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Archive for the ‘Biblical’ Category

In a Box of Chocolates

Posted in Biblical, Christian, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on February 15, 2013| 1 Comment »

????????????????????????????????????????Raise your hands if you  gave up chocolate for Lent on Wednesday, then realized the next day, yesterday, was Valentine’s. Are your really going to tuck away that red heart shaped box filled with mouthwatering choices?  Can you withstand the temptation? Are you going to claim Sunday as a “king’s x” day and gobble down a few of them after church? Or will you chew now and confess later?

How easy is it to make resolutions and vow to make a change. How easy is it to be tempted at a drop of the hat to not keep that vow, or to find wiggle room in the rules to, well, have our chocolate in life and eat it, too. But what are we risking in return?

We all have good intentions when it comes to our Christian walk. We want to change, be more Christ-like, and bend to God’s will. Adam and Eve knew that push-me pull-you feeling. So did Paul.

For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. (Romans 7:15)

Human nature. We can’t  do it on our own, can we? Paul goes on –

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. (vs 18, 20)

But Christ shows us a higher road, a better way that He has not only paved, but traversed.  We only will  succeed when we let God’s will control our thoughts and actions.

…because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)

That’s a vow God makes to us, and He, though tempted while on earth, never gave in.

It’s not about what’s inside that heart shaped box of chocolates–it is about what’s inside the heart itself.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

 

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Bible vs Cell Phone

Posted in Biblical, Christian, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on February 13, 2013| Leave a Comment »

This is Ash Wednesday- the beginning of Lent. Lent was the time the early Christians spent in study, reflection and penitent contemplation before being baptized on Easter. Today, it is often a time of taking on new things to replace old negative habits.

I heard a woman speak at a conference recently about how modern day life can eat into our spirituality. She handed out the following questions.

What if . . .

We treated our Bible like our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several times a day looking for messages – and then responded back?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we treated it as if we’d be lost without it, afraid to be out of touch?

What if we gave it to kids as a gift?

What is we used it when we traveled, and In Case of Emergency (ICE)?

My pride balloon inflated because I have a daily Bible verse on my favorites’ screen and the whole Bible as an app on my cell phone.  But, when she asked if I looked at it as often as my text messages and email, it popped. With each question I saw the pieces float down in humility. How about you?

Unlike our cell phones, we don’t have to worry about our Bible being disconnected – Jesus already paid the bill.

Unlike our cell phones, we don’t have to worry about it being stolen.

Plus, with Christ, there are no  dropped calls. You always have 4 bars- at least.

Can you hear Him now?

 

 

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In Me?

Posted in Biblical, Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , on February 4, 2013| 2 Comments »

I have a daily Bible verse app on my Droid cell phone. Today’s is this:

No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his spirit.  1John 4:12-13

No one who has ever walked the earth has ever seen God, except Jesus when he looked in the mirror. Or, did He see just the human flesh He came to dwell in — that would bleed and die on the cross — staring back at Him? Could He physically see Himself as God or just be acutely aware of that part of Himself dwelling inside the flesh and bones?

Today, we believers are His hands and feet on earth. Can anyone “see” God in us or just sense His presence when we exhibit His love? Is that why people say God is reflected through us? That is a mystery which has been debated by those far more knowledgable than I throughout the centuries.

???????????????????????????????????????But this I know is Truth — if you have taken Jesus into your heart, He is there, living in you as His temple. Others can sense that, even if they are not believers. God draws people to Himself through believers. And, when we are not doing what Jesus would do, and love the way Jesus would love, it can repel them.

When we act in love as Christ would, then that love is made perfect because it makes God more tangible for others. John says God has “given us of his spirit”.  We don’t contain all of God’s spirit (we are too finite for that)  but we have enough of it shing through us be detected by other’s soul-eyes. AND maybe, we contain enough to detect shining with our own soul-eyes when we look in the mirror. Then we can see beyond the added ten pounds we have yet to get off our hips after the holidays, or the bad hair day, or the blemish that is pushing through onto our cheek.

Where did I find God today? Was it possibly in me?  Was I that loving? Did His Spirit reflect through me?

 

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In a Message

Posted in Biblical, Christian, tagged , on January 28, 2013| 1 Comment »

It was missionary Sunday with a twist. Our missionary came back with her fiancé, well now her husband of one week. They were married while here on furlough. He spoke to  the congregation. She sat back and smiled, letting him have the limelight and giving us a chance to get to know him better. Smart lady.

He was the one with the message we needed to hear, and I believe if her homecoming had overshadowed him, we would not have been as blessed by that message. And what was it?

It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to do it, if God is calling you, it will happen. So you may as well get out of the boat and walk waterlopen_grttowards His voice.

You see, that is how they met. He was pushed, shoved, volun-told and finger-waggled by his pastor that he go to this missionary conference . He swallowed hard and finally agreed since the pastor was more than adamant. He had been told by a visiting preacher that he was to be a missionary ten years earlier when he was in high school. He resisted, and resisted. This time it was evident he could not resist anymore.

At that conference, his eyes locked onto hers and the rest, as they say is history. God joined not just a man and a woman, but a missionary couple who will double the efforts in Cambodia to safe house women and girls from human traffickers.  God, in the perfect timing only He knows, brought it all to fruition and two people from two different countries ,but of the same denomination, are now united.

Has God been whispering in the back of your soul, but you have been ignoring it? Or maybe He has given you the desire, but  is letting you know it not the right time yet. Perhaps you have some soul-stretching to do and some faith toning before you run this race that is being laid out in His plan.

The first step is to acknowledge He is calling you. Then step out of the boat and start moving toward His voice. Like Peter, fix your eyes on Him and you won’t sink. Let Him set the pace for the goal He has in mind. Easier said than done.  But it is the only way to not get worn out battling the waves.

I am worn out. I am tired of no results.  I am  weary of brick walls that will not crumble. I’d already given God my resignation. Let someone else write for You.  No one is listening to my words anyway. I am through.

This missionary’s  message spoke to me.

Yesterday, He had handed me the pen again.  I climbed out of the boat.

 

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On my cell phone

Posted in Biblical, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , , on January 12, 2013| Leave a Comment »

dreamstimefree_16167No, it didn’t ring and God answer – but in a way He did.

This time of year when I begin to do my year-end tax preps, the questions begin to swirl. Did I make enough at this freelance writing/ author/motivational speaker thing? Did I spend way too much on marketing and advertising with too little results?  Should I try to land a part-time job this year, even though each time I’ve tried in the past three years the doors whammed closed?

It’s not that I want fame and glory – I truly want God to have all of that. I’ll admit. It’s nice to know I can make a difference in people’s lives and that He is touching their hearts through my words.  It would also be nice if more of my books sold and more people wanted me to speak to their congregations, talk with Bible study groups or lead retreats.

Hey, honest truth here – I do have bills. Millions of writers and speakers have full-time jobs, or spouses who can support them, right?  Just because I am a widow and a freelance writer doesn’t mean I shouldn’t either. Why should I be living on this precipice of wondering if I have enough to pay the rent or my car loan this month? Perhaps, in 2013 my goals should be to look for a job, or a man, or both.

The answer came in one sentence on the screen of my cell phone. Illuminated on stark blue-white in black, Times Roman font was my answer: Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established. Proverbs 16:3

It was if a voice from Heaven corrected me. “I should be the only man you seek- the Son of Man. That is your job. Trust me with the rest.”

No matter what your 2013 plans are, seek God in them first. Commit whatever you do right here and right now to Him. Each day vow to do that, and what you do tomorrow, next week and three months from now will fit into His plan for you.

Today, I’ll choose to embrace the unknown in giddy excitement because I’ll trust the One who knows all to guide me. Lord, forgive my lack of faith and doubts. To You be the honor, the glory and the power over my life forever and ever. Amen

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In a Drop and a Verse

Posted in Biblical, Christian, Devotional, tagged , , , , , on January 7, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Remember staring at a slide under the microscope in school?  Look what is in one drop of drinking water –

I get what is called the daily Lectionary– verses for the Psalms, Old Testament, Epistles (Apostles’ Letters like Paul, Peter and James) and four Gospels – each morning on my computer. It is designed to take you through the Bible in 3 years.

The first line of today’s Old Testament passage caught my eye –

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand? Isaiah 40:12a

Mediate on that for a moment.  How much does God handle each day? Yet Scripture tells us He knows it all. He knows every hair on every head of His people, billions of them.  Tenth Avenue North is a Christian band I like and they had a song about three years ago which stated they felt like they were just one drop of rain in a tropical downpour.  One tiny drop out of all the waters God holds in the hollow of His hand.

And yet, God know not only each drop but the movements of each of those microscopic creatures. Surely He knows each thought, each breath, each move I make as well. I may be just a tiny drop in the seas that fit in the hollow of my Creator’s hand, but that doesn’t mean He doesn’t notice me. Nor does it mean I will slip trough His fingers. I am tucked away inside the palm of the One who knows all that ever was, is and will be. So are you. And that is worth more than a drop in the bucket, isn’t it?

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In Baruch

Posted in Biblical, Christian, Devotional, Life Experiences, tagged , , , , on December 10, 2012| 2 Comments »

Baruch (Bar-OOK) is a lesser known prophet, and legend has it, he was the great prophet Jeremiah’s personal secretary. He lived during the time the Hebrew people were in exile in Babylonia.

That was a pretty dark time. They had been punished by God for not repenting. You might say they were in “time-out”. Like a parent disciplines a stubborn child, God removed them from all the wondrous things He had given them – the Promised Land, the Temple in Jerusalem, an identity as a nation under Him.

Yet, Baruch tells the people this, “Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem, and put on for ever the beauty of the glory of God. Put on the robe of righteousness from God and on your head the diadem [ornamental crown] of the glory of the Everlasting.” (5:1-2)

It reminded me of when Paul talks about putting on the whole armor of God in Ephesians 6.

That then led to the celestial tap on my brain — what are you putting on, Julie?

closetEvery morning I stand in my closet and decide what I am going to wear. The same is true for my attitude. Will I put on garments of sorrow and affliction, the unresolved hurt feelings, the negative attitude  I have towards someone  ( or myself) . . .or will I take them off the hangers and lay them at the feet of Jesus, stand naked before my Lord, and then let Him place on me His robe of righteousness and crown me with His glory?

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In a Tiny Bee

Posted in Biblical, Devotional, tagged , , , , on November 18, 2012| Leave a Comment »

© Scott Collis | Dreamstime.com

© Scott Collis | Dreamstime.com

The world’s tiniest bee landed on my windshield when I as waiting for the light to turn green. I could barely see its iridescent wings and miniscule antennae waving at me. Well, I  imagine they were really just feeling the direction of the breeze on a pleasant, sunny autumn afternoon.

The light changed and I eased ahead, slowly getting up to the 35  mph speed limit. My new little friend held on for dear life.  Around the curve, down the hill, and into the store parking lot, the tenacious little guy (or gal?) still clung tight.  Then, I pulled into the parking lot, found an empty spot,  and stopped the car.

I expected him to immediately fly off, glad that this harrowing experience was over. But he didn’t.  He stayed glued to the windshield and bent his antennae this way and that for a few seconds. Perhaps he was testing his surroundings. Was it safe? Then, in a blink, he was gone.

Like my bee friend, I want to land on the windshield of the Almighty. I want that tenacity, and the wisdom,  to stay put and ride with God wherever it is He wishes to take me.  I want to trust in His protection and be delivered from any danger my own thoughts and actions, or the world’s, would carry me.

Joshua schooled the Hebrews  to be wary in the new Promised Land where idol worshippers and the ungodly dwelled. He told them, “but you shall cling to the LORD your God just as you have done to this day.” (23:8)

I’m not saying the bee had faith in me, he was probably just reacting instinctually. He knew by the wind pressure on his antennae when it was safe to leave.  But that makes my point. I want a faith which is so solid that it is instinctual. Often I do have that, when things are calm. But if things begin to change,  the whispers of doubt try to tickle the corners of my mind. I wonder if I am in His will. Is this windshield that I have latched onto the right one? Should I bail off and try to find God’s will another way?

The answer is “cling” until He tells me I don’t have to do so anymore. May my spiritual antennae always vibrate enough to sense when I should hold on and when it is safe to let go. May I trust in the Lord fully and have the smarts to know it is not a good idea to let go and try to fly against the wind ( i.e His Will.)

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On Facebook

Posted in Biblical, Christian, tagged , , , , on November 7, 2012| Leave a Comment »

From a dear friend Georgette:

“Nov. 6th:  I am grateful for all the service men and women who provide the blanket of liberty under which we live, sleep and vote.  Shall we never take for granted the liberties that have been paid for with blood, sweat and tears over generations!”

From another site –

And wise Biblical  advice for all of us  –

‎”If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.” James 1:26
“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” 1 Timothy 2:1-2

The best political position is on your knees.

 

 

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In a tradition

Posted in Biblical, Christian, tagged , , , , , on November 2, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Today is All Soul’s Day.  The Hispanics call it Dia de la Muerta.  What is it and why is it commemorated?

William-Adolphe_Bouguereau_(1825-1905The Day of the Dead(1859)

In Western Christianity, All Souls’ Day is observed principally in the Catholic Church, although some churches of Anglican Communion and the Old Catholic Churches also celebrate it. The Eastern Orthodox Church observes several All Souls’ Days during the year. The Roman Catholic celebration is associated with the doctrine that the souls of the faithful who at death have not been cleansed from the temporal punishment due to venial sins and from attachment to mortal sins cannot immediately attain the beatific vision in heaven, and that they may be helped to do so by prayer and by the sacrifice of the Mass. In other words, when they died, they had not yet attained full sanctification and moral perfection, a requirement for entrance into Heaven. This sanctification is carried out posthumously in Purgatory. (Wikipedia)

Whether you believe in that doctrine or not, the fact is that Jesus understood the sorrow of death. He wept over Lazarus, not because he was dead, but because of what that death did to his sisters Mary and Martha. He felt their deep sorrow and mourning.

Two years ago tomorrow my husband died in the shower. He had a lot of issues that he was afraid to give to God. But he had been baptised and sealed as Christ’s own forever. I believe that in that time between death and eternal life, he and Christ came to an understanding about all of that. How long that period is can only be known by God. But I firmly believe He loves us so much that He does not want any of us to be lost forever. He will give us every chance to fall at His feet and proclaim Him as Lord. That is why He died for our sins. As Michael Card sang,  they didn’t need to nail Christ to that cross, His love kept Him there.

If it soothes your soul to pray for the dead, I think God honors that.  Scripture says –

We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

Jesus intercedes for all believers in Heaven. (Romans 8:34)

One day the dead will rise first, and we will all meet Him in the clouds. (1 Thessalonians 4:16- 17)

We will be given new spiritual bodies. (1 Corinthians 15:44)

There will be no more sorrow or pain.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning
or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”   Revelation 21:4

That is worth praying for.  Maranatha.

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