Do We Worship the Message or the Messenger?

Acts 14:8-19New King James Version (NKJV) Idolatry at Lystra

8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. 9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.

11 Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 12 And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out 15 and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them,

Do We Worship the Message or the Messenger?

Are we too lazy to look beyond the surface. Do we quickly grab onto any message that touches our hearts and “tickles our ears” because we don't want to take the time to study and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal Divine Truths?

Do we get annoyed or downright angry when we are encouraged to see the truth.

18 And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.
It seems the crowd wondered why Paul and Barnabas couldn't just enjoy the worship they wanted to give them. Why on earth did they want to bore them with details. Paul healed and preached exciting words. It was great to have reason for a celebration and a time to party. It was annoying to have someone dampen their high spirits with truth.
Stoning, Escape to Derbe 19 Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.

Are we bored when we receive a message of truth if it doesn't come with a brass band? Are we annoyed when we are encouraged to fill in the blanks, complete the picture and reach a better understanding when it requires us to actually read the Word for ourselves and open ourselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit?

Are we careful not to glorify the clay and neglect the Potter in our desire for excitement over substance.

I pray our Holy Father open our eyes to His truths and our hearts to receive His message.

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

Words of Comfort

Jeremiah 17:14
Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. (NIV)

Even the doctors don't want to say the words unless they have no choice; but, when you are told you have to have a biopsy, you know they are not looking for the flu.

My first thought was to find scriptures of comfort while I went through the stages of the diagnostic process and among the scriptures I found these comforting words from Jeremiah.

As I read Jeremiah's words an interesting thing happened...I found myself looking for ways to comfort others who might be facing illness and uncertainty.

I began working on a series of inspirational cards which our pastor could use when members of the church were facing illness or stresses of body or soul. While working on the project I realized that my mind was quickly removed from worry about my issues and focused on providing comfort to others.

I shed tears of joy for the wonderful way the Holy Spirit surrounded me in the warmth of His Love.

During these few days I've read many scriptures of comfort while I am gathering information for my project and each has lifted a bit of the burden of fear and anxiety from my heart.

I'll not pretend that I don't have anxious moments, I still have to deal with the uncertainty of not knowing the outcome; but I'm not afraid. I rest in the knowledge that, whatever the outcome, I am in good hands!

Jeremiah 17:14
Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. (NIV)

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

Rizpah, A Story of a Mother's Love

Tucked in the flow of battles and intrigue in the times of King David is a story of motherly love and devotion.

2 Samuel 21:1New International Version (NIV)                                                         The Gibeonites Avenged                                                                                     21 During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the Lord. The Lord said, “It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death.”

David sought to make peace with the Gibeonites and decided to grant their wish for the death of seven male descendents of Saul.

2 Samuel 21:7-9Contemporary English Version (CEV)                                      7 David had made a promise to Jonathan with the Lord as his witness, so he spared Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth, the grandson of Saul.                                                      8 But Saul and Rizpah the daughter of Aiah had two sons named Armoni and Mephibosheth. Saul’s daughter Merab had five sons whose father was Adriel the son of Barzillai from Meholah. David took Rizpah’s two sons and Merab’s five sons and 9 turned them over to the Gibeonites, who hanged all seven of them on the mountain near the place where the Lord was worshiped. This happened right at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Flesh of my flesh was gone, but bone of my bone was left—                           I stole them all from the lawyers—                                                                   and you, will you call it a theft?—                                                                My baby, the bones that had suck’d me, the bones that had laughed and had cried—                                                                                                     Theirs? O, no! they are mine—                                                                    not theirs—they had moved in my side. excerpt from Rizpah, by Alfred, Lord Tenneyson 1809-1892

Rizpah

Name Meaning—“A hot, or baking stone.”
She was a daughter of Aiah, or Ajah, the Horite (Genesis 36:24; 1 Chronicles 1:40; 2 Samuel 3:7). Saul took her as a concubine and she bore him, Armoni and Mephibosheth.

Deuteronomy 21:22-23King James Version (KJV)                                                     22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:
23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

Jewish law demanded that those disgraced by crucifixion be buried that same day but the Gibeonites wanted a greater revenge and King David allowed this atrocity.

There was nothing Rizpah could do to prevent the death of her sons or even their shameful death on a tree. She was not allowed to remove their bodies from the crosses but she could prevent their bodies from being further desecrated by animals and birds.

I can't begin to imagine standing guard over seven bodies for more than five months as they rotted in the elements and fighting off scavengers; but Rizpah was willing to do this.

2 Samuel 21:10New International Version (NIV)

10 Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest till the rain poured down from the heavens on the bodies, she did not let the birds touch them by day or the wild animals by night.

Even King David was touched by her act of devotion.

When King David heard of her sacrifice he ordered the bones of Saul and all of his sons be buried....”And after that God heeded the prayer for the land.”

and the bible continues to recount the wars and trials of King David; but I will always remember the love and devotion of a mother, a love that death could not destroy.

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

His Promise of Counsel

Psalm 32:8New International Version (NIV)                                                                   8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

I read a blog this morning with 54 promises from God that the author had picked out as his favorites. It warmed my heart because nestled in his list was one of my favorites, Psalm 32:8.

I love reading the promises of God. It renews my spirit and gives me hope and confidence to know that He is a keeper of His promises.

Whenever I approach a difficult situation, where the words I speak can have a profound impact on the outcome, I try always to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit with the simple prayer; “please give me the right words to say in this situation and the wisdom of silence when needed”.

The Holy Spirit has never failed me when I have diligently sought His help. It is only when I rush headlong into situations and, as my earthly father was fond of warning,  I "put my mouth in gear before I engage my brain” that my words bring hurt or difficulty.

As I grow older I am (perhaps too slowly) learning the value of strategic silence, a time of silence in which I can truly seek the guidance of The Holy Spirit.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

When I spend time in study of His Word I open my heart to his instruction in the way I should go. When listen to teachers and preachers of His Word I make myself available for greater understanding of His Will and His Ways.

John 14:26New International Version (NIV)
²⁶ But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Even in those times when the Holy Spirit gives me a “gentle reprimand” for acts of stubbornness, acts of unkindness, acts of arrogance, I continue to thank Him because I truly understand that it is a “loving eye” that He keeps on me and that, as a Loving Father, he corrects me as needed.

It is my prayer that you will receive the blessing of comfort in the promises of God.

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

Learning to Love

1 John 3:23New King James Version (NKJV)

23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

I struggled for months to find love in my heart for someone who had hurt me deeply. I avoided contact with the person because I was truly ashamed of my inability to love this person as commanded by my Lord and Savior and I was afraid that my words, behavior or demeanor would poorly represent my Lord and Savior.

I moved quickly past the point where I was angry and even vengeful towards this person, but I seemed stuck in a position of stroking my wounded spirit. It was fairly easy to stop wishing them distress, but seemed impossible to truly wish them well.

I asked the Holy Spirit, in prayer, to help me to move beyond this stalemate because it prevented spiritual fulfillment and just felt wrong.

Luke 6:32-36New King James Version (NKJV)
32 “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.                                                                                                    33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.                                                                                                          34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.                                       35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.                                                                                                           36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

This morning I was led to revisit some of the definitions of “Love” and to seek a better understanding of what it was that I was praying for.

I found the following definitions at http://typesoflove.org/four-types-of-love-greek-style/; and, through study felt a great weight lift from my heart.

  

Agape

This is an unconditional love that sees beyond the outer surface and accepts the recipient for whom he/she is, regardless of their flaws, shortcomings or faults. It’s the type of love that everyone strives to have for their fellow human beings.                                    Although you may not like someone, you decide to love them just as a human being. This kind of love is all about sacrifice as well as giving and expecting nothing in return.      The translation of the word agape is love in the verb – form: it is the love demonstrated by your behavior towards another person. It is a committed and chosen love.

Phileo

The phileo love refers to an affectionate, warm and tender platonic love. It makes you desire friendship with someone. It’s the kind of love which livens up the Agape love. Although you may have an agape love for your enemies, you may not have a phileo love for the same people.                                                                                                          The translation of the word phileo is love in the noun – form: it is how you feel about someone. It is a committed and chosen love.

Storge

It is a kind of family and friendship love. This is the love that parents naturally feel for their children; the love that member of the family have for each other; or the love that friends feel for each other.                                                                                                   In some cases, this friendship love may turn into a romantic relationship, and the couple in such a relationship becomes best friends. Storge love is unconditional, accepts flaws or faults and ultimately drives you to forgive. It’s committed, sacrificial and makes you feel secure, comfortable and safe.

Eros

Eros is a passionate and intense love that arouses romantic feelings; it is the kind that often triggers “high” feelings in a new relationship and makes you say, “I love him/her”. It is simply an emotional and sexual love. Although this romantic love is important in the beginning of a new relationship, it may not last unless it moves a notch higher because it focuses more on self instead of the other person. If the person “in love” does not feel good about their relationship anymore, they will stop loving their partner.

I am convinced that it is Agape Love which is demanded of me. It is love which wishes well, provides a willingness to help if needed and truly expects nothing in return, not even good will.

WOW! I can do this. When I separated my needs from His Commandments it was like a light in a previously dark room.

35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.

Even though I would have strongly denied that I wanted anything at all from this person it simply was not true. I wanted respect, I wanted honesty, I wanted fairness; and I refused to love until I got what I thought were my due.

I thank God for the light of His Word.

I thank God for a higher reward, a reward beyond the capacity of this person to give. My reward for faithfulness to His Commandments is the joy of being a child of the Most High.

I seek His mercy for myself and those I love. I strive to extend the mercy of true forgiveness to all. I pray the help of the Holy Spirit in times of weakness.

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

The GIFT of the Holy Spirit

Dr. Wilbur Smith, a seminary professor, once stated, "The man who denies the Trinity will lose his soul. The man who tries to understand the Trinity will lose his mind." We, who are finite, cannot comprehend God, who is infinite.

Romans 11:33-34Living Bible (TLB)
33 Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods! 34 For who among us can know the mind of the Lord? Who knows enough to be his counselor and guide?

It always amazes me when I run into people who base their denial of the existence of God on their inability to explain Him in human terms. I share with them this, for me, simple truth...I would not serve a God who was as simple as I am. I am more than content with the gift of understanding as He sees fit to reveal Himself to me.

This does not mean that I believe my God is confusing. To the contrary, God makes perfect sense, He just doesn't conform to man's rules and measures.

Today, I am composing this message on a computer. When I'm not sure just where a verse comes from I simply type in the words and, walla! just like that, the correct scripture comes up in seconds.

Try very hard to imagine explaining the concept of the internet to someone as recent as the 1950's and imagine how very lost they would be. How hard it would be for someone at that time to believe that we could carry around in our pockets a gadget that would navigate, play movies, do research and so much more. But we take cell phones and computers for granted.

If we were able to live a thousand years our lifespan would remain insignificant in God's scope of things and we would have as little understanding of Him, in the natural, as that person from the 50's would have of those things we just accept as real today.

But, God did give us a way to understand as much of Him as we can. He left us His Word and He left us the Holy Spirit.

John 14:25-26Contemporary English Version (CEV)
25 I have told you these things while I am still with you. 26 But the Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place. The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you.

Now, there are those who say that the Holy Spirit and being indwelled with the Spirit were temporary things which were only needed in the times of the New Christian Church when they did not have access to bibles and a multitude of preachers/;ministers to help us understand His Word.

I thank my God that they are wrong!

The Holy Spirit is my “go to guy” when I'm lost, when I'm in pain, when I just don't understand.  I pray in the Spirit. I seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit whenever I attempt to study or write. I ask the Holy Spirit to intercede for me when I am overwhelmed and don't even know where to start in prayer.

Thank You God for having the wisdom to present yourself in my life in the person of the Holy Spirit without Whom I would be lost.

 

John 3:5New King James Version (NKJV)
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

I pray you find God in the Person of the Holy Spirit revealed in your heart.

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

Walking in His Light

1 John 1:7King James Version (KJV)

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

There is cleansing in the Light. There is warmth in the Light. There is peace in the Light. There is joy in the Light.

The author, Patti M. Hummel, describes joy as:                                                             “Joy is setting the soul upon the top of a pinnacle; it is the cream of the sincere milk of the Word.                                                                                                                   Spiritual joy is a sweet and delightful passion, arising from the apprehension and feeling of some good, whereby the soul is supported under present troubles and fenced against future fear.” -

As a child of God I expect to have more days in the light than days in darkness and many more days on top of the pinnacle of joy. 

John 1:12King James Version (KJV)
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Now, don't misunderstand, I don't mean to imply that being a child of God means I won't experience bad times. I understand that some of the greatest prophets and saints suffered greatly and our Lord, Himself, suffered a mean death on the cross. But, in good times and bad, I expect to be always in His Light.

Philippians 4:11-13Contemporary English Version (CEV)
11 I am not complaining about having too little. I have learned to be satisfied with whatever I have.                                                                                                                 12 I know what it is to be poor or to have plenty, and I have lived under all kinds of conditions. I know what it means to be full or to be hungry, to have too much or too little. 13 Christ gives me the strength to face anything.

Although I know that trials have absolutely nothing to do with the JOY that comes from living in the reflected Light of Jesus Christ, I struggle to truly be free of complaints in times of trouble. But I am glad that the Holy Spirit brings me back to Words of encouragement at those times when I am weakest. I thank my God for the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who keeps the light visible so that I don't stray too far from His path.

I stay in the light by staying in His Word. His Word contains His promises. His Word contains comfort. His Word contains correction and guidance. His Word contains joy!

Walking in the light

Chorus 1:
Walking in the light,
beautiful light;
ain't it wonderful how the light shines?

Thank You, Lord, for being my Light!

May each of you experience the joy of Walking in the Light!

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

In Danger of Being Spewed From the Mouth of God!

Psalm 119:9-10
9 How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
10 With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!


An old woman is comforted by these scriptures, even though they are so convicting at just this moment! The comfort is that My God cares enough to provide gentle reprimands when I have strayed so far from His will.

Hebrews 12:6New King James Version (NKJV)

6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”

That He takes the effort to chasten me is a reminder that I am truly one of His children. That He chose to lead me back to His Word to strengthen and remind me of who we are, My God and I, is my source of great gratitude today.

Lets look at this short journey:

Last week I accepted an invitation to attend a service at a friend's place of worship. The very best part of this night was the trip to and from the meeting place. On the way one of the travelers began talking about the Book of Revelation. Now, this was a bit of an “out of nowhere” conversation, BUT, I promised to look up the references to the seven synagogs spoken of in Revelation.

It was as if the scriptures about the Church of the Laodiceans just jumped off the pages in BOLD print. This was me!

Our scripture lesson for this week is from Psalm 119, one of my favorites. As I prepared for the lesson I revisited a week-long study I did three years ago and made another discovery!

I started a blog for our church on Wednesday, February 3, 2010. When I started I was truly on fire!!!

In that first year there were 172 postings to our blog; but the following year there were 46 and it dwindled down to 1 (one!) in this year. I confess that's pretty lukewarm.

Through all of this neglect God has continued to protect and bless me beyond measure, even when I whined and kicked like a toddler when things I wanted didn't come in my time.

Today I thank God, again, for giving me the job of preparing the bulletin and insert for our weekly Sabbath Service because I am compelled to study at this time. I thank God for allowing me to have ears to hear this chastisement.
I pray like David that God not remove His Holy Presence from me!
Psalm 119:9-10

9 How can a young man cleanse his way?By taking heed according to Your word.
10 With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!

I pray the strength of the Holy Spirit to help me to keep on track and in His Word.

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