Monday 26 September 2016

Do You Know Who You Really Are?



Photo by: Runner1928

I remember being at church one Sabbath and everyone was singing, "I Will Not Be Shaken." The chorus repeats those words quite a few times, "I will not be shaken."  I stopped singing, turned to my mother and said, "On the other hand, who knows what I'll do?"

I had finally learned I didn't know myself. That day, I really had no idea if I would continue to live to honor God or not. I had fallen too many times to be confident.

Peter didn't know himself. He said to Jesus, "Even if I have to die with you; I will never disown you." Mark 14:31  He did disown Jesus. Three times.

I also remember a time at a camp-meeting when a pastor said, "Everyone rise who will promise to keep the Sabbath day holy." It looked like everyone in the whole auditorium stood up. I didn't rise, and neither did my mom. We had both found out the hard way our promises to God meant nothing.

I guess, no, I know, this is a good thing. When a Christian realizes what an idiot she can be, it's always a good thing. Pride kind of falls to the ground. Not that it won't try to crawl up again, but at least it has been badly beaten up.

My husband told me when he became a Christian, he thought he would never sin again. Then he grabbed some guy by the throat because of something. As he was choking him, he felt God calm him down. He said he took his hands away, patted the guy on the chest and said he was sorry. He said, "From that moment on, I knew I wasn't going to be perfect."

This is something many Christians find out to their disappointment. And the longer you live, the more the Holy Spirit will reveal things to you. But like Joyce Meyer, I am now glad when God shows me my shortcomings and sins. I know he is doing it for my good. I want to do and say the right things and God knows that about me. So I pray about what he has shown me and ask him to help. He always does and I feel no condemnation.




Thursday 22 September 2016

Shallow or Deep?


Jesus and his disciples had been talking with the religious rulers. The rulers demanded a sign from heaven that would prove to them Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus told them no sign would be given. Then he and his disciples went into a boat to cross the lake.

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat.  “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”

They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”
Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them:

 “Why are you talking about having no bread?

 Do you still not see or understand?

 Are your hearts hardened?

 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?

 And don’t you remember?

 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”
“Twelve,” they replied.

 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”
They answered, “Seven.”

He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
Mark 8:14-21

A commentator said many Christians fail to listen, fail to understand the deeper things of God. It is because we don’t take the time to study the Bible. We think about things of this earth much more, “Do we have enough food in the house?”  “Do we need to replace this old table?”  “What shall we do Saturday night?”

Jesus asked them, “Don’t you remember?”  He was talking about the hundreds of loaves of bread he had given to the 4,000 people just that day. Why would they worry about food when they had two examples of Jesus providing plenty of food? Why would they think Jesus was talking about food. Jesus was telling them to remember what he had done in the past so they would not worry about the future.

The disciples many times took Jesus’ words literally when they weren’t meant that way. We make the same mistake today. Most Christians think the parable of the “Rich Man and Lazarus” is about heaven and hell. They seem to think we will be able to see and talk with the people in hell while we are in heaven. Impossible. If we are to be happy in heaven this could not be a literal story.  "Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there."  Psalm 37:10

Jesus was just saying that someone who would let people starve outside their door while they have plenty of food to share will indeed go to hell (grave, death, judgement) while those who suffer and love God will go to heaven. He also told us in that story that when people have decided to not follow God, even a miracle will not convince them. "He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”  Luke 16:31

Are our hearts hardened? This is something we probably don’t know but should ask God to soften our hearts so we understand his great love and goodness. 

We should ask God to give us hearts of flesh and take away our hearts of stone. We should ask him to renew a right spirit within us; to open our eyes, ears, heart, mind and hands to do his will. 

We need to hunger and thirst for righteousness and as he promised, he will fill us with himself. He will become inside of us a spring of water flowing upward to eternal life.



Shallow or Deep?


Jesus and his disciples had been talking with the religious rulers. The rulers demanded a sign from heaven that would prove to them Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus told them no sign would be given. Then he and his disciples went into a boat to cross the lake.

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat.  “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”

They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”
Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them:

 “Why are you talking about having no bread?

 Do you still not see or understand?

 Are your hearts hardened?

 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?

 And don’t you remember?

 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”
“Twelve,” they replied.

 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”
They answered, “Seven.”

He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
Mark 8:14-21

A commentator said many Christians fail to listen, fail to understand the deeper things of God. It is because we don’t take the time to study the Bible. We think about things of this earth much more, “Do we have enough food in the house?”  “Do we need to replace this old table?”  “What shall we do Saturday night?”

Jesus asked them, “Don’t you remember?”  He was talking about the hundreds of loaves of bread he had given to the 4,000 people just that day. Why would they worry about food when they had two examples of Jesus providing plenty of food? Why would they think Jesus was talking about food. Jesus was telling them to remember what he had done in the past so they would not worry about the future.

The disciples many times took Jesus’ words literally when they weren’t meant that way. We make the same mistake today. Most Christians think the parable of the “Rich Man and Lazarus” is about heaven and hell. They seem to think we will be able to see and talk with the people in hell while we are in heaven. Impossible. If we are to be happy in heaven this could not be a literal story.  "Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there."  Psalm 37:10

Jesus was just saying that someone who would let people starve outside their door while they have plenty of food to share will indeed go to hell (grave, death, judgement) while those who suffer and love God will go to heaven. He also told us in that story that when people have decided to not follow God, even a miracle will not convince them. "He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”  Luke 16:31

Are our hearts hardened? This is something we probably don’t know but should ask God to soften our hearts so we understand his great love and goodness. 

We should ask God to give us hearts of flesh and take away our hearts of stone. We should ask him to renew a right spirit within us; to open our eyes, ears, heart, mind and hands to do his will. 

We need to hunger and thirst for righteousness and as he promised, he will fill us with himself. He will become inside of us a spring of water flowing upward to eternal life.



Sunday 18 September 2016

Everything that Matters was Nailed to the Cross - Even You.



I was reading a book about how our salvation worked through Jesus' death on the cross. The author said it is mysterious and we won't understand it in this life.

I was telling my husband about this and he said, "I don't see why people don't get it. Jesus died on the cross and the law died on the cross. We are saved because he kept the law, was equal to the law (since he made it) and we can't keep the law so he did it for us."

I was a bit stunned because number one, I'm not a Bible scholar, and number two I had never thought about the law being nailed to the cross. I had heard from my church that it was only the ceremonial law that was nailed to the cross, but my husband showed me that was wrong. All law was nailed to the cross.

So, I was thinking about the 10 Commandments being nailed to the cross and Jesus too and then I remembered what Jesus said about taking up our own cross and following him.

"Then he (Jesus) said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.  Luke 9:33

I started studying and I saw that it isn't our own separate cross we take up; we were nailed to Jesus' cross along with him.

 "For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  Galatians 2:20

"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."  1John 1:7

Imagine being nailed to the cross with Jesus. His blood would pour out on us.

So, now the 10 Commandments are on the cross, Jesus is on the cross and we are on the cross.

Is anyone else on the cross?  Yes! God the Father and the Holy Spirit were on the cross because they are one. The Father is in Jesus and they are both in the Holy Spirit and they were on the cross there suffering with Jesus in their hearts and minds.

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 2 Corinthians 5:19

I read that the law was like a contract signed to buy a house. But you don't have good credit so you get a co-signer. Maybe your parents. Then you decide you can't keep the house. It is too much money, it is too hard to pay and you walk away. The house must be paid for. No getting the bank to forgive that loan, so the co-signer must pay. 

Someone had to pay for the laws of the universe being broken and this is where the hard part comes in, understanding why.  All I know is that the co-signer has the money. You don't; he does. And he is glad to pay it for you! It is a sacrifice for him but he loves you. You can even live in the house- he gives it to you free of charge.

Okay, so this is what I've been thinking about for two days and I'm not sure why, but I love the image of the cross with the broken Commandments, Jesus, God, the Holy Spirit and me hanging there all together with the blood of Jesus covering everything.

When you think about it, everything that really matters in the universe is hanging on the cross.
















Monday 12 September 2016

A Letter.

Heather with her niece.

Awhile ago, I posted something about not getting enough sleep and waking up startled. I don't know if anyone has been praying for me, but ever since that post I have been sleeping deeply and feeling good when I wake up. So, thank you and thank God.

My sister has a girlfriend who has been diagnosed with incurable cancer. Her name is Heather and we all love her as part of our family. Heather is a believer in God, but she was overcome with so many feelings when the doctors gave her this news. A few days ago, I received a letter from her and she told me I could share it here.

"So, I've come to the conclusion that satan is attacking me. He is killing me with cancer. I have told him to do his best. It doesn't matter what he does with this body, he will never get my soul. He is trying to get me to turn from God. He's trying to get me to to get angry and question God. He is trying to get me to turn from God. It isn't going to happen. I say let him do his worse. If I die, then I will be with God and my family who has died before me. My mom had 2 girls who died before I was born, so I will get to meet my sisters. I will get to see my great granny, my aunt Nell and my aunt Betty Jean again. Those 3 women were 3 women I loved more then anything. My cousin had an 11 month old son, Connor, who died. I helped raise him. I will get to see him again. That has made me pretty excited actually. If I don't die, then God has won the battle because satan has lost his grip. Either way I win. What do you think about that?"
Love you,
Heather

I told her I think God and the angels are rejoicing. It is a wonderful thing for a person to accept God's will in their lives and to keep on loving him no matter what happens. This is the path to peace and happiness. This is what Job, Joseph and Daniel did.

We are praying for healing, and God may heal her, we are waiting to see. Meanwhile, we are all trusting God to be with us.

Tuesday 6 September 2016

Are You A Fanatical Christian?



Fanatical: filled with excessive and single-minded zeal. Extreme, radical.

If your family or others have ever told you you are a religious fanatic and taking it too far, you are in good company. That is what they said about Jesus. In fact, they said worse things than that. They said he was either insane or demon possessed.

When you think of this, it is amazing that when people saw God on earth they thought he might be insane or the devil himself. 

Jesus said many times, "He who has ears to hear; let him hear."  In other words, not all people can hear the voice of God and respond positively to it. But there are some who have the ears to hear correctly. We should pray for God to open our ears, eyes and heart to understand his words.

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by ! By Satan, prince of demons he is driving out demons.”    Mark 3:20-22

Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”    Mark 3:31,32

So, Jesus was in a house and it was full of people. It was so crowded that there was no time or room to stop for lunch and dinner. Many were there who begged to be healed; many just wanted to listen to his words; many were there to find something against him.

Someone must have told his mother and brothers what Jesus was doing. How he was breaking the Sabbath and preaching new and radical ideas. Perhaps they were told the rulers of the church were already plotting to kill him. They became upset and worried, so they all went to that city and house to force Jesus to come home. He would be safe at home. They could hide him away in the house if he had gone crazy.  Mary must have felt afraid for Jesus.

As far as we know, Jesus refused to see his family, he said his true family was his disciples and followers. “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”







Friday 2 September 2016

Surrounded by God.




Jerusalem Valley

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.
Psalm 125:2

I love the image of God surrounding me. It makes me feel protected and loved. One of my favorite verses is the one just below, Psalm 3:3, because he not only surrounds me but when my head is bowed in sorrow or defeat. he lifts it up! 

But you, Lord, are a shield around me,
my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
I call out to the Lord,
and he answers me from his holy mountain.
Psalm 3:3,4

You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance.
Psalm 32:7

Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the Lord’s unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts in him.
Psalm 32:10

Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
Psalm 5:12

For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.
Psalm 34:7





Surrounded by God.




Jerusalem Valley

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.
Psalm 125:2

I love the image of God surrounding me. It makes me feel protected and loved. One of my favorite verses is the one just below, Psalm 3:3, because he not only surrounds me but when my head is bowed in sorrow or defeat. he lifts it up! 

But you, Lord, are a shield around me,
my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
I call out to the Lord,
and he answers me from his holy mountain.
Psalm 3:3,4

You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance.
Psalm 32:7

Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the Lord’s unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts in him.
Psalm 32:10

Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
Psalm 5:12

For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.
Psalm 34:7