Tag Archives: Choose

2023 First 100 days – day 3 Reading Wisdom and Praise

2021 First 100 days – day 3, January 3

(first 100 days – day 3)

Image by James Chan from Pixabay

Psalm 3, 33, 63, 93, 123 Proverb 3

  • Psalm 3 – Cry for deliverance
    • Ps 3:1 Lord, how my foes increase!
      There are many who attack me.
      2 Many say about me,
      “There is no help for him in God.”Selah
      3 But You, Lord, are a shield around me,  my glory, and the One who lifts up my head.
      4 I cry aloud to the Lord,
      and He answers me from His holy mountain.Selah
  • Psalm 33 – a Song of Creation
    • Psalm 33: 6 The heavens were made by the word of the Lord,
      and all the stars, by the breath of His mouth.
      7 He gathers the waters of the sea into a heap;[a]
      He puts the depths into storehouses.
      8 Let the whole earth tremble before the Lord;
      let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
      9 For He spoke, and it came into being;
      He commanded, and it came into existence.
  • Psalm 63 – One of my favorites – I’ll write more later.
  • Psalm 93 and Psalm 123 echo each other
    • Ps 93 – the glory of the Lord
      • The Lord reigns! He is robed in majesty;
        The Lord is robed, enveloped in strength.
        The world is firmly established;
        it cannot be shaken.
  • Psalm 123 – the glory of the Lord
      • I lift my eyes to You,
        the One enthroned in heaven.
  • the Prayer for today,
    • Psalm 63:1-4
      • God, You are my God; I eagerly seek You.

        I thirst for You;
        my body faints for You
        in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.
        2 So I gaze on You in the sanctuary
        to see Your strength and Your glory.

        3 My lips will glorify You
        because Your faithful love is better than life.
        4 So I will praise You as long as I live;
        at Your name, I will lift up my hands

Proverbs 3 begins with author crying out “My son, don’t forget my teaching”. It goes on to talk about wisdomm, and how to set oneself up for a happy life, a secure life. Here’s a bit that is familiar:

Proverbs 3: 5-7 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; 6 think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.[b] 7 Don’t consider yourself to be wise; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

I said I’d write more about Psalms 63.  It is one of my favorite Psalms.  It gave and gives me great comfort in times of struggle, with those with whom I interact.

Ps 63: 1

God, You are my God; I eagerly seek You.
I thirst for You;
my body faints for You
in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.

Do  you hear the despair in the heart?

It reminds me of:

Psalm 42: 1 KJV

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

Then it swells into a song of praise:

Psalm 63:2-5

So I gaze on You in the sanctuary to see Your strength and Your glory. 3 My lips will glorify You because Your faithful love is better than life. 4 So I will praise You as long as I live; at Your name, I will lift up my hands. 5 You satisfy me as with rich food;[a] my mouth will praise You with joyful lips.

There is then, a confession of belief: Psalm 63:6-8

When I think of You as I lie on my bed, I meditate on You during the night watches 7 because You are my helper; I will rejoice in the shadow of Your wings. 8 I follow close to You; Your right hand holds on to me.

I prefer the NIV version of verse 7

7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 63:9-11 is a profession of deliverance from these things that are disrupting, destroying, and causing despair. Ps 63:11(NIV)

11 But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God will glory in him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

Do you hear the release of the struggle? At least a momentary reprieve in the midst of the pain? Do you feel the strength being breathed into the soul that they have a deliverer on their side? Someone has their back.  In times when I have felt that there is no way out of the intense despair that I am feeling, Psalm 63 is a life line for me.

Image by Myriams-Fotos from Pixabay

This webpage has been a place where I have shared my history with suicide, depression, and such.  Today, one of my lifelines is part of reading wisdom and praise.  Reading the Word of God daily is a lifeline for me.  If you are struggling, I hope that you can find your psalm or proverb that can be your lifeline or lifelineS.

Hi! My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

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.

M. Christine Wildman“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

Copyrights and Legal-eze 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.

2023 First 100 days – day 2 Wisdom and Praise Reading

2023 First 100 days – day 2, January 2

Hey, January is going to be easy to label the day of the year for the first 100 days.

One of the things that I am trying to do to keep me accountable and to have others join me is a live video each day at The WildBerry Patch facebook page.
We are doing 5 psalms and 1 proverb each day for a month. Trying to build a habit.

I’m also trying to write something for each of the firsts 100 days.  

Here’s Day 1.

Today was Psalm 2, 32, 62, 92, 122 and Prov 2.

As I read Psalm 2, it’s all about the angst of the enemies of God against Him. Isn’t that a foreshadowing or an analogy of our hearts raging against God when we have sinned against him?

With that thought in my head, I went on to Psalm 32.

1 How joyful is the one
whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered!
2 How joyful is the man
the Lord does not charge with sin
and in whose spirit is no deceit!

I realized that this Psalm provides the steps to forgiveness:

  1. Realizing the blessings of forgiveness
    1. Psalm 32:1-2
      1. above
  2. The discomfort of unforgiveness
    1. Psalm 32:3-4
      1. 3.When I kept silent, my bones became brittle
        from my groaning all day long.
        4 For day and night Your hand was heavy on me;
        my strength was drained[a]
        as in the summer’s heat.Selah
  3. The need for confession
    1. Psalm 32:5
      1. Then I acknowledged my sin to You
        and did not conceal my iniquity.
        I said,
        “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
        and You took away the guilt of my sin.Selah
  4. The need to pray
    1. Psalm 32:6
      1. Therefore let everyone who is faithful pray to You
        at a time that You may be found.[b]
        When great floodwaters come,
        they will not reach him.
  5. The need to abide
    1. Psalm 32:7
      1. You are my hiding place;
        You protect me from trouble.
        You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance.Selah
  6. God promises counsel
    1. Psalm 32:8
      1. I will instruct you and show you the way to go;
        with My eye on you, I will give counsel.
  7. Confession of faith
    1. Psalm 32:10
      1. Many pains come to the wicked,
        but the one who trusts in the Lord
        will have faithful love surrounding him.
  8. Rejoicing in the Lord
    1. Psalm 32:11
      1. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice,
        you righteous ones;
        shout for joy,
        all you upright in heart.

This was a blessing to me today. Asking God to forgive us is letting go of the sinful actions, thoughts or desires. Admitting that you are in need of forgiveness is giving up your own path and choosing to walk on the path that God has chosen for you.

 

Hi! My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

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.

M. Christine Wildman“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

Copyrights and Legal-eze

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.

2023 first 100 days – day 1

2023 first 100 days day 1 – January 1

Yesterday, January day 1, I wrote a blog about something very painful to let go of.
I’m waiting for some wisdom from others if this is something that I should share based on my promise to live life real.

sometimes God doesn’t decide to slowly ease you into His path. Sometimes it’s screeching brakes, quick look to see if there is anyone you are going to run over, and a turn before you crash into the exit barrier!

This is what January 1, 2023 had for me.
Something that has been brewing for many years.
Something that affects relationships that are over half of my age old.

And something I did not want to let go.

Is letting go giving up? No.
sometimes letting go is letting God.

and sometimes you realize that the thing in God’s way is ME!

Maybe I will be given freedom to share that post – in the mean time, if God is asking you to let go of something extremely painful, maybe it’s because you are holding on too tight with both hands and need some freedom to see the situation with different eyes.

Hi! My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

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.

M. Christine Wildman“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

Copyrights and Legal-eze 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.

Believe

NYE 2022-2023 first 100 days (-1)

The focus for 2023 is letting go.

Tomorrow is the first day of 2023.

Yesterday, I was organizing my Christmas ornaments, and there were many that were from before Jim’s passing, which is to be expected after 42 years!..
I was overcome with both nostalgia and grief.

I wanted to let go of the painful grief, but that is NOT what God would want.

When someone dies, if you are a believer in life after death, which as followers of Christ we are, they do not disappear, but rather “go into the next room”. There they wait(and celebrate with Jesus) until we come to meet them again.

3 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. 14 Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through[h] Jesus. 15 For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord:[i] We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly have no advantage over[j] those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,[k] with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage[l] one another with these words. 1 Thes 4:13-18 Holcom Christian Bible Study

As I look back on 2020, 20921 and 2022, I’ve been holding onto a lot of grief that I have not allowed God to process for me.  On the other hand, I have had joy and peace because I have this hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.

As I organize years of Christmas ornaments, and remember, joy comes,  tears fall.  

God is Good.

Psalm 30:5Holman Christian Standard Bible 5 For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor, a lifetime. Weeping may spend the night, but there is joy in the morning.

Believe Joy is a choice.

I can let go of pain, but embrace the love that left the grief in it’s place as I remain here.  It does not mean it is gone, but I’m taking back the power it has over me.  

Hi! My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

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.

M. Christine Wildman“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

Copyrights and Legal-eze 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.

My One Word 2019 – Guard Your Heart 4/22-24

Proverbs 4:23 English Standard Version (ESV)
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.

Guard your heart.
Wow.
As I was working through the additional Lent blogs, of which, I only added a handful, I was struck how many times that someone wasn’t guarding their heart.

Judas – he wasn’t guarding his heart. He was known to be a liar, and thief.
Peter – he wasn’t guarding his heart when he denied Christ 3 times before the cock crowed.
Martha – she wasn’t guarding her heart when she said to Jesus “Master – go straighten out Mary!”
Jonah wasn’t guarding his heart when he was sent to Nineveh – I did a whole study on Jonah in Itty Bitty Bible Study!
Abraham – he wasn’t guarding his heart when Sarah suggested Hagar to carry their child.
Miriam and Aaron weren’t guarding their hearts when they spoke against Moses.
Job – he wasn’t guarding his heart when he was depressed. Somewhere in there, God was stirred up in a whirlwind, and spoke to Job, and he repented!
David – he wasn’t guarding his heart when he called Bathsheba to the palace.
on and on and on and on throughout scripture we can see that humanity is as it has done since the day Eve didn’t guard her heart and had a talk with the devil, and since Adam didn’t stand up for what God had told him, and he followed along with Eve. First peer pressure!

My current situation – here is the prayer I’ve been sending around:

Prayer warriors…a request..for the week of April 21, 2019
Nutshell…travel Sunday, Thursday and Sunday,and Monday.
Procedures Tuesday and Friday.
Next week Jim has two procedures. We have much travel. We would like you to agree with us in prayer:
Our Travels would be blessed and all protected, all pilots will be rested, and alert.
Machinery, both for travel and for surgery, will perform at top standards or higher.
Doctors and medical staff will be alert, clear headed, well rested and not ill.
Jim and i would have the peace that passes understanding as we abide in Jesus, our prince of peace.
I would walk in manifestation of health, i say no to vertigo, migraines, any dizziness or ear pain. I say that Jesus took those stripes so that i am healed!
I declare life to Jim’s body, in Jesus’s name.
I confess that cancer must leave, in Jesus’s name.
I speak peace and confidence because of our position with God the father, because of the blood of Jesus Christ.
I pray that through this challenge, our love for each other, and our love for Jehovah God will grow exponentially.

Thank you all for your prayers. I’m going to tag a few of you… share a you see fit.

I am confessing God’s promises.

Passover.
Friday, April 19, 2019 was the first night of Passover.
The thing about Passover is that Moses told the people to sacrifice a lamb, and to put the blood on the doorposts to warn the death angel that this home was covered by the blood price God demanded for sin.

Death and disease came into this world because of sin.

I’m not saying that Jim or I or anyone else has cancer because of THEIR sin – but that this world has fallen so far from the Paradise that God intended, and our bodies were not made to excel in this environment. It’s why they lived longer and longer as you go back closer and closer to the Creation.

Then the flood – because of sin.
Then, man couldn’t live as long anymore.
And, they didn’t have fast food and coffee places on every corner!

This is a fallen world.
You and I are fallen humans.
Our bodies are no longer as strong as they once were. From the day we are born, our bodies go about dying.
I could delve into the whole genetics and how we are losing our genetic resilience (Jim could add the pod case about folks getting dumber) but, I want to get back to the Bible.

Jim has death in his body called cancer.
Jim gave his life to Jesus Christ – 1975.
Jim’s sins were covered by the blood of Jesus the day he invited Jesus into his heart.
Jim’s healing was purchased by the stripes on Jesus’ back.
Jesus said on the cross – IT IS FINISHED.

BECAUSE JIM HAS THE BLOOD OF JESUS ON HIS SOUL, THE DEATH ANGEL, OR DEVIL, HAS TO PASS OVER BECAUSE HE IS A CHILD OF GOD!

What happened next to the Israelite/Hebrews? They were set free from the slavery of Egypt.

I believe that cancer is a type of Egypt – something that sucks the life out of you, and beats you down.
I believe that Jesus came to deliver us from our Egypts. Yes, that means sin and the punishment for that sin. But we also have the promise that by his stripes we WERE healed!

I’m going to back down a little bit…do you always see the manifestation of your healing in this lifetime? obviously, no.
Do I know why? Sometimes, in my life, I do.
Other times, I don’t.
Other times, I get really upset that I do not see the answer.

This is when I need to guard my heart.

What do I believe? Here’s a simple answer:

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Apostles Creed

I also believe that the Bible is the word of God, add verse about all scripture….

It says that I can ask what I will and it shall be given unto me, if I ask in Jesus’ name.

In our life, we have seen children raised from the dead(possibly me…), broken bones healed, sicknesses removed and many other things. We have also seen certain physical issues NOT get taken away, or removed.
do we give up?

this is where I have to guard my heart….it says that he that endures to the end….

Does it mean the Bible isn’t true?
This is where I have to guard my heart…it’s an act of faith.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.
Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

Faith is a choice.
Love is a choice.
believing that My Father God, who has given me so many good gifts, is a bad God because of the few things that I haven’t gotten, or the sickness or disabilities he has chosen not to heal (on my timeline) is to not love God, to not have faith in God, and to not be patient with God.

I am believing for the Passover of Jim’s bodily struggle from this fallen world.
I am believing for Jim to be brought out with silver, and with gold, and not be feeble ever again…
I am believing that we will both enter into the promise land, by faith in the person of Jesus Christ.

guard my heart – for out of it flow the wellsprings of life….

Psalm 19:14 King James Version (KJV)
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

Proverbs 18:21 King James Version (KJV)
21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

James 3 says a lot about the dangers of the tongue.

Deuteronomy 30:15-20(NIV) – specifically:
19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Today, I choose life!

Joshua 24:14-15 King James Version (KJV)
14 Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

As for me and my house – we will serve the Lord!

We place the blood of Jesus upon the doorposts of our heart.
We declare the protection of the Angel of the Lord.
We command, in Jesus’ name, the death angel to pass over our home and family!

Today is day three of our medical week.
first flight – excellent.
first procedure – accomplished well, and Jim is in little pain.
Tomorrow is the flight out of the country.
Friday is the big procedure for Jim.
Saturday is a recovery day.
Sunday is a flight back to the states.
Monday is a flight from Orlando to Pittsburgh and back home.

Time for praising!

I’m doing some editing from Cancun, Mexico, as Jim is in the operating room for HIFU.

Therefore, this is actually day five of our medical week.

I’m sitting outside of the hospital cafeteria, listening to the birds and construction.  I am at Peace!

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

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

Copyrights and Legal-eze
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.

EKG heartbeat, straight line, cross, heart alive

2019 Lent Day 20 – the Way, the Truth, THE LIFE

Lent Devotions
Lent Week Three – for Catch up.
Lent Week Four started March 5, 2018 and March 23, 2019

Lent Day Twenty
The Way, the Truth & The Life John 14:5-14

Music
You are Life by Hillsong

Devotion
The WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE.
Tuesday, we looked at THE WAY.
Wednesday, we looked at the TRUTH.
Today, we will look at THE LIFE.

Pastor John Piper has a great sermon about the Life God gives us.

Here is his Easter sermon from 1984, talking about God giving you life in your mortal bodies.

EKG Cross heart beat heartI want to look at Jesus IS THE LIFE.

From BlueLetter Bible, the Outline of the Biblical Usage of this word is this:

  • life
  • the state of one who is possessed of vitality or is animate
  • every living soul
  • life
  • of the absolute fulness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God, and through him both to the hypostatic “logos” and to Christ in whom the “logos” put on human nature
  • life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, in the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body), and to last for ever.

Websters has these choices:
1a : the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body
c : an organismic state characterized by capacity for metabolism (see METABOLISM sense 1), growth, reaction to stimuli, and reproduction
4 : spiritual existence transcending (see TRANSCEND sense 1c) physical death
5a : the period from birth to death

There are 20 entries!
My summary:
Life is being able for growth, reaction to stimuli and reproduction in a human.
Life is a spiritual transcendance of a human and the very nature of God
This is my favorite definition:

life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, in the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body), and to last for ever.

To discuss how Jesus is LIFE, we need to find out where death came from!
Genesis 1

Genesis 1 King James Version (KJV)
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Before God created man, He created, period!

  1. Light
  2. Firmament of Heaven divided from Earth
  3. Dry land separated from water, plants – first evidence of life
  4. Sun, Moon, Stars – Day and Night
  5. Water Creatures
  6. Land creatures and Man

There are various creation theologies.
Back to John Pipers ministry, they provide Creation Theology in 12 points.
Here is a very deep explanation of Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 from Answers in Genesis.
The theological term is creatio ex nihilo, the Latin for “from nothing”.

This is the theological position I believe.
and here’s a few verses to back my belief up, though others will have verses that back up their theology.

Hebrews 11:3 King James Version (KJV)
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

John 1:3 King James Version (KJV)
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Why do I believe this?
1. In the Beginning – God.
Out of His creative character, and because only HE can create matter(First Law of Thermodynamics and the Law of Conservation of Mass Energy) God Created.
Nothing was made without him is the rephrasing of without him was not anything made that was made.
2. God is eternal, therefore, within Him resides ETERNAL life. Ps 90 All About God – Eternal God.
3.All beings with a spirit are Eternal or Immortal, but only God is without beginning or end. Daniel 12:2-3, All About God’s writing about is the Human soul mortal or immortal?
4. The order of Creation sets up the stage for LIFE on earth!
5. Man was not alive until God breathed life into him. Genesis 2:7
6. In the midst of the Garden there was a tree of life.
7. In the midst of the Garden there was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:9

What happened? SIN
I’ve written about Adam and Eve on many instances, but my favorite is An Inconvenient Truth.

Short story:
Eve listened to the Serpent
Adam listened to Eve
God found out.
animal had to be killed to pay the price so they would not have to die.
At that point, death entered the world.
Cain killing Abel was the first murder.
and it goes down hill from there…
UNTIL

Jesus is born.
Eve had been given a promise.

Genesis 2:15
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

They did not have to suffer physical death instantly as the judgement of their disobedience demanded, but something had to. A sacrificial animal. The precursor to Jesus Christ, the sacrificial Lamb.
Here’s where you can learn more:

I am that I am – a statement of Life, complete existence in Himself – THIS IS THE FIRST NAME GOD GAVE HIMSELF.

Only HE who HAS can give to he who has not.

John 10:10 King James Version (KJV)
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Back to Genesis –

Genesis 3
22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Because of the disobedience, they were driven out of Paradise.
They were forbidden to eat of the Tree of Life!
We are in the midst of a study called Freedom created by The Church of the Highlands. I highly recommend it, to get a new and fresh look at the Trees from the Garden.

To eat of the Tree of Life would have meant that they would forever live in their sin. God prevented that.

green tree with live brancesJesus is the Rod of Jesse – like a tree. Is 11:1-2
Jesus is the Branch – like a tree. Zech 6:12
Jesus is the Vine – a plant. John 15
Hebrews 11:17-24 talks about being grafted into the tree of the family of God.
Romans 6 talks about being dead to sin and alive to Christ.

When we are saved, the old man dies – the death payment for our sins, and the new man comes alive – the Life bestowed upon us for being IN CHRIST!

Acts 17:28 New International Version (NIV)
28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[a] As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’[b]

The interesting thing here is that Paul is talking to the people of Athens – and is quoting their own poet, who was speaking of THE UNKNOWN GOD. They knew there was some power that was in everything – and Paul declares Him as the God of Creation, who sent His son so that we could KNOW HIM!Jesus is my life with tree

Jesus broke down the walls that separated us from the Tree of Life!
In Jesus, WE HAVE LIFE!

That is worth celebrating!

Worship
I am the Vine by John Michael Talbot
Now my Lifesong Sings by Casting Crowns
LifeSong by Casting Crowns
In Him We Live and Move and Have our Being

~~~~~~~

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links:

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.

Older woman with shades of coral in jewelry and sweater, glasses, silver and brown hair.

M. Christine Wildman

“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

Copyrights and Legal-eze
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.

2019 Lent Day 19 – The Way, THE TRUTH, The Life

Lent Devotions
Lent Week Three – for Catch up.
Lent Week Four started March 5, 2018

Lent Day Nineteen
The Way, the Truth & The Life John 14:5-14

Music
Song of Truth by Mark Shelton & Jonathan Malone

Scripture
John 14:6 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Devotion
The WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE.
Yesterday, we looked at THE WAY.
Today, we’re going to look at the TRUTH.

Jesus says he is the TRUTH, but what is truth?

From Websters Dictionary
Definition of truth (Entry 1 of 2)
1a(1) : the body of real things, events, and facts : ACTUALITY
(2) : the state of being the case : FACT
(3) often capitalized : a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality
b : a judgment, proposition, or idea that is true or accepted as true
truths of thermodynamics
c : the body of true statements and propositions
2a: the property (as of a statement) of being in accord with fact or reality
b chiefly British : TRUE sense 2
c : fidelity to an original or to a standard
3a : sincerity in action, character, and utterance
b archaic : FIDELITY, CONSTANCY

Blueletter Bible explains the Biblical usage in this outline
objectively

  • what is true in any matter under consideration
  • truly, in truth, according to truth
  • of a truth, in reality, in fact, certainly
  • what is true in things appertaining to God and the duties of man, moral and religious truth
  • in the greatest latitude
  • the true notions of God which are open to human reason without his supernatural intervention
  • the truth as taught in the Christian religion, respecting God and the execution of his purposes through Christ, and respecting the duties of man, opposing alike to the superstitions of the Gentiles and the inventions of the Jews, and the corrupt opinions and precepts of false teachers even among Christians

Strongs G225 simplified says this:
I. objectively;
1. universally, what is true in any matter under consideration (opposed to what is feigned, fictitious, false):

John 1:14 & 17 says

John 1:14-17 King James Version (KJV)
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

      • Jesus says He is the Truth.
      • John describes Him as bringing Truth.
      • The Religious leaders told him that he taught the truth in Mt 22:16, Mk 12:14, and Luke 20:21.
      • Jesus tells us that

        John 8:32 King James Version (KJV)
        32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

      • Jesus says we should do truth in John 3:21
      • Jesus says we need to worship God in Spirit and in Truth in John 4:24
      • Jesus prays about us being sanctified by the truth in John 17:17

        John 17:17 King James Version (KJV)
        17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

      • Jesus says to the Father – THY word is TRUTH!

Is Truth a Who? What? How?

Thing or Action – Our Salvation

Ephesians 1:13 King James Version (KJV)
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Action – Our responsibility to obey  – Galatians 3:1 and 5:7

Thing – Part of our Armor! Loins girt about with Truth!  Eph 6:14

Person or Character – God is not a liar – therefore God is true:  – Titus 1:2, Heb 6:18 and

Numbers 23:19 King James Version (KJV)
19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

In fact, Hebrews 6:18 says that it is an immutable thing…God cannot lie! Part of His Character!

Person –  Jesus promises a comforter…the Spirit of Truth!  John 15:26,

John 14:17 King James Version (KJV)
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Person – The Spirit of Truth is our Teacher.

John 16:13 King James Version (KJV)
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Who is this comforter? The Holy Spirit, the third person in the God head! For more info on the Tri-unity of God, Lent Day 7

  • Jesus is the Truth
  • God’s Word is True.
  • Jesus is the Word.
  • We are sanctified by the Word.
  • Jesus is God
  • God cannot lie.
  • The Holy Spirit is God.
  • The Holy Spirit is Truth
  • The Holy Spirit is the comforter that Jesus sends back to teach us all things of TRUTH!

What are the “doing” parts?
Part One – teachings – The Holy Spirit is guiding us into all truth…because Jesus promised that

John 8:32 King James Version (KJV)
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Part Two – actions

So that we can gird our loins with TRUTH.
So that we will not be deceived by the enemy.
So that we will be set free from the lies that surround us.

How can this be a concept, a person, thing and an action at the same time?

  • By Faith, we Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ – TRUTH as a person.
  • God’s heart is that all will come to the knowledge of truth – 1 Tim 2:4 – TRUTH as a concept to be taught.
  • We are told to obey the truth in Galatians – TRUTH as a concept and action.
  • We are told to gird our loins with TRUTH – TRUTH as a noun

God is only known in spirit and in truth. He is OTHER. This is a whole study unto itself. The thing is, that we believe it because God said it, and we trust His Words. It is because HE is. It is by faith, through grace.

Ephesians 2:8 King James Version (KJV)
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Romans 10:9 King James Version (KJV)
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

The opposite of truth is deceit.
I don’t want to list these verses, and fill up this blog, but, for further study, here is a list of scriptures about deceit from Bible Study Tools.

Colossians 3:9-10 King James Version (KJV)
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Deceit is part of the old man – the man without the resurrection power of Jesus Christ in their lives.
Remember, we are known by our fruit!

Jesus is the TRUTH – and by allowing him to enter into our lives, and make us new, set free from the old man, we are back in relationship with the God who Is TRUE, and we can be filled with the Holy Spirit of Truth, who will guide us into all truth!

In that light, we can
Psalm 37:3-6 King James Version (KJV)
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

Truth is God, Godly and Godliness.
For more – Itty Bitty Bible Study Titus Ambassadors

Worship
Voice of Truth
Stronger by Hillsong

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

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

Copyrights and Legal-eze
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 Lent Day 18 – 3/6 – THE WAY, The Truth & The Life

Lent Devotions
Lent Week Three – for Catch up.
Lent Week Four started March 5, 2018

Lent Day Eighteen
The Way, the Truth & The Life John 14:5-14

Music
Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life

Scripture
John 14:6 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Devotion
The WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE.

THE WAY
It really starts with verse 1:

John 14:1-14 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
The Way to the Father
14 “Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.
2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you.
3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also.
4 You know the way to where I am going.”
5 “Lord,” Thomas said, “we don’t know where You’re going. How can we know the way?”
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Jesus was trying to comfort them….”let not your heart be troubled”.

HOW?
“Believe in God, believe also in me.”
In Lent Day Eight, we discussed how he placed the choice before them…that HE cried out, and almost begs them to choose Him!
It is the basis of our salvation – Acts 16:31 – to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved!

He tells them that he is going to prepare a place for them…as I wrote about in Day Seventeen, Many Mansions.

Dear Thomas, so honest and transparent…”we don’t know where you’re going…how can we know the way!”

In lent Day Seven, we discussed the Tri-unity of God – His unity in plurality. Here, Jesus reminds them that He and the Father are one, as he stated in John 10:30.

This is NEW to the Jewish religion – that God is One in Three.
Here is a quote from Day Seven:

  • In the beginning God spoke let there be light.(Genesis 1) God’s voice is the source of creation – The Father
  • In the Beginning – the spirit hovered over the face of the waters – The Holy Spirit.
  • In the Beginning was the word and the Word was God and the Word was with God – Jesus (John 1) All things were created through Him,
    and apart from Him not one thing was created
    that has been created.

We know that God’s voice spoke words. We know that the word of God is Jesus Christ. We know that Jesus Christ was part of the creative power in the beginning. We know that God moves upon water as The Holy Spirit, in the beginning. We have a Triune God to manifest himself in Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Three distinct personalities in one complete person. Several times, when God speaks, the fullness of the Godhead is displayed.

~~~~Theology of the Trinity on Wikipedia, Answers in Genesis, Desiring God, and possibly my favorite – The Gospel Coalition~~~~

The WAY is to believe in the fullness of the Godhead! And, Jesus prepared the way for us, through His death, burial and resurrection! If you have questions on that concept, there are links in my signature!

Worship & Praise
What a Savior – Laura Story
One Way – Hillsong

The next few days will be about the Truth and the Life!

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

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

Copyrights and Legal-eze
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.

My One Word 2019 – Guard Your Heart Pr 4:23 – 2/25/2019

Proverbs 4:23 English Standard Version (ESV)
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.

My notes on the bitterness post:

Guard your heart
Bitterness
On forgiveness

How did i learn i had bitterness?
By my words
Out of the abundance of my heart, my mouth spoke

I am an abuser survivor
Forgave
Healed
Didn’t wait for the abuser to apologize
It only takes one to forgive.

I am a peaceful conflict resolution teacher
I know the steps
It takes two, to do a resolution.

I’m a human
I’ve been wounded
I thought I’d forgiven
I have bitterness

Why is it so difficult forget sometimes? Is it because someone has hurt you over and over and over? And they have the potential to continue doing so? And you’re sure you fill the 70 × 7 forgiveness requirement?

Hebrews 12:15 King James Version (KJV)
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

I just completed IBBS Titus 1:10-16, and in Titus, Paul warns about those who are defiled.

Titus 1:15 King James Version (KJV)
15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

I discussed how when someone chooses to go the way of the wide path, and not the straight and narrow, eventually, God gives them over to their own lusts. God gives them, or allows them, what they want. Romans 1:18-32

All I wanted to do was to discuss the concept of holding unforgiveness in your heart would cause you problems.  Well, me, specifically. These posts are all written to me, I just share them with whomever is interested! HA! Such a simple task, I thought! Therefore, as God would have it, I’ve been enlightened about how much bitterness I hold in my heart!

I’ve written a few times about bitterness!

Forgiveness:

About anger:

Coming up soon, from the date of this writing, is the Resurrection Season. I wrote a series for Lent last year, and the First Sunday of Lent deals with Forgiveness!

There is a website that I refer to often, GotQuestions.org.
Here’s their write up on What is Forgiveness. The article talks about the two aspects of forgiveness – the part that is key to our salvation, or, OUR forgiveness by GOD, and the part that we are to implement, or, OUR forgiveness of OTHERS.

Another resource is from Desiring God, and here is a list of their various posts on Forgiveness…including several by John Piper. Here’s one that fits this topic wonderfully – How to Battle Bitterness!

In that sermon, John Piper brings up this verse:

Romans 12:19 King James Version (KJV)
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Isn’t that why we hold onto the anger, the rage, the hurt and such? We want vengeance?

“Revenge – it’s a dish best served cold.”

I have no idea where that came from. Wikipedia says this:

The popular expression “revenge is a dish best served cold” suggests that revenge is more satisfying if enacted when unexpected or long feared, inverting traditional civilized revulsion toward “cold-blooded” violence.[12]

The idea’s origin is obscure. The French diplomat Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (1754–1838) has been credited with the saying, “La vengeance est un met que l’on doit manger froid” [“Revenge is a dish that must be eaten cold”], albeit without supporting detail.[13] It has been in the English language at least since the 1846 translation of the 1845 French novel Mathilde by Joseph Marie Eugène Sue: “la vengeance se mange très bien froide”,[14] there italicized as if quoting a proverbial saying, and translated “revenge is very good eaten cold”.[15] It has been wrongly credited[16] to the novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses (1782).

Its path to modern popularity may begin with the 1949 film Kind Hearts and Coronets which had revenge is a dish which people of taste prefer to eat cold. The familiar wording appears in the film Death Rides a Horse (1967), in the novel The Godfather by Mario Puzo (1969), as if from an “old Klingon proverb” in the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). The title sequence of the Quentin Tarantino film Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) referred to this last movie by again citing it as a Klingon proverb. After that it appeared in the 2004 version of Man on Fire.

The phrase has also been credited to the Pashtuns of Afghanistan.[17]

Another proverb states, “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves”. Another version (Chinese: 子不复仇非子也) proposes that a son who does not take revenge for his parents is not a son.[citation needed]

That’s the way of the flesh.
Hebrews 12:15 says not to allow a root of bitterness to grow! And, any plant grows from a seed.
Romans 12:19 says to let God take vengeance on our behalf.

When our children were little, they often offended each other. Yes. It’s true.
If they came to me with the concern, I would sit them down, and start a peaceful conflict resolution – let’s talk it out, and come up with a satisfactory solution.
If one lied, they would be disciplined.
If one disobeyed some rule, they would be disciplined.
BUT, if the offended one took matters into their own hand, I would say
“you already handed out the punishment, I cannot punish them anymore. If you want them to have discipline and learn the lesson, you need to let me be the judge, and pronounce the judgement.”

These aren’t quite the same thing, yet I’m pretty sure these verses were those from whom I gleaned this concept.

Proverbs 24:17-18 New International Version (NIV)
Saying 28
17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,
18 or the Lord will see and disapprove
and turn his wrath away from them.

Proverbs 24:29 King James Version (KJV)
29 Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.

And a few others:

Lev 19:18
Deut 32:35

I have written about God being a Vengeful God in IBBS Nahum 1:2b

The thing is, vengeance is a release of the anger and the bitterness, from our physical, emotional and mental perspectives.
Forgiveness is letting go from a SPIRITUAL perspective.

holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die

I’ve done much study on Forgiveness as an abuse survivor.
It’s not about the other person, though, if they want to sit down and work things out, GREAT!
It’s about MY HEART!!

God says in His Word:

Ephesians 4:26-27 King James Version (KJV)
26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27 Neither give place to the devil.

What happens if we give place to the devil?

Hebrews 12:15 King James Version (KJV)
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

And yet, Our Heavenly Father knows us so much, that he gave us a promise to help us let go of that anger:

Romans 12:19 King James Version (KJV)
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Give room for GOD’s wrath to deal with it!

Did Jesus talk about this? Yes, including instructions!

Matthew 5:21-25 King James Version (KJV)
21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Matthew 5 is the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount.
Blessed are the

  • poor in Spirit
  • mourn
  • meek
  • hunger and thirst after righteousness
  • merciful
  • pure in heart
  • peace makers

Do any of those sounds like anger, wrath, or bitterness? Nope, not to me, either.
The fruit of the Spirit are:

  • Love
  • Joy
  • Peace
  • Patience
  • Gentleness
  • Goodness
  • Faith
  • Meekness
  • Self-Control

Anything look like anger, wrath and bitterness there? nope, nada!

1 Corinthians 13, in the chapter describing LOVE says this:

1 Corinthians 13:5 New International Version (NIV)
5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Not only does love not get easily angered, IT KEEPS NO RECORD OF WRONGS.
ISN’T THAT BITTERNESS???

Before listing the fruit of the Spirit, Paul lists the fruit of the flesh.

Galatians 5:19-21 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions,
21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I tell you about these things in advance—as I told you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Even though we are forgiven for our sins, and yes, we struggle with the flesh in this life, these things are not becoming of an Ambassador of Christ! While I’m studying this, as I said above, I was also studying about what it meant to be an ambassador for and of Christ through Titus 1. IBBS Titus 1:6-9 Ambassadors

See, when someone starts sharing things, things that could be perceived as teachings, they could be perceived as teachers.
I am told, as an old woman to teach the younger women.
TEACH seems to be the key word here.
This is to the older men, but, in my Titus studies, I realize, it isn’t gender specific!

Titus 2:6-8 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
7… Make yourself an example of good works with integrity and dignity in your teaching. 8 Your message is to be sound beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be ashamed, having nothing bad to say about us.

It’s a warning to anyone that potentially teaches.

James 3:1-2 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
3:1 Not many should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment,

Of course…we are all called to teach…

Matthew 28:19-20 King James Version (KJV)
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

What does this have to do with Bitterness, unforgiveness and anger?
I HAVE NOT HAD SO MUCH TROUBLE IN YEARS WITH ANGER AND BITTERNESS TOWARDS MY FAMILY as I have since I started working on this post!
Was there anything that anyone did horrible to me?
NO!
Was there anything illegal, immoral, or of enduring effect?
NO!
I just didn’t seem to be able to LET GO of the pain!

Testimony…
Yes, I have had pains that come up, and I do have triggers because of those painful memories.
Yes, my family sometimes forgets the (long list, I’m sure) triggers that trigger me.
YES, I get hurt. Mad sometimes. Sometimes, I have to talk to them about it.
The thing is, a long time ago, I decided that I didn’t have the emotional energy, nor the mental capacity to give anger room in me! It’s exhausting!
YET NOW IT’S HAPPENING!

Maybe, just maybe, there was special grace given to me to forgive my abusers, and now, I have to seek out that grace in face of MY NEED for forgiveness.

What do I mean by that?

Matthew 6:14-15 King James Version (KJV)
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

There’s a qualification to being forgiven! Jesus said so!
I studied that when I was going through the early therapy for the PTSD, and prayed to forgive my abuser.
Years later, I went through some spiritual techniques that had you go through and forgive all those from your past. This included asking those you could contact for forgiveness where needed.
Here I am, actually writing a piece because of a few things that were bothering me…and I get hit with a month’s worth of lessons on anger, bitterness, releasing the pain, and forgiveness.

I had a diagram that I wanted to create a video of.
I’m going to share that photo here, but because of a new friend, Ebony, I’ve just been made aware of another aspect to forgiveness and bitterness that I need to work on…forgiving myself!

I’ll explain this, and maybe have a video in part two!

 
Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

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

Copyrights and Legal-eze
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.

My One Word 2019 – Guard your heart – Prov 4:23

Proverbs 4:23 English Standard Version (ESV)
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.

From January 2015 –

I was given a suggestion – one little word. Based upon Ali Edwards’ One Little Word. (scrapbooking focused)
…
Another friend recommended the site My One Word for those that don’t scrapbook.

The word was prepare – as in faithfully prepare. I wrote a lot.

In 2017 the word was teach me to number my days – Psalm 90:12
Again, I wrote a lot.

In 2018, I gave up on getting a word! Be Like Jesus was the focus. I didn’t write as much specifically on my one word, but I wrote in Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and led a Roman’s Bible Study – so, I think that those things added up to getting into that focus!

This year, as usual, I didn’t get a word…I got a verse, or a phrase (Be Like Jesus is very much the whole Bible!)

Proverbs 4:23 English Standard Version (ESV)
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.

This is one time that I did play around with different versions.
The Bible Hub makes it so easy! Proverbs 4:23

Young’s Literal translation says it this way:

Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it are the outgoings of life.

Break it down.
KEEP YOUR HEART
Keep your heart is translated as guard mostly.
Watch is also used.
One version specifically says with all watchfulness.

Thanks to Blue Letter Bible,
The KJV translates Strong’s H5341 in the following manner: keep (38x), preserve (13x), watchmen (3x), besieged (2x), keeper (1x), monuments (1x), observe (with H7521) (1x), preserver (1x), subtil (1x), hidden things (1x), watchers (1x).

Outline of Bible usage:
to guard, watch, watch over, keep
(Qal)
to watch, guard, keep
to preserve, guard from dangers
to keep, observe, guard with fidelity
to guard, keep secret
to be kept close, be blockaded
watchman (participle)

You see, I’m no Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek scholar – I’m dependent upon Strong’s Concordance.
My point of view is that God will let me see what I need to know about the verses I’m studying.
In my language.
Isn’t that what Wycliff, Guttenburg, Tyndale and Luther wanted? It was their passion, and in many cases, the death of them.
For your enjoyment, here’s a great summary of how we got the Bible in English! English Bible History by Greatsite.

Men were hunted and killed for wanting to give us the Bible in common language. That’s pretty serious! We need to respect the seriousness of their work, their passion, and their gift to us who follow!

Even in the midst of the enemy’s desire to destroy God’s word, God insisted that the Bible live on, and protected the work of the men that gave their lives to translate for the common/indigenous peoples…the first being the very ones attending the churches! The first indigenous bibles were in German, English, and other such languages that were common, not limited to those scholars and priests, in the ivory towers and cathedrals.

It’s possible that the first protest…as in protestant…was to read the Bible for themselves!

Guard my heart – I want to dig into the words, because I want to know a bit more about the words!
Why?
Well, I believe everything started with a word (phrase, actually)

Genesis 1:3 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Jesus is the Word…and was there in the beginning!

John 1:1-3 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Prologue
1 In the beginning was the Word,[a]
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 All things were created through Him,
and apart from Him not one thing was created
that has been created.

To be like Jesus, I need to know Jesus more.
Jesus is the incarnation of God the Father, and the way that God made for me to KNOW Him better.
The Holy Spirit is the indwelling person of the Godhead. To know Him, I need to spend time with Him.

And the way to do that is through the WORD of God!

Psalm 119:11 King James Version (KJV)
11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

Yes, Be like Jesus was “so last year!”
Seriously, which phrase/word actually has only a year’s worth of application?

Teach me to number my days…why?

Psalm 90:12 King James Version (KJV)
12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Be Like Jesus – is there a verse for that?

John 13:15 King James Version (KJV)
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

Prepare? I found plenty of content for preparing the way for the Lord!

Mark 1:3 King James Version (KJV)
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

The first part was to mind the foundations.

I will confess, looking over the previous years One Word posts is very convicting.
But I have to guard my heart.
I tend to fall into condemnation.

Romans 8:1 King James Version (KJV)
8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

The truth is, though I sometimes have trouble seeing it in myself, I desire to walk after the Spirit!
I desire to grow fruit!

Galatians 5:22-25 King James Version (KJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

My heart’s desire is that I would live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit! God gives me a promise in Psalm 37!
Specifically:

Psalm 37:3-7 King James Version (KJV)
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

Isn’t that beautiful? The whole Psalm is so comforting.

Guarding my heart is a verb, an action.
So are these:

  • trust in the Lord
  • do good
  • delight in the Lord
  • commit thy way to the Lord
  • trust, again…
  • rest in the Lord
  • wait patiently

These are key activities to guarding my heart and being watchful!

Walking and living in the Spirit will keep my heart! Guard my heart.

Some companion verses to drill this home for me:

Proverbs 22:5 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
5 There are thorns and snares on the path of the crooked;
the one who guards himself stays far from them.

And to be sure that I don’t trust in my own heart:

Jeremiah 17:9 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
The Deceitful Heart
9 The heart is more deceitful than anything else,
and incurable—who can understand it?

Proverbs 28:26 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
26 The one who trusts in himself[a] is a fool,
but one who walks in wisdom will be safe.

Bible Gateway has a collection of references to loving the Lord with all my heart.
Deuteronomy 6:4-7; Matthew 22:37-40; Mark 12:30-31; Luke 10:27

The ten commandments, rolled up into two – and the first is so foundational to the second:

Luke 10:27 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
27 He answered:
Love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your strength,
and with all your mind;
and your neighbor
as yourself.

Praise Break!

Today, I was listening to my youtube channel on Grounding Worship, and I heard “Come thou fount”. This is Jim’s favorite hymn.

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart Lord, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above
Here’s my heart Lord, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above

Chris Tomlin has such a great way of honoring the great hymns with something new!

I wanted to find the history of this hymn, and through much searching, found a blog by Stephanie that talked about her desire to know more about this hymn as well…and she led me to a new resource, Wordwise Hymns, and the information on Robert Robinson, the author of Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.

Guard my heart….

Proverbs 4:20-22 King James Version (KJV)
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

Psalm 40:8 KJV
I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

and again:

Psalm 119:11 King James Version (KJV)
11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

This year, I plan to surround myself with His word…to drive it deeper and deeper still into my heart, and renew my mind!

Romans 12:2 KJV
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Colossians 3:10KJV
And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

The next part of the verse is with all diligence/ vigilence, utmost care and above all else.
It is serious.
It is to be done intentionally.
I’m going to study that the next time!

https://youtu.be/wCYOpAfo61E

One last thing to share…I created a bracelet to remind me of this year’s focus.
The heart has “life” inscribed on it.
The round charm says Pr 4:23.

 

I think I have my work cut out for me! I’m so grateful that God has my back, and as long as this is the desire of my heart, He will give this to me! I’m committing my way to His grace, mercy, and guidance!

My prayer:

Psalm 51:10 KJV
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Do you have a word for this year? Share it with me!

Hi!
My hope in the midst of despair and my joy in the face of depression is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. If you do not have one, or are not sure you will join him in heaven, please check out these links.

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

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