Category: Thankfulness

Blessed are…

Everyone has heard the Beatitudes. “Blessed are….. ” The New Living Translation makes them easier for us to understand, I think, and pay special attention to verse 16b:

  “(3) God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. (4) God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (5) God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth. (6) God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. (7) God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (8) God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. (9) God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. (10) God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.  ….(16) In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” – Matthew 5:3‭-‬10‭, ‬16 NLT

It is obvious to me that God intends for us to remain humble – to do whatever good we are able, whether it is through time or money order prayer – and above all else, to glorify Him. The praise and Honor of this world need to be shrugged off of ourselves, and all of the glory pointed to our Lord. I just got a shirt that has a graphic saying “I Stand for the Flag and I Kneel for the Cross.” For those of us who are fortunate enough to live in these United States, this is so apt. All Glory to God, and with heartfelt thanks to our armed forces for keeping a country where we can worship as we please!

That privilege extends to responsibility. As Luke says “…. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” – Luke 12:48b NLT

I may be struggling financially, but I am indeed greatly blessed. That puts me squarely into the “someone has been given much” category.  Where do you fit in? 

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

Oh God, How I Need You

“Lord, I need You, Every hour I need You; O God, how I need You…. “

These words were penned originally by Annie Sherrod Hawks (1836-1918), and the chorus by Robert Lowry (1826-1899) as part of the hymn “I Need Thee Every Hour,” and recently by Matt Maher in his poignant hymn to the Lord. However you sing, whichever chorus you use, the words will move you if you let them.

“But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. …. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” – 1 Corinthians 12:18‭, ‬27 NLT

Because God created us the way He did, we need Him to complete us. Without God in our lives, there is a hole, one that we often try to fill with anything other than God. Without Him, we are nothing. God also created within us a desire to connect with others, and especially with others who share our beliefs and desires. He didn’t want us to be alone. Just as He longs for our love and fellowship, we long for His. We also long for the company of others. Our relationships complete us…. and our relationships can destroy us.

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s Law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.” – Matthew 5:17‭-‬18 NLT

Just because we CAN, doesn’t mean we SHOULD. We are free to pursue our relationships with whomever we please. God gave us that choice. Sadly, there are many who don’t understand what a healthy relationship looks like.God first, then spouse, then children, and THEN the church. BTW, the Church is not a building; the Church is a BODY of believers, the BODY of Christ. When we make poor choices, we separate from the Body, and that separates us from the Lord. Everything works together….

“…. Every hour I need You, O God, how I need You.”

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

Fearless?

Are you fearless for Christ? I confess that I am not. Sometimes I feel consumed by fear and worry about the future, and I am afraid to step out in faith to follow God’s prompting. Jesus showed me what fearless looks like, when He sacrificed His life for mine.​

  “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up His life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.” – 1 John 3:16 NLT

NOT only am I afraid to offer my life, I’m afraid to take a tiny step of faith and give to the church. Many of you know that I lost my job one year ago, and haven’t found anything suitable in that time. Despite my lack of faith, God has provided. That doesn’t mean it’s been easy. The bills aren’t always paid on time, and I have to decide which one has to wait another month….. but they all get paid, even though it’s not in my time frame. Today I stepped out in faith and pledged a small monthly amount to my radio station. It’s a Christ radio station, listener supported, and the songs I hear are always the message I need at the time – even if I don’t like the song or the message. I know that God will honor my faith. Remember the mustard seed? A mustard seed is just about the size of the period at the end of this sentence…. tiny!

  “The Lord answered, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!” – Luke 17:6 NLT

How fearless are you?

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


KING Of Kings

 “Yours, O LORD, is the Greatness, the Power, the Glory, the Victory, and the Majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O LORD, and this is Your kingdom. We adore You as the One Who is over ALL things.” –1 Chronicles 29:11 NLT

Who am I to dispute this? 

C.S. Lewis, well known scholar, and author of the Narnia books, the Screwtape Letters and more, was a staunch atheist for many years. He began his study of the Bible so that he could disprove it, and instead, he was convinced of the existence of the Almighty LORD and the Sovereignty of Jesus Christ. He had disputed the validity of the scriptures, and after he studied them extensively, accepted Christ as his Savior.  Quite a change. If such a scholarly, well learned man could understand this Truth, who am I to dispute it?

Is it time you faced the truth? “EVERYTHING in the heavens and on earth” belongs to God. I belong to Him, and YOU belong to Him. I said yesterday that the idea of being a slave chafs me, but the truth of the matter is that regardless of my irritation I either belong to God or the world – i.e., Satan, the enemy. We often choose the enemy because of the illusion of beauty and power He presents to us. The idea that we can control our destiny is mesmerizing, and it is false. Throughout life, we are constantly faced with choices, and every choice has two sides. Right or wrong, God’s way or the enemy’s way. We justify our actions and decisions, but does that make them the right choices? Our human nature causes us to stumble continually because we take our eyes away from God and replace the “view” with desire for power. James says it so well:

  “If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.” – James 3:13‭-‬17 NLT

There will be a Judgement Day. Each one of us will stand before the throne of the Almighty LORD, and hear of our shortcomings and failures as presented by the enemy. “…. every knee shall bow…” This statement brings me such HOPE! When Paul says “EVERY knee,” I know he means that nothing; NOBODY, will remain standing. ALL of God’s creations, including Satan, because he was created when God created the angels, will bow. No matter how much he fights, he ultimately loses.

  “…. 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 2:10‭-‬11 NLT

I don’t know about you, but I don’t enjoy losing. I like being on the winning team, and that’s where I choose to be. As a child, I was often picked last for teams because I wasn’t very good at sports. With God, I know I am as valuable as any of the other team members. I know this because He sent His Son to suffer and die and return to life – for ME. He did it for you, too. Which team do you choose? Take a knee for Jesus!!!

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

REBEL

My life has been filled with rebellion. Even now, as an official senior citizen, I still rebel. I don’t like people telling me what to do, or what I should do, and my actions can be unpleasing to God. So why do I do it? What is it that keeps us from living totally honest and honorable lives, especially in situations where being less than these only hurt us?

  “It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.” – 1 Peter 2:15‭-‬16 NLT

I think that verse 16 might give us an idea of why we rebel – why I rebel. The idea of being a slave grates on my nerves, but not the idea of living for Christ and being in God’s will. It’s a bit of a dichotomy. On the one hand, my heart’s desire is to live for Christ; to be the honorable person God wants me to be. Please don’t misunderstand me. I try hard to be an honest, honorable person. My word is important to me. If I say I will be somewhere or do something, I fully intend to do it. Like the old saying, “God willing and the creek don’t rise….” I’ll be there. Unfortunately, being human, my word isn’t always what I want it to be. A situation may arise, or I could become distracted from my plan. As Robert Burns wrote, “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men, gang aft a’gley.”

  “In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; He saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear Him.” “…. You [I] love Him even though you [I] have never seen Him. Though you [I] do not see Him now, you [I] trust Him; and you [I] rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible Joy. The reward for trusting Him will be the Salvation of your [my] souls.” – Psalms 34:6-7, 1 Peter 1:8-9 NLT

Hallelujah and thank You, LORD, for sending Your Son to save me! And that You for Your forgiveness and grace over my human frailties and failures. Amen.

All scriptures are from http://bible.com

I Am Selfish 

I like things to be done my way. There’s a little plaque sitting on the kitchen bar that says “I’m not bossy, I just know what you should be doing.” I’m sure some psychologist or psychiatrist or counselor will read that line and say, “Oh, she has control issues” …. and they will be correct in their assessment. Just don’t get too comfortable in that diagnosis until you have walked in my shoes for a bit. 

  “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.” – Philippians 2:3‭-‬4 NLT

As far back as I can remember, I was trying to impress someone. My older brother and I are very close in age, and as children we were often mistaken for twins. I was thrilled to be seen as his twin; He detested it. My goal in life as a little girl was to be included in whatever he was doing, and I think his goal was to get away from his pesty little sister! Fairly typical, I would imagine …. not many boys want a ” lost puppy” little sister following them around all the time. 

That need to be accepted followed me into young adulthood. I was a Christian, having accepted Jesus as my Savior at an early age. In my childs mind, I wanted my brother to love me like Jesus did. Now I know how impossible that is. No human can possibly love like Jesus did, like He DOES! Instead of resting secure in the ccompleteness and Love of Jesus, I began a lifelong search for the impossible: a man to love me and take care of me, one I could physically hold on to. Boy, did I hold on! I made choices based on looks and on how they made me feel needed. After they got what they were after, whatever it was to them, I would be left adrift in a sea of despair and helplessness. My solution? Reach for another man. While I was wallowing in that desperation, I lost the ability to stay in contact with my family and friends. I lost people and things that were precious to me; I lost my health and I lost my SELF in all the mess. I kept on grasping at the people and things that were keeping me adrift instead of accepting the hand of my Savior, Who was standing right next to me the entire time. The Savior I refused to look at or acknowlege.

That’s about as selfish as a person can be. We keep ourselves so busy doing whatever we have decided is best for us, working on the most favorable impression to those surrounding us, wanting more and more “stuff.” (Have you seen the number of storage places around us???) How much more selfish can we be? Shouldn’t we be concentrating more on what God has to say?

  “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” – Philippians 2:9‭-‬11 NKJV

Am I exalting Him in my life, or am I exalting myself? Am I content, or still grasping for world ingredients regard and approval? Am I ready to worship the LORD instead of the world yet? I want to join in this song!!

  “And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: “Blessing and Honor and Glory and Power belong to the One sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.” – Revelation 5:13 NLT

AMEN!

(Scriptures are from http://bible.com)

“Good” Friday?  

Warning: no punches pulled today. May be R-rated……

  “But God showed His Great Love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” – Romans 5:8 NLT

We call it Good Friday, to celebrate the day Jesus sacrificed Himself for us. SACRIFICED. How many of us understand what Jesus did? Even though His actions has been explained and expounded upon by many great scholars, I know there’s really no way I could ever really understand. Keep in mind, Jesus was INNOCENT, something you and I don’t get, because there is not a single person, before or since on this planet who can claim true innocence. So remember, this is a man who has never sinned; a man prepared to undertake the worst torture man has ever thought up.

God sent Christ to die for us… that almost sounds benign. Jesus was wounded, beaten, crucified. Sacrificed. Not just a few minor wounds. He was wounded, literally beaten to a pulp. The Romans were masters with torture techniques. First, after having been mocked, jeered at, and spit on by the soldiers, Jesus was tied to a post and His clothes ripped from His body. I don’t know if it was scorching hot or freezing cold, or some point in between, but here He is, the Son of GOD, naked and tied like an animal in front of a crowd intent on making fun of Him. He was beaten with a Roman scourging whip or what we call a cat-of-nine-tails. (For a very real and accurate explanation of the REAL Roman cat-of-nine-tails, the torture instrumen known as the flagrum, check out http://naturesdesignsonline.com/Cat-of-nine-tails.htm) 

After Jesus endured this absolutely incomprehensible beating, the soldiers crammed a “crown” made of some type of thorny plant onto His head. There is some discussion among scholars about what plant was actually used, but I can’t see that it significant, any more than what type of tree was used for the cross, or whether there were 39 or 40 stripes. Just imagine what it feels like to prick your finger on a tiny rose thorn or have a sand bur stuck in your finger, and multiply that by any number on your scalp. It would hurt, whether the thorns were tiny or large!

He was then dragged back to court to be sentenced to be crucified, another torture instrument the Romans used and perfected. By this time, He would have lost a lot of blood, and then men handling His bruised and slashed body were probably not being gentle! The Romans created the crucifixion to be a prolonged and incredibly painful way to die. The crosses weren’t smooth, but were instead roughly hewn, full of splinters. Archeological and historical evidence suggests that the uprights were left in place, to be ready to put the cross piece on. I’ve handled a lot of lumber in my life, and I can say without reservation that even a smallish cross beam would weigh at least 30 pounds, and possibly more depending on the exact size and type of wood. To add that weight and roughness to a back that is flayed into exposed muscle and tendon, on a man who has been weakened from blood loss, and expect him to carry it through crowded, uneven and steep streets….. 

Then, in front of His mother and His friends, naked, mutilated, His wrists laid out on the cross beam and nailed – NAILED – to the wood with rough iron nails; lifted up and dropped into place, then having His feet nailed to the upright…. I cannot comprehend the agony. Once, as a preteen, I stepped on a nail on a path and it penetrated my shoe and into my foot. THAT was agony to me, so how much more must Jesus have suffered? An accident for me, and He allowed Himself to be tortured like He was? WHY???

Why indeed…..

  “But He was  wounded for our transgressions, He  was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.” – Isaiah 53:5 NKJV

I won’t understand why Jesus sacrificed Himself for me until I see Him. I can’t begin to comprehend the GLORY He gave up to come here, for ME. It makes absolutely no sense, yet I know without any doubt that He did it so that I could be forgiven and spend eternity with Him, rather than eternity suffering in hell. It’s amazing, that the King would do such a thing for someone like me! The really cool thing? He did it for YOU, too…

Love.

Living in The Light

In the little church we attended in Santa Fe, we often sang this chorus:

“If we are living in the Light, 

 As He is in the Light, 

 We have fellowship 

 With one another.” 

 “But if we are living in the Light, as God is in the Light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.” – 1 John 1:7 NLT

How do we know we are living in God’s Light? Are there spotlights from heaven, and brass bands and choirs of angels around us, pointing us out over all others? It’s much quieter and simpler than all that.  We know we are in His Light through the company we keep in the fellowship of His believers, and we know because we can hear His quiet voice speaking to us. 

Has God spoken to you lately?

  “While you were doing these wicked things, says the LORD, I spoke to you about it repeatedly, but you would not listen. I called out to you, but you refused to answer….. But my people would not listen to Me. They kept doing whatever they wanted, following the stubborn desires of their evil hearts. They went backward instead of forward…..  But my people have not listened to Me or even tried to hear. They have been stubborn and sinful—even worse than their ancestors.” – Jeremiah 7:13, 24, 26 NLT

I ask again, has God spoken to you? I’m probably the worst listener on the planet, too busy doing whatever I’m doing to listen to Him. Oh, I hear His voice; at least, I know He is speaking, I just don’t listen to what He is saying. FYI, looking back on my own experiences, not listening can be harmful to your health…. even now, I don’t really want to hear what He is telling me. I’m quite comfortable in my rut, even if I’m not particularly happy, it’s much more comfortable and easy to stay in it than to dig my way out. I’m tired of the financial struggle, and I’m tired of feeling like I’m running in place, not getting anywhere. 

And as I write these words, TobyMac comes on singing the amazing song “Move…” (These are just the beginning lyrics):

Another heartbreak day 
Feels like you’re miles away 
Don’t even need no shade 
When your sun don’t shine, shine

Too many passin’ dreams 
Roll by like limousines 
It’s hard to keep believin’ 
When they pass you by and by

I know your heart been broke again 
I know your prayers ain’t been answered yet 
I know you’re feeling like you got nothing left 
Well, lift your head, it ain’t over yet, ain’t over yet so

Move, keep walkin’ soldier keep movin’ on 
Move, keep walkin’ until the mornin’ comes 
Move, keep walkin’ soldier keep movin’ on 
And lift your head, it ain’t over yet, ain’t over yet

Songwriters: Bryan Christopher Fowler / Christopher E Stevens / Toby Mc Keehan

Move lyrics © Capitol Christian Music Group

Sometimes God speaks through a friend, sometimes His Word, and sometimes He speaks through a song. It isn’t coincidental when the “right” words come through…. Go to your search engine and look for this song. It will raise your spirit, at least for a moment. Until Jesus returns, life isn’t over. As long as we have breath, we have the choice to listen to God and to live in His Light, even in deplorable circumstances here on earth. Focus at the prize at the end, instead of the dirt around us. God is still in control. Do you believe it?


(http://bible.com)

Wounded – And YOU Can’t Fix It

Yesterday, disciplined; today, wounded. Ugh.

  “An open rebuke is better than hidden love! Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.” – Proverbs 27:5‭-‬6 NLT

When you are running as hard and as fast from God as you can, being disciplined and having friends and family confront you are the last things you want! Any kind of confrontation by family is, to an addict, like sandpaper and salt to an open wound. Until the addict chooses to hear, no one can reach them except the Holy Spirit. I know because I have been there, and because I have witnessed it with countless others. It isn’t just drugs or alcohol that a person can be addicted to. Add in the easy ones – cigarettes, prescription drugs, shopping, hoarding, lying. Then the “bad” things: stealing, burglary; sexual addiction, whether looking at pictures in a magazine or online; even as far as the violent, despicable crimes of rape, mutilation, murder…. did you know that God doesn’t distinguish sin? Any action can become an addiction; an escape from the real world.

Why? Why does God allow this? What causes people to do the things we know aren’t right, and what on earth could allow us to harm others?

There’s only one answer, and it isn’t one many people want to hear. Free will. God gave it to the first humans to pass down through the generations because He wants us to CHOOSE Him. Even the angels have the choice of loving God or leaving Him. 

  “How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’ Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths. Everyone there will stare at you and ask, ‘Can this be the one who shook the earth and made the kingdoms of the world tremble? Is this the one who destroyed the world and made it into a wasteland? Is this the king who demolished the world’s greatest cities and had no mercy on his prisoners?’ ” – Isaiah 14:12‭-‬17 NLT

Lucifer, the Shining Star of heaven, wanted to be greater than the Almighty, the Creator. When Lucifer chose his desires over God’s desires, he was kicked out of heaven and along with him were the angels who followed him. 

  “Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.” – Revelation 12:7‭-‬9 NLT

Satan has spent all of his time since being thrown out of heaven scheming to beat God. The only way he wins is by turning us away from our Creator LORD, and He is very vigilant about it. Michael threw Satan out of heaven, and it will be Michael at the side of Jesus when He returns for us. I want to live to see that day! There was a time when I dreaded the return of Jesus. I was always aware of the things I was doing that were sin in my life, and for years, I was powerless to change it. That answer to the “Why” questions, that free will, when given to Satan is impossible for us to get back on our own. The next question becomes “Why would anyone give SATAN control over their life???” 

Again, the simple answer is that he makes it look beautiful. Whatever the sin, whatever the addiction, he makes it looks pretty and easy… much easier than the “straight and narrow path” of Jesus. Even though I’ve done it, and left the path of Jesus, I still can’t explain it. It may be narrow, but His path is well lit. Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34 NLT

“Turn from your selfish ways….” And there’s the answer.

We turn away from Jesus because we are selfish and want things OUR way. There are only 2 ways to turn. Toward God, or toward the enemy, Satan. We are FOR Jesus, or we are AGAINST Jesus, and if we are against Him, we have chosen the enemy. Free will. That’s where our friends come in. When we become aware of a friend or family member slipping, getting into something we know is a bad thing, it is our duty as Christians to help them. Carefully, prayerfully, lovingly help. Being careful not to fall ourselves, or to wound unnecessarily. Remember:

  “How can you think of saying, ‘Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” – Luke 6:42 NLT

Discipline with care. Rebuke with more care, and only after much prayer. We don’t want it to hurt the person, just to get their attention turned to God. He is the ONLY cure; our only Salvation. Amen.


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