Itty Bitty Bible Study – Jonah Chapter 1

Jonah

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!) The conversation starts Monday, February 5th.
Itty Bitty Bible Study – Jonah – introduction

Jonah chapter 1
The whole premise of Jonah starts out in the very first couple  of verses.
God tells him to go left and he goes right or you could say God told him to go right and he went left.

This reminds me of the parable of the two sons in Matthew 21:28-32. The difference is, the disobedient one chose to go obey – he wasn’t swallowed by a fish. Or is that really a difference?

I promised you a story!

I just want to make confession right now, that I know that I am saved by faith are by grace through faith and that not of my own but it’s the gift of God.
I know that I was saved in 1969.
I also know that God became my father figure which means that with some issues of a teenage girl I wasn’t always so good at listening to my father God.
I had been part of ministry teams.
I had served in many capacities and all sorts of ways through my Junior and Senior High School.
That’s age 9 through 17!

As we came up to my graduation, I had been working full time to pay the bills for or at least help pay the bills for my mom and my brother. I was given a scholarship to The Ohio State University. It was for music and art. At least that’s what I remember. I also loved English and there are so many ways I could have gone. The difficulty was that I had no self esteem, and I remember that when I got the scholarship, which I didn’t even remember applying for, I looked up to the sky and said “you have no idea what you’re talking about.” Yes, I was talking to GOD!

Think about a teenager, I was seventeen at the time, being told by their parents,

“you have such a great gift! You need to go to college and you need to explore your gift and to give it back to mankind!”

And that teenager just looking at their parents and saying “you have no idea what you’re talking about.” That makes sense, right? This is the difficulty with 17 year olds…they know so much more than their elders! The problem was, I wasn’t talking to my earthly parent! I completely confess that this is not the way a person should interact with the Creator God of the universe, and I’m not excusing my behavior, I’m just explaining it.

One requirement was that I was supposed to take an SAT or an ACT test. It’s the rite of passage of all good students. I was a 3.8 or 3.9 grade point average, while slacking, and working full time, so the ACT and SATshould not have been very difficult for me. For the first time in my life, I got test anxiety and doubled over and was not able to go take the test. I knew I would fail. I knew I didn’t have it in me in order to take the test that would seal my going off to college.

I also had no idea how I was going to afford it because for some reason, I had no concept of the scholarship program. At the time, my mom was basically incapacitated and my dad was not really helping me because he was very busy with his wife and her children. So I didn’t do the test. What I did do was go to a Navy Recruiting Station. There, they had me take an ASVAB and I aced the ASVAB on all of the different things that you can choose from. I was told “well you can choose whatever job description you want.” I felt that I’d found my place in which to succeed! I knew that they would train me, I knew that I would be paid, I knew that medical things would be taken care of, and I knew that I’d be able to send money home.

I remember signing the recruiting papers and seeing that Ohio State scholarship letter before my eyes and saying, again, “God you don’t know what you’re talking about I am not good enough for that.” Years later I found out that the Navy actually has art and music programs and I was so determined that I was not skilled enough, I didn’t even notice these. Or actually, as the story moves along, God blinded my eyes.

I was excited to be going into the Navy. I always have felt that it is each Citizen’s responsibility to serve their country in some form and I was going to serve my country. So I was shipped off to Orlando, Florida(in July and August) for boot camp for women. Day one was tricky, day two was interesting, and on day 3 as we were running around the big parking lot we called a grinder to do the Run part of our physical training, I fell.

Actually, during the run, I was excited and turned to the Sailor that was jogging with me and said “this is great! I’m not out of breath! I’m not dizzy! I’m doing the Run!” No sooner had I gotten those last words out of my mouth, that I blacked out and from the description of those that were there I fell straight back on my rear end, snapped my neck back and hit my head on the pavement. This paved area was like the size of a football field, I think, and the people on the far Corner heard my head hit the concrete or the pavement. Needless to say everyone was concerned.

I’m pretty sure I went to sick call right away, but because there was no damage, I was probably given some sort of pain medication and sent back to the unit. As swelling incurred in my low back, I started having less and less use of my right leg and while I had started out as the caller (think Cantor) for the unit’s marching, at this point I was needing to be carried back and forth to class and to the dining hall. Naturally, I was sent back to the Infirmary.

I had pain from my right hip down my right leg and I was not able to put weight on it. They called it paralysis(or a word similar) at the time. While I was lying on bedrest for one week, stuck all by myself in this completely white environment, void of any other color, I asked the Lord why he allowed this to happen. He told me “I said go to school.” At this point I made a bargain with God, but I’ll write about that a little later. Right now the main point is that the inflammation did go down enough and I was able to finish my boot camp and graduate with my unit(part of my deal with God). I went on to San Diego, California for my a school. Radioman, which was very early computer things and the Navy had plans for me to be the first female on a Navy ship that wasn’t just a supply ship, to be in the Radio Shack. God had other plans.

Jonah chapter 1
The whole premise of Jonah starts out in the very first couple  of verses.
God tells him to go left and he goes right or you could say God told him to go right and he went left.

Jonah, son of Amittai, is mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25-26

25 He(the King) restored the border of Israel from Lebo-hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher. 26 For the Lord saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter, for there was none left, bond or free, and there was none to help Israel.

Here we have Jonah. he has prophesied before to Great results, so he knows that when he hears this voice that this voice is God’s voice and he needs to listen. One of the things that I don’t quite get or didn’t until looking into this booklet is why do you just take off and run? In the various links I gave you for introduction there are some theories about Nineveh being an enormously powerful pagan City, and then he was just afraid for his life. I get it, no problem.

I think we have the answer in Jonah 4:1-3 where Jonah is fussing at God because God answered the prayer of the Ninevites to deliver them after Jonah preached destruction. I’m not absolutely certain, but I think just about every time destruction is prophesied there is that olive leaf of Hope that if you turn … but if you return to me… but if you confess your sins…if you humble yourself and seek my face I will hear from heaven and heal your land. I think Jonah knew this, and maybe a little bit of his ego is in there, thinking “I’m going to preach Hell-ire and Damnation and God’s going to come in with grace, mercy and forgiveness and everybody is going to point at me and say you were all wrong.”

One point that I want to make about this is I think everyone, me included, has some Jonah in our hearts. When God says to do one thing, and I really, really do not want to admit that I heard him. In fact, I have a book I’ve been choosing not to hear God about for a few years and I’m working on it now I’m trying to be obedient now. I’ve been supposed to be writing Bible studies all along and I’ve told God that I don’t have the schooling, I don’t have the training, I don’t have the Theology and Seminary degrees behind my name so obviously he has the wrong person. That didn’t work so well with Moses. Didn’t work well with Jeremiah. It hasn’t worked so well with me. Is there something in YOUR life that God has called you to do and you are choosing to turn a deaf ear? How different is that from running the other direction and hopping onto a ship?

So in my old age, I’m just giving up and deciding to be obedient. I guess God has kept me alive 57 years because he knew I would just give up. My suggestion to you no matter how old you are is give up now! If you have given your life to God through Christ Jesus and you have the Holy Spirit living within you, you are not your own! You were bought with a price! Even more so, there are giftings that God created in you that you would produce fruit and good works That’s all stuff in Ephesians and Corinthians. One of the things that I am learning is that when God calls you to do something he will strengthen you and enable you to do it.

The next point that I see in this first chapter is how disobeying God put a whole bunch of innocent people in jeopardy. Jonah wasn’t even aware of the storm that was threatening to destroy the ship and kill everyone on it. I’m a little disappointed with Jonah that they had to draw a lots to figure out who it was it was causing this and yet God still orchestrated that. There was probably some aspect in these men’s minds that couldn’t just say oh yeah it’s me and believe him. The drawing of lots, or the straws, the pulling the Short Straw or whatever, this was all something that would be common in their mind to find out what the will of whatever god was attacking them was. But kudos to Jonah “yep I’m a Hebrew. God is mad at me and he’s found me and you need to throw me over the ship.”
Kudos to the sailors that didn’t want to just throw him over the ship, though we know they did.

Now, the voluntary being thrown over the ship looks really self sacrificing on the cover, but he was still trying to get out of going to Nineveh. I don’t even know if he knew how to swim. He’s like “throw me over and I’ll die and I won’t have to go to Nineveh.” The reason I say this is going back to a later part of Jonah, chapter 4, when he’s fussing it God because God forgave Nineveh. He says “just take my life it’s not worth anything.” I know prophets are prone to drama, and depression. All you have to do is read the prophets and you’ll see that very clearly. I’m thinking Jonah was having them, rather than take his own life, which would not fly well in the face of Hebrew theology, he was having the men on the ship throw him over and he wouldn’t have any responsibility for his suicide. It would fall under death at sea, or murder…but not suicide. Likewise, later when he’s fussing with God he tells God take my life! There’s a mentality here.

Why am I pointing out this suicidal issue?
I have lived with suicidal ideations, suicide attempts, depression, anxiety and a whole host of other mental illnesses and syndromes that come from PTSD from abuse. I can hear the sound of suicide in someone’s voice. Not always, not every time. Oh, my goodness, wouldn’t it be awesome if every single time someone was contemplating suicide and wasn’t telling anybody I could say hey I know that you’re thinking of suicide and I would like to help you and then there would be no more suicides because people could be saved before they make a decision. What I’m saying is, I’m familiar with the parameters that can draw someone down to the depths of despair where they wish they had never been born.

Spending three days in a fish just might do it.

The Fish?

I guess this would be a good time to discuss the great fish that God prepared beforehand to swallow Jonah. A fish big enough to swallow a man. Well, God created everything with one word. The fish probably was not created that day and may have just been created and grown. On the other hand, God could create that fish at that time, at that place and that size to collect Jonah and take him where he needed to be. I provided several resources in the introduction blog about was Jonah swallowed by a fish or a whale. and I will put those links here again as well.

The Bible Answer Man about Jonah
Institute in Creation Resarch
GotQuestions

I hope you all enjoyed photos of our whale watching trip, and I cannot explain to you how Majestic those blue whales were in real life! Even as huge as they are, I don’t think they can actually swallow anyone because they have a different kind of mouth. They are amazing no matter what. Our God is an awesome God and all creation sings his price!

If you missed it, put this url in the search box and you should be able to enjoy them!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/w3NLZH8rdiY3BWqY2

I also found this little overview – from the overviewbible on Jonah.

This art is from them:

Yes, I’m going to be applying scripture to this, because scripture does apply!
For now – let’s accept that Jonah is scripture! Of course it is!

 

Jim & Christi 2017

 

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

Some artwork is from me – ChristArtist. It is copyrighted – by me. Please do not share it without my permission. The same goes for my written work.
Some artwork is from ChristArt – not me! I have purchased a membership, and the art is copyrighted by them.
Some artwork is from FreeClipArt Library. copyrights belong to them.

I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Midnight Musings – The Cry of My heart – February 2, 2018

The cry MY the heart

by MCWildman

The Cry of the heart, The tear of the eye
Depression does start Though I think it’s not nigh.

I’m laughing and singing And praising the Lord
When all of the sudden My mind becomes torn.

I can find no reason, I can find no rhyme
I can’t even predict If there’ll be a next time.

The joy of the Lord it is my strength
But the truth be told Sometimes I am too weak

I know all the tools, I have Bible plans
Then I feel like a fool that is trying to stand.

It’s not on my own feet Upon which I stand
For I know and can see They are just sinking sand.

No words from a Sage, No songs from a poet
no silly do Dilly’s From memes that do show it

The cliches are so tired, The phrases so old
How I hate how I’m wired, How I hate this dark cold

I know this shall pass, I know it will end
But right in the moment for my life I do fend

I do not wish To take my own life
But I get so tired Of overwhelming strife

And then there’s the pain That no one can find
Just sad looks from the the ones that are kind

The loneliness bogs Me down to my knees
And I pray my dear God Deliver me please.

What is the thorn In the Flesh do I ask?
I don’t know that I’m up for this task!

I know that your glory will shine on me
The day that your face I will joyfully see.

The light of your face will break through all the dark
And the worth of these trials will be known in my heart.

But tonight, oh dear Jesus, please give me a sign
Please help me to know that you’ll hold me as thine.

I believe in you Lord and I trust that you’ll stay
And complete the work that you began on that day

It’s nothing of me that can do your good work
There’s no hope for me except in You, Lord

My heart it is struggling
my mind is confused
But I know I believe
And my trust is in you.

The darkness will cease, the pain has an end
As long as I believe, will my soul comprehend?

Oh Silent Night, oh distance song
Angels, please sing to me all the night long

Tell me of Jesus, tell me of he, who gave of his life that living I’d be

No pain is too great, of heart mind or soul
To equal the cross and that took its toll

You did that for me and I didn’t believe
But now that I do I can only receive
joy for my sorrow, peace for my pain
Love for my heartache, Grace for my shame

Truth has two edges, love has two sides
thy kingdom shall be in the sweet by-and-by

And when that day comes I will be ever thrilled
To stand in your presence sing to you still

So sing in the Darkness, laugh at the pain
For this is all Shadows of what I will gain!

No Darkness can take my salvation from me
no depression can Steal My Hope for to see

as it was in the beginning, is now and it shall be
World Without End ruled by God the almighty.
(c)2018 MCWildman

 

Jim & Christi 2017

 

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

Some artwork is from me – ChristArtist. It is copyrighted – by me. Please do not share it without my permission. The same goes for my written work.
Some artwork is from ChristArt – not me! I have purchased a membership, and the art is copyrighted by them.
Some artwork is from FreeClipArt Library. copyrights belong to them.

I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Jonah – Introduction

Jonah

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!) The conversation starts Monday, February 5th.

Introduction from Bible.org

Great source of information, and I have grabbed the outline from the above link:

B. Brief Outline (basically in two parts, chapters 1,2 and 3,4)

1. chapter 1 – God’s will rejected and replaced by Jonah’s will. God wins!

2. chapter 2 – Jonah repents (poem written in past tense and depicts worship in the temple in Jerusalem).

3. chapter 3 – God’s will received; Nineveh repents.

4. chapter 4 – God’s character revealed in contrast to Jonah’s attitude and action.

As you know by now, I love Dr. J. Vernon McGee.
His ministry provides study guides and such, and an introduction to Jonah. In this, he discusses the theological perspectives and pulls apart the covers, showing that the pompous considerations do not hold water in light of scripture. He also clearly demonstrates that Jonah is NOT A FISH STORY!!!

You can go to the link above and get the study guide, or I’m going to try to make the jonah pdf available here. no22_jonah

This past year, we were able to take a whale watching cruise, and we got photos of the beluga whale…I think.
While there are various reasons that the whale might not be the fish…here’s some photos just for your amusement. I you have to copy this and put it into the url bar.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/w3NLZH8rdiY3BWqY2

Christi, you say there’s reasons that it may not be a whale?

Here is the Institute in Creation Research’s point of view on whale vs fish.

Another place I like to look for some answers is GotQuestions.org. They discus whether Jonah was swallowed by a fish…and whether we should believe the story.

My first focus is on verses 1-3, and I will be sharing a story about how God told me to go to college, and I said no and joined the Navy. Like Jonah, I ended up being put in position wherein I had nothing to do but to cry out to God!

Week one, we’ll look at chapters 1& 2 – and how we say NO to God’s leading, and how we can turn that around.

Week two, we’ll look at chapters 3 & 4 – obedience doesn’t always lead to the outcomes we assume, and how that can effect our attitude.

Also, I intend to be creating my own Jonah art – and I’ll be posting it a bit at a time with each blog.

rough sketch

 

Jim & Christi 2017

 

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

Some artwork is from me – ChristArtist. It is copyrighted – by me. Please do not share it without my permission. The same goes for my written work.
Some artwork is from ChristArt – not me! I have purchased a membership, and the art is copyrighted by them.
Some artwork is from FreeClipArt Library. copyrights belong to them.

I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Obadiah 1:10-21 and summary

Obadiah
The vision of Obadiah from Jehovah about the judgement of Edom.

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!) The next conversation starts Monday, February 5th, on Jonah.

In Obadiah 1:1-9, we talked about the WHO and the WHAT.

Edom and Pride
Yet there was even more reason for why God was judging Edom.

WHY is God Judging Edom?
Verses 10-15

The short answer:

Obadiah 1:10 Because of the violence done to your brother Jacob,
shame shall cover you,
and you shall be cut off forever.

The historians talk about several times when Edom laughed at Judah, and even ambushed those that ran away from attacks. Because there were several times, they have difficulty dating the book.
Those various discussions can be found in any introduction to obadiah – Blue Letter Bible has a selection. Also, one could google for introduction of Obadiah, and many bible programs come up with these. Seriously, the point to me is that Edom had an attitude towards Judah, and was no help to them in their time of need.

What does that say to us, today?
Jesus’s teaching –

Luke 6:31 English Standard Version (ESV)
31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

Matthew 7:12
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

The parable of the Good Samaritan – Luke 10:25-37

The writer of Proverbs says:

Proverbs 24:17-18 English Standard Version (ESV)
17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
18 lest the Lord see it and be displeased,
and turn away his anger from him.

There are many verses where the child of God was crying out that the enemy not rejoice over them.

God did not choose to judge Edom because he wanted to judge someone.
God gave Edom many chances, and

Ezekiel 33:11 English Standard Version (ESV)
11 Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?

Here, we can see, it wasn’t just Edom. He warned Israel. He warned Judah. HE WARNS US!

But it is NOT HIS DESIRE!

2 Peter 3:9 English Standard Version (ESV)
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,[a] not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 English Standard Version (ESV)
3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Judgement must come for sin. Or, there is no standard.

Obadiah 1:15-16
15 For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations.
As you have done, it shall be done to you;
your deeds shall return on your own head.
16 For as you have drunk on my holy mountain,
so all the nations shall drink continually;
they shall drink and swallow,
and shall be as though they had never been.

Matthew 7:16-20 King James Version (KJV)
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Judgement begins at the house of the Lord!

1 Peter 4:17
17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And

“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”[c]

James 3:1
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

1 Corinthians 3:12-13 King James Version (KJV)
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

scary stuff…or it could be, if we didn’t know about the work of Jesus.

Obadiah 1:17-21 talks about the deliverance of Judah.

God gave them a promise in Jeremiah 1:19

19 They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.”

Do a search on “be strong and…” in scripture…those that were under attack were told to be strong and courageous…because GOD!

And God gave us a deliverer in Jesus Christ!

Romans 5:1-4
5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith[b] into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

One of the neat things about scripture is that the promises that Jeremiah spoke to the Israel and Judah are also promises to us!

2 Corinthians 1:20 English Standard Version (ESV)
20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

Why does God deliver us from ourselves?
For HIS glory!

Obadiah 1:21
Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion
to rule Mount Esau,
and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.

And that is for which we were created!

Isaiah 43:1-7
But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
4 Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange for your life.
5 Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
6 I will say to the north, Give up,
and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the end of the earth,
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”

GotQuestions.org discusses the purpose of man, and how we are to glorify God.

We glorify Him be being a light to the darkness, salt to the rotten world, and love to the hurting, peace to the distressed, kind to the broken, joy to the depressed.

Ephesians 2:10 English Standard Version (ESV)
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Micah 6:8 English Standard Version (ESV)
8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,[a]
and to walk humbly with your God?

Mark 12:30-31 English Standard Version (ESV)
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

For me, these are the points that I need to learn from Obadiah.
I said I wanted to learn how to avoid the sins of Edom, and by drawing near to God, and choosing His path, I can avoid that!
Also, I thank God that I have 1 John 1:9 and 1 John 2:1-2.
I know that I cannot do it on my own. And I thank God that Jesus has made the way, and that the Holy Spirit lives within me to guide and comfort me!

How about you?
What is your take away from Obadiah?
What can you apply to your life today, to avoid the judgement of the Lord?

 

Jim & Christi 2017

 

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

Some artwork is from me – ChristArtist. It is copyrighted – by me. Please do not share it without my permission. The same goes for my written work.
Some artwork is from ChristArt – not me! I have purchased a membership, and the art is copyrighted by them.
Some artwork is from FreeClipArt Library. copyrights belong to them.

I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Morning Worship – Joyful Joyful – 2/1/2018

Joyful joyful we adore thee…

the lyrics….Oh my!

The Methodist church provides these lyrics:

Ode to Joy

I love the piano guys….and my favorite christmas carol is Joy to the world!

many years ago, in the midst of my darkest depression, I wrote Oil of Joy

Jesus – the core of my Joy!

https://youtu.be/iPeVIuRjUi4

The Lyrics to Jesu, Joy of Man’s desiring.

This is my confession – that I am responsible for my joy, by leaning on Jesus!

and here is my prayer:

and my profession of Faith

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

John 15:11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

John 16:24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

The first named fruit of the spirit are LOVE, JOY, PEACE.
Love the Lord your God, and He will fill you with Joy, and in that Joy and Love, you will find Peace!

Philippians 4:7 English Standard Version (ESV)
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace!

Psalm 16:11 English Standard Version (ESV)
11 You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

We have access to HIS PRESENCE through Jesus Christ!

1 John 4:19 English Standard Version (ESV)
19 We love because he first loved us.

We are able to love, because HE LOVES US!

My husband sings this song to me when I am struggling with depression…and has song this to our children.

1 Corinthians 13: 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

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

Because of HIS love, I can enter into His presence.
In His presence is the fullness of Joy.
He will keep me in perfect peace because, in His presence, my mind is stayed on HIM.
Confidence that HE will complete the work HE began gives me patience.
Because of HIS great love, I can treat others with kindness, goodness, gentleness.
Because HE is faithful, I am able to believe, by grace, and through HIM, I can be faithful!
Because He lives in Me, and by Him, I am dead to sin, I can grow in Self Control.

If this is not something worth rejoicing, I do not know what is!

And I found this lovely art piece from Jan Marvin Art of Joy!

Find Joy today!
 

Jim & Christi 2017

 

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

Some artwork is from me – ChristArtist. It is copyrighted – by me. Please do not share it without my permission. The same goes for my written work.
Some artwork is from ChristArt – not me! I have purchased a membership, and the art is copyrighted by them.
Some artwork is from FreeClipArt Library. copyrights belong to them.

I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Those Pesky Giants!

A while ago I wrote a couple blogs on the giants that are in my land. One of those giants in my land has been fear. Every time I think I have knocked that giant down to size with the stones of the word of God, something seems to happen. And something has happened.

Couple weeks ago, I was talking with my hematologist, and was asking questions about cancer symptoms on behalf of my husband. My concern was the fact that I had all these cancer symptoms and my husband didn’t have any! She was very quick to relieve any of my concerns saying that my symptoms were not to the degree of a cancer like lymphoma, and unfortunately I probably was needing to continue to pursue those symptoms as individual symptoms with varying different diagnosis. On one had, I was hoping that all those symptoms would lead to ONE diagnosis…not the various things I deal with, but, on the other hand, I’m glad that I do not show signs of Lymphoma.

In the midst of this conversation, I mentioned that quite a few years ago there had been some spots found on one of my kidneys when they did a liver and gallbladder scan and how freaked out the radiologist was. I went to a Kidney Doctor, who looked at theMRI and said they were just benign ‘bubbles’. As I was saying that, she turned to her computer and pulled up my last liver scan that she did(2 years ago) remembering that they had seen some things in not only my right kidney but also in my left and immediately she called for a scan of my kidneys ASAP. 

It seems kind of funny, as I wasn’t aware that she had called it in as ASAP until I sat there listening to the office staff call and set the appointment. I got the appointment for the very next day. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a scan set up the very next day. Only one time when a doctor thought I may have had a blood clot, and the whole time, the technician was arguing with me “why did she order this stat? There’s nothing serious here!” I think she was upset because she needed to stay one appointment later that day, until 4 PM. Other than that, the shortest I’ve waited before was one week!  

While I was lying on the table, in my mind  I was thinking that there was something in my right kidney, no big deal. Actually, I wasn’t sure what it was my right or my left. I was talking to the technician while he was checking my right and I said I know that there’s something in one of my kidneys and I was just wondering. He said “well I’m going to tell you it’s probably the right because I see something.” Ok, no worries! We were just laughing and joking and having a great time conversing as he was exploring my kidneys with ultrasound, until he got to my left kidney and got very very quiet. That point I was wondering was the original cyst in my left kidney and now there’s some in both? I knew that he was acting like he shouldn’t have said anything…and I knew that meant he saw something on my left kidney.

I went home and looked up the most current liver scan from 2016, and sure enough, they had seen some cysts on my left. Ok, again, no terrible worries. Actually, yes. I was called the very next day by the hematologist’s office, told that Dr I did not want them to leave me a message, but to make sure they spoke to me, personally. The difficulty was that he couldn’t get a good scan of the cysts because basically I’m too fat. At least that’s what I understood when told that the photo wasn’t good and therefore they needed to send to me in for an MRI on my kidneys. That MRI got scheduled the very next week.

The day after the MRI, I was called by my hematologist, herself and told “okay, we have something on your right kidney that is lighting up with what looks like cancer. And we need a kidney specialist to look at that. Assuming it is cancer, we don’t do biopsies on the kidney all we do is take out the cyst or take out the kidney depending on which is necessary.” She apologized for starting me down this path! The funny thing is, if she hadn’t remembered something from my liver MRI, this would possibly never have been found.

I went from some benign bubbles in my kidneys in early 2000’s,  to very complex cyst that lit up with cancer diagnosing dye in less than a month.  I just kind of set back, maybe in a bit of shock. She said she was going to call in a referral to one of the kidney clinics here in town and I didn’t hear anything Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and by Thursday I was wondering. So Friday afternoon a friend of mine said, you need to call them. I did I called the hematologist. The person on the phone was disturbed that the clinic had not called me yet. They asked me to wait 15 minutes for them to re-fax over my paperwork, and then to call them.

When I received the scheduling person for the kidney clinic, her first comment was “we’re not scheduling new patients until the end of February can you give me your birthdate.” So of course I gave her my information and she asked me why I was comingin. I said

“My doctor had called for an MRI with contrast and said that there were suspicious things that showed up with the dye to determine whether there was cancer or not.”

The person on the phone said give me  a good phone number where I can reach you and I will call you right back. I’m going to talk to my manager and see if I can’t get you in quicker. Actually, the quicker was tomorrow morning. No, actually it’s not because today is Friday, and of course there would not be any openings on Monday so it’s almost as if it was a tomorrow in the doctor’s world. She got me an appointment for Tuesday morning with the leading kidney oncologist at this Hospital.

I’m thrilled with how quick people are working to figure out what’s going on with me, but I’m not used to this. Normally I have to wait for weeks or months. As it is, I’m trying to find out about a misread low back MRI, why my glasses don’t work(double vision), why I have dizzy spells, and what’s wrong with my legs.  I’ve gotten the testings done, and I’m waiting for the follow up…which all happens to be next week, as well.

The thing that I keep thinking is, I’m not ready to give up a kidney! Surely there are other treatments for Kidney cancer. I’ve looked up various websites, and they have other options, but, my hemotologist is an oncologist. She would be aware of the current options.  I’m trying to play this down. Other people, medical people, seem to be taking this seriously enough that they’re pushing me into a very busy Clinic schedule to be seen.

All the while, tomorrow morning my husband does see his urologist who is treating him for prostate cancer. We are still waiting for a bone marrow biopsy and for someone to figure out what in the world is going on with the medical records from his lymph node biopsy that are all messed up with different names and different procedures and things that had never been done to him.  In fact, he was told by the hospital “oh we realized you had multiple patient numbers and so we combined the records.” Unfortunately it was apparently two different people that had two different patient numbers and they ought not to have been combined. So we don’t know what’s going on with my husband and the cancer diagnosis with him.

Was that enough? There are many other things going on in my life that are typical issues of fear, concern, stress. Right now, Cancer has reared it’s ugly head, and the lack of knowledge is one that can cause fear.

So, the giant of fear. Raising his ugly head again. The same scriptures and the same armor and the same God and the same faith will get me through this battle as it has done before, but this time, I have a history with this giant, I have a history of God winning on my behalf.

It appears that there will be surgery on my kidney, but even in the midst of what sounds like a horrible thing to go through, I can see God’s hand all around me.

I have several doctors that are concerned for me, and one that calls me personally!
Without much difficulty, two specialists agree on the treatment – joyfully!
I have peace!

God gives me reminders everywhere with Rainbows!
A new Friend – Lureta – shared a blog about Becoming a Fearless Woman of God!
Another new friend shared Four Uncomfortable Truths about Peace.

These and others have become the comfort that God brings into my life, and encourages me that I can continue run and not be weary, to walk and not faint. It is THE LORD JEHOVAH that will complete the good work that HE began in me!

 

Jim & Christi 2017

 

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

Some artwork is from me – ChristArtist. It is copyrighted – by me. Please do not share it without my permission. The same goes for my written work.
Some artwork is from ChristArt – not me! I have purchased a membership, and the art is copyrighted by them.
Some artwork is from FreeClipArt Library. copyrights belong to them.

I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Christi’s shorts – or God Winks – Rainbows! 1/31/2018

The Hymnal provides lyrics
Standing on The Promises
Leaning on Jesus (Everlasting Arms)
Are you washed in the Blood?

God’s Promises!
Because of the window film, I am blessed on sunny mornings, and even in the afternoons, to be awoken to the sight of rainbows.



 
Rainbows are the sign of God’s promise to US!

Genesis 9:12-17
12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

So often, I look at the rainbows that God provides in my house, and I am reminded that HE has made promises to ME…
Two of the most important to me are:

Ephesians 2:8-9 English Standard Version (ESV)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

God began the work in me!

Phil 1:6
For I am confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will continue to perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

God will complete it!

I really expanded on this in the Itty Bitty Bible Study Philippians 1:3-11

There is one other promise for which I am still believing for manifestation in my life:

Isaiah 40:31 English Standard Version (ESV)
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.

I received this promise from the Lord when I fell in the Navy and was paralyzed from the waist down. He removed the inflammation, and I was able to walk again. The damage still exists, and I am still struggling with the circumstances, but I am walking. I’m looking forward to the day that I run and am not weary, when I walk and not faint!

When I see the rainbows, I am blessed that God keeps his promises.
Today, I am reminded that HE looks upon the rainbows in the clouds to remember HIS promise to all of mankind! I am so blessed that HE is a faithful God!

Here are some places to look at many Bible Promises scriptures!
Bible Study Tools – Promises
Bible Info
Amazing Facts

What are your specific promises that God has laid upon your heart?

How has God shown His faithfulness to YOU?

Here’s a collection of our rainbow photos over several years…

Niagra

 

Here is some art and poetry I’ve done with a rainbow theme:


JBpoem5_7

jesus_rainbow5x7

If the above art blesses you, please be my guest to print it.  Please do not sell it.

Thank you for sharing this beautiful morning promise with me!

 

Jim & Christi 2017

 

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

Some artwork is from me – ChristArtist. It is copyrighted – by me. Please do not share it without my permission. The same goes for my written work.
Some artwork is from ChristArt – not me! I have purchased a membership, and the art is copyrighted by them.
Some artwork is from FreeClipArt Library. copyrights belong to them.

I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Obadiah 1:1-9

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!) The conversation starts Monday, January 29th.

updated insert on the dating of the book – via J. Vernon McGee:

“Either this was written as prophecy before it happened or it is a historical record of what did happen. The natural interpretation, of course, is to accept it as history rather than prophecy, which places the date of Obadiah’s prophecy around 587 b.c., after the Babylonian captivity and during the ministry of the prophet Jeremiah.”

Another date suggested is 887 BC – which is much earlier, and would have it be prophetic. Either way, the message is just as important today as it was whenever God sent this prophet!

Many many moons ago, when I was still a semi young lass, I hopmeschooled my children. As their teacher, I taught them that the first thing to do when researching a project,is to look for the children’s books on said topic. WHY? Because the authors make it simple for the children to understand, and they also hit on the most important points! When I found this children’s bible study post for Obadiah, it was PERFECT !
Sometimes, when it is difficult to understand a particular topic, go to the children’s aisle!

Obadiah 1:1-9 AMP
Obadiah 1:1-9 The Message

Verse 1 means nothing if one does not believe that God,the creator of the universe, spoke to men and women in times past to speak His word.
I believe that is is true for today, as well, because of Acts 2:17-18

“‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

I differentiate between someone prophesying and the cannon of scripture. The books we have in our Bible have been vetted, and challenged, and compared to the other books. We aren’t going to be adding words to the bible any time soon…in fact…Bible Gateway did the work to compile three verses: Deut 4:2, Deut 12:32 and Rev 22:18
Also, in the last days, the instructions to those that prophesy is that other prophets are supposed to test the spirits(1 Corinthians 14); – I would imagine that years ago, they didn’t just embrace anyone that said “thus sayeth the Lord” without doing their due diligence!

This prophecy is one that was vetted over centuries, and is considered worthy of being in the cannon of scripture.

Moving on, in my effort to find the simplest version, I read this in the Message:

The Message verse 2-4
“Listen to this, Edom:
I’m turning you to a no-account,
the runt of the godless nations, despised.
You thought you were so great,
perched high among the rocks, king of the mountain,
Thinking to yourself,
‘Nobody can get to me! Nobody can touch me!’
Think again. Even if, like an eagle,
you hang out on a high cliff-face,
Even if you build your nest in the stars,
I’ll bring you down to earth.”
God’s sure Word.

Yes, I do read the Bible from different versions. The Message just made me laugh!

The point is, in whichever version, that Edom(the descendents of Esau) had lifted themselves high, over their brethren, Judah.

There are three sins from the beginning of creation.

1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Eve illustrated all f them for us when she open the door to sin in the world!

Genesis 3:6
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

This passage(Obadiah) is talking about Edom boasting – pride of life…

James 4:16 warns:
As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

King Nebachnezzar was brought down by his pride in Daniel 4 & 5.
The Devil was brought down by pride! Ezekiel 28:12-19 and
Isaiah 14:12-14 English Standard Version (ESV)

12 “How you are fallen from heaven,
O Day Star, son of Dawn!
How you are cut down to the ground,
you who laid the nations low!
13 You said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
above the stars of God
I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
in the far reaches of the north;[a]
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’

Verse 3, of Obadiah 1 says The pride of your heart has decieved you,

Proverbs 8:13 King James Version (KJV)
13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Proverbs 9:10
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
(Proverbs 1:7 & 22)

Psalm 14:1
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
there is none who does good.
(Psalm 10:4, Psalm 53:1)

I looked up a few verses on pride, because:

PRIDE GOES BEFORE A FALL, OR DESTRUCTION:

Proverbs 16:18-19
18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Proverbs 11:2
Proverbs 18:12
Proverbs 29:23

Isaiah 2:11-12 King James Version (KJV)
11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.
12 For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:

And then, in the end times – the curse is proclaimed against Babylon – and this is not specific to Babylon the place…but Babylon the heart. Revelation 18

Pride is a horrible sin.
In my life, it seems that every sin I commit, I can trace back to pride.
I know that God said there were three sins…lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the (boastful) pride of life….but, in my life, I’ve narrowed it down to PRIDE!
Lust of the flesh – I DESERVE THIS!
Lust of the eyes – I DESERVE THIS!
Boastful pride of life – I AM SO AMAZING THAT I DESERVE ALL THE GOOD THINGS, ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS, ALL THE ACCOLADES, ALL THE CREDIT…etc., etc., etc.

Obadiah verses 5-9 talk about how BAD Edom was….
comparing their behavior(which is explained in verses 10-14) to the typcial run of the mill criminal…THEY WERE WORSE!
And therefore, God is going to judge them.

And, in my life…what about my pride?
Does it hurt others?
Probably, yes…in that I would lift myself above others.

Luke 14:11 English Standard Version (ESV)
11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Moses is honored for being humble:

Numbers 12:3 Amplified Bible (AMP)
3 (Now the man Moses was very humble (gentle, kind, devoid of self-righteousness), more than any man who was on the face of the earth.)
Exodus 33:11

It is not being Christlike!
When Christ offers us rest, he described himself as meek and lowly, or, in the Amplified Version:

Matthew 11:29 Amplified Bible (AMP)
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls.

Christ promises blessings to those that are meek – which is translated humble in the AMP version.

Matthew 5:5 Amplified Bible (AMP)
5 “Blessed [inwardly peaceful, spiritually secure, worthy of respect] are the gentle [the kind-hearted, the sweet-spirited, the self-controlled], for they will inherit the earth.
Footnotes:
Matthew 5:5 Or humble, meek.

The Psalmists says God will lift up the humble!
Ps 147:6
Ps 149:4

God spoke to Solomon:

2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Isaiah calls out:

Isaiah 2:17
The arrogance of man will be brought low and human pride humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day,

James – dear James says it this way:

James 4:6-10
6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;[a] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

We are called to love everyone – even our enemies.
God loved us first so that we could love.

More concerning to me about pride is that it lifts us up above God. If we place ourselves above God, then what have we done? Idolotry.
God will not share his glory with another – Isa 42:8, and very clearly stated that we were not to set up anything gods before HIM!

Exodus 20:1-6 King James Version (KJV)
20 1 And God spake all these words, saying,
2 I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Once I recognize pride as the sin of idolotry – then, we have to look at Revelation for the final judgement for idolotry!

Revelation 21:8 English Standard Version (ESV)
8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

We’ve all heard the parable of the pharisee and the tax collector(publican) praying.
This is what Jesus had to say: Luke 18:9-14

13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

In my signature line is a quote from My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers:

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I looked for the cure, and found one in 1 Corinthians 5:6-7

1 Corinthians 5:6-7 English Standard Version (ESV)
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

This is how we ought to think:

Romans 12:3
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Oh Lord, I want to be delivered from the sin of Esau, and all others that are our examples of raising themselves above You! I want to confess the sin of Pride in my life, and ask that you help me to see clearly so that I can root out every seed.
I want to recognize not only who I am in Christ, but WHY I am in Christ, and that is by grace, and not of myself, but it is a gift of God – Ephesians 2:8-10

But, I also thank you Lord, for showing that you are strong on behalf of those that humble themselves under your hand, and that if we draw near to you, YOU WILL DRAW NEAR TO US. James 4:6-10

Lord, I pray:

Psalm 51:10-12 English Standard Version (ESV)
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right[a] spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.

In Jesus’s name, AMEN.

Psalm 94 is an excellent parallel chapter to this section of Obadiah – and probably the whole book. In the ESV it’s titled, the Lord will not Forsake His People!

More information on Obadiah is available at Obadiah Introduction
next, Obadiah 1:10-16.

 

Jim & Christi 2017

 

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

Some artwork is from me – ChristArtist. It is copyrighted – by me. Please do not share it without my permission. The same goes for my written work.
Some artwork is from ChristArt – not me! I have purchased a membership, and the art is copyrighted by them.
Some artwork is from FreeClipArt Library. copyrights belong to them.

I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Obadiah – Introduction

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!) The conversation starts Monday, January 29th.

Obadiah

I love J Vernon McGee for his insights into the Bible. He’s entered into his eternal reward, but we are blessed to still have his works of theology and bible Studies.
Blue Letter Bible provides all of his notes, amont many other commentators. For this study, I’m referring to Obadiah. I also like his outline of the book better than any I’ve seen:

I. Edom — destruction, vv. 1-16

A. Charge against Edom, vv. 1-9

B. Crime of Edom, vv. 10-14

C. Catastrophe to Edom, vv. 15, 16

(Poetic justice — lex talionis — law of retaliation)

II. Israel — restoration, vv. 17-21

A. Condition of Israel, v. 17

B. Calling of Israel, v. 18

C. Consummation of all things, vv. 19-21

(“And the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.”)

In case these references are not deep enough, I’ve been looking over this introduction to Obadiah by David Malik provided by Bible.org, another great place for Bible research online.

Dr Malik proposes this is the purpose of Obadiah:

A. To proclaim judgment upon Edom for rejoicing over the fall of Jerusalem

B. To proclaim through the judgment of Edom that all of the nations will be judged for their hostility to God’s people

C. To proclaim a message of hope for Judah

Here’s my understanding, and since this is my blog, I guess that’s the understanding you are going to get, hahaha!

Who is Obadiah?
Servant of God.

On Bible Gateway, when I do a search for Obadiah, it gives me the list of all the Obadiahs...including the book.

Obadiah – servant of Yahweh.

J.Vernon McGee – “this name was as common in that day as the name John is today.”

When – when was this written?
The dating has been difficult…even for all those lofty scholars that have access to tons of information and references! They have forgotten more bible knowledge than I will ever have, therefore, if they can’t figure it out, I know I won’t! hahaha!

The one agreed upon timing is that it has to do with the time that Edom laughed and helped to take down Judah.
From the Bible.org introduction,

The Babylonian context matches other exilic scriptures which describe the involvement of Edom in the fall of Jerusalem.

a. Psalm 137:7:
Remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom the day of Jerusalem who said, ‘Raze it, raze it, to its very foundation’

b. Lamentations 4:21-22
Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, Who dwells in the land of Uz; but the cup will come around to you as well, you will become drunk, and make yourself naked, the punishment of your iniquity has been completed. O daughter of Zion. He will exile you no longer. But He will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins.

c. Ezekiel 25:12-14:
Thus says the Lord God, ‘Because Edom has acted against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and has incurred grievous guilt, and avenged themselves upon them,’ Therefore thus says the Lord God, ‘I will also stretch out My hand against Edom and cut off man and beast from it. And I will lay it waste; from Teman even to Dedan they will fall by the sword. An I will lay My vengeance on Edom by the hand of the people Israel. Therefore, they will act in Edom according to My anger and according to My wrath’ thus they will know My vengeance,’ declares the Lord God (cf. also Ezekiel 35:5, 12-15)

There are a few other options listed in the Bible.org link, as well as any number of others you can find online.
My feeling is this:  it was appropriate then, to the enemies of the Lord, and it is appropriate today, as a shadow of what we can know of the Lord’s concern for his children today.

To Whom?
The Edomites.
Who were they? descendants of Esau.
To understand this sibling rivalry, one has to reread Genesis.
Genesis 25:19-34

Poor Rachel, finally having a baby, has twins…and they are fighting inside her womb.
She cries out to God WHY!!! and he says:

“Two nations are in your womb,
and two peoples from within you[b] shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other,
the older shall serve the younger.”

Read on and Esau sells his birthright.
Then in Genesis 26, he marries girls that are not of the tribe Abraham…gentile, non believing girls.
Genesis 27 – here’s where Jacob really does in Esau…though he does it at the hands of his mom, Rachel – and steals Esau’s blessing. Any wonder why Esau was angry?

Genesis 27:41
41 Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

I don’t know God’s thoughts.
I know that there is something here about predestination and election – which I have spoken of in Itty Bitty Bible Study – Ephesians 1:3-6. I love what pastor JD Greer said in his study on Ephesians – understand that we are chosen, but that we choose, and that the ability to comprehend that is a mystery.
From Thompson’s Chain Reference Bible, commentary on Romans:

this is what the summary says:

The wall of the supposed sovereign election of God is a certain portion of the race to salvation, and the divine reprobation of all others. Rom 9:7-18
In the midst of his argument showing the awful situation of the natural man, he points out the doors of divine mercy provided for in the plan of salvation, by which all men can escape the impending judgments of God if they will.
An attempt is made in the drawing given to illustrate the points of the apostle’s arguments by a diagram of the walls and doors of escape.

There is a truth that God knew what Esau was going to be like.
There is also a truth that Esau chose to be the way he was.
And, God knew about Cain and Abel…and Cain chose to turn away from his offering to repent, and killed his brother. But each is responsible for HIS choice.

another Bible verse:

Proverbs 26:2
Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim.

and:

Galatians 6:7-8
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

For more on Galatians 6 – you may want to look at Itty Bitty Bible Study Galatians 6.

When there are curses, there is a reason. And even then, God sometimes chooses to judge those that are the instruments of the curse, because they are choosing to be violent and ungodly. Oh my, what a difficult thing it is to be the God of heaven and earth! My head is spinning just trying to keep this all straight!

Brotherly rivalry is as old as right outside of the Garden.
Today, we have the Israelites and all the Arab world. This is the very sibling rivalry, passed down from generation to generation.
There are two sides to every story, but, I want to make sure that this conversation does not turn into a current events religion bashing event.

As Christians, we have to remember that we have a history of blaming the Jews for crucifying Jesus, and treating Jews as less than dogs. As well as anyone that does not believe the same as we do – Muslims, all oriental religions, all tribal peoples, even differing denominations of Christianity! I don’t want to start thinking more highly of myself.

The Bible says that the Jewish people were chosen by God to tell his story. I’ve heard from a Jewish Rabbi that Christians have the wrong idea of “chosen ones” from the point of view of the Jew. “We were chosen to be an example, to carry the Word and to obey it. Look at our history, would you want to be that example?” 
Jesus was a Jew. He gives promise to everyone.
Jesus went to the gentiles…probably Arabs, if the area I understand is correct.
There is NO people group that is separated from the option of “For God so loved the WORLD that HE GAVE his only begotten son that WHOSOEVER would believe on HIM should have everlasting, eternal, life”. John 3:16

I plan to look at Obadiah in the light of prophecy to US, God’s children.
I choose to recognize that if I have chosen God, HE has chosen me, because no one comes to the Father except the Father draw him. I am saved by grace through faith and that not of my own but it is a gift from God. And that is the truth for every believer and follower of Christ. This is a different view of being chosen, that I’m not chosen by my worth, I’m chosen by HIS promise. I am made worthy because HE loves me. He did not choose me because I am beautiful, I am beautiful because HE chose me.

As His child…we have been given an inheritance, and we are given protection.
Many of us pray Psalm 91 for protection when things are scary…

Psalm 91
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say[a] to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

This was written long before Christ.
It’s written to “he who dwells in the secret place of the most High”, or my favorites – “He is my hiding place”, or “those that run into the name of the lord, a strong tower, shall be saved.” THESE are believers.

 The other side of the coin is this:

2 Chronicles 7:14
14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

This often quoted verse is written to those that are called according to HIS name…and they need to repent. That would include Jews…since it was written to the Jews…but now, it is applicable to anyone that calls upon the name of Jesus Christ! It says clearly that there is some sort of unhealed land that needs healing, and it will only be healed if the people REPENT from their wicked ways!

When the Israelite were getting a little high minded, this is what God had to say to them:

Deuteronomy 7:6-11
6 “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, 10 and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face. 11 You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment and the statutes and the rules that I command you today.

Even more to the point:

Deut 9:6
6 “Know, therefore, that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people.

Remember, God was just keeping his promise to the righteous fathers that went before them. He’s faithful to a 1000 generations. Then, remember – this is not written to any specific people group – it’s just true! Cause and Effect!

Proverbs 26:2
Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim.

Even Jesus has something to say about where blessings fall…

Matthew 5:44-45
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

…and our responsibility to those we perceive as enemies! Love and prayer…which means then, that we are the sons of our Father…who blesses all.

What’s My Focus?

I’m looking at this tiny book to see what characteristics of Edom do I have?

And, what negative traits of the Israelites/Judeans might I have?

And, what do I do to change this in me?

I also am looking at how long suffering God is with His children. While Edom was art of the exile or destruction, there are plenty of prophecies and such that point that God gave Judah plenty of options to change, repent, and get right or He’d remove His hand of blessing. I know thatGod has been loooooooong suffering with me, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

Has God been longsuffering with you?

Are you blessed to know that you were chosen by God?

Can you relate to doing something very UNChristian, and hoping that God would not find out? If so, do you know that HE has provided us with an advocate in Jesus Christ?

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 2:1-2 But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Next – Obadiah, part 1. Please Join me!

 

Jim & Christi 2017

 

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

Some artwork is from me – ChristArtist. It is copyrighted – by me. Please do not share it without my permission. The same goes for my written work.
Some artwork is from ChristArt – not me! I have purchased a membership, and the art is copyrighted by them.
Some artwork is from FreeClipArt Library. copyrights belong to them.

I’d love to stay in touch with you – we are working on email subscriptions…sign up! 
Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

2018 – My One Word – Be Like Jesus – Jan 23, 2018

Sometimes, I feel all alone.
It feels like there is no one on my side.
If feels like that saying “if you were the only one on earth, Jesus would have come to die on the cross for you” – except for all those people around.

Loneliness.
Alone-ness

For several months, I’ve felt alone. It wasn’t that there aren’t people that care for me, because there are. It was because I was not able to get out because of my physical limitations. My health issues kept me inside.

Christine Miserandino wrote an article about the Spoon Theory that gave all of us with ‘hidden’ disabilities the way to explain our various abilities.

Because some health issues are invisible to others, we, whom suffer invisibly can feel very alone. Trying to explain why we have the want to, but we don’t have the can do becomes exhausting. After years of trying to explain this to others that offer platitudes, the health fad of the day, their uncle’s second cousin twice removed miraculous cure and so on, a person just tries to hide that part of them. It is easier to just pull back into oneself rather than exert the effort to engage another person, and waste the spoons that could otherwise make the day a bit more bearable.

Another analogy – the battery theory.

Christine wrote her theory article in 2003. It went “viral’ amongst those of us with chronic, hidden illnesses. It made a huge difference in the ability to communicate with non-spoonies. Yet, there is a serious problem with these illustrations.
“how many spoons do you have left today?”
“Yesterday, that took 2 spoons, why are you acting so tired today, doing the same thing?”

See, the spoon cost is not the same from day to day. The analogy breaks down when you try to make it a data stream, a statistic point, a menu of energy.

Yes, there are days that I decide that I will not take a shower, because often, that uses up so many of my spoons, that the next option is to go to bed. To prepare my house for Bible Study can be a joy, or a nightmare, depending on the spoon expenditure.  That is never the same from one day to the next. I don’t always know how many spoons it will take. Sometimes, it can take a day for me to recover, because I had to borrow spoons from the next day. Don’t get me wrong! I absolutely LOVE having people over to my home, to share something to eat and drink, and to talk about Jesus! It’s not just stressful relationships that can suck the spoons out of me. Laughter, singing, hugging, talking and interacting with people I love to be around can drain me. I have to count the cost daily, so that I can perform my mission to the glory of God.

Be Like Jesus.
WHAT IN THE WORLD DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH HER WORD FOR THE YEAR?

Mark 6:31
And He said to them, “Come with Me privately to a solitary place, and let us rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

Jesus and the disciples were exhausted.
John had been martyred.
The disciples had been sent out on their first missionary trip(hmmm, what did Jesus do while they were out doing the work of the Kingdom? was he resting in the Father?).
Jesus said, come with me…let us rest.

Matthew 11:28-30
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Jesus promises us rest…but often, we forget the second part.
The YOKE.
The BURDEN.
Yes, it is easy and light.
Yes, he is gently and lowly, and will give us rest for our souls.
The reason he says this is that we are wearing a YOKE – we are workers in the KINGDOM – and our souls get weary doing the work.
And HE provides us rest, when we come to HIM.

Psalm 23 – The Lord is MY Shepherd – and sometimes, we have to be led to still water.
Sometimes, we have to be MADE to lie down in GREEN PASTURES so that HE can restore our souls!

I’ve felt broken.
I’ve felt less than.
In fact, because of my limitations, I’ve felt like the unprofitable servant(Matthew 25:14-30) …hiding my talents because I cannot go out and invest it, or buy and sell, or whatever.
I feel slothful, and, sometimes, I feel wicked.
I feel lazy.

Actually, while yes I do feel broken and less than, and I grieve because of the things I cannot do, the reality of feeling slothful, wicked and lazy is that I project that onto what I think others think of me.

Jesus wasn’t born in 2000, with computers, and cable, internet social media to share the gospel. He didn’t come when he could fly around in a jet, and speak to thousands in large coliseums. Did he know what Y2K would provide in the way of spreading the gospel? Of course He did. Still he came, in something BC, and walked from place to place, speaking without a microphone, trusting that His disciples would share what he said with integrity.

Creator God came in the form of a baby – a helpless, dependent baby – to save the world.
Born alone, in a stable, because there was no room for his family in the Inn.
Homeless.
Branded illegitimate.
The Bible says that he had to grow in wisdom…

ETERNAL GOD was disabled by being limited to THE FINITE.
Jesus even said that he had to ask the Father’s guidance, that while here on earth, He didn’t know the hour or the day of things to come.

How do I be like Jesus, when I am limted by the finite of my chronic illnesses?

Recognizing my limitations!
If the son of God needed time apart to recover, then surely I do.
If those walking side-by-side with Jesus needed time apart to rest, then surely I do!
Of course, when the earth was created, on the seventh day REST was created.
Rest was created FOR US, and yet, it says in Genesis 2:

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

God set this up, as an example to us. He told Moses, on Mount Sinai:

Exodus 20:
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work,
10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates.
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

How does this tell me to be like Jesus? REST
1. Recognize my limitations. I am finite. I am NOT GOD-Man!
2. Embrace the YOKE of HIS calling, not MY want to. Make sure I’m doing the Father’s will.
3. Remember that REST is a holy gift from my Father God. It honors God for me to rest.

Then, there is my attitude about myself – accepting that I was fearfully and wonderfully made – wrinkles, warts, scabs and scars. Can I do anything about these limitations? Some, yes. Other’s no.
It’s my responsibility to to whatever the Lord puts into my hand to do, and to do it to the best of my ability, unto HIS glory.
My body is the temple of the Holy Ghost – and I should treat it like a temple. I don’t mean to worship my own body. I do mean, I need to determine the clean and unclean things that I do to my body. Again, clarification – I am not saying that I’m going around living in sin, and performing all manner of wickedness.

Many years ago – when I was just a young girl, my mom shared a story with me about our minister’s wife at a woman’s bible study. People were asking for prayer to help them overcome things that were causing them to stumble. Goldie Marshall asked for prayer to avoid chocolate. I don’t know what her issue was, but what I do remember is how that impacted my mom.

“She is so dedicated to the Lord that she even would give up chocolate to be more like Him”

My body suffers from some of the things I eat.
My body suffers from lack of movement, because of the consequences of some of the things I eat.
I cannot exercise as much as would be good for my body, because of choices I have made that have caused more co-morbidities to my health issues.
I have not cared for the temple.
The walls are torn down, or fallen down.
While I cannot change the specific illnesses in many ways, I can make choices to mitigate their effects.
Case in point – DM2.
With the help of my service dog, and learning to listen, I no longer have a diagnosis of DM2. It’s been downgraded(upgraded?) to Impaired fasting glucose.
Now, what if I’d been even more determined about my eating? Maybe the IFG would be gone. The weight would be gone, and the issues that being overweight causes. Maybe, I’d be more energetic, and more capable to do the tasks God has for me.

Is this like hiding my talent? For me – yes.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

This chapter talks about building…wood, hay and stubble, or gold silver and precious stone. In the end, I am going to be judged by the materials I used to build this temple.

Jesus made sure that his followers were fed, both spiritually and physically. God miraculously fed the Israelites in the desert. Elijah was fed by ravens. Peter was told to eat what God laid before him. I’m not talking about the levitical legalistic dietary laws. I’m talking about God providing food for His children. I’ve often been taught, and have taught about the need for spiritual food, and how often.
Hunger and thirst after righteousness, and you shall be filled!
Avoid the leaven of the Pharisees.

Too often, I have not applied that to my physical body.

Proverbs 23:1-3
1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
observe carefully what[a] is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to appetite.
3 Do not desire his delicacies,
for they are deceptive food.

empty calories
toxic drinks (thinking about diet soda…just to be clear!)
foods that cause inflammation, pain, migraines, and congestion.
POISON
in the temple of the Holy Spirit!
UNCLEAN!

How does this tell me to be like Jesus? FUEL
1. wash my body with clean water, like I wash my spirit with clean water of the Word.
2. Feed my body the best nutrition possible. This body was created to heal itself, if only it is given the proper fuel.
3. Movement. I’m not exactly certain how this fits, I just know it does. Follow the Shepherd. Walk as Jesus walked.

I really did not expect this to be part of MY ONE WORD – Rest and fuel!
Now that the Lord has pointed it out to me, I can see how I have been an unprofitable servant, by not caring for the temple. I can see how I have hidden my talents by not giving my body the best opportunities to be at it’s best. I can see how I have abused my body by pushing it past it’s limitations, and not going to the Lord, and resting in Him. I can’t blame it all on the number of spoons I may have or may not have, though it is my responsibility to make sure that all of my spoons are ready to be used when the Lord calls!

Am I really all alone?
When I am not able to fellowship with other believers, whose fault is it, if I have worn myself out doing other than?
I’m never alone, because of Jesus.
The aloneness I have suffered with lately, is the result of my choices that have exacerbated my limitations and prevented me from fellowshipping with believers face-to-face.
That’s another thing that I need to recognize is part of being like Jesus.
He CHOSE to come down here to be with US!
One of the things for which to save up spoons is fellowship.

Fellowship is very important.

Hebrews 10:24-25
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Matthew 18:20
20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

James 5:14-16
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

I must be part of the BODY of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12

1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Pretty clear.
1. Rest
2. Fuel
3. Fellowship

It is up to me how I apply my spoons.
I can waste them.
I can hoard them.
Or I can treat them as precious gold to be spent for the Kingdom of God, and invest them wisely so that I can bear much fruit and glorify my Father Who is in Heaven.

Spoons come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes I need a ladle, sometimes a slotted spoon to take things with discernment. Sometimes, all I have is a 1/4 tsp.
The key is – what do I do with it?
And do I hole up in my home, and cry “I’m so alone”, or do I ask for help when my spoons are gone?

As for the aloneness – Jesus felt very alone in the garden, when all of His friends fell asleep. He chose to go to the Father, and then, finish the work that He’d begun.

Is my alone-ness actually me being alone?
Or me choosing to be alone?
Some of both.
My responsibility is to be like Jesus, and give grace when it’s from others, and give myself a reality check when it’s because of my choices.
Accept my limitations,
rest as needed,
fuel for the fire, and
fellowship in and with Christ.

I never thought of these as being like Jesus.
What do YOU think about this?
Do you ever struggle with these areas?

I’m so glad that Jesus knows our form, that we are but dust, and that HE is the one that forms us, and works in us and completes us to the Glory of God! Amen!

 

Jim & Christi 2017

 

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

Some artwork is from me – ChristArtist. It is copyrighted – by me. Please do not share it without my permission. The same goes for my written work.
Some artwork is from ChristArt – not me! I have purchased a membership, and the art is copyrighted by them.
Some artwork is from FreeClipArt Library. copyrights belong to them.

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Soon, we will have a gallery for the art I have created by the hand of God.

There are many organizations that support children and families. Here are ones that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.