Category: Perspective

Passionate Plea

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Have you ever been at a place that something was pressing so hard on the inside of you that  you just had to get it out either by talking about it or writing about it and you felt you would explode if you didn”t??  This is where I am today! For a little back ground, a few weeks ago, my husband and I had the opportunity to hear a survivor of the Holocaust. As he shared his horrific experiences and those of his loved ones, each time he would ask, “Could you forgive?” For about two hours he spoke of atrocity after atrocity and it was painful to hear how they had suffered and that was only a fraction of a percent compared to the his suffering, and that of his family, and his friends! His was a message of forgiveness from start to finish! Don’t get me wrong, he shared his anger, frustration, fear, torture but the solid thread flowing through his testimony was forgiveness and that we have to forgive in order to live freely. You see, unforgiveness makes us slave to the one we refuse to forgive, but that is a topic for another day. Next, the Holy Spirit began impressing us  that we were to share this fellow’s experiences and theme of forgiveness at a Bible Study we were to substitute teach in two days. We knew we had to be obedient but it took a little time to line up because there were a couple of people who bring their children and the youngest is about eight. The decision was made and the parents were informed on the topic and approved.  This all took place on the actual day of Yom Hashoah  (Holocaust Remembrance Day) and the days following.

The questions that arose from studying and sharing this that Tuesday evening turned a childhood spark into a flame. I had always heard that there were Christians that blamed the  Jewish people for the death of Christ. I never understood this thought pattern. You see since I was a child I have been a student of the Word of God.  I am not a theology student and I have no “formal” training in the Word. I do believe that God will enable us despite lack of formal training to understand  the Word because John 14 it tells us:

John 14:25-26  (HCSB)   “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

Long story short, I began to do more research on the holocaust and the history of the church, how and if the church was a catalyst in some cases that fanned the flames of those who were propagating the evil atrocities that occurred. What I continue to read has sparked a passionate plea!  Christians, please read the Word of God for yourself! Know what it says, pray for understanding, find a reliable translation and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into wisdom and understanding. Yes, even and especially the Old Testament. When we don’t know our roots and our history, we are targets for deception and being lead astray from the truth. When that happens we can fall into false thinking which can lead us do things we might have thought at one time we were not capable of doing and rationalize our actions based on a false belief!

When we as Christians become students of the Word, we are arming ourselves against deception. Throughout the Bible it was prophesied that Jesus would come born of a Virgin  and that He would suffer, die, and be raised to life. A look at Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, to name just two tell us this. We are told that before the foundation of the world, Christ is the Lamb that was slain. This was God’s plan long before it happened.  Jesus was born and raised Jewish.  It was not the Jewish people who were responsible for His arrest, His beatings and His death. A quick look at John tells us it was certain Jewish rulers that plotted His capture and demise and it was planned under the cover of darkness.

John 18:13 And they brought Him first to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year.14 It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews that it was expedient and for their welfare that one man should die for (instead of, in behalf of) the people.

24 Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

28 Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium (judgment hall, governor’s palace). And it was early. They themselves did not enter the Praetorium, that they might not be defiled (become ceremonially unclean), but might be fit to eat the Passover [supper]. 29 So Pilate went out to them and said, What accusation do you bring against this Man?30 They retorted, If  He were not an evildoer (criminal), we would not have handed Him over to you.

John 19:4 Then Pilate went out again and said to them, See, I bring Him out to you, so that you may know that I find no fault (crime, cause for accusation) in Him.

6 When the chief priests and attendants (guards) saw Him, they cried out, Crucify Him! Crucify Him! Pilate said to them, Take Him yourselves and crucify Him, for I find no fault (crime) in Him.7 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and according to that law He should die, because He has claimed and made Himself out to be the Son of God. (note this is referring back to the chief priests and guards who had brought Him)

Based on scripture, history and archeological findings, it is a pretty sure thing that it was  a select group of leaders and their guards/servants that are responsible for the death sentence given Jesus and knowing the prophecy it was accomplishing God’s plan that was from the beginning. Jesus was welcomed warmly when He entered Jerusalem with large numbers of people waving palms and celebrating. It was not they who turned on Him and cried “crucify” in the darkness of early morning! It was those who were threatened by their fear of loss of power, prestige and wealth. I understood this even as a youth based on the Word. It was only in the last ten years that I found that this was by the other historical and archeological findings.

The lesson here is when we don’t learn for ourselves, it is easy to be deceived. When we are deceived, we don’t generally know we are deceived and we act with great confidence fully believing that we are acting in an appropriate way. We have a tendency to become an impulsive people rather than  reflective, perhaps before acting rashly we should slow ourselves down; begin asking ourselves some questions;  listen to the answers; and for the “still small voice” to reveal:

  • What is really going on?
  • Am I missing something?
  • Why do I feel so strongly about this? whether it is anger, hurt, frustration, confusion.
  • What is the heart of those involved?
  • Am I being deceived?
  • Am I being defensive and if so why?
  • What does the Word say about this type situation? Though listed last, it is perhaps the most important question we can ask!

Ephesians 6:11-13 says:  11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tacticsof the Devil. 12 For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. 13 This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.

Last night our pastor reminded us of 1 Peter 5″:8 Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour”.  His next words were priceless, he said: “Notice is says as a lion or like a lion; Satan is a poser! He comes to steal kill and destroy posed as a lion, but Jesus came to give us abundant, rich and satisfying life. John 10:10”

Jesus, the Lion of Judah, is the real deal. He is not a poser and He came not only to save us from ourselves and our sin but He came to give  us new life, freedom, deliverance; life better than we could ever imagine.  Reading, understanding, and seeking to follow His Word is paramount in seeing this to come to fruition in our lives!!

Reminder to Remember

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Following up on yesterday’s post, sometimes we need reminders to remember. Yesterday we explored a little history as the Hebrew people were rescued from their bondage in Egypt by the mighty and outstretched hand of God. God had moved mightily on their behalf. He not only  rescued them from their enslavement, but He also delivered  them from their enemy as the Egyptians and Pharaoh pursued them in their escape.  God parted the sea, His people escaped on dry ground and the sea swallowed up their enemy before they were able to catch up with God’s people! Things were looking up but one thing is sure. In this world we will have difficulties, trials and testing. The next forty years were just that for the Hebrew people. They would wander in the wilderness for 40 years to reach the Promised Land which by direct route was only an eleven day journey.

So, why the extended travel time for such a short trip?  I will let you read the story or travel notes yourself. I suspect from reading the stories and from putting together sermons I have heard, studies I have done, that the people were not so different from you or me. God has a purpose and plan for all of us and it is usually far better than anything we can even imagine. However, just like a baby is ill-equipped at birth to become an adult right away, we as believers are also not ready to immediately step into all God has planned for us.  As you are probably aware, there was an attempt at entering the promised land before the 40 year mark. Ten spies were sent in to scope out the land. They went in, explored, and even brought back produce from the land. The Promised Land was confirmed to be a beautiful land flowing with milk and honey, yet despite what they found eight of the ten spies had a negative report. Only Joshua and Caleb came back with the attitude that we are well able to take the land. They were the only of the spies that were certain that with God’s promise and outstretched arm and mighty hand this could be done. The opinion of the eight won out and the wandering continued. By the end of forty years most of those who had doubted and forgotten what God had already had done for them had died. Many could not see past their doubts and remember how God had delivered them. Many could not remember that God had provided food for their hunger, water for their thirst, that He prevented their clothing and shoes from wearing out during those years.

At last, in the book of Joshua we can read the account of Israel finally going into the Promised Land. They are told that God is among them and He will dispossess the inhabitants of the land. The priest will go first and enter the Jordan River, the waters will be cut off and held back despite it being at flood stage. The priests carrying the ark stood firmly on dry ground as the entire nation crossed. Once the people were across, Joshua sent twelve men, one from each tribe back to remove twelve stones to set up where they would camp that night as a memorial to what God had done. Joshua also set up twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan  and placed them where the priests were standing as a memorial. Once this was accomplished the priests finished crossing and when they stepped out of the Jordan River, it resumed its course. That night they camped at Gilgal and set up the other twelve stones as a reminder to remember and to tell their children what they had experienced, what God had done for them and to teach them about the Lord’s mighty hand so they would reverence their God.

Just as Israel need to be reminded to remember, we also need to remember. When distractions and trials come into our life, when difficulty is here and it is hard to see past the immediate demands of our circumstances, we need to remember, turn to God remembering all He has seen us through. We need to remember His great love and His faithfulness and believe beyond human reason that He will once again act on our behalf and see us through whatever is the current circumstance or difficulty we face.  In order to do this, we must know what the Word says; we must have some grasp of His Word and His promises; and above all we must exercise our faith. The more we exercise faith the more faith grows in our life.

Remembrance

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The last few days I have been doing some thinking. Several questions began to go through my mind. So today I am taking a few minutes to find at least a few answers. Most of us clearly remember 9-11 and the terrible tragedy of that day. Many of us can still see those images in our minds eye if we allow ourselves to really think about that day and most can tell you exactly what we were doing when the towers collapsed, the Pentagon was hit and the last plane was crashed.

So, my first question was how important is it that we take time and choose to remember the events in our lives. I began by looking up the word remember in the Bible. According to http://www.christianbiblereference.org the Bible contains between 148 and 168 references to the word remember depending on what translation/version  that you are using. According to http://www.sermoncentral.com, Pastor Toby Powers stated that in the KJV there are 320 references to the word remember in some tense or form throughout the Bible.

How important is it to remember? One quote I found is:

“Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.”
― Edmund Burke

It would seem that this lines up with what God tried to teach us from the earliest of times. The first mention of remember that I found in the Bible was Genesis 9:15 and it was a promise from God that He would remember His covenant with His people.The first time He told His people to remember seems to be in Exodus 13:3: “ Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day when you came out of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, for the Lord brought you out of here by the strength of His hand.”  God’s people were told to remember and to teach their children to remember. They were encouraged to remember because of all God had done for them. If you look at the history of God’s people in the Bible there is a cyclical tendency in many of us. We tend to forget at some point to remember what God has done for us either because of the worries and concerns of our world (distractions) or because of deceptions from the enemy.  When this happens we slip into doubt and unbelief because of the difficulties and trials we see coming our way rather that walking in faith. When we walk in doubt and unbelief we are prone to loose hope; slip into unhealthy thinking; and take things into our own hands, This can lead to bondage and this is where the Hebrew people found themselves in Egypt.  The Hebrew people cry out because of their oppression in Egypt and God hears  their cries. He sends Moses and Aaron and after 10 plaques (trials), God delivers them from their oppressors on dry land through the Red Sea and eliminated their enemies in the process. It is here that He told His people to remember in Exodus 13:3. I believe God wanted His people to walk in freedom from that day forward and that is why He asked them to remember and teach it to their children.

We always have a choice in how we will react to the trials and experiences in our lives. When we act in doubt and unbelief we end up on a negative cycle but we always have another choice. We can choose to walk in faith and belief, remembering all that God has done for us in the past and when we choose this positive response we are able to move ahead rather than be stuck in a repetitive cycle. I picture the comparison of a hamster wheel and of a spiral staircase. You get nowhere on a hamster wheel, just keep going in circles getting no where fast. On the other hand a spiral staircase will take you to another level and new opportunities! I don’t know about you, but I have gotten stuck on the wheel running myself crazy going in circles and not getting anywhere and I do not want to ever get stuck on that path again. I much prefer choosing to remember all God has brought me through, remembering He is faithful and will continue the work He has begun in me and doing my best to walk in faith that He will continue to work all things for my good because I love Him, He has called me, and I now am His daughter!

Today I write this not only as an act of remembering the deliverance of the Hebrew people from Egypt and how God had delivered me many times in my own life, but even more because today is Yom HaShoah– also know as Holocaust Remembrance Day. Yom HaShoah began yesterday evening  and ends this evening. May we never forget the atrocities of  this period in history and may we never forget those who despite the dangers to their own lives did all they could to help those who were being persecuted. May we remember that even today many worldwide are persecuted for their faith and may our remembering and our actions prevent another such event in the future!!

Reflections

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I just love this  picture. It is so peaceful and relaxing! It brings back incredible memories of a great trip with some very amazing people. Yet when I really think about our trip and how wonderful it was, basking in the memories, I have forgotten the whole truth about those days. Our trip was not only for fun but was packed with so much more.
We had a itinerary that was fast paced and filled with lots of learning aside from wonderful sights, historical and spiritual facts that left our minds buzzing.
The last few weeks I have been feeling the need to take some time away, possibly a sabbatical of sorts. Just some time for God and me away from the day-to-day rush of life and all its distractions and busyness. Looking back on photos from the trip today that I just “happened” to run across brought back some wonderful memories.That in itself was a great blessing but it also brought a revelation! As nice as it is to run away for a time of rest and revelation or rest and recuperation, that is not really what we are called to do. Please don’t misunderstand, there is nothing wrong with those times of refreshing. However, we can experience them even in the midst of even the most hectic of days just like we did on our trip. Most days we were on the go 12 hours plus coming back, getting cleaned up, dinner and after dinner walks, laundry, etc. Still, God found many occasions to speak through the Holy Spirit, through our fellow sojourners; our guides; through nature and even the rain;and through the Land of the Bible. I also thought of the mighty rushing waters in Dan, one of the headwaters of the Jordan river. Here was one of the most peaceful places that I have ever experienced, yet the rushing waters were thunderous and the loudest I have ever heard. Still His still small voice was there and very audible.
As the day wore on, I was listening to a friend as she was speaking of how sometimes when we are working in a small or tight place, we must de-clutter and make room, then the work can actually take place! Another friend wisely said today, not knowing about my journey down memory lane or dreams of a retreat, “it is God, not the place where we are that is important”. Bottom line, God is always speaking to us either through His Word, His Holy Spirit, through the words of others. The million dollar question, will we daily de-clutter and listen?

A Couple of Keys to Prayer

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A friend recently asked me to come up with some thoughts and scriptures for a prayer group and below are some thoughts that came to mind as considered how prayer has been such a large part of my life over the years. And below a picture from one of the most peaceful places I have ever had the privilege to enter into prayer!

Prayer in it’s simplest definition is a conversation with God. As a rule, the best conversations are when we are in the presence on one we know well and with whom we feel comfortable. When we have a grasp of who a person is and a respect and trust for them, it is much easier to have great conversations!  For this reason, I personally believe one of the foundational keys to prayer is to learn what we can about who God is through His Word and through time spent with Him in prayer. The more we understand about His character and who He says we are as believers in His Word, the better our prayer life can be. Can we ever fully understand our great and marvelous God? No, we can never fully understand fully who God is but we can learn a tremendous amount about Him and His character through the Bible. We can also learn much about God’s relationship with mankind. As we learn more we find, no longer does prayer have to be a religious act, duty or obligation. prayer at it’s best is as easy and natural as sitting down and chatting with a beloved friend. This is not to say we loose perspective of God’s holiness or sovereignty but that we understand that in His great love He has granted us as beleivers a wonderful privilege to come before Him as daughters and sons of the King.

A second key that is helpful is to know who we are In Christ. We are not a surprise to God. In Psalm 139, we find a lot of information about how God views us. Verses 13-18 tell us how He carefully and remarkably made each one of us and that ALL our days were planned and written in His book before a single one began. He knew all about us before we were ever here; everything we would ever do-either good or bad. The in Ephesians 2:10 we are told we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared ahead of time, so that we should/could walk in them.  It is no mistake the timing we are walking this planet earth! It is part of God’s great plan! This is a wonderful truth that for many is hard to grasp and this is why we need to learn who God says we are; this will help us begin to understand our individual purpose and we can begin to walk and pray in confidence of who we are in Christ.

Psalm 103:17 But from eternity to eternity the Lord’s faithful love is toward those who fear Him, and His righteousness toward their grandchildren.

Deuteronomy 7:9 Know that Yahweh, your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His gracious covenant loyalty for a thousand generations of those who love His commands.

Jeremiah 9:24 But the one who boasts should boast in Me- that I am Yahweh, showing faithful love, justice, and righteousness on the earth, for I delight in these things. This is the Lord’s declaration.

Psalm 139; 1-16

Lord, You have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I stand up;
You understand my thoughts from far away.
You observe my travels and my rest;
You are aware of all my ways.
 Before a word is on my tongue,
You know all about it, Lord.
 You have encircled me;
You have placed Your hand on me.
 This extraordinary knowledge is beyond me.
It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.

 Where can I go to escape Your Spirit?
Where can I flee from Your presence?
 If I go up to heaven, You are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there.
 If I live at the eastern horizon
or settle at the western limits,
 even there Your hand will lead me;
Your right hand will hold on to me.
 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me,
and the light around me will be night”—
 even the darkness is not dark to You.
The night shines like the day;
darkness and light are alike to You.

 For it was You who created my inward parts;
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You
because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful,
and I know this very well.
My bones were not hidden from You
when I was made in secret,
when I was formed in the depths of the earth.
 Your eyes saw me when I was formless;
all my days were written in Your book and planned
before a single one of them began.

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Tried, Tested…and True?

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Just thinking this afternoon about how as humans we are always looking to the next thing. Babies learn progressively from the first smile, turning over, sitting up, crawling, pulling up and finally taking steps. We adults do the same with the exception of we often do not take the time just to enjoy where we are at the moment. A few examples: when we are young we can not wait to be grown up; can’t wait to finish school, move out; get married; then, we tend to covet the freedom our single friends enjoy when we are married or the companionship our married friend enjoy when we are single. Many desire children and when they are here, we long for them to sleep through the night, out grow teething, be able to talk so they can tell us what is wrong when they feel bad, walk, start school…

Our techie world continues to teach us to not be satisfied with our phone, computer, tablet, car, TV:  the minute we purchase one it is on it’s way to being obsolete. Chances are that within 2 days to 6 months there will be a faster, better, fancier or sleeker one and many of us will be dreaming of the new best thing!  The world around us makes it hard to be content and just enjoy the moment in which we are living. This becomes even more apparent when we are in a time of trial or difficulty. Many times I find myself looking everywhere for an escape hatch when one of those times come around. Why? because I don’t like conflict, discomfort. I like choices to be easy, people to be loving and kind. The truth is life is not always easy, comfortable and neat and if it were, we would never grow or mature. Take the teething baby for example, in order for the baby to grow teeth, there is pain as the teeth push forward and break the skin. Without that pain the little baby would continue to grow but be relegated to a life of soft mushy food. Many also have used the example of a child. Children are wondrous and a blessing from God, however as they develop there is often morning sickness, stretching and discomfort at times for the mother and they are birthed through travail and pain.

Full Circle= (Remember. Reflect, Recuperate,Rededicate, Redirect)

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This morning after my S.O.A.P. reading, I found myself looking ahead to tomorrows passage just to see what was coming up and to ask the Lord to prepare my heart for what He would have me learn from it. I skimmed over the chapter and not once but twice a word jumped out at me. That word was Gilgal.  I began to think back to a time in my life when this word or maybe I should say the significance of this word became very real in my life and quite significant as well.

Gilgal is first mentioned in the Bible in Deuteronomy 11 where God is describing the Promised land that He will be giving His people. Interestingly enough, it is contains the declaration of God to the Israelites, 26 Today I’m giving you the choice of a blessing or a curse. 27 You’ll be blessed if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I’m giving you today. 28 You’ll be cursed if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God, if you turn from the way I’m commanding you to live today, and if you worship other gods you never knew. 29 When the Lord your God brings you into the land you’re about to enter, recite the blessing from Mount Gerizim and the curse from Mount Ebal. 

I find that very interesting, considering the topic of my last entry was about choosing blessing or cursing, life or death, so this is the result of something I believe the Lord is trying to say to me or teach me. If it is helpful to someone else that is great, but most of the things I write about are things that I am learning or that I feel the Holy Spirit is teaching me.  This is my outlet and if you will since we are talking about Gilgal…my memorial stone to help me remember.

Back to Gilgal.  One of the most known and important times in Gilgal is found in Joshua when the Israelites have been instructed to cross the Jordan River to enter the promised land. Here the Lord parts the waters of the river for all the people following cross the river on dry ground while the priests stand in the middle with the ark of the covenant . God instructed Joshua that one man from each tribe be assigned to select one stone from the middle of the river where the priests had stood and take it to the place the Israelites would camp that night. As they did what God asked, Joshua explained, “4:21 He said to the people of Israel, “In the future when children ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 the children should be told that Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry ground.23 The Lord your God dried up the Jordan ahead of you until you had crossed, as he did to the Red Sea until we had crossed. 24 The Lord did this so that everyone in the world would know his mighty power and that you would fear the Lord your God every day of your life.”  

In chapter 5, at this same time, all the men who were born in the wilderness were circumcised at Gilgal. Circumcision was a sign to them that they were set apart unto the Lord.  Here they remained in this new land until they were healed.  Also, at Gilgal, the Lord declared in Joshua 5:

9 The Lord then said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the disgrace of Egypt from you.” Therefore, that place is called Gilgal to this day.

What does all this mean?  For me, I am sensing that Gilgal is the place where Israel has come full circle, it is a reminder of God’s salvation of Israel from Egyptian slavery, from the wrath of the Egyptians who were chasing them and were swallowed by the Red Sea; a reminder of His protection and provision for their 40 years of wandering in the desert, where they always had food and water and their clothes and shoes never wore out; it was a place of laying aside the flesh and consecrating themselves to God; laying down false beliefs and false gods that they were exposed to during slavery and being rededicated to the one True God. I believe Gilgal was a fresh start, a clean slate. It was also a great monument and reminder because of the twelve memorial stones. Human beings tend to over time forget or allow all that our God has done for us become a distant memory. These stones stood and still stand as a reminder of God’s faithfulness to the Israelites, we would do well to note and remember all God has done for us! What a stabalizing factor and comforting peace we could enjoy when the storms of life come blowing us over, if we take time to set up remembrances of the times He has seen us through hardships and difficulties or rescued us from them. When we regularly celebrate His presence and provision in our lives we are much calmer and peaceful when the storms of life blow over us, sometimes blowing us over.  I want to come full circle, celebrating fresh starts, rededicating myself to Him, remembering His presence and provision in my life, letting go of the difficulties and pain of the past but remembering His faithfulness and love as a reminder not to return there; choosing life and blessing over death and the curse!

Which Mountain Will You Choose?

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Have you ever experienced a period of time where it seems everywhere you turn the same word or phrase keeps turning up?  Lately the words life, blessing, focus and the phrase “choose life”  seem to keep turning up and sometimes in the most unexpected places and at most unusual times. This has been going on for some time now and it is beginning to come together with some understanding.

Last night at Bible Study our topic was John 10:10, one that has been key in my life for the last several years. Before talking about it, we went back chapter 8 and began reading to get the full context of what was going on around this time.  In chapter 8 we see the story of the woman caught in adultery and Jesus telling her accusers, “whoever is without sin, cast the first stone.” One by one they all walked away because Jesus was the only on qualified as without sin. Jesus did just what His Father would have Him do. He said to her, ” I don’t condemn you either. Go! From now on, don’t sin.” Next Jesus speaks to the Pharisees about His Father. There is a good bit of contrast between the religious practices of the Pharisees and those things that are truly important to God and that are modeled by Jesus.  He points out the differences in what the Pharisees practice and the true desires of His Father for those who want to be His disciples. This debate or exchange of ideas which are opposed to each other leads to anger and the threat by some to stone Jesus but He slips away safely. As chapter nine unfolds Jesus heals a man born blind and an inquisition ensues. First Jesus is questioned, then the blind man, both tell the truth and their stories are the same. That is not good enough to satisfy the curious minds so the parents of the blind man are brought in. Fearing the repercussions of their words, they would only reveal: yes this is our son, and yes he was born blind. Then they told the people that he was an adult and could answer for himself. They inquire of the previously blind man again and when he answers him the same, he is thrown out of the synagogue. In His compassion of this man, Jesus reveals Himself to him and explains that:

39 Then Jesus said, “I have come into this world to judge: Blind people will be given sight, and those who can see will become blind.”GWT

The Pharasiees responded:

40 Some Pharisees who were with Jesus heard this. So they asked him, “Do you think we’re blind?”GWT

Jesus went on to explain:

41 Jesus told them, “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be sinners. But now you say, ‘We see,’ so you continue to be sinners.GWT

Next we see the story where Jesus explains His role as Shepperd and how to tell the true Shepperd from an impostor. This is were John 10:10 comes into play; “10 A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came so that my sheep will have life and so that they will have everything they need.’ GWT

Now the Bible makes it clear that Satan is our enemy and that he is the father of lies. Here we see his purpose is always to steal, kill and destroy. Whether it is our joy and peace or our very life, he is out to wreak havoc and destroy (bring about destruction and death) but Jesus came to bring life and every thing that we need for life! What a great assurance! Now as I am pondering the wonder of this once again the phrase “Choose life” returns to me and my thoughts go to the Old Testament and the discussions of the blessings and cursings discussed with the Israelites in the later chapters of Deuteronomy and God’s declaration:

Deuteronomy 30:15 See, today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity. 16 For I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live[ and multiply, and the Lord your God may bless you in the land you are entering to possess.(HCSB)

     From the both the old covenant and the new covenant expressed by Jesus Christ, we can see that God has given us a choice. In every wonderful event and in every tragedy, even in the most mundane things in our life we have a choice to make. We can choose life or we can choose death, we can choose blessing or we can choose cursing. We can not necessarily choose our circumstances but we can choose how we respond to them. When we choose life and blessing we always win in the long run!  My friend Katie Brown put it this way earlier today, “There are two mountains, only two, and we get to choose which one we will spend our time on. We want to choose life. If we find ourself on the wrong mountain, it is time to move!”  So the question I am pondering now is how will life be different if I make a decision to weigh every situation or circumstance on this scale before responding or reacting to it? Is it an accurate statement to say that when I respond, I am choosing life and when I react I am choosing death?
    I will bring these thoughts to a close by sharing my S.O.A.P. verse for today:
Mark 4;24 He went on to say, “Pay attention to what you’re listening to! Knowledge will be measured out to you by the measure of attention you give. This is the way knowledge increases. 25 Those who understand these mysteries will be given more knowledge. However, some people don’t understand these mysteries. Even what they understand will be taken away from them.”

As I thought about this scripture, I realized the more I pay attention to the Word without allowing other thoughts, worries, concerns or any other intruder to interrupt or distract me, the more God will speak to me through it and the better I will be equipped  with what I need to manage well and thrive in life. It will enable me to choose life. Wisdom and knowledge are in the Word and the Holy Spirit brings the understanding, but if I am burdened down by distractions, questions, concerns, etc.; I will miss out on part or all of what He is trying to teach me. Therefore, I must learn to set aside all the cares of this world when spending time with Jesus  and in the Word; hand them over to Him! Then I can focus on the whole of what He has for me each day! The choice between life and death is a gift from Him. We get to choose! Distractions are from the enemy and diminish our peace, our joy, our contentment, and our fruit! May the Lord teach us to choose life, laying down all those things that lead to death and destruction and allowing the mind of Christ to dwell richly in each of our lives!

Welcoming 2013

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You crown the year with Your goodness; Your ways overflow with plenty. (Psalms 65:11 HCSB)
 
  Every 365 ( 366 in Leap Years) we begin again. For some of us, there is time spent reflecting on our previous year and asking ourselves what went well and what we want to see different as we reach this mile stone each year. For others, one year just seems to blend or fade into the next.  Some can not wait to put a difficult year behind them yet others prefer to cling to by-gone  days because they are unsure of or fear the future.  
    This morning, as 2013 dawns fresh and new, I found myself in Psalm 65. What a great reminder for the beginning of an new year!  
 
You are praised with silence in Zion, O God, and vows made to You must be kept.  You are the one who hears prayers. Everyone will come to You.  Various sins overwhelm me. You are the one who forgives our rebellious acts.    Blessed is the person You choose and invite to live with You in Your courtyards.  We will be filled with good food from Your house, from Your holy temple.    You answer us with awe-inspiring acts done in righteousness, O God, our saviour, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the most distant sea,    the One who set the mountains in place with his strength, the One who is clothed with power,    the One who calms the roar of the seas, their crashing waves,and the uproar of the nations.    Those who live at the ends of the earth are in awe of Your miraculous signs. The lands of the morning sunrise and evening sunset sing joyfully.    You take care of the earth, and You water it.  You make it much richer than it was.(The river of God is filled with water.) You provide grain for them.  Indeed, You even prepare the ground.    You drench plowed fields with rain and level their clumps of soil. You soften them with showers and bless what grows in them.    You crown the year with Your goodness, and richness overflows wherever You are.    The pastures in the desert overflow with richness. The hills are surrounded with joy.    The pastures are covered with flocks. The valleys are carpeted with grain. All of them shout triumphantly. Indeed, they sing.        (Psalm 65:1-13 GWT)
 
     Everything we could ever need or desire is found in God. He is the Creator; the Provider; the All-sufficient One; the One who Sees; He is The Healer; the Sanctifier; the Shepherd; the Lord; our Peace; our Rescuer and Saviour; our Righteousness and our Redeemer! These are just a few of the descriptive words that begin to describe who God is to me. I would be hard pressed to choose just one to describe Him since at one time or another He has shown Himself in each of these ways to me personally. 
 
    For today’s purpose, I believe would have to focus on Redeemer because no matter what we are trying to leave behind as this new year dawns, no matter the trials that may try to trip us up in the new year we can find redemption in trusting Him to get us through. There is much talk about a fiscal cliff, terrible tax increases, huge debt in our nation. Many people and businesses are fearful at worst and deeply concerned at best because of continued problems with the economy, problems with illness or broken relationships. You do not have to look far to see signs of this! We search for answers and for complicated solutions to the problems that surround us. We search both high and low, sometimes trying solutions that even to ourselves seem absurd. The answer is so simple and yet we complicate it, even a child can understand yet we resist.
The Redeemer wants a relationship with us be cause He loves us. He wants to take the problems and hurts in our lives and redeem them for good; to heal them so that we can help and serve others; He wants to heal and comfort us so that we can be His hands and feet and comfort others with the comfort we have first received from Him.
 
    I suppose in all my rambling what I am trying to say on the threshold of this new year is: I would like nothing more than to see 2013 be fondly remembered this time next year as a year of sunshine and roses, happy days without stress or sorrows but no matter what comes in this beautiful new year, I will rest in the knowledge that His promises are true, though often conditional and His desire is always for my good. He can bring about good from the fiercest storm and form a beautiful diamond from a dark lump of coal and though not all things are good, however “Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. (Romans 8:26-28 MSG)
Just like this year, we are all pregnant with potential and purpose. We get to choose our response. Coal used in it’s raw form is valuable for heating radiating life-saving warmth or producing valuable energy ; left in the earth and under pressure and placed then in the hands of master craftsman it will become an exquisite gem with many facets which reflect beautifully to all those around.  So are our lives! We all have different functions but in His eyes are all equally beautiful and equally valuable!  
                                                     Happy New Year! May He:
“crown the year with His goodness; His  ways overflow with plenty. (Psalms 65:11 HCSB)”
                                                         as we live in His Grace

Homesick

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In today’s world, I believe I am an oddity. It was not odd one hundred years ago for a person to live their whole life in a close parameter of their place of birth but it is much more unusual in our day and age, yet I live within 40 miles of my birth place and always have. I have traveled over much of the United States in my life and have seen beautiful vistas and lovely places! A few years back I spent a couple of weeks in Germany, a beautiful country. Recently had  the blessing of spending ten days in Israel and seeing a bit of Vienna in the travel process. I have enjoyed seeing many beautiful sights but have never felt a pull or drawing to any place other than the area in which I grew up! Though there is a beautiful world out there to explore, the only place that has ever felt like home and held my heart was Georgia and the hope of my Heavenly home to come.

This recent trip was different. I have had a life-long desire to see Israel and this fall the desire became a reality. I have spent years longing to see the land of the Bible, where Jesus walked, the land of Abraham, Moses; to get an idea of the culture and land where men and women of great faith resided. I was not prepared for the depth of emotion or the great love for this land that the trip would stir within me. I missed my family and longed to see them and share this experience with them; I was not prepared for the depth of desire to remain there or the pull to return again.

I have searched my heart to attempt to answer the mystery of why this journey had such an unexpected effect on me. I have discussed it at length with my husband who also feels this same magnetism. We have many theories of what contributes to the tugging at our heart but no tangible conclusion. Perhaps it is one of life’s mysteries that we are not meant to understand or possibly we haven’t processed fully what we have experienced. Could it be that the timing is just not right for us to understand? Could it have to do with God choosing Jerusalem as His chosen city or that a land a little smaller than our state of Florida seems to catch the world’s attention and many countries attempt to determine what they do about Israel? Is it the convergence of many faiths in close proximity, the hospitality and acceptance of the people? Maybe it isn’t really important to understand or define, maybe the point is more about experiencing the land, the people, and God in the land! Maybe the real treasure is more than walking where Jesus, the Disciples and Patriarchs walked and experiencing the Bible in the actual land of Promise. Could it be more than  learning about the our Savior and His Jewish roots and seeing the Word of God in a whole new light? Perhaps it is seeing a people group who has been scattered world-wide come back together in the nation God promised them and watch prophecy fulfilled before our eyes… I am betting it is all of this and so much more. It was a life changing and a trip of a lifetime and the only thing I can say for sure is that I highly recommend the trip and I hope to return at least a few more times if the Lord wills and should He tarry in His return!! It is a trip that taken for the right reason and with great guides will most assuredly change your life forever!!!