthusiasm or desire to accompany them.  

Why Church? Why NOT Church? 

If you have a church you love, give thanks! If you are currently unchurched, pray, and give thanks for the opportunity to find your new home in the Body. The way to get through the hurt is to make peace with the LORD through worship and fellowship with other believers.

(Scriptures from http://bible.com/111/NIV)

I SURRENDER ALL

I surrender all, 

I surrender all.

All to Jesus, I surrender, 

I surrender all.

All to Jesus, I surrender,

All to Him I freely give.

I will ever love and trust Him,

In His Presence,  I will live.

Growing up in church, we often used this hymn* as the invitation at the end of the service to invite people to come to Jesus and surrender their hearts to Him. Beautifully written, it summarizes what Jesus said to His disciples. 

  “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?  Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” – Luke 9:25‭-‬26 (http://bible.com/111/luk.9.25-26.NIV)

It is so difficult for many of us to surrender everything. I’ve surrendered many things over to God, but I still find myself struggling to let go of certain aspects of my life. I don’t get it. I know… really KNOW, that giving everything to God only makes my life better. It may not change the circumstances I am in, but by letting go it changes me. Move the mountain, or move me. Jesus said:

  “Truly I tell you, 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.” – Matthew 17:20 (http://bible.com/111/mat.17.20.NIV)

Apparently, even the Apostles didn’t have the “faith of a mustard seed” (I haven’t seen any mountains being moved in the Gospels). However, they did have enough faith to let the LORD move them. A group called FFH released a song in 2000 called “Lord Move, or Move Me.” (You can hear it on Google Play.) I think the lyrics fit right into my life.

“Lord move in the way, that I’ve never seen before 

 Cause there’s a mountain in the way and a lock on the door 

 I’m drifting away, waves are crashing on the shore 

 So Lord move (move), or move me.”

I surrender all. Such a foreign concept in today’s society. Today, it seems as though everyone is concerned with their selfies and “getting real” on social media. It’s all about “me.” Life can never be as good as it can be when our focus is on ourselves instead of God, and that God-focus is exactly what the enemy doesn’t want. When our focus is anywhere except on Christ Jesus, we are listening to the enemy known as Satan, Lucifer, Abaddon (Revelation 9:11), Beelzebub (Matthew 12:24), King of Babylon, Destroyer, and Adversary (1 Peter 5:8), and even as the angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). He goes by many names, and we have to continually be on guard against him. 

What will it be today? Every thing, every thought, every action, is a choice. I don’t often make the right choice and let God have control. I’m usually being too human…

*The words to ‘I Surrender All’ were penned by Judson W. Van DeVenter (1855-1939) and put to music by Winfield S.Weeden (1847-1908); published 1896. Source: Wikipedia. 

HUMBLED IN CHRIST 

  “Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from His Love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.” – Philippians 2:1‭-‬2 NLT

It’s hard to be humble when you are perfect…. That’s what I thought, anyway. The more that I was told that I was nothing and had my freedom taken away, the more of a control freak I became over what I could control, which was very little. I became more rigid and hard in my attitude. Humble was not in my vocabulary. I know it’s an oxymoron, but those who have been there understand.

  “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the Name above all other names, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the Glory of GOD the FATHER.” – Philippians 2:3‭-‬11 NLT

Is it possible to be humble, when you have been cast aside, cheated on and lied to, and/or mistreated, for most of your adult life? Let’s look again at Jesus:

  “Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.” – Philippians 2:6‭-‬8 NLT

We need to pay attention to this. Our LORD gave up heaven to live as a human. NOT as an earthly king, not born into a wealthy family, but born into a poor carpenter’s family. Jesus grew up like so many of us, working for a living. That’s pretty humbling. Then to allow Himself to be beaten and abused and humiliated, and ultimately to be nailed to a cross. That’s a horrendous, ugly way to die! The question becomes, how do we become humble?
  “Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:37‭-‬40 NLT

When we make the choice to love our God the way Jesus answered, it opens us to a whole new level of living. By taking these verses in Matthew 22 to heart, anger no longer controls us. We can let go of the emotional reactions and we become better servants for our LORD. Not to be walked on or abused, but really partnering with God. Maybe we can be less controlling and more humble in the process.

(http://bible.com/116/NL)

Betrayed

Have you ever been in a situation where you are surrounded by people who act as though they are your friends, but they are just waiting to hurt you? My last job felt that way…. there were a few people there who weren’t that way, but those closest to me hurt me deeply …. I can’t explain it, but King David knew how it felt.

  “They visit me as if they were my friends, but all the while they gather gossip, and when they leave, they spread it everywhere. All who hate me whisper about me, imagining the worst…. Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me.” – Psalms 41:6‭-‬7‭, ‬9 NLT

How is it that we become so bent on promoting ourselves that we don’t have a care for those who are with us? I am guilty of many things, including gossip and being judgmental, and in my past I probably tried to use gossip to make myself look better. The truth, though, is that when we attempt to make someone else look bad so that we look better is that the opposite happens. It may not be immediate, but everyone who lies (and gossip is inherently lying) will be caught out. Gossiping is a base kind of betrayal, and will only cause disharmony. Being a gossip is like trying to pet a wild animal. It may be soft and cuddly for the moment, but when it turns on you it is all teeth and claws. I know, because I have been bloodied and bruised. James addresses the issue in a letter to the early church:

  “You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it…. Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s Law. But your job is to obey the Law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, Who gave the Law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?” – James 4:2‭, ‬11‭-‬12 NLT

Even those who got to see Jesus couldn’t resist the urge to scheme and gossip, making trouble for their friends and neighbors! It is imperative that we fight the enemy in this area. James went on to say this:

  “In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.” – James 3:5‭-‬6 NLT

“The tongue is a flame of fire…set on fire by hell itself.” That statement is BRUTAL. When it comes to gossip, we often attempt to disguise it. “We need to pray for so and so, because their spouse cheated…” or some variation. Someone says “please pray for me, I’m going through a difficult time…” and we immediately zoom in with questions for details. We DON’T NEED DETAILS, we just need to lift them up in prayer. If the person asking for themselves wants to provide specifics, then it’s their choice, but it’s not for us to give the details to anyone else. When you hear a rumor, or gossip, go to that person and ask them. Betrayal is painful, and gossip and rumors are the worst kinds of betrayal, especially from Christians. Let’s work on being real friends.

(http://bible.com/116/NLT)

Me or Jesus 

It must be important when two very different Apostles quote Jesus this way:

​  “Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men Lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’  But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.  Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.” ” – Luke 22:25‭-‬27 

  “But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world Lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.  But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant,  and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave.  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.” ” – Matthew 20:25‭-‬28 

Servants. Not exactly the job title most of us want. In fact, I would be surprised that anyone would willingly take on that role – and yet many do it daily. From the highest paid surgeons to the lowest aide, teachers of all sorts, the clerk at the corner store and the waitress at the diner, these are all servants. The greatest servant role belongs to mothers, especially single ones, and single dads. Whatever your job or occupation, chances are you have found yourself in a servant role at some point in your life. I’ve been in a number of servant roles throughout my life. Many were quite unpleasant, while others – the ones I chose, were even enjoyable. Unfortunately, we don’t always get to choose our situations, but wherever we are, we need to have faith that God is with us.  

  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His Will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil.” –Proverbs 3:5‭-‬7 

In the most unpleasant situation, God wants us to rely on Him. I confess that if rarely looked for God’s Will during most of my adult life. There were occasions when I turned to Him, but it was mostly to ask Him to fix whatever bind I had gotten myself into since I didn’t bother to ask Him about it beforehand. Obviously, I was quite impressed with my own “wisdom,” and my choices were rarely very smart! Have you ever done that? Be honest; you know you have!

Trusting the LORD can be hard. There are so many situations that we find ourselves in that are quite out of our control. If you have ever been in a robbery or break in, you know first-hand how helpless it feels. Rape victims know helplessness. Veterans in combat know the out of control feeling of being vulnerable to attack. Life is full of instances of helplessness, and I think everyone experiences them. Through it all, know this: “The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.” – Proverbs 15:3. He is watching the leader who lies and cheats, the person with authority who abused their position, the abusive spouse or parent….

Here is our Hope:

  “Arise, O LORD! Punish the wicked, O God! Do not ignore the helpless! Why do the wicked get away with despising God? They think, “God will never call us to account.” But You see the trouble and grief they cause. You take note of it and punish them. The helpless put their trust in You. You defend the orphans. Break the arms of these wicked, evil people! Go after them until the last one is destroyed. The LORD is King forever and ever! The godless nations will vanish from the land. LORD, You know the hopes of the helpless. Surely You will hear their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them.” – Psalms 10:12‭-‬18 

We have the LORD’S Promise of justice. It may not be immediately, or even in our lifetimes, but justice, REAL Justice, will be served upon those who hurt others. That’s worth remembering. 

(http://bible.com/116/NLT)