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Are we taking the Bible seriously?

Nov4

Now, that’s may sound strange. Don’t most people, in particular Christians, take the Bible seriously? Well, maybe. But there’s a way to measure just how seriously we do take God’s word. Look back over the last, let’s say, week. How much time did we spend reading our Bibles? The way we answer that question should shed some light on the level of our seriousness.

Another thing we could do is to compare our time spent on our tech devices to the time we spend reading our Bibles. Now perhaps we should limit that time to personal use. For some their work requires the use of devices. But personal time usage is another thing entirely. So what did that check up reveal?

I believe that one of Satan’s most destructive lies of our day is to downplay the importance of spending time with God daily in His word and prayer. It’s where Satan’s treachery is unveiled, you know. And if he can keep you from learning about God’s plan to save and guide believers, then his deception achieves its purpose. And without a desire to make time for God, we will fall right into Satan’s trap.

Remember, God’s desire is for His children to communicate with Him, spend time with Him. Then we will find our way out of the darkness, get back on track, and our confusion will be cleared away. We will be able to discern the path we need to take.

No one wants to be caught off guard. We want to be informed so that when the unexpected happens, we will have no need to panic or become confused. There’s a future out there for all of us. We can face it with hopeful anticipation, or we can withdraw in fear. It will depend upon whether or not we have availed ourselves to what the Bible says to us on a day by day basis.

My prayer is that God will draw us to Himself in prayer and His word. I made the mistake of thinking that I should read my Bible because that was what Christians were suppose to do. Reading the Bible at first seemed more like an obligation. With an attitude like that, I was blinded to the magnetic power of the Bible to draw me closer to God. I was blinded, as well, to the instigator of my preference to read any and everything but the Bible. Remember, it’s all about who we are going to cooperate with, God’s plan or Satan’s plan.

God’s word is the most important book in existence. Leave it out of your life and you will live to regret it. Keep it in your life and you will know joy, peace, security, certainty, guidance, and so much more, if you take it seriously enough!

In the image of God…

Oct28

So just what does being made in the image of God mean?

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, … Genesis1:26 NIV

In order to understand, we have to go way back to the days of Creation. Where we will note only in one living thing did God place His image. That, of course, was humankind. We are unique among all of God’s creations. As a result, mankind possesses a capacity to think, to reason, to make choices. We have a sense of right and wrong. But, Wait!, you may ask. The image of God in people isn’t very obvious these days. And considering all the darkness in the world today, you would be right.

For you see, after Adam and Eve’s rebellion, the image of God within them was marred. And as a result all of mankind has inherited that damaged image (a sinful nature). Yet, God in His unfathomable love for mankind, sent His sinless self in the form of His sinless son to restore the original image of Himself.  Because God is not only the God of love, He is also the God of wrath. Evidenced by the price Adam & Eve (and humankind) paid for their rebellion against God by being driven out of the garden of Eden and suffering death of God’s original image.

We can’t sin against God and expect God to look the other way. A price has to be paid when we sin against God. So enters Jesus (God’s love) to pay that price which is death (God’s wrath) to restore the image of Himself within us. In accepting Christ’s payment for our sins, God immediately places a new nature within us and the process of restoration begins.

And yet, the enemy of mankind is unrelenting is his determination to deceive and expand his darkness. It is only the Light of Christ that can expose him. For he spreads his darkness through a resistance to receive Christ and be transformed by this new nature.

As this transformation takes place, we are reminded of something that our old sinful nature had all but forgotten. All humankind bears the image of God and therefore possesses value. Our new nature uses this filter to replace anger, jealously, and resentment, etc. Attitudes and actions of our old nature. Our new filter replaces them with acts of kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. It is our new nature, that reflects God’s character/image. Our old nature isn’t capable of doing that.

Young Adults/Youth, are you reading your Bibles?

Oct21
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“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Christian young adults and youth of today face a challenging present, not to mention future. To navigate their way, as a Christian, through the confusing and conflicting avenues of their culture is challenging. To travel these avenues, and remain true to their Christian faith requires a muscular faith. Understandably, the amount of stamina and strength to stand firm in the face of the enemy’s attacks must be consistently acquired. The question then is how is this accomplished?

Simply put, it is by reading their Bibes! They need to be drawn into it daily. Feeding upon the wisdom and understanding supplied by God’s Spirit. Daily nourishment directly influences the spiritual insight into how to view life and make daily choices that honor God.

For you see, contrary to what the enemy would have them believe, the Bible is more than relevant to their daily lives. It is absolutely necessary to avoid being deceived by the enemy. Knowing God’s truths about how to live life will help them avoid the pitfalls lying in wait for them, if they misstep.

Satan has played a foul trick on our young adults and youth. He manipulates them into thinking that reading their Bibles (much less prayer) isn’t all that necessary. They are unaware that Satan has a mission and by their choices they are either fulfilling his mission or making choices that will thwart his mission.

As Christian young adults and youth they must come to terms with the perils they will encounter, if they avoid reading their Bibles and spending time with God in prayer. If there is little desire to do either of these, they must be honest enough to ask themselves why that is and the courage to make the correction.

Please allow me to share a personal note on this issue:

It took a crises situation in my life to open my eyes to the fact that I wouldn’t survive without daily instruction or encouragement from God. Sometimes moment by moment. And it was caused by failing to seek God’s presence consistently. All those missteps I made, Satan took advantage of in order to dull my spiritual senses. It was the act of taking to Scripture to search for Truth thoughts to combat the lies of fiery darts that exposed Satan’s manipulation and deception.

(I have directly addressed young adults and youth in this post. Yet you and I know these truths are for all ages!)

Lack of exposure to Truth leads to blindness…

Sep30

Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s consent.But even the hairs of your head have all been counted. So don’t be afraid therefore; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31 HCSB

The context of these verses reminds us that Jesus is about to send off his 12 disciples to go out on a mission to preach and heal. Knowing they will face hardship and suffering, Jesus highlights the tender care of God towards a sparrow. As His eye was on the Sparrow, even more was His eye on them. Too, He reminds them that since He is so aware of the number of hairs on their heads, then they need not be afraid. Jesus assures them that they are worth more than many sparrows. 

So off they went to face opposition, disappointment, persecution, and who knows what else, with confidence. They had experienced numerous events where Jesus revealed his power. They knew from experience that His words were powerful.

Then where does that leave us? We still have God’s word. We still have the verses from Matthew illustrating the depth and intensity of God’s care for us. And like the disciples, we have experienced evidence of God’s care over our lives. And where do we find such assurance, if not in the Bible? 

Individuals prone to sin as we are need a daily dose, a reminder, if you will, of God’s care. But if we don’t get that by reading the Bible regularly and spending time with God in prayer, what will be the end result? Well, I will tell you. We will futilely chase after worldly solutions attempting to resolve those trials, hardships, or suffering. And all the while, our solutions are but just a Biblical turning of the page away!

Without the solutions contained within the Bible, we won’t have the ammunition to fire back at the enemy. And he is so cleverly deceptive. We won’t even realize we are being manipulated, deceived, or distracted by his lies. We won’t realize we are being conformed to take on the world’s perspective. And as the lies are fired at us, we become desensitized to them. And doubts about God’s care for us will begin to take root. We will become fearful, doubtful. Goodness, I could go on and on with a list of Satan’s fiery darts he could choose with which to attack us!

Additionally, you see not only do we need to have consistent exposure to the Truths of God’s word, we must believe them! Obviously, the more exposure we have, then the stronger our faith will be. And not only that, our eyes will be opened to the details all around us that prove God is, in fact, taking care of us. It was just our lack of exposure to God’s truths that had resulted in our blindness.

Lamentations 3:22-24, 26 …my take

Aug26

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.

The book of Lamentations, attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, was written following the destruction of of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. They were feeling the consequences of their disobedience. The city is in ruins, the people are in mourning, and the atmosphere is heavy with despair. (BTW, the word portion means inheritance)

The above verses remind us that our God is faithful. Even when our circumstances threaten to overwhelm us. However, God’s word reveals to us that with the dawn of every morning, we can begin anew. We just need to be reminded of these verses in Lamentations. Hope can be restored and with faith we can wait quietly for our God’s deliverance. Just seek Him and be at peace. The fiery darts of doubt, worry, fear, etc., can be thwarted.

Oh, trust me, it won’t be easy. It may take awhile to regain our footing after difficult circumstances. The fiery darts of the enemy can come in like a flood. Especially, in our weakened moment. That’s why God has given us the ammunition of the above truth thought to resist the enemy’s weapons. Every morning we rise and turn our focus towards Jeremiah’s words to the suffering. Then we put one foot in front of the other. We remind ourselves of who God is. That He is bigger than our disappointments, our fears, our sufferings, our trials, etc. No matter what the enemy throws at us to bring us down, he cannot defeat God. (In 1 John 4:4 the word them refers to false prophets and those spreading deceptive spiritual ideas against Christ)

Remember, even if we have to refresh our faith every morning with these verses, we must keep at it. The enemy doesn’t give up easily. But be reminded that he is a defeated foe and eventually, we can claim the victory for our God fights the enemy and wins.

The Bible and the Truths therein, are our most powerful weapon against the enemy. But if we don’t go to God’s Word, we won’t know that! Will we?

Accepting the good days and the bad days…

Aug12

I don’t mind growing old. Wrinkles, declining energy, increases in aches and pains that’s all a part of life. Though many make efforts to curb or slow down the aging process, it is a futile effort. A person is better off just accepting this and moving forward.

Yet there is an aspect of growing old, that I find difficult to accept. Two aspects actually. I find it an exercise in frustration accepting the refusal of my body to tackle the tasks of cleaning and maintaining my home. (so does my husband) But the loneliness is perhaps the hardest. My husband and I have four married children. They have blessed us with ten grandchildren who range in age from eleven to twenty-two. They are scattered in various states and continents. Needless to say, visits are minimal.

Therefore, a verse like Psalm 118:24, doesn’t at first glance find a place to settle in my thoughts. Especially, when I am rambling about in a house built for a family of six. A house that has enveloped twenty of us on occasions!

Yet, I know that if I fail to reframe my focus, I will become a vulnerable target for the enemy’s fiery darts. How do I avoid this? God’s truth thoughts found within the pages of Scripture provide the answer. So I return to Psalm 118:24 for a deeper dive.

After a bit of study, it was revealed to me that the meaning of this verse doesn’t imply that even in the midst of trials we must be jumping for joy. While there are somedays that give cause to a celebratory mood, not every day will be like that. So in the difficult days or in times of trials we must frame our focus on the fact that God made that day.

So, in those difficult days, we remind ourselves that it is a day God has given to us. Though it may be heavy, God is there in that day. He has not forsaken us. Even in the midst of those kind of days, there are small gifts from God to comfort us. Look for them. They will be your solace.

Accepting the day God has given us, no matter what it may bring – good or bad, will produce the perspective that will sustain us. And that is cause to rejoice and be glad.

America’s Founding: The Cost of Ignoring God

Jul29
Large Holy Bible on table in front of officials with Capitol building visible
Turning back on God cast dark clouds over our future. Damaged flag indicates a country in danger.

As Christians we have the freewill to choose whether we will love and obey God. Satan takes advantage of our freedom by enticing us to disobey God. And by manipulation, lies, and deceit he gains victim after victim. And do you know what his most powerful weapon is? Ignorance of God’s word, the Bible, and lack of communication with God in prayer.

To continue with this month’s theme of the Founding of America, we must understand that just as ignorance of God’s word and lack of communication in prayer can make us vulnerable to Satan’s enticements to sin, so it applies to our country.

Consider the ignorance of far too many Americans about the details of our country’s beginnings. About the hand of God as was evident by miracle after miracle (I mean how does a small group of people defeat a world power like England). With our ignorance of our country’s beginnings, we played right into the enemy’s hands. His tactics are obvious to anyone who is firmly established in God’s wisdom. Our founding fathers were spiritually alert to how we could fail as a country. In George Washington’s farewell address he reminds us of this:

…reason and experience both forbid us to expect that National morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”

We are made in the image of God as most would concede. But do they grasp what that means? It means that we have the potential to reflect God’s character and authority. That makes us different from every other living creature. We can recognize right from wrong because we are God’s image bearers. But by rejecting God and His plan to redeem us, self rules and our image reflects the enemy.

Anyone or any country who denies God is left without protection from the enemy. Without the moral compass a belief in God offers, we are left to whatever influence we are impressed with. And that’s where Satan takes his advantage.

Our country should have learned her lesson when in June 15, 1962 school prayer was ruled as unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. Then a year later in 1962 the Supreme Court ruled against Bible reading in school. What followed should have been expected. God was not only removed from our public school system, but the public arena as well. And here we are struggling in our desire to be religiously neutral. Declining in moral strength all along.

If our founding fathers, had decided to keep the government neutral when it came to religion, there would be no 250 years of freedom for American citizens to celebrate in 2026!

A Refresh on the Revolution…

Jul22

There has been quite a bit of enthusiasm over our 250th birthday. There was the movie Young Washington which only wetted my appetite for more about our founding father. (And from what I’ve learned is, there will be.) The event Rededicate 250 held on the National Mall rekindled my hope for a return to the Christian principles embedded within our Constitution. Then the enthusiastic acceptance of our World Cup visitor friends, opened my eyes to appreciate my beloved country from a fresh perspective. Needless to say, I was inspired.

Since the Christian faith of our Founding Fathers is severely downplayed these days, I knew I needed a refresh on the facts of our Revolutionary days. So when I discovered Eric Metaxas’s book, “Revolution: The Birth of the Greatest Nation,” I was intrigued. You know what drew me to his book? He told the whole story. He didn’t leave God out. That was and is the missing element of most history books of our day. And frankly I hungered for that missing element.

So I’m in the process of reading Mr. Metaxas’s book. And I’m enthralled. Being a Christian myself, Revolution enables me to see the leaders of our Revolution from a relatable perspective. It surprised me to know that our Revolution has been the only successful revolution of many world revolutions? Ours has lasted 250 years and is proof positive that adhering to the biblical principles within our Constitution is the reason why. For the world’s sake, in order to continue moving forward America must return to her Christian faith. And the words of Ronald Raegan, and Puritan pilgrim John Winthrop based on Matthew 5:14-16 tells us why:

“For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by-word through the world.” John Winthrop

Raising up generations who are ignorant of the impact Christianity had on the formation of our country has produced the ignorance we are dealing with today. Did you know that it was reported that some of our leadership argued recently that our rights don’t come from God! This is shocking to me. However, is it any wonder we would be so misinformed about our country’s beginnings when we’ve lost sight of what motivated our Founding Fathers to establish such a country?

So I’m taking a refreshing plunge into a complete account of my country, thanks to Mr Metaxas. I do not care to continue in ignorance of all the nuances involved in the acts of faith and miracles of God that shaped our beloved United States of America. I strongly feel, if we desire to continue moving forward, we should be determined, as our Founding Fathers were, not to go without God.

Young Washington – Mistakes can make us

Jul7

This week America will celebrate her 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. And a film portraying our country’s first president, George Washington, is highlighting our celebration. I believe, the timing of the release of this movie is Providential. For there is much to ponder and to learn from the movie, Young Washington.

For instance, Washington’s first attempts at leadership were massive failures. However, he chose to learn from those failures and history revealed it shaped him into becoming just the leader our country needed. His core belief in Providence fashioned a man who didn’t look to himself alone for his guidance. He depended on Providence to guide and protect him and his troops.

Now, I bring this up because America is being threatened from within. For there are those who would erase the roll of Providence in the formation of the United States of America, in particular of our Founding Fathers.

Yet, if we are hoping to extend America’s future, we had better acknowledge our errors as Washington did. For he famously quoted, “We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors.”

Acknowledging the protective power and guidance of God Almighty was the bedrock of his confidence. In a letter to the Rev. Samuel Langdon, Washington reflected this.

“The man must be bad indeed who can look upon the events of the American Revolution without feeling the warmest gratitude towards the great Author of the Universe whose divine interposition was so frequently manifested in our behalf. And it is my earnest prayer that we may so conduct ourselves as to merit a continuance of those blessings with which we have hitherto been favored.” — George Washington in a Sept. 28, 1789 letter to the Rev. Samuel Langdon

I believe the timing of this film is Providential. I pray it will inspire Americans to get informed as to who we are and what we are about. To turn our hearts back to God. To be taught the Truth and be set free by that Truth. We need to acknowledge our mistakes, Swallow our pride and make choices that will bring healing and strength to our beloved country.

And as a result get informed and acknowledge that God is calling us back to Himself. While recognizing the enemy. For he is that hidden voice, the motivator, behind those who are bent on destroying America.

Instead let us purpose to follow the course set for us in Matthew 5:14-16, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden….” as referenced by President Raegan in his farewell address. A course that returns us to God and restores America. For if we do not, a Puritan pilgrim, John Winthrop back in 1630, warned us of the consequences:

“For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by-word through the world.”

Philippians 4:6-7, My take…

Jul1
mountainside praying at sunrise
Saying thanks even when we don’t feel like it!

I have a one hour drive to the small country church where my husband pastors. The routine is he leaves before me and I drive in about an hour and half later. The larger portions of my journey are down a rural highway. So mostly I get to enjoy the displays of the four seasons whose star attraction is the stately trees.

Since the drive is somewhat lengthy, I habitually plug in my phone to a music app and select “Contemporary Christian Bands.” Since I am the sole listener, I get to pay attention to the words. And I pay attention because God is always faithful to whisper truths I need to be reminded of.

With grandchildren growing up and out, I just don’t get to enjoy their companionship as I use to. And because my kids either live too far away or a busy life prevents visits, their company is lacking as well. It’s hard to adjust to my solemn days. And I have to confess, lonely. My husband is a big help for having to do for him, keeps my mind occupied. But as a mom and grandmother, I find that the temptation to worry increases as the time between visits decreases.

Thus on the trip to church last Sunday God directed me to do something I hadn’t really done before. He charged me to evaluate the inner voice that was reminding me of the declining moments of memory making with my children and grans. To ask myself what was that inner voice trying to accomplish by reminding me of my sadness. I thought I was just pondering these sad thoughts in an attempt to try an understanding my aching heart.

While listening to a variety of songs I was reminded of God’s question. And I began noticing something. The words in the songs, reflected God’s faithfulness, mercy, compassion, and, yes, blessings even in difficult days. But that didn’t match up with the dialog in my head. So obviously, it wasn’t that I needed to have a better understanding of my troubles. The whisperings I was getting from God was ‘change the record.’

The point God was making was beginning to sink in. The feelings of sadness (feeling sorry for myself) were not prompted by God. With His encouragement, I now evaluate those thoughts as to their origin. And, as to their purpose. The answer is pretty obvious.

All I have to do to thwart the enemy’s attacks is to thank God for this season of my life. Children grow up and often move away. But God doesn’t run out of ideas for our lives when our house grows quiet and empty. Turning to Him in anticipation of what’s next will reveal new things to be thankful for. By allowing an attitude of thanksgiving to rule my thoughts. I will know peace. Not worry. Not sadness. Not loneliness. But a new appreciation for the changes God is making in my life.