How I got over

How I got over
I looked back at past blogs and realized how often my focus was on praising God and thought, “Wow!!! I am truly blessed” It’s true that we have many opportunities to praise God for the good things in our lives. I thank God for an appreciation of a beautiful sunset, especially over water. I thank God for having more than enough to sustain me. I thank God for loving, supportive people in my life. I thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit. I thank God. I thank God!!!

Every once in a while we just have to look back at our lives and acknowledge God’s work in our lives during trying times. We have to remember the times when only God’s hand could have protected us in our situation.

How I got over
How did I make it over
You know my soul look back and wonder
How did I make it over

We have to look at the awesome majesties of God as He works in our lives. Our Pastor speaks of the “middle of the journey”, the time in between when we are working through a problem, when we are waiting for an answer to prayer. This is when we have another opportunity to praise God, to thank God, to know that He will bring us over.

We praise God in prayer. We praise God in song. Sometimes a song comes up in our spirit that we haven’t heard in years, a song that truly expresses the love and gratitude we feel towards God. A song that truly expresses our acknowledgement that it is only through God that we “Got Over”.

How I Got Over lyrics
Artist - Mahalia Jackson
Album - Various Songs

How I got over
How did I make it over
You know my soul look back and wonder
How did I make it over

How I made it over
Going on over all these years
You know my soul look back and wonder
How did I make it over

Tell Me how we got over 'LORD'
Had a mighty hard time coming on over
You know my soul look back and wonder
How did we make it over

Tell me how we got over 'LORD'
I've been falling and rising all these years
But you know my soul look back and wonder
How did I make it over

But, soon as I can see JESUS
The man that died for me
Man that bled and suffered
and he hung on Calvary

And I want to thank him for how he brought me
And I want to thank GOD for how he taught me
Oh thank my GOD how he kept me
I'm gonna thank him 'cause he never left me

Then I'm gonna thank GOD for 'ole time religion
and I'm gonna thank GOD for giving me a vision
One day I'm gonna join the heavenly choir
I'm gonna sing and never get tired

And then I'm gonna sing somewhere 'round GODS alter
And I'm gonna shout all my troubles over
You know I've gotta thank GOD and thank him for being
so good to me. 'LORD YEAH'

How I made it over 'LORD' I had to cry in the midnight hour
coming on over, but you know my soul look back and wonder
How did I make it over

You know I come to thank GOD this evening, I come to
thank him this evening, You know all night long
GOD kept his angels watching over me
and early this morning, early this morning
GOD told his angel GOD said 'touch her in my name'
God said 'touch her in my name'
I 'rose this morning, I 'rose this morning
I feel like shouting, I feel like shouting
I just gotta thank GOD, I just gotta thank GOD
Thank GOD for being so good, GODS been good to me

Psalm 145 (New International Version)
A psalm of praise. Of David.
1 I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
2 Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
4 One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.
5 They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works. [b]
6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
9 The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
10 All you have made will praise you, O LORD;
your saints will extol you.
11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
12 so that all men may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is faithful to all his promises
and loving toward all he has made. [c]
14 The LORD upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and loving toward all he has made.
18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
20 The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.

May God Forever Be A Blessing in Your Life!!!

Faith, history, archeology and the bible.

Faith, history, archeology and the bible.

My faith in God has nothing to do with earthly evidence. My faith in God has nothing to do with “logic”. My faith in God was a long time coming and is solid as a rock. My faith in God is a comfort in my life that prevents me from being tossed about by every article and interpretation that I come across.

Yet, I love looking up stuff. I love verifying stuff. I think it is wonderful when I find notes in history and archeology which support the history of the bible.

More and more evidence of the people of whom we read in the bible is being discovered and verified. I would like to share one of these today.

12Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him
13and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year.
14Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the people. John 18 : 12-14(New International Version)

Ossuary of Caiaphas the High Priest
Caiaphas was high priest for 18 years, A.D. 18-36. He most likely gained the position by marrying the daughter of Annas, head of a powerful high-priestly clan (John 18:13).
Caiaphas is infamous as the leader of the conspiracy to crucify Jesus.
At a meeting of the religious leaders, Caiaphas said, "It is better for you that one man die for the people than the whole nation perish" (John 11:50). He was referring to the possible intervention of the Roman authorities, if Jesus' teaching should cause unrest. His words were prophetic in that Jesus did die for the people, all the people of the earth, as a sacrifice for sin.

After He was arrested, Jesus was taken to Caiaphas' house and detained overnight. The guards mocked and beat Him (Luke 22:63-65). In the morning He was interrogated and further beaten. Caiaphas asked Him, "Are you the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the Blessed One?" "I am," Jesus replied (Mark 14:61-62). Caiaphas then handed Jesus over to Pilate to be tried.
Following Jesus' crucifixion, Caiaphas continued to persecute the early church. He brought the apostles before the religious leaders and said to them, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this Name. Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's (Jesus') blood." Peter and the other apostles replied, "We must obey God rather then men" (Acts 5:28-29).

The Caiaphas family tomb was accidentally discovered by workers constructing a road in a park just south of the Old City of Jerusalem. Archaeologists were hastily called to the scene. When they examined the tomb they found 12 ossuaries (limestone bone boxes) containing the remains of 63 individuals. The most beautifully decorated of the ossuaries was inscribed with the name "Joseph son of (or, of the family of) Caiaphas." That was the full name of the high priest who arrested Jesus, as documented by Josephus (Antiquities 18: 2, 2; 4, 3). Inside were the remains of a 60-year-old male, almost certainly those of the Caiaphas of the New Testament. This remarkable discovery has, for the first time, provided us with the physical remains of an individual named in the Bible.http://www.christiananswers.net/q-abr/abr-a026.html

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

Living History

The Nabonidus Cylinder from Sippar is a long text in which king Nabonidus of Babylonia (556-539 BC) describes how he repaired three temples: the sanctuary of the moon god Sin in Harran, the sanctuary of the warrior goddess Anunitu in Sippar, and the temple of Šamaš in Sippar. But it is almost certainly more significant because it proves the existence of a son named Belshezzar, who is mentioned in the Book of Daniel.

This morning I was looking at the bible in an historical context. Particularly, I was looking at historical support for the people in the book of Daniel.

I found several wonderful articles including one, complete with a picture of the Nabonidus Cylinder from Sippar. Which proves the existence of Belshezzar Book of Daniel chapters 5 and 8) .

It often happens that what I think I am writing about is far from the final product.

What actually came to be is the question of “how can we be so dense?

I had often wondered in the past how the children of Israel could be so dense. God performed miracle after miracle in their lives and they just couldn’t get it.
The plagues that just happened to miss their families, that 40 year trek through the desert, complete with miraculous provisions didn’t open their eyes. (talk about grace and mercy)

But what about us, today?

God not only gave us the history of His miracles with the children of the Old Testament, He gave us the history of His miracles in the New Testament. He gave us the history of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus and many of us still don’t get it.

He gave us resources with which to study His Word on our own, not being dependent on the word of any one person.

I don’t believe the Israelites saw themselves as living in the Old Testament. I don’t believe the early church fathers saw themselves as living in an historical context, but I do wonder how we will be portrayed in scriptural history.

Will generations to follow look back at us and wonder why we just didn’t get it?

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

I ask for prayer that I learn how to share some of the wonderful pictures that I find in my studies. Thank You.

SANCTUARY

SANCTUARY

1 Corinthians 6:19 (New International Version)
19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

SANCTUARY

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living
Sanctuary for You

Romans 12:1-2 (New International Version)
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.
2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

It is you, Lord
Who came to save
The heart and soul
Of every man
It is you Lord
who knows my weakness
Who gives me strength,
With thine own hand.

1 Corinthians 6:19 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
6:20 “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”
God is telling us in these passages that there is a definite parallel between the “Structural Temple,” and the “Body Temple,” in both function, and purpose. And it would be of great benefit for each one of us to understand and apply, both their functions, and their purposes.

Lord prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and Holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving I'll be a living
Sanctuary for you

Lead Me on Lord
From temptation
Purify me
From within
Fill my heart with
You holy spirit
Take away all my sin

Philippians 1:20-21 (New International Version)
20I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Lord prepare me to be sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true
With thanksgiving, I'll be a living
Sanctuary for You

Our Assistant Pastor sings “I Woke Up This Morning With My Mind Stayed on Jesus”. That is true for many of us.

For me, a big part of having my mind “Stayed on Jesus” is a prayer that He use me for the uplifting of His kingdom.
Before I can begin for the day on the computer, I must first ask God to prepare me. Preparation is a big part of my prayer life as I ask God to prepare me to come in prayer with a right mind, a mind that is stayed on the will of God.

I ask God to prepare me before I begin looking at scripture so that I might “rightly divide the Word“(2 Timothy 2:15). I ask God to prepare me before my interactions with others, whether it be family , business or social so that I may be a benefit and not a hindrance.

Then I thank God for gentle reminders which are a part of my preparation.

Psalms Chapter 150
1 Hallelujah! 2 Praise God in his holy sanctuary; give praise in the mighty dome of heaven.
2 Give praise for his mighty deeds, praise him for his great majesty.
3 Give praise with blasts upon the horn, praise him with harp and lyre.
4 Give praise with tambourines and dance, praise him with flutes and strings.
5 Give praise with crashing cymbals, praise him with sounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath give praise to the LORD! Hallelujah!

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

Selah

Selah
How often, while reading the bible, I have just skipped over words with absolutely no concern for their impact on the scripture being read.

One such word is “Selah”.

My pastor assigned this lover of reading and words the job of communications ministry. How cool is that?

This assignment has so profoundly changed the way I look at the Word.

Now, I haven’t become a “biblical scholar” or expert in anything. Instead I have developed a serious hunger to better understand God’s word and the way it applies to MY life.

Today, in connection with my work for the church. I read Psalms 4. This is far from the first time that I have read this scripture, but it is surely the first time I was not able to just skip over the word “Selah”.

Selah (Hebrew: סֶלָה‎, also transliterated as selāh) is a word used frequently in the Hebrew Bible, often in the Psalms, and is a difficult concept to translate.
(It should not be confused with the Hebrew word sela‘ (Hebrew: סֶלַע‎) which means "rock.")
It is probably either a liturgico-musical mark or an instruction on the reading of the text, something like "stop and listen". "Let those with eyes see and with ears hear" is most concise"
Selah" can also be used to indicate that there is to be a musical interlude at that point in the Psalm. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selah


This word is found in the Psalms of David and the book of Habakkuk. Scholars have speculated its meaning since 270 B.C., when the Old Testament was translated into Greek. Since the Psalms were actually songs—set to music—many conclude that selah refers to musicians’ directions. They feel that selah was not a sung word. Rather, it told musicians to play louder or faster, reprise a verse, etc.
But a Jewish music expert, Suzanne Haik-Vantoura, offers a different, more fitting view. Her book, The Music of the Bible Revealed, (written in French) states that selah was not an instruction. In fact, she concludes that it is part of the lyrics. Though she gives no formal definition for the word, she believes that, like amen at the close of prayer, selah stresses the importance or reality of what was said.
www.thercg.org/p032.a.html -

Until I am given a better understanding, I will hold to the interpretations "stop and listen". "Let those with eyes see and with ears hear"

When I see the word “selah” I will stop and listen. I will attempt a better understanding. I will read prayerfully.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

(There is a wonderful writing on this word at http://www.mountainretreatorg.net which can only be reproduced in full; therefore is not included here.)








M

Humility

Humility is the quality of being humble: modest, not proud, doing something out of the goodness of your heart, not for yourself, self-abasing.

The term "humility" comes from the Latin word humilitas, a noun related to the adjective humilis, which may be translated as "humble", but also as "low", "from the earth", or "humid", since it derives in turns from humus (earth).

Because the concept of humility addresses intrinsic self-worth, it is emphasized in the realm of religious practice and ethics where the notion is often made more precise and extensive.

"True humility" is distinctly different from "false humility," which consists of deprecating one's own sanctity, gifts, talents, and accomplishments for the sake of receiving praise or adulation from others.

Do you remember that uncomfortable feeling when you were in the presence of someone who was seeking attention and praise through the use of false humility?

We all seek some measure of recognition for the work that we do. How, then, do we meet our Christian mandate to be humble?

Humility in Christianity
Legitimate humility comprises the following behaviors and attitudes:

Submitting to God and legitimate authority
Recognizing virtues and talents that others possess, particularly those that surpass one's own, and giving due honor and, when required, obedience
Recognizing the limits of one's talents, ability, or authority; and, not reaching for what is beyond one's grasp. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humility

Humility is not for the timid, as a matter of fact it is difficult to be truly humble.

An example of Christian humility can be found in Moses .

Moses, who leads the nation of Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt and to the “Promised Land”, provides an example of true humility which is a sign of Godly strength and purpose, not weakness. Of this great leader, the Bible states, “(For Moses was a man exceeding meek above all men that dwelt upon earth)" Numbers 12:3,

Jesus provides a parable which demonstrates the benefit of humility.

7When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable:
8"When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited.
9If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place.
10But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests.
11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 14:7-11 (New International Version)

The vices opposed to humility are:

(A) pride (by reason or defect).
(B) an excess of humility, “false humility” could easily be derogatory to one's office or holy character; or it might serve only to pamper pride in others, by unworthy flattery, which would occasion their sins of tyranny, arbitrariness, and arrogance.

The virtue of humility may not be truly practiced in any external way that would occasion vices in others

Amongst the benefits of humility described in the Bible are honor, wisdom, eternal life, unity, and rewards in heaven .

In the Bible, an exhortation to humility is found in Philippians 2:1-4 (New International Version)
Imitating Christ's Humility
1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,
2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Also in 1 Peter 2:23 (New International Version)
23When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

To get in touch with your true self, one has to kill the ego. Remember that The Way is always simple, but not always easy. (The Bible Promise Book.)

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

The Apostle Matthew

The Apostle Matthew

Reading a gospel with understanding is helped when we have a better understanding of the author and his intended audience.

We have spoken of Mark whose writings were directed to the Romans, of Luke, a Gentile himself, who wrote in an inclusionary way to the Gentiles; and of John , the disciple whom Jesus loved, who wrote to the Jews.

The content of Matthew‘s Gospel message is not the life and personality of Jesus but the doctrine and the preaching of Jesus, by which he gave a new and final interpretation to the Law of Moses.

Matthew's Gospel is also the one which makes abundant use of Old Testament texts and a rabbinic focus in order to establish the authenticity of Jesus as the expected Messiah of Israel

Matthew was born in First Century Judea. He was a Galilean and the son of Alpheus During the Roman occupation, Matthew collected taxes from the Hebrew people for Herod Antipas. His Tax Office was located in Capharnaum.
Jews who became rich in such a fashion, were despised and considered outcasts.

It was in this setting, near what is today Almagor, that Jesus called Matthew to be one of the Twelve Disciples.

The first recorded information of Matthew tells of a meeting between him and Jesus. At that time Matthew's name was Levi; he was the son of Alphaeus. He was sitting at his tax collector's desk near the Sea of Galilee when Jesus told him to follow him (Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:14).

Levi did this promptly.

After his call, Matthew invited the Lord home for a feast.(Luke 5:9). On seeing this, the Scribes and the Pharisees criticized Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners. This prompted Jesus to answer, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners…”


It is supposed that Jesus, as he did in other cases, gave Levi another name, Matthew, meaning "gift of Yahweh".

Apart from some other passing references to him, there are no further precise details concerning Matthew's life, except that he seems to have been associated closely with the Apostle Thomas in the ministry of preaching the Gospel (Matthew 9:3; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:13-16).

The Apostles of Jesus generally worked in pairs, and the above texts seem to associate Thomas and Matthew. It is not known how or where Matthew ended his life. Traditions and legends differ as to whether he died a martyr's death or of natural causes.

It is exciting to read the gospels. It is even more exciting when we look at our God’s life from all these different perspectives. Even before we begin to look at the early days of our faith through research developed over the years, we can begin to develop a better understanding by a prayerful merger of the perspective of the gospel writers themselves. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Matthew; www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Papias.html;


Enjoy The Word, enjoy your study.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

THE WAY.

Every denomination knows the way to salvation. Every domination, every sect believes that only their way is THE WAY.

The road to salvation is made crooked with the multiple turns of ritual, pomp and circumstance invoked by man.

How simple is the way.

Romans 10 (New International Version)
8But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, "that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:
9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
11As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,
13for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Then there is the matter of living a Christian life.
Again, How simple is the way.


THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT
Matthew 22 (New International Version)
.34Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together.
35One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:
36“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your mind.’
38This is the first and greatest commandment.
39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Now, simple does not mean that it is always easy to do.

I truly believe that it takes constant prayer to begin to live the life described in Matthew 22:37-40.

I don‘t find it easy to love my neighbor as myself. As a matter of fact I have some neighbors that I have difficulty loving at all.

I pray daily to Love the Lord, my God with all my heart, soul and mind, but get caught up in the day to day mess of living sometimes and let that take my focus off what matters most.

I am so serious about my quest to live this life that I chose not to complicate my journey on The Way with man-made detours.

“all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

I thank God for His Way to salvation.

May God Forever be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit

"If I do not go," Jesus told his apostles, "the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go away, then I will send him to you" (John 16:7).

"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait there for the gift my Father promised, the gift of which I told you. John baptized with water, but in a few days' time you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:4-5).

Acts 2:1-4 (New International Version)
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.


Acts 8:12-17 (New International Version)
12But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.


Acts 19:1-6 (New International Version)
Paul in Ephesus
1While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"
They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
3So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?"
"John's baptism," they replied.
4Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." 5On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

Isaiah 11:2-3 (New International Version)
2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD -
3 and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4.but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he . slay the wicked.

1 Corinthians 12:8-13 (New American Standard Bible)
8For to one is given the word of (A)wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of (B)knowledge according to the same Spirit;
9to another (C)faith by the same Spirit, and to another (D)gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
10and to another the effecting of (E)miracles, and to another (F)prophecy, and to another the (G)distinguishing of spirits, to another various (H)kinds of tongues, and to another the (I)interpretation of tongues.
11But one and the same Spirit works all these things, (J)distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
12For even (K)as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, (L)so also is Christ.
13For (M)by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether (N)Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to (O)drink of one Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 (New American Standard Bible)
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Matt. 12: 31-32
31 ¶ Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven aunto men: but the bblasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall cannot be forgiven unto men.
32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

There are some who believe that the Holy Spirit was limited to those who were in the upper room on that fateful day of Pentecost. There are some who believe that the Holy Spirit was only available to those in the early church.

Nothing in my bible teaches eith3er of these things.

I was writing a sentence today about the Holy Spirit which spoke of the belief of many that only those professing to be Pentecostal could receive, or even sought, the Gift of the Holy Spirit. I had never thought before today about why they were called Pentecostal in the first place, then Euricka!!!.

The Holy Spirit is a gift promised by Jesus Himself…..a gift Our Lord called The Comforter. This was a gift that was received in Samaria Acts 8:12-17 , and in Ephesus, Acts 19:1-6, both of these after the day of Pentecost.

When I look at the gifts of the spirit as written in 1 Corinthians 12:8-13 and the fruit of the Spirit as written in Galatians 5:22-23 I am so glad that this is not a gift that is withheld from me.

I am just an infant in the fullness of the Holy Spirit but I delight in the growing peace that surpasses all understanding which is available to me. I delight in the growing understanding of the Scripture and my love of The Word that is available to me. I delight in the unsurpassable joy that is available to me every day.

I thank God on a daily basis for the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

May God Forever be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

The Gospel Writer, Mark

The Gospel Writer, Mark

A wonderful resource for us is called Got Questions.Org. It is a web site that has many frequently asked questions about the bible and biblical persons and some really clear-cut answers.

As always, we are taught to study multiple sources with the bible as our foundation.

I am including a summary of “Got Questions.Org’s" comments on the Apostle Mark.

It is generally agreed that Mark is the John Mark of the New Testament (Acts 12:12). His mother was a wealthy and prominent Christian in the Jerusalem church, and probably the church met in her home. Mark joined Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, but not on the second because of a strong disagreement between the two men (Acts 15:37-38). However, near the end of Paul’s life he called for Mark to be with him (2 Timothy 4:11).

Date of Writing: The Gospel of Mark was likely one of the first books written in the New Testament, probably in A.D. 57-59.

Purpose of Writing: Whereas Matthew is written primarily to his fellow Jews, Mark’s gospel appears to be targeted to the Roman believers, particularly Gentiles. Mark wrote as a pastor to Christians who previously had heard and believed the Gospel (Romans 1:8). He desired that they have a biographical story of Jesus Christ as Servant of the Lord and Savior of the world in order to strengthen their faith in the face of severe persecution and to teach them what it meant to be His disciples.

Brief Summary: This gospel is unique because it emphasizes Jesus’ actions more than His teaching. It is simply written, moving quickly from one episode in the life of Christ to another. It does not begin with a genealogy as in Matthew, because Gentiles would not be interested in His lineage. After the introduction of Jesus at His baptism, Jesus began His public ministry in Galilee and called the first four of His twelve disciples. What follows is the record of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

Mark’s account is not just a collection of stories, but a narrative written to reveal that Jesus is the Messiah, not only for the Jews, but for the Gentiles as well. In a dynamic profession, the disciples, led by Peter, acknowledged their faith in Him (Mark 8:29-30), even though they failed to understand fully His Messiahship until after His resurrection.

The climactic events surrounding the crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection were not witnessed by most of His disciples. But several faithful women did witness His passion. After the Sabbath, early in the morning of the first day of the week, they went to the tomb with burial spices. When they saw the stone had been rolled away, they entered the tomb. It was not the body of Jesus they saw, but an angel robed in white. The joyful message they received was, “He is risen!” Women were the first evangelists, as they spread the good news of His resurrection.

Connections: Because Mark’s intended audience was the Gentiles, he does not quote as frequently from the Old Testament as Matthew, who was writing primarily to the Jews. He does not begin with a genealogy to link Jesus with the Jewish patriarchs, but begins instead with His baptism, the beginning of His earthly ministry. But even there, Mark quotes from an Old Testament prophecy regarding the messenger—John the Baptist—who would exhort the people to “prepare the way for the Lord” (Mark 1:3; Isaiah 40:3) as they awaited the coming of their Messiah.

Practical Application: Mark presents Jesus as the suffering Servant of God (Mark 10:45) and as the One who came to serve and sacrifice for us, in part to inspire us to do the same. We are to minister as He did, with the same greatness of humility and devotion to the service of others. Jesus exhorted us to remember that to be great in God’s kingdom, we must be the servant of all (Mark 10:44). Self-sacrifice should transcend our need for recognition or reward, just as Jesus was willing to be abased as He lay down His life for the sheep.

I was unable to find information about the later life and death of John Mark but will continue to search.

What touched my heart most was that Mark’s account was intended to be read and understood by Gentiles, us. I thank God for his message.

May God Forever be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

Mary Magdalene in Scripture

Mary Magdalene in Scripture

All references to Mary Magdalene in the New Testament.

References to Mary of Magdala During Jesus' Ministry

Luke 8:1-3: Afterward [Jesus] journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.

References to Mary of Magdala During the Crucifixion

Mark 15:40: There were also some women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome.
Matthew 27:56: Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
John 19:25: But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

References to Mary of Magdala After the Crucifixion

Mark 15:47: Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid.
Matthew 27:61: And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the grave.
Matthew 28:1: Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.
Mark 16:1: When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him.

References to Mary of Magdala At the Resurrection

John 20:1: Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb.
Mark 16:9: Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons.
John 20:18: Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and that He had said these things to her.
Luke 24: But at daybreak on the first day of the week [the women] took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb; but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were puzzling over this, behold, two men in dazzling garments appeared to them. They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. They said to them, "Why do you seek the living one among the dead?
He is not here, but he has been raised. Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified, and rise on the third day." And they remembered his words.
Then they returned from the tomb and announced all these things to the eleven and to all the others.
The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; the others who accompanied them also told this to the apostles, but their story seemed like nonsense and they did not believe them.

According to Luke 8:2 and Mark 16:9, Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons," a concept usually associated in the New Testament with healing from illness not forgiveness of sin.

Mary Magdalene is the leader of a group of women disciples who are present at the cross, when the male disciples (excepting John the Beloved) have fled, and at his burial. Mary was a devoted follower of Jesus, entering into the close circle of those taught by Jesus during his Galilean ministry. She became prominent during the last days, accompanying Jesus during his travels and following him to the end. She witnessed his Crucifixion and burial.

According to all four Gospels in the Christian New Testament, she was the first person to see the resurrected Christ. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Magdalene

Where in scripture does it say that Mary Magdalene is a reformed prostitute?

May God Forever be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

My older grandson just celebrated his 16th birthday and we are planning a big celebration day for him. How I wish I had the power to give him the greatest gift of all, the gift of salvation.

Most of us have family members, loved ones, whom we wish we could infuse with a desire for The Lord. We pray for them on a daily basis and we lament when we see them going astray.

I am one who knows the power of this intercessory prayer, as I often tell my church family. I had a spiritual mentor who prayed for me on a daily basis for many years (and thankfully continues to do so). I thank her for praying for me when there was no reason for her to believe that I was redeemable except her strong faith in God.

Because I truly believe in the power of prayer I encourage all of us to continue to pray daily for our loved ones, our church family, our community and ourselves.

I found this wonderful little caption that speaks to the magnificent gift given to all believers in the simplest of terms. The gift of salvation is free, but our God will not force anyone to come.






May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

Question: "What are the seven deadly sins?"

I would like to share something today from Got Questions Ministries


Question: "What are the seven deadly sins?"

Answer: The seven deadly sins are a list originally used in early Christian teachings to educate and instruct followers concerning fallen man's tendency to sin. The misconception about the list of seven “deadly” sins is that they are sins that God will not forgive. The Bible is clear that the only sin God will not forgive is that of continued unbelief, because it rejects the only means to obtain forgiveness—Jesus Christ and His substitutionary death on the cross.

Is the idea of seven deadly sins biblical? Yes and no. Proverbs 6:16-19 declares, “There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: 1) haughty eyes, 2) a lying tongue, 3) hands that shed innocent blood, 4) a heart that devises wicked schemes, 5) feet that are quick to rush into evil, 6) a false witness who pours out lies, and 7) a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.” However, this list is not what most people understand as the seven deadly sins.

According to Pope Gregory the Great in the 6th century, the seven deadly sins are as follows: pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, and sloth.

Although these are undeniably sins, they are never given the description of "the seven deadly sins" in the Bible. The traditional list of seven deadly sins can function as a good way to categorize the many different sins that exist. Nearly every kind of sin could be placed under one of the seven categories. More importantly, we must realize these seven sins are no more “deadly” than any other sin. All sin results in death (Romans 6:23). Praise be to God, that through Jesus Christ, all of our sins, including the “seven deadly sins,” can be forgiven (Matthew 26:28; Acts 10:43; Ephesians 1:7).

I believe every one of us have heard of the “seven deadly sins”. Movies and books have used this theme for great dramatic spectacles and most of us have believed that these sins were listed in the bible.

Many who have heard of, not necessarily read, Dante’s Inferno have accepted these listings of deadly sins as factual.

I am grateful, one more time, to be a member of a teaching ministry. A ministry that encourages us to spend time in the Word for understanding. I am grateful to truly live under grace because I know I am not capable of fulfilling the Law.

Matthew 12:31-32 says, "Every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come."

This sounds like the only “deadly sin”, a sin that has no forgiveness.

As Christian who intend to spend eternity with Our Lord, it behooves each of us to know the only “deadly” sin identified by Christ.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

Crossing Jordan

Rivers and other bodies of water are often used by God as a time and symbol of deliverance. The Nile was used to protect Moses and deliver him to pharaoh’s daughter (Exodus 2: 1-10); the Red Sea was parted to allow the Israelites to escape the pursuing Egyptians (Exodus 13:17-15:21), and the Jordan River was made to stop it’s flow to allow the Israelites to cross to the promised land. (Joshua 3:15-17)

How many times have we felt like we were standing at the bank of an insurmountable challenge, an uncrossable river, with no hope of success?

Do we panic like most of the Israelites did repeatedly, or do we precede with the confidence of Moses who knew that God would deliver them?

Do we trust that God can use the simplest of items, circumstances or people to accomplish His will or do we insist on forging our own solutions?

Many of us come into this Christian way with a history of belief in our ability to solve our own problems; and we hold onto this belief despite many failures. We see this in our readiness to attempt to take over even when we have asked God to intervene. We sometimes see it when our prayers sound more like marching orders and “to do lists” for God than supplication to our Holy Father.

It takes time, gentle reminders and sometimes hard knocks for us to seriously “Let go and Let God.”

Sometimes we need to review the miracles of deliverance in the bible to remind ourselves of God’s majestic capacity for provision for His people. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we are His people. We sometimes need to remind ourselves that God’s power of provision is not a thing of the past, that He is as much God today as he was for Moses and other old time prophets.

For me, it is also important to review those times when God abandoned “gentle reminders” for more striking consequences for repeated and serious challenges to His Way. Reviewing these times in biblical history helps me to sooner reach “ah hah” moments.

The fascinating thing about “studying to show thyself approved” is that studying the word offers so many opportunities to get closer to God and to benefit from His promises.

I truly thank God for these opportunities.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!

The Family of God

The Family of God

"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching." -Hebrews 10:25

"God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." -John 4:24

The apostle Paul's favorite name for fellow believers was "brethren." He used this term at least sixty times throughout his various epistles. Paul's concept of the local church was a worshiping family--the family of God.

Worship is the cornerstone of a believer's spiritual life. The fundamental command of Scripture is that we are to love God with our whole being and to worship and serve only Him. The bedrock of the local church's ministry is its worship service. The manner of worship reflects the depth of our relationship with God--both individually and corporately.

Psalm 122:1-9 (New King James Version)
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go into the house of the LORD.”
2 Our feet have been standing
Within your gates, O Jerusalem!

3 Jerusalem is built
As a city that is compact together,
4 Where the tribes go up,
The tribes of the LORD,
To the Testimony of Israel,
To give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5 For thrones are set there for judgment,
The thrones of the house of David.

6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls,
Prosperity within your palaces.”
8 For the sake of my brethren and companions,
I will now say, “Peace be within you.”
9 Because of the house of the LORD our God
I will seek your good.


If you don’t have a church home you are robbing yourself of one of the greatest joys in life. A real church home is a body of believers who sincerely care for one another and are committed to a common goal in the service of our Lord.

Now more than ever, as we worship in this holy week, we enjoy the fellowship and friendships of our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is awesome to KNOW that you are in the prayers of believers. It is awesome to KNOW that someone truly cares for you.

If you don’t have a real church home, prayerfully ask God to place you in your own special home of believers. If you do have a church home, make sure you are a part of the fellowship and the kinship of believers.

Read about the early church.
Read about the comfort they provided one for the other.
Enjoy a fellowship and friendship like no other.

May God Forever Be a Blessing in Your Life!!!