Category: peace

Never Alone 

​  “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.” – 1 Peter 5:7 NLT

Peter gives us instructions for living a Christian life, and sometimes I want to graphics him by the lapels  (or robe??), and ask him how am I supposed to do this? Give God all of my worries. Don’t worry about anything. Be thankful for everything. Really? I read the words, I memorize the words, and I repeat the words, hoping that somehow the means to do these things seeps into my being. God doesn’t expect me to do it on my own. He knows I don’t know how, and He knows I can’t do it alone. He doesn’t expect me to do it alone, either. Jesus said:

  “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, Who will NEVER leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all Truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you.” – John 14:16‭-‬17 NLT 

Even though we/I want Him to stay with us, Jesus tells us: “But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate [Holy Spirit] won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send Him to you.” – John 16:7 NLT

It is through the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, that we are able to achieve the freedom God offers us. When He says to give Him all of our worries, He is offering us a freedom that is impossible to have without Him. Paul says:

  “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

He (Paul) is giving us instructions in living the freedom God has offered us. It’s critical that we first accept Jesus Christ as Savior, because only Jesus can give us the eternal life and companionship we crave. Unfortunately, so many of us accept His salvation, but don’t follow through in opening our hearts and minds to the Holy Spirit and the absolute freedom He offers from the worry of the world. 

Never alone. That is God’s promise. The complete salvation and total freedom that Jesus offers comes in two parts. First, salvation through Jesus Christ, which is freedom from death and the promise of eternal life. Second, the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, Who lives in us and guides us through life. Live, love, and laugh at full life, through God the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

(All scriptures quoted are from the Bible app –  http://bible.com/116/1th.5.18.NLT)

Everything is Lost

​Imagine, everything is gone. You lost your job, and your house. Your family and your pets have died. You have no savings, your checking account is empty; your friends want nothing to do with you. 

For some, there’s no need to imagine this because they have lived it. We have many people who are living it today. The question is not whether it will (or has) happened, but rather, how do I deal with it when it does? I never lost my family, although I turned my back on them and deserted them, and was adrift without any familial support. I lost my job, my child, my house, my money. Did I reach for the LORD  for His comfort and compassion? No, instead I reached out to the world, and became sucked into a maelstrom of hurt and sorrow. The hole I dug was so deep there was no escaping it on my own. Still, I couldn’t let myself reach for help. 

Have you been there? Hopefully not as drastically as me, but there is much in this verse that applies to each of us. It may be cancer, or death; divorce, losing your job… each individual has their own challenges. Who am I to judge?

  “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the GOD of my Salvation! The SOVEREIGN LORD is my Strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. (For the choir director: This prayer is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.)” – Habakkuk 3:17‭-‬19 NLT (http://bible.com/116/hab.3.17-19.NLT)

After sharing my testimony one night at my church, I was approached afterward by a person who knew several members of my family said “I didn’t know you were that sister…” and they apologized for judging me before knowing my story. Are we guilty of judging people before we know them? I know I am. 

It is so important to keep the Joy of the LORD in us! Whether we are going through the toughest time in our lives, or we’ve just been through it, or we’ve never gone through a tough time, rejoicing in our Salvation is what makes us alive. Share that Joy with LOVE, without judgment, so that the person who is hurting can perhaps see enough of God in us to grasp on to the Hope He can provide. Let’s work more on the Rejoicing, and less on the grumbling! Can I get an Amen on this??

Worth

​How much am I worth? According to a DataGenetics blog (April 1, 2011), “a human body is worth about $160 for the elements it is made up of.” On the other hand, from an article in Wired magazine, “a body could be worth up to $45 million, calculated by selling the bone marrow, DNA, lungs, kidneys, and heart as components.” (I wonder if I could pre-sell my body now for the money….) Sure, $46M sounds like I am worth a lot, but the monetary value of my physical body does not make up my worth. 

I have a lot of friends on social media (a LOT)…. does that determine my worth? I know I have a really few great friends- you know, the kind you can call at 2 am and say “Meet me ASAP and bring a shovel” – and they’ll be there. Some of my family loves me, and some tolerate me, and some use me. Does that determine my worth? In my past, I have been abused, physically and emotionally by people who supposedly loved me. I have shot at,and beaten up; I have been stripped of honor and decency and self-esteem. Does that determine my worth?  

THANK GOD, NO!

  “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that.  But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, Who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, He’s the one to fear. “What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins ? Yet God does not forget a single one of them.  And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges Me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man [JESUS] will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.  But anyone who denies Me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels.  Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man [JESUS] can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.” – Luke 12:4‭-‬10 

Verse 6b (in bold) is an incredible statement by Jesus, telling me just how much I am worth to my heavenly Father. My true worth can be measured by this alone:

 “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” – Luke 19:10. I was lost, and now I am found; Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound!

  “But to ALL who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.” – “For Everyone who calls on the Name of the LORD will be saved.” – John 1:12, and Romans 10:13 

How do I determine my worth? By looking to Jesus and the incomprehensible decision He made to suffer and die and rise from the grave after 3 days – and to know without a shadow of a doubt that He did it for me.

He did it for you, too. Have you determined your worth?

(All scriptures quoted are from the Bible app,  http://bible.com.NLT)

Fear to Joy

​  “I prayed to the LORD, and He answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; He saved me from all my troubles.” – Psalms 34:4‭-‬6 

How many times I have called out to the LORD to rescue me! So many of the plans I have made have ended in disaster – the plans I made. Why is it so difficult to listen to Him in the first place, and heed His answer? Why do we persist in being so stubborn? God created us with a free will to choose for ourselves to love Him and worship Him, and we continually choose the bling of the enemy over the true beauty of the LORD. We let ourselves be blinded by the lurid colors and false delights of the world over the indescribable beauty of our Lord. We choose to believe the enemy’s lies and make our plans without regard to God’s desires. 

  “How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog – it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the LORD wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” ” – James 4:14‭-‬15 

Over the millenium since God created the heavens and the earth, He has kept His temper remarkably well consider how terribly His creation has mocked Him and reviled Him. When I’m painting or making something, when it doesn’t go my way I want to destroy it – and often have. When training a horse or a dog and they turn on me, I have to watch myself that I don’t hurt them in my anger. That’s just one creature, and God has millions of humans essentially spitting in His face. He has had ample reasons to completely destroy mankind and start over, and He hasn’t, because He loves us with an amazing Love.

  “Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” – Psalms 139:14

God created us for one purpose; to have eternal life in His worship and companionship. Rather than wiping out humanity’s existence, He did something incomprehensible to me. He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, a part of the Triune God, as a sacrifice for my sins. Jesus was sacrificed for me, and He was sacrificed for you. Had there been just a single human in the entire earth, if I had been the only living soul, He still would have died just for me or you. Incomprehensible Love. 

How do we become one again with our Creator?

  “And this is The Way to have ETERNAL Life—to know You, the only True God, and Jesus Christ, the One You sent to earth.” – John 17:3 

  “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” – Matthew 6:34 

When we accept Jesus into our lives, and we acknowledge that He is LORD, we should not longer be worried about the future. That statement is MUCH easier said than that put into practice! Matthew isn’t saying that we should just float along in life believing that God won’t let us starve or let anything bad happen. We are responsible for doing our part. What Matthew is saying is to not worry. Ask God for His guidance in everything, listen for His answer, and follow Him. He always answers prayers, and often I don’t like the answer. Then, when I do my own thing….. 

BOOM!

……. and there’s that disaster I knew was coming. Remember what Paul says:

  “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6‭-‬7 

AMEN.

(All scriptures are from http://bible.com/116/.NLT)

Oops, I Slipped!

​  “Give your burdens to the LORD, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” – Psalms 55:22 NLT (http://bible.com/116/psa.55.22.NLT)

I couldn’t guess how many times I’ve heard someone say “Well, they must not be a Christian because a Christian wouldn’t do/say such a thing!” News flash: being a Christian doesn’t make me perfect, it means I know how broken I am and that I have asked Jesus to wash me clean. Jesus doesn’t want the perfect, He wants the broken. The only difference – emphasizing that: the ONLY difference between me and the most evil, depraved person is not anything I can do, no matter how good and kind and caring I can be – the only only difference is God’s Redeeming Grace. The evil, wicked person can be redeemed by God’s Grace, as simply as you and I can be. In fact, that’s why Jesus came. Listen to what He says:

  “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 (http://bible.com/116/mat.11.28-30.NLT)

When we are weary, sick and tired of being sick and tired; when we are exhausted from dragging behind us all of our life baggage, that’s when Jesus can help us the most. From the most caring of souls to the most broken, wherever we come from, Jesus can help us. The reason we slip and fall as Christians is the same reason non-Christians sin. We take our eyes off Jesus and think we can take care of something ourselves, and we set ourselves up to fail. It doesn’t matter if it’s the whisper of gossip behind someone’s back, or the violent outburst of anger resulting in someone getting hurt or killed. Sin is sin.

  “Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in Him. Anyone who continues to live in Him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know Him or understand who He is. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.” – 1 John 3:4‭-‬6‭, ‬9 NLT (http://bible.com/116/1jn.3.4-9.NLT)

That section seems harsh, but it’s simply God telling us how it is. The big question today is the elephant in the room. If I am a Christian, does that mean I will never sin again? No, not at all. We are sinners saved by Grace, mended by the Potter, healed by the Healer, and washed clean with His blood. As a Christian, anytime I take my eyes away from Jesus, I am then looking at the world and doing things my way. Jesus doesn’t let us go when we falter. He holds us in His arms until we finally look up to Him and see that we have fallen. It may be immediately, and it might take a while (years, even). The only thing we have control over in this world is whether or not we will look to Jesus, or abandon Him for the enticing beckoning of the world – Satan’s playground. 

I know from my own life experience that I will stumble and fall, and I will continue to stumble. It happens every single time I take my eyes off Jesus and I don’t commit every decision through prayer to the Holy Spirit. It happens when I pray and I don’t like the answer so I do whatever I think is right. My way. Ha. There’s a comment I’ve heard and I’ve used myself: “My way or the highway.” Think about it, and rephrase it: “Jesus’ Way, or the highway of Satan.” There are two roads through your life. I chose Satan’s highway for years, and can’t even begin to tell of all of the wrecks that happened. When we travel the broad and glittering highway of the world, we become battered and bruised and broken. Traveling the path with Jesus doesn’t mean we will never get hurt. In fact, because it is a narrow path, with precipices and deep valleys to go through, we have to hold on tightly to His Hand to stay on the correct path. When we take our eyes off of our guide, we will stumble and fall. The difference is that Jesus heals us of the hurts, and the enemy rubs salt in our wounds. Why do we think that’s better??

Keep your eyes on Jesus! He will guide us the way we need to go, and never, ever let leave us.

Thanks to my friend, John Lawton, for this depiction of the mountains and valleys we go through.

Control Your Anger

​  “Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.” – Ecclesiastes 7:9 NLT

Wow. Can it be any more clear than this? Just for fun, let’s check a couple of other translations… (check out YouVersion for all of your Bible needs at http://bible.com).

Let’s start with some old English in the American Standard Version (ASV), then the King James Version (KJV). 

  “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.” – Ecclesiastes 7:9 ASV

  “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.” – Ecclesiastes 7:9 KJV

Personally, I switch between the NLT, the New Living Translation, and the NIV, the New International Version. They are both easy to read and understand, and it’s good to read both to help in understanding scripture. Here’s the NIV:

  “Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.” – Ecclesiastes 7:9 NLT 

Finally,  I get to share the one called The Message. It’s written more for teenagers and young adults, but I love the bluntness. 

  “Don’t be quick to fly off the handle. Anger boomerangs. You can spot a fool by the lumps on his head.” – Ecclesiastes 7:9 MSG

It should be pretty clear by now that controlling anger is important!

I don’t know about anyone else, but I can vouch to going through life with “lumps on my head” – maybe not too visible to me, but certainly visible to others, especially my family as they prayer for me. I know that my anger made me physically ill at times, and I have residual lingering effects from the years I spent nursing anger and grudges against others. Was the anger worth it? Absolutely not. I spent so much of my life embroiled in the pain and hurt that I missed out on so much, including being able to raise my daughter. I was killing myself by holding on the the anger and letting it consume me, both literally and figuratively. 

How are you doing today? Is the someone, or several someones, that you just can’t seem to get over?  I get it, I really do! I also know how impossible it is for me, on my own, to let go of my anger. There’s really only one way to let go of that deep-seated anger that has been stoked by resentment and frustration over the years, and His Name is Jesus. 

Revenge, resentment, and retaliation are not the answers. Only Jesus. We can’t do it alone.

Did you get that? On my own, there is no way – no way – for me to let the anger and hurt go. It has been a process, because when you nurture something like this for years it doesn’t just dissappear overnight. I have had to visualize handing a particular person and situation to Christ over and over. At first, it felt like I was saying “Here, God, take it” every minute of the day. Then gradually add few times per day, and finally…. finally…. it’s only a couple of times a month. I am not capable of forgiving on my own. It is only through Jesus Christ and His Grace that I am able to live a *mostly* anger free life today. My prayer is that you can get there, as well.  

Together

​  “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” – Colossians 3:23‭-‬24 

The Church of Christ Jesus is inherently diverse culturally and ethnically. I am so tired of the racism and division between “religions” and denominations.  Christians need to be – should be – united, not divided, over His teachings. When we find that we are wrong in a belief, why can’t we just admit it and move on with the business we share of introducing others to Jesus Christ and His Savings Grace?

  “Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called “the black man”), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas ), and Saul…..So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way. So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus.” – Acts of the Apostles 3:1,3‭-‬4

It’s fascinating to me to read the Gospels and the New Testament and see the diversity of the early church. Wealthy or working class, educated and illiterate; African, Jew, Greek, and Roman…. they all followed Christ. Oh, would that we could embrace that today! “For the Word of God will never fail.” – Luke 1:37 NLT (Some manuscripts read “For nothing is impossible with God.”)
In spite of all our human failings, isn’t it about time we let our prejudice fall away? God doesn’t care what color our skin happens to be, and he doesn’t care if you own the most toys or you have absolutely nothing. When He created Adam and Eve, they had every color gene in the. From that one couple came every color, every facial feature, every bit of the DNA that binds us each together as human beings. Jesus didn’t let situations or appearances or wealth or lack of it interfere with His ministry.

Into the Light, or into the darkness… it’s our choice, every day of our lives. We weren’t created to make this journey through life alone. Jesus is patiently waiting, with me and for me, always beside me. Never alone, never without Him, through the fires and the valleys and the shadows, to the tops of the mountain. What about you? Will you continue to go it alone, or are you ready to take His Hand and let Him be your Guide and your Protection? Without Him in us and beside us, we cannot tell others of Him and expect them to believe in Him.

** All scriptures are from http://bible.com/116/NLT

Immortality 

​  ” “The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.” Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good?” – 1 Peter 3:12‭-‬13 NLT (http://bible.com/116/1pe.3.12-13.NLT)

It’s an introspective kind of day. As I sit and look at all of the memories surrounding me, I can’t help but wonder what difference it all makes in the grand scheme of things. I began a letter to the executor of my estate, to give her some perspective on it all… and it is turning into an epic. I have lots of stuff. Probably junk to others, but meaningful to me. (It kind of sounds like I’m a hoarder, but I’m really not!) It breaks my heart sometimes when I go to estate sales, looking at what was obviously important to someone, reduced to how much money someone else can get for it.

Doing the “right thing.” In God’s eyes, what is the right thing to do with all this? The selfish part of me wants to hold on to my stuff, my memories, and I want to know that it will all be treasured when I’m gone. My Grandma’s dinnerware, the drawings and paintings by family and friends, furniture hand-built expressly for me…. collections from my adventures and travels, quilts…. how important is it? 

Well, in the grand scheme of things, even the most precious of my things is meaningless. What difference will they make to eternity? The short answer is: Nothing. Nada. Zilch. The saying “you can’t take it with you” is exactly right. I won’t be here to oversee the distribution. Most of all, when I’m gone, I want my executor and my heirs to understand that even though my house is filled with memories, these things are not my legacy. My prayer is that they see that above all of the things, my love for my Savior is my legacy to them.

I fail miserably at showing the Love of Christ to all men/women. I am human, imperfect and broken. Still, I want to do good. Today, my prayer is that God will show me clearly the right paths I need to be on for His Glory. His Kingdom. The question Peter ends with is profound. Who, indeed, wants to harm us? Again, there’s a short answer: Satan, the enemy, does everything he can to harm us and turn us off the path God has laid out for us. The more eager we are to do God’s will and to do good in this world, the more difficult the enemy will make it for us. 

When someone dies, there is the potential for a tremendous amount of strife, as heirs fight over whatever is there. I’ve seen it in my parents’ families when my grandparents died, leaving bitterness between relatives, and in friends families. It is so important to remember that family relationships are so much more important than any amount of money or stuff! I have been fortunate to have been given things by my parents and grandparents, and although there were things I would have liked to have had from my grandparents estates, it’s not worth losing relationships over. Doing the right things when engulfed in grief is difficult, but I know God will honor that by offering peace to your heart. The enemy can’t hurt us if we remain firmly rooted in Christ. He may cause temporary anguish, but I know that God will prevail… and so does the enemy. 

The question to ask in difficult situations is “what difference will it make in view of eternity?”

Thankfulness: what do I have, right now, to be thankful for? 

Love: what do I have in my life right now: Friends, family… God?

Revenge against those who caused or are causing pain, emotional or physical: what will it change; what good will it do?

Grace and Peace: have I received it? It can come from people, but the real Grace comes from Christ Jesus!

  “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” – Lamentations 3:22‭-‬23 NLT (http://bible.com/116/lam.3.22-23.NLT)

Believe it and receive it!

Self Love

When asked what is the greatest commandment,   

  “37 Jesus replied, ‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:37‭-‬40 NLT (http://bible.com/116/mat.22.37-40.NLT)

This shouldn’t surprise anyone, considering that Jesus’ entire ministry is built around loving God and putting Him first. In fact, verse 37 is probably one of the most well-known verses in the entire Bible. I know that as a Christian, my heart and soul and mind belong to Jesus Christ; that He should be the Rock I base my life on. We’ve got it down pat.

But what about verse 39? How are we doing with this one? You’re probably wondering about my title “Self Love,” and what it has to do with loving God. Over the years, I’ve struggled with self worth. I still do. Who am I, what am I, and what have I accomplished with my life; does anyone even care? I turned to outside sources – self help books, non-Christian counseling, meditation, astrology, exploring “past lives”, séances and other secular avenues. You know, not a single thing I did improved my so called self worth. I was still the same insecure, searching soul as I was when I started that journey, and the beginning of that journey was very inocculous. At a slumber party, one of the girls had a ouija board, and we didn’t see any harm in playing with it.

I knew Jesus. I grew up with Him being a strong presence in our home, but something inside me was missing. I loved Jesus, and I wanted to follow Him, but I didn’t give my entire being to Him. Then I opened the door to my life and let Satan in. There is nothing innocent or innocuous about a ouija board! The door had been opened that night, giving the enemy an easy way into my mind. If it was so easy to get into the mind of someone who loved God, imagine how easy it must be for him to get into a mind who doesn’t know Jesus. Scary thought. 

We know the first and greatest commandment. You must “…love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” Pay attention to the second in verse 39 “…love your neighbor as yourself.”

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” Your “neighbor” is not just the person or family who lives next door. Our neighbors extend beyond our dwellings, and encompasses every person on the planet earth. Every person. From physical neighbors, family, friends, coworkers, and the staff at the coffee place or a resturant or convenient store, to the smelly homeless person on the street.

You have to love yourself before you are even capable of loving another person, but we have to keep in mind that it doesn’t mean what the world wants it to mean. Self love doesn’t mean spending money you don’t (i.e. credit card debt) have to compete with others. It doesn’t mean to spend hours at the spa being pampered, or that dream car/job/wardrobe. I can’t condemn anyone for wanting to better their quality of life, because I do it, too. I really believe the lesson is treat each individual you come in contact with as a fellow human being. I don’t know their circumstances or how they came to be where they are. Minimum wage clerks should be treated with the same respect we give to sports figures, the CEO/CFO of our company, or anyone else. It’s difficult when dealing with certain situations to remember this. The next time a clerk is rude, tell them you’re sorry they are having a bad day, but Jesus loves them. When someone cuts you off in traffic, instead of cursing or flipping them off, think of the time you cut someone off. When we treat others rudely or with disdain, we aren’t loving ourselves or them. But for the Grace of God, we could be in their situation. 

 Seems like we all have something to work on.