Tag Archives: Choose

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.

For to me, to live is Christ, to die is gain. ~Paul

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Philippians 1:21-30

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

Philippians 1:21-30

FOR TO ME TO LIVE IS CHRIST, TO DIE IS GAIN

We’ve all seen this verse…

What does this mean?
Is Paul wanting to die?
Is Paul suicidal, but just deciding to live?
Is he being a living martyr for us?
Is he complaining?

I don’t think so. I think he’s just stating the fact that in this world, we have tribulations(John 16:33) – and the only complete deliverance from them is in the presence of Christ, after earthly death.
I also think he’s talking about how amazing it is to be with Christ, but now, we see through a glass darkly – but then we will see clearly, and know clearly (1 Corinthians 13:12 ).

I had a time when I was close to death and I had a conversation with Jesus. I call it, a glimpse of Jesus.

To confirm this, Ph 1:20

20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

It’s not martyrdom mentality.
We’ve all met them.
“sigh – I would rather be doing this but I am called to be here, suffering for you, and it’s too God’s glory – sigh” followed by the hand swipe of the imagined sweat on the brow.

Paul is explaining what it is to be in Christ – to minister the gospel – to disciple others.
He’s admitting that it ain’t easy!

1 Ph 1:22-24

22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

He calls the work for the Lord IN the flesh as fruitful labor…sounding like a husbandman of a vineyard, that loves the vines, and willing works and toils in order to nurture them to fruitfulness.
He knows his calling.
His calling is to teach.
The shepherd looks after his sheep, and gives his life for his sheep, if necessary. (John 10:11)
Paul is only imitating HIS Shepherd – Jesus, the good Shepherd. (John 10)
He’s doing it for the sheep – he’s living his life for the sheep that Christ has given him!
A servant heart!

Phil 1:25-26
Here is where I had to stop and do some research into the life and ministry of Paul.

25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,
26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

I am ashamed to admit that I did not realize that Paul was in Rome twice.
He was released, and he did return to minister to the Philippians.
I love The Blue Letter Bible site! It’s there that I was able to look up the apostle Paul’s timeline!

His ministry at or around this time is explained in Acts 28, in his missionary works after the first Rome experience are indicated in 1 & 2 Timothy, and Titus.

His second trip to Rome was under Nero – and he was imprisoned and martyred.

2 Timothy 4:6-8
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

How did Paul know that he was going to be released the first time, and not the second?

Amos 3:7
Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.

The Angel of the Lord said a similar thing when meeting with Abraham before destroying Sodom and Gomorrah. (Genesis 18:16-21)

Have you ever had a time when you just knew what God was going to do in your life?

You had asked for wisdom, you had asked for guidance – Just like James 1 says to do.

Somehow, in your time of meditating and praying, all of the sudden, you just KNEW what God was going to do in your situation.

As I read through this, I notice Paul, the ever consummate teacher! The Papa to these young Christians – wanting to not waste any time in his letter.
Why is he going to be returned to them?

Phil 1:25
for your progress and joy in the faith,

This would get my attention…that the reason that he is going to be continuing here on the earth, and even returning to see us is for OUR PROGRESS…and OUR JOY in the FAITH!

I’d sit up and take notice! This is for MY joy? MY progress? Woo Hoo!

Phil 1:27
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,

ZING! OUCH! THAT’S PERSONAL!

  • Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ,
  • so that whether I come and see you or am absent,
  • I may hear of you that you are standing firm
  • in one spirit,
  • with one mind
  • striving side by side
  • for the faith of the gospel,

I don’t know about you, but, while this seems to be spoken to the church at Philipi…no group of Christians can be bound together in unity without the individuals choosing to live their lives worthy of the gospel of Christ!
A church cannot stand firm, unless the indivduals are choosing to stand firm.
A body cannot be in one spirit, in one mind unless each part chooses to be in unity with the others, or at least harmony, and in unity with Christ.
Only THEN, can they stand side by side!
Because they are focused individually and together on the faith of the gospel!

It’s the living out of the Body of Christ, as he wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
At the end of 1 Corinthians 12, Paul points to 1 Corinthians 13 by saying
“And I will show you a still more excellent way.”
That is the way of Love!

Romans 12:4-5, Ephesians 2:19-22
Knowing Jesus has a great list of verses about the Body of Christ.

Paul also addresses that something is going on that is causing fear…well, in this time, HE’s in prison for the gospel, Christ has been crucified, Stephen was stoned(this he knew of very well). The culture was not very pro Christian.

Phil 1:28
28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.

Stand fast together side by side…in LOVE.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14
13 Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong.
14 Do everything in love.

Paul encourages them NOT to be terrified…that the persecution is to their(the enemies) damnation, but will work to salvation in the Christians. Romans 8:28 again, only this time, it’s applying to the believers..not to Paul’s circumstances!

I believe he’s pointing back to Jesus’s great sermon!

Matthew 5:10-12
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

If we walk as Christ walked, we can expect persecution. The keys here are FALSELY and on CHRIST’s account!
Paul started out this section with let your conversation(also translated as life) be as it becomes the gospel of CHRIST!

I’ve been ‘persecuted’ for my attitude – as in BAD.
I’ve been ‘persecuted’ for my rudeness, or inappropriateness, or my lack of respect for someone’s time.
That’s not being persecuted for my life reflecting the gospel or Christ.

I’ve heard of folks that have called their reprimands at work as being persecution. Unfortunately, when I questioned them, they were not doing their job, and were preventing others from getting their work done, and offending customers. That was NOT persecution. Maybe for their naivete, but not for Christ.

Then, again – as if Paul MUST drive this home…after letting us know that he would rather die and be with Jesus, but had chosen to stay here, in order to help us grow…into the fullness of Christ…and that we will have opponents….

Phil 1:29 – 30
29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,
30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

WAIT!!! HOLD ON!!! I DIDN’T SIGN UP FOR THIS!!!
I thought it was all going to ask and ye shall receive…seek and ye shall find, life more abundantly, my father owns the cattle on a thousand hills…open the windows of heaven and pour out the blessings…Abraham’s blessings are mine!!!!

This type of Christianity just does not line up with the fullness of scripture.
Are those things true?
Of course. They are Bible.
Is this persecution and suffering thing true?
Again, Yes – they are Bible.

The best way I can explain it is to share this:
1 Peter 4
YES, the WHOLE chapter.
But here’s the main poit I want to make:

1 Peter 4:12-17
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.
16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.
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?

In this section, Phil 1:20-30, I see Paul stating why he is remaining here, and then, going ahead and teaching, challenging, encouraging, and maybe convicting the believers.

For to me, to live is Christ, to die is gain.
Do we really have a choice? technically, yes…but, if I want to be like Jesus…I don’t have a choice.
Jesus said it this way:

Matthew 16:24-26
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

A very wise man, who did give his life for Christ, said this:

I’m going to end this chapter with a link to a poem I was given last night, The Pain of Night. I think it goes well with this study.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ More Philippians ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~Thank you! ~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

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 Pain of Night – Jan 22, 2018

The Pain of Night

The pain of night has no Delight
And to the Lord, I set my sights

My heart is filled with joy and fear
Because I know that He is near.
Then why the fear if He is near?
Will He choose to hear my tears?

My heart is sad because of pain
It’s nothing, I look to the blood-soaked stains
Of what He suffered for me on the cross
And I think of my life and count it for  loss.

But still my flesh does scream and cry,
I know for me He chose to die,
And by His stripes I’m told I’m Healed.
Why this pain still do I feel?

What lesson in this for me to learn?
I really pray that I discern
I want to learn my lessons well
I want to hear Him to me tell,

“Peace my child and do be still!”
“I will do the work in you until
My fullness in you does dwell
And you are set free from this Earthly hell.

“So tell your story far and wide
How I was ever by your side
When darkness threatened to settle in
And the demons try to do you in.

“But to My face you turned to seek
And in My light you knew we’d meet
The day will come, this flesh will die.
You with me, to be glorified.

“So do the work on Earth for now.
I give you Grace and make a vow.
I’ll be beside you until the end
And you reach heaven with Me, amen.”

What can I say, Lord, when you speak like this?
When your words are gentle like a butterfly kiss.
When I know what you suffered on the cross for me
What else can I do, but to learn to be –

Be still
Be patient
Be loving and kind
I know that my God is in charge of all time

To be more like Jesus is my prayer
And to share His love everywhere.
And if my suffering in faith and peace
Is what the Lord desires of me,

Then I pray that I will suffer well
And that I can go and tell
Others about the Amazing peace
Of knowing that he died for me!

My prayer was that He’d speak to me
My prayer was so that I would see!
If He chooses not to heal
My soul declares Peace, be still.
(c) 2018 MCWildman

 

Romans 5:1-5
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith 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.

James 1:2-5
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

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 – Philippians 1:18-21

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

Philippians 1

To catch up, the links are at the end of the blog, or all the Itty Bitty Bible Studies are listed on this page.

Philippians 1:18b – 26
Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

First, focus on what Paul is saying here:

Yes, and I will rejoice,
19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,

This sounds very familiar!!!!!
Maybe because Paul wrote ROMANS!!!

He’s in Jail.
He’s chained to a guard. Or possibly on house arrest.
Blue Letter Bible provides a very nice Timeline of Paul’s Life and Ministry
He’s had so many things happen to him…and he’s still looking at these things from the point of view that all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to HIS purposes! Romans 8:28
The whole chapter of Romans 8 could be written, and summarized in this thought…that no matter how badly things look, we can know that it is bringing about OUR salvation. Not in the sense that we get saved again and again, but more in the sense that we work out our salvation with fear and trembling, that this is a walk, a journey, and the fullness of Christ is to be worked out in us.

In Philippians 1:12 he is pointing out to everyone that is concerned that this is all for the furtherance of the gospel! This is his first and foremost concern.
In Philippians 4, we’ll hear about how it’s not about him having his needs met.
It’s to comfort those that are concerned, and to speak of HIS confidence in Christ.

I started that part with verse 18b – and yes, I will rejoice!
It reminds me of the letter that James wrote:

James 1:2-4
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James knew Paul, Paul knew James – James was the head of the church at Jerusalem. Bible Odyssey goes into much more detail.
It makes sense that James and Paul were thinking alike!

I wrote about the Oil of Joy

To understand a little bit more of verse 20, we have to read it with verse 19.

Phil 1:19-20
19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

  • I will not be at all ashamed,
  • but that with full courage now
  • as always
  • Christ will be honored
  • in my body,
  • whether by life
  • or by death.

He’s not talking about him being ashamed of the gospel. To confirm this, read

Romans 1:16
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

He’s talking about being ashamed of himself – because his first love is Christ Jesus, and he wants to glorify Him in all that he does, whether by living, or by dying.

Philippians 1:21English Standard Version (ESV)
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

And, with that, we will stop here. There’s too much to consider with the next 5 verses!
I pray that this will bless you.

Have you ever had to choose joy in the face of a “prison” surrounding you?

Have you every been “trapped” because of your faith?

Have you ever been concerned about YOUR behavior – ashamed of Your behavior as an ambassador of Christ?

Do you know that we have an advocate with the Father?

1 John 2:1-2
2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. 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.

Please share your thoughts with me in comments!

It is Well With My Soul
Worship Video
and
Chris Rice with a beautiful video

One of my rivers:

Philippians Itty Bitty Bible Study

TV Show Review – Star Trek Discovery(from my one word 2018)

I admit it, I’m a treky. I have been since the original series. Yes, in the 60’s.
I’ll also admit it – Star Trek does NOT coincide with Christian beliefs.
It was never meant to.
Gene Roddenberry

For me, as an artist and writer, I have enjoyed the cinematic evolution that is Star Trek.
The artistic aspects of the sets, the clothing, the scenes…all of that.
The humanistic study of humans…from a psychological and sociological point of view.

This is my review of the new series, Star Trek, Discovery, currently only available on CBS All-Access.
I utilized the free 7 day trial.

While all of the Star Trek episodes are/were meant to push the social envelope(Kirk kissing Uhura – first mixed race kiss on TV) – I’m feeling a bit pushed over the edge.

What I’m going to write next is NOT politically correct. This is MY review, this is MY opinion. Everyone has one!

Pros:
I love the strong women!
I love the reality of their back stories!
In only 10 episodes, I love their growth.
I love the dealing of PTSD in the life of Tyler, after being tortured by Klingons.
I love the character development.
I love the equality of the story line – mixed skin-color couple, mixed race couple(Klingon and Human) and the same sex couple. Since this is NOT a Christian statement show…I appreciate the balance from a humanistic point of view).

Cons:
This is NOT a show that will encourage my Christian faith.(sometimes, non Christian shows do give me food for thought)
This is a much more RAW Star Trek – while there are good parts…it feels much more savage and violent.
This series has been promoted as the series to push the women’s movement, and the LGBT movement into mainstream.
This is NOT a show that will encourage my Christian faith. (yes, I said that before…I’ll explain the reasoning behind this CON later)

PROS:
As a survivor of abuse, and having PTSD and anxiety issues, and to some extent, having been ‘brain washed’, the little bit of Tyler’s story, having been a POW in the Klingon camp, and having been tortured in ways we do not understand at this time, I am intrigued by his character development. In one episode, he has horrible flash backs and goes almost catatonic, and the other character talks him through the flash back. The words she says to him are the very words needed when PTSD flashbacks come.

Focus on the sound of my voice.
These are not happening, these are memories.
They didn’t defeat you then, they won’t defeat you now.
breathe.

MY Views:

My comfort when going through PTSD flashbacks sometimes needs to be from a human voice outside of my raging head filled with memories and negative self talk. Sometimes, I just need a human to keep me grounded to the present. I believe the Bible has the answer to this. I do not want my heart and mind divided.

1 Corinthians 12
26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

As an abuse survivor that has suffered from every cognitive distortion, I have struggled with not being good enough – and with suicidal thoughts. For a few of my thoughts, I submit:

Like I said above, the episode where Tyler is crashing from the flashbacks of his torture, the Admiral, a Psychiatrist, gave him simple, exact support to pull him back to reality.
A human voice on which to focus, can break through the (enormously loud chaotic) noise in my head.
As a mental healt awareness advocate, this is great exposure to how someone feels going through an episode.
In case someone needs this, here are 21 Anxiety Grounding Techniques.

As a Christian, my healing is based on my faith, my relationship with Jesus and with the Word of God speaking into my life. That is evident in my blogs above. And, prayer, Bible Verse recital, and Worship songs, and the like are VERY important safety/grounding techniques for MY healing. I believe the Bible has the source of healing that is eternal. I do not want my heart and mind divided. I’ve added some Bible verses at the end, but not about mental health at this time.

Powerful women…wow. What a change from the damsel in distress women in the original Star Trek.
Over coming mistakes.
Overcoming abuse.
Overcoming life long ridicule.
and rising up, taking back your power, and using the past to empower your future.

MY views…….
While they are encouraging and inspirational – they do not fill me with the love of Jesus that is MY healing power.

1 Peter 2:9English Standard Version (ESV)
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

You see, I need to remember that I belong to another…Another…and HIS light is a light that I desire…not the light of this world. Or any light that star trek can offer.

Luke 11:34-36English Standard Version (ESV)
34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.”

I’ve written many blogs about how to overcome the above issues with scripture, prayer and a relationship with Jesus Christ. Some are listed above. I believe that the Bible supports women rising up, taking back their power, and using the past to empower their future. I am one of them. I do not want my heart and mind divided.

Tolerance – all are one blood – no color seen by God. Acts 17:26
From a humanist point of view – the equality is refreshing. Including the very “normal” treatment of the prominent gay couple.

MY Views….
From a legal, and humanist point of view – this is great. From an American point of view, all are equal – We the People.
From MY Christian point of view –
all are equal before God, before salvation.
all human life is valuable to God – because he sent his son to die for the WHOLE WORLD.
all have the opportunity to be reconciled to God.
all have the opportunity to be members of the Kingdom of God.
And the method I believe in is through the Lord Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.

As with all countries – I believe every sovereign country has the right to choose who may enter their borders.
God(Jehovah, Yaweh, Yeshua, Jesus, Messiah, Emmanuel – the God that created the world, and created man, and gave His son, wholly God and wholly man to be the sacrifice for our sins, and indwells the believer with the Holy Spirit, also wholly God) – has given his requirements for entry…and that is to be a citizen.
To be a citizen, one has to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, renounce their sins, receive Him as Lord and Savior of their life, and live their life to glorify God until we meet him face to face.
I have followed the citizenship steps, and I am a citizen of the Kingdom of God.

Phillipians 3
18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

I believe the Bible, and I do not want my heart and mind divided.

CONS
The violence…period.
the deceit being rewarded.
The gay couple.
The embracing of a very over the top women’s movement.

MY views.
So, basically, my cons are pretty much that this show does not promote my beliefs.
I didn’t expect it to.
But I do need to make a choice…or be divided.

James 1:8King James Version (KJV)
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

1 Kings 18:21
Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.

Isaiah 29:13
The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.

James 4:8 gives me the solotion:

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Isaiah 55:7
let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Isaiah 5:20
“How terrible it will be for those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute what is bitter for what is sweet and what is sweet for what is bitter!”

For the Christian, it is not as easy as just turning off the tvs how.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

2 Peter 2:
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

Psalm 106:35English Standard Version (ESV)
35 but they mixed with the nations
and learned to do as they did.

Hosea 7

Those chapters are convicting, but here is the verse that really settles things in my heart:

Luke 9:
62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Yes, those words are in red, because they are the words of Jesus.
So, while I like some of the ways that this show is going, and I do not like the raw ness of it with the violence and such, I will discontinue my All-Access membership before I am charged, and choose not to watch this.

This will have an affect on my other watching habits, as well.
You see – the impression I’ve been given for this year is
“the end is near,
the time short…be like Jesus.”

There are so many more eternally profitable things I can be doing with my time.
There are so many more things that could help me to grow into Jesus’s likeness.
Star Trek is not one of them.
many of the things I’ve watched are not.

Why do you watch what you watch?
Does it further you toward your passions?
Does it help you to fulfill your calling?
If not…what do you choose?

Joshua 24:14-15
14 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:14-15

Joshua 24:14-15

I admitted at the beginning that I was a trekky – that is my confession, and I am not going to stop being a trekky.
I’m a child of God – and I have a job to do – and being a trekky keeps my heart divided and distracted.
Several things I’ve allowed into my life are causing division and distraction.
The time is short, the end is near…I need to get about the job at hand, the purpose for which I was saved.

 

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 – Philippians 1:12-18

My thoughts for the Itty Bitty Bible Study group on Facebook. (join if you’d like to get these in fb!)

Philippians 1:12-18
12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.
14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

First:

Phil 1:12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.

So often, when things go badly from our point of view, we wonder what we did wrong, what others did wrong, or why God did not protect, provide, or prevent whatever happened.

Paul wrote Romans 8:28

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

This goes all the way back to the story of Joseph – being thrown into the well by his brothers…and his final statement to them:

Genesis 50:19-20
19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20″As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.

This goes back to Ruth and Naomi…if Naomi, Elimelech and their sons had not gone to Moab, and the men had not all died, Ruth would not have met Boaz and been the grandmother of David, and in the ancestral line of Christ.

Ruth 4:13-17
Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. 17 And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

For more of my thoughts on this part of Ruth’s story – Itty Bitty Bible Study – Ruth 4

The verse states : those that Love God and are Called according to his purpose
Paul loved God – shown early on by his zealous nature to eradicate the Christians, and his willingness to humble himself, admit he was wrong, and zealously follow Christ!
Paul was called – again – hearing the voice of God saying “Paul, Paul, why do you persecute me?”, and then, as a blind man, being led to Christ so that he could truly see.

Our lives, when we give them over to the Lord, are knit together to bring about HIS good will and purposes in our lives. Throughout the Bible, it is obvious that God is not as concerned about being the holy Santa Claus and giving us the material things to look like the wealthy kings, but more that he is interested in giving us lessons so that our character is challenged, and we are given spiritual things so that we can be filled with the Holy Spirit, and walk as an Ambassador of Christ! A representation of Christ to the world.

What was Paul called unto?
1 Cor 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ…
2 Cor 1:1; Colossians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God….
Galatians 1:1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead)
Philippians 1:1 Paul…the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus….
1 Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;
Titus 1:1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness

An apostle.

But this is talking about the effect his bonds have upon others…and, this is the statement that talks about Paul’s specific calling:

Philippians 1:17
The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.

Saul’s calling was pretty dramatic.
Acts 9 talks about the zealot – and his blinding – and his healing – and his calling!
Ananais was not convinced to go see this man that killed the Christ followers! But here is where God states Paul’s calling:

verse 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.

Paul’s bonds for Christ hve drawn attention. I’d imagine, it wasn’t just the bonds, because many had been put in bondage. It’s the REASON for which he was put in bondage…something worth being put into bondage for!

Christ’s death exploded the faith. His resurrection completed the plan – but being willing to die for His faith set in motion the cost to be a follower. Here are just a few of the ways that Jesus tells us to count the cost…

We can understand why Paul said, in Philippians 3:7-9 that he counts all things as loss, except for Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:18
But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,

Jesus said something similar. in Luke 9:49-50(ESV)

49 John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.”50 But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you.”

To me, this is saying that God is able to make sure that HIS word is able to accomplish that to which HE has sent it.

Isaiah 55:10-11English Standard Version (ESV)
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

It’s the basis for Philippians 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.

and reflects, from the Psalmist:

Psalm 138:8 NASB
The Lord will accomplish what concerns me;
Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

There are various ways to share the gospel.
Here are a few:

Some great pointers on being clear, when sharing the gospel.

The key is TO SHARE THE GOSPEL!

Mark 16:15-16English Standard Version (ESV)
15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

There’s a parable about the seed…we all know it.Matthew 13
We’re to cast the seed – maybe we do some watering – maybe some day, we get to harvest…but we are all called to cast the seed!
Paul explains to us that some plant, some water, and some harvest – but, the point is…we all spread the seed. 1 Cor 3:6

Remember, we may be the only Jesus that someone ever meets!
Let’s BE LIKE JESUS!

 

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 – How Long, Jesus? – Jan 7-8, 2018

Often, I am given things in the middle of the night. Most of the time, I just lie there and beg to go back to sleep! Recently, I’ve been convicted to share these ramblings, and I’ve had some encouraging responses. So – here goes obedience! ~Christi

This is day 6 of 100 in 2018
and this fits into my one word(phrase) be like Jesus.

How Long, Jesus?

I just want to quit,
I’m so tired of the pain,
I’m tired of the questions,
I’m tired of the shame.

YOU said to be saved
One must endure to the end,
That’s not what the banners
All say, “let’s be friends!”

Jesus will heal
Jesus will give
Jesus will bless
You with good things to live.

But what about pain?
What about doubt?
What about those
That never make it out

Out of the darkness
Of mental dispair
Out of the treatments
Or with nothing to wear?

What about those that
Never see “good”
And struggle and grab
For each morsle of food?

What about those
That pray underground?
Or those that have
Financially drowned?

Some wait for the miracle,
But the miracle does not come.
Is this the end we endure?
That we get to go home?

I know YOU aren’t Santa,
Or even welfare!
I know you are focused
On getting me where…

Where I can see
Your hand when I look,
When I can hear
Your voice when you’ve spoke.

I just want to sleep,
But my legs won’t relax
My arms want to twitch,
And my skins feels like tacks.

I know there’s an enemy,
And he’s out to destroy,
Whatever good YOU create
In my life, it’s his ploy.

I know he has to ask You
For whatever he plans,
And there’s nothing he can do,
Except it comes from your hands.

There are so many concerns,
So many deep longings,
So many heart cries,
But time keeps on rolling.

Rolling along,
Toward whatever the end,
And that’s when I’ll see
Jesus, My Friend.

YOU stand by my side,
When I whine and complain,
YOU sit near my seat,
When I can’t move from the pain.

I know in my heart,
That you would if you would…
Heal me, and free me
So that I could do good.

The issue isn’t the can
But the will,
But I’m tired of hearing,
Peace, child, be still.

You’ve given so much,
No one can compare,
To the blessings around me,
And my soul, you did spare.

I’m tired, dear Jesus,
I just want to rest,
Can you lesson this pain,
From off of my chest?

Can you tell my legs CEASE
Be STill, and at rest,
Can you tell my head,
Stop fearing the test.

What test? You might ask,
For the Christian to pass?
Yes, but it’s easy,
Because he IS the class.

There is a test
For all to take,
And it’s about Jesus
Our Lord to make.

If we choose Him,
And allow the Spirit
To be our guide to make
Us for heaven – fit.

HE says COME
HE says LOVE
HE says GRACE
Coming from above.

No matter how tired
No matter how hurt
To HIM I will offer
All of my heart.

JOB is my hero
In the midst of his trials
He cried out to God
And his tears could fill vials

Yes he complained
HE argued His case
And God reprimanded
And got in his face.

The end result
Was Job fell contrite
I’ll shut up,
You, LORD, are right!

My God is not small,
He can handle my why’s
He loves me enough
To listen to my cries.

He always wins,
Because I always give in
Sometimes it’s the hard way
Because I do sin.

He guides me, And leads me
Along my life’s way
To finish the work
Prepared for His day.

I love Him, I need Him
To reign in my heart.
So that I am empowered
To yeild to my part

My part in this grand plan,
This eternal choice
To connect with His people
And give HIM a voice.

And it’s His voice I cherish,
His voice I crave
His voice that has saved me
From a suicidal grave.

Yesterday, today
And forever the same
My God loves me always,
I am safe in His NAME.

So whether I’m tired,
depressed or in pain,
He loves me, and holds me
And whispers my name.

I love you, dear Christi,
And I came for your heart,
I know that you’re hurting,
I’ll do my part.

To hold you, and love you,
And pour out mercy and grace,
I will prepare you,
To see me by face.

My glory you’ll share,
As we reign and we rule,
Because you endured
Life’s rocky, tough school.

You’ll hear my voice say
Well done, my dear girl,
And we finish this journey,
Together and sure.

You see, I won’t leave you,
No matter your words,
I want you to know that
Your pain has been heard.

My reasons are mine,
My purposes sure,
To grow you in goodness,
And make your heart pure.

Sometimes the fire,
Gets painful with heat,
But you’ve asked to be seated
At my holy feet.

You will come out holy,
You will come out pure,
As seven times silver
Is refined to be sure.

Your face will reflect mine,
You light it will sihine,
As my love in you,
Is completely refined.

I love you dear daughter,
I won’t leave you alone,
My plans, they are good,
To bring you to HOME.

Thank you, Dear Jesus,
For letting me see,
Again, of your favor,
To meet all my needs.

I love you, dear Jesus,
I ask you to stay,
Close by me forever,
And keep me I pray.

Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care
And fate us for heaven
To live with Thee there.

Amen.
© 2018 MCWildman

Credit to Martin Luther for the lyrics to Away in the Manger

Home Free – Away in the Manger

 

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.

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.

Throwback Thursday – from 2001

This is such an old blog, I recognize the original html(what we used to have to do to produce blogs!…not quite writing in binary, but close!)

So, as I read it, I noticed the date.

Received July 13 & 14, 2001  This was given to me, in the spirit of prophecy over two days.  On July 16, I searched through scriptures, as a Berean, to prove the spirit.

two months later, September 11, 2001, or as we refer to it – 9/11.
I believe it’s just as important to hear now, as then.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Received July 13 & 14, 2001  This was given to me, in the spirit of prophecy over two days.  On July 16, I searched through scriptures, as a Berean, to prove the spirit.

This is the word. A Bible study is also available. (Bible verses are after the poem – )

What do you think about when I say “Mother”?

What do you think about when I say “Father”?

Do you see their face?

Do you hear their voice?

Does a warm feeling come over your heart?

Do you know their name?

BUT do you KNOW ME?

I long to be a Father to the fatherless,

I long to hold you in my arms.

My little children…

What do you think of when someone says “Our Father”?

Do you see My face?

Do you know My name?

I AM.

I AM the Our Father.

I AM the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

I AM worthy of praise, glory and Honor.

I AM.

I AM the judge of all the earth

I AM creator of the new birth.

I judge sin,

but in Me, my children win.

I AM

I AM the Our Father

I AM forever more

I AM the Almighty

I AM the open door

Do you see my face,

full of grace?

Do you hear My voice

in your ears? It’s a choice.

My little children

I have called you by my name,

do you know it?

I have spoken to you by my voice,

do you hear it?

There is no reason to fear,

when you nestled up to Me,

and near.

If you know My name,

and you hold My hand,

nothing can hurt you,

nothing, not a hand.

My little children,

you’re my sheep if you know my name,

I AM a shepherd, I have nothing but gain.

You are my sheep, If you know my voice,

all you must do is follow Me by choice.

My little children,

My name is mighty

in My name you are saved.

By the name of Jesus

you are delivered from sin,

and by the name of Jesus you can enter in

you can enter in to the name of sanctification

by the name of Jesus you can

enter into my glorification.

In the name of Jesus

you will be healed.

In the name of Jesus

and the Holy Spirit power

you will be sealed.

My little children

take off the names of darkness

put them far, far away,

and put up tall the name of Light

and you’ll never even sway!

For My name is a strong tower

by My name you are safe

by My name I give you peace and righteousness

by My name

by My name you can enter in to the holy place

Take My name

of Peace, Counselor, Savior, Friend,

and see Me as the tower that the righteous run in.

When the enemy brings his banners up high,

turn and look, for your deliverance draws nigh!

When my children turn and draw near to my name,

they will hear Me whisper and call them by name.

As you run into my tower and name,

you enter in to the presence of the King.

In my throne room no evil shall stand,

nothing can hurt you,

no nothing can stand.

If you will dwell in My secret place,

I will cover you and you’ll see my face.

All the things that attack you will fade,

and you, My child, will rest in My grace.

If you come in to My presence, My dear,

I and My Son, and the Spirit draw near.

And We will surround you will a circle of love

with glory untold, pouring out from above.

If in Me you will live, and move and have your being,

you will never know doubt

and you will definitely be seeing:

you will see Me as God that delivers his children

you will see Me as Father that loves all his sons

you will see Me as comforter who cares for the wounded

you will see Me as God as I care for my lost.

There’s a way to stand against the coming destruction,

the enemy at hand has forces untold,

but I in my power have won before creation,

and I AM more powerful than one can behold.

If you run to My name,

in My fortress you’ll be safe,

and you will be covered

by My blood and My infinite grace.

But do you know Me?

Do you know Me?

Like your mother and father?

Do you hear My voice

like your sister and brother?

Do you know Me so well

that no other can pull you?

My child, you need but to listen

for I’m speaking to you.

My voice is a still, gentle breeze,

it’s like a river that trickles under the trees.

My voice is like sunshine coming down from above

with a cool gentle breeze covering you with love.

Do you know that voice,

Oh little child of mine?

Oh little child –

the voice of the divine?

If you don’t hear My voice,

If you don’t know My name,

how will you know when I come again?

How will you know

when I let out a shout?

How will you know that it’s Me it’s about?

If you don’t know My name,

how can you find Me?

If you don’t know My name

how can you call Me?

If you can hear My voice,

how can you listen?

My little children it’s a choice,

and time is now to begin.

Early I await you, for the times you come to Me,

In the still of evening, I await, just to see.

I have much to share with you,

about your life and future.

I would speak to you and comfort you

and hold you, and give you nurture.

I would that you would crawl on my lap like a mother

and put your head on my chest, and love Me as no other.

But My children

you first must seek my face,

and then you must know my immeasurable grace,

and then you are sheep, you are sheep in deed,

and my voice will speak, clear and free.

Then I ask you, have you said “no?”

When I have talked to you, did you say no?

When I AM waiting, have you told Me to go?

When I have given direction, have you said, NO?

My word is written,

is true and it’s strong.

I will not counter My word

not at all.

If you cannot see My face in the glass,

and you cannot hear My voice as pages pass,

then are you really seeking Me?

Or do you have some other ‘destiny’?

My sheep know My voice,

and they follow Me

they learn by the milk that is spoken of Me

the meat of My word comes from spirit to spirit

do you see it? Do you see Me?

Do you desire to be in it?

When a child has a parent that is far, far away,

the parent writes love letters every day.

The child may not know what the parent is like,

except that they read the letter each night.

When that parent calls on the phone

the child knows the voice, and that voice all alone.

But when the day comes, when they meet face to face,

the child knows the parent across all time and space.

For the child has spent time with the words that were written

and the child, on the phone, has completely been listening.

I have a word that has been written for you

I have a phone line that’s open, too!

I will speak to you

in My word, and in prayer

if you ‘ll only turn your heart

and come listen to Me there.

My name is a tower.

The strong can come in,

the strong who are mighty and free from all sin.

In My name you are holy,

in My name, you are whole,

in My name you have peace,

in My name you shall go!

I have not left you alone to despair,

you have My love, and My name, and My care.

I prepared a way for you to go,

it is up to you to say yes or say no.

If you seek Me, you will find Me, I AM there

I will show myself to you

and I will take up every care.

There is nothing to fear

when you are wrapped up in Me,

I care for my own

and nothing can take them from Me.

Do not fear for the coming destruction,

for the shepherd will hold

his sheep in his hand

and bring them in to divine protection.

But you must know Me,

recognize my name.

You must seek Me

only Me,

my voice,

and my name.

In Me you will find all the answers you need.

in Me you will have everything, just believe.

It may not look pretty,

It’s not of this world,

for I’m away to prepare a place

that is out of this world!

This here is but shadows and smoke

this here is just like a cloak.

For sin entered in, the world has been dying

nothing here is glorifying!

But I’ve prepared a place for my children

who know my voice and my name

and choose to enter in.

(c)2001 M.Christine Wildman – all rights reserved.

Mica 4:1- 5 (KJV) But in the last days it shall come to pass, [that] the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make [them] afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken [it].

5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.

Joel 2:32 (KJV)And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

Psal 91:14 (KJV) Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I [will be] with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

Acts 2:21 (KJV) And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Acts 4:12 (KJV) Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Rom 10:13 (KJV) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Phil 2:10 (KJV) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; (Rom 14:11)

***

Acts 3:16 (KJV) And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

Prov 18:10 (KJV) The name of the LORD [is] a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

Colo 3:17 (KJV) And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

2The 1:12 (KJV) That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1Cor 6:11 (KJV) And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Isai 50:10 (KJV) Who [is] among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh [in] darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.

Exod 20:7 (KJV) Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Psal 20:6 (KJV) Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.

7 Some [trust] in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.

Ps 116

Psal 116:4 (KJV) Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

Psal 116:13  I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.

Psal 116:17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.

Psal 124:8 (KJV) Our help [is] in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Psal 113:1 (KJV) Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.

2 Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.

3 From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’S name [is] to be praised.

4 The LORD [is] high above all nations, [and] his glory above the heavens.

5 Who [is] like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high,

6 Who humbleth [himself] to behold [the things that are] in heaven, and in the earth!

7 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, [and] lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;

8 That he may set [him] with princes, [even] with the princes of his people.

9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, [and to be] a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.

May God be glorified through this writing. ~Christi

(c)2001 M. Christine Wildman; all rights reserved. Permission granted to share, but not to publish in any work to be sold.

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This was convicting to me, again…16 years later.

Here’s a link to my OLD website…but, if you think you are a Christian, but you have some concerns…this can help you figure it out! So You think you’re gonna be OK?

 

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.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment! Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, follow me on Pinterest, or other social media!
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 is one that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

What’s my word for 2018? Hmmmmm

So this weekend all the Christian leaders at our church were sharing their words for the year.

Last year, I wrote a bit about my words…Number My Days. The tag words are my one word and One Little Word in the tag cloud on the right column of my blogs.

This year – I seem to have been given a gloomy one…THE TIME IS SHORT – or – THE END IS NEAR.
I feel like

I’ve done street witnessing, beach witnessing, mall witnessing…life witnessing…but never placard or these sign type witnessing…and, I don’t really agree with it…so, What on earth is God talking about?

But, there is a concept:

2 Timothy 3King James Version (KJV)
3 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Now, to do a complete discussion on the end times, I’m going to leave it to this person…from Safe3 Harbor with his post on end times – the end is near..

My blog is about what this means to me.
When I turned 50 – I had a huge celebration…My golden Birthday party.

When I woke up one year later – at 51, I felt hit in the stomach.
one year past the halfway mark of 100.
What have I done with my life?
I started focusing on the Giants in My Land.

But what was really on my mind was the 50+1.
This year, I turned 50+7
When I was 16 – I was sure Jesus was going to return in 1980.
When I got married in 1980, my husband and I thought that we’d never see 1988… from the idea that 40 years was a generation…1948, Israel was declared a nation again.
When that didn’t happen – we moved the date out from 1967 – the 6 days war when Jerusalem was retaken…plus 40 years…2007.
In 2007, we bought a house, met our first grandson…and the Lord Jesus did not return.
The world continued to go crazy.
And, we considered that there is biblical reason to consider a generation up to 100 years from the generational discussions in the old testament. that brings the date options from 1948 – and 1967…out to 2048 to 2067.
And there’s the biblical statement that we are given 70+2 years….from 1948, that would be 2020.
Not too far from 2018.

When Jesus talked about it in Matthew 24:36, he said this:
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

over and over in Matthew 24 and 25, Jesus says WATCH THEREFORE!
It could be WATCH THEREFORE! I don’t know….

So, do I think this is about Jesus coming in 2018?
NOPE!
What do I think this is about?
Last year was Psalm 92:12
12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

I wrote about it…#mydays
2016 was prepare…and I wrote about my reflections looking back.

There are so many ways that “the end is near” could be taken.
Yes, my first thought went to the end of the world!
Entering into the Millenial Reign with Jesus – who wouldn’t want that? Well, if you are a follower and a citizen of HIS Kingdom, anyway.
But, I have had a scripture verse that I have been leaning on for …well, since I fell in Navy boot camp in 1978 and went paralyzed:

Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

I’ve spent years misunderstanding what this promise is about, to me…and this year begins with failed SI join injection, more pain in my legs, hips, knees, back, and even the arms are now being affected.
Maybe this “the end is near” is an encouragement to keep believing…or, do I go sign up with the VA? Not the point of this blog…but, something that could be part of this “the time is short” “the end is near” phrase.

My husband is battling with cancer…prostate the last two years, that is no longer evidenced in his body, but symptoms with his lymph glands, indication Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. May the end is near and we find that he has no cancer!

The down side could be, like God said to Hezekiah…get your house in order…the end is near.
Maybe it’s just that God is tired of waiting for me to write that book(those books) and bible studies that I keep bowing to fear about.
Maybe it’s just that I need to focus on the MOST important things…not the distraction.

One thing I know…I’m going to be checking out this lady’s blog…I was just looking at calendars and journals for 2018 last night! And she has this all set up!
Please check out My beautiful Ugly 2018 planner and love challenge blog.

I’m going to be focusing on the important things to focus upon:

  1. Prayer
  2. Praise
  3. Promises (Bible READING)
  4. Purpose (writing)
  5. Priorities(those things that God brings to mind each day – family, self care, others, etc.)

That happens to be the first item on her calendar…write down five goals for this year.

  • I have promises that have been made, to God, to my husband, to my children…and then to others…that have not been fulfilled. The end is near.
  • I have health issues that are slowing me down, and I tend to give up and wait to get better. The time is short.
  • I have people that I want to focus prayer upon, and I have not organized myself to do such well. The end is near.
  • I have grandchildren to interact with – and it only takes a week for them to change tremendously. The Time is short.
  • I have children I have sponsored that could be written monthly, but, I put it off until it’s been months. The end is near.

50+7
70+2
72-57 = 15

According to the Bible – unless there are other plans by God – I am given only 15 more years.
Truly, the time is short.

This song is running through my head:
Here’s the Lyrics to Phil Keagy’s Rejoice

This was current while my husband and I were Jesus Freaks in the 70’s….

And the movies…

A Thief in the Night
A Distant Thunder
Image of the Beast

The Apostle Paul preached that the end was near….
And, if it was near for him…it is much nearer for us.
I do believe that Jesus will return.
I believe it will be in my lifetime.
And because of that…the work of the Kingdom is urgent, more urgent today, than in 2010. 1980, 1948, or 40AD.

I don’t know how to put my focus into a word…other than JESUS.
TIME?
URGENCY?

I don’t know…I just know that I am to be a workman in the kingdom…and no matter what ‘the end is near’ or ‘the time is short’ means, specifically – it means GET TO WORK for me.

Hmmmm, not very catchy…but maybe that is it!

Colossians 3:23-24
23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

The (In)Courage blog and facebook posts have kept me focused in the last parts of 2017 – and finished out my 2017 with a verse that helped me to focus….

Ezekiel 36:25-27English Standard Version (ESV)
25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.[a]

New Year by (In)Courage

So, no matter how God explains my focus for this year…I have found some women to help me to focus.
I have a Bible that will lead and guide me.
I have a Holy Spirit that resides inside me.
I have the blood of Jesus that cleanses me.
I have the creator Father that listens to me.
I have a husband and family that love me.
I have a church that will feed me.
For 2018, I have all I need!

I know the end of the story….

Revelation 21:5English Standard Version (ESV)
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

But – today is the beginning of the rest of my life…This is the Day that the Lord has made – I will rejoice and be glad in it!

I’ve featured this image, from BibleQuotes

 

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.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment! Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, follow me on Pinterest, or other social media!
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 is one that we are blessed to be a part of. Please consider sponsoring a child – the life you change could be your own.

Just my thoughts on current events – PlayBoy Legacy

My Point of View about Hugh Hefner is based on his exploitation of women, not speaking ill of the dead.

My point of view of him has not changed from while he was alive to now that he has met his eternal reward, whatever that is.

I have been especially forced to think about this, because of Matt Walsh’s fb write up…

Hugh Hefner died last night. I’m sorry he’s dead. I’m sorry for his family. But mostly I’m sorry for the incredible damage he did to society as one of the pioneers of the sexual revolution and a driving force behind our cultural decay.

It’s unfortunate that we must point out the fact that Hefner was a pornographer and a pimp. That his life’s work was to amass a collection of desperate women who were willing to be used and exploited. But we must tell this truth in order to combat the untruths that people are now saying about him.

We live in a country where men like Hefner are immediately canonized upon death. I’ve seen Hefner described as a “hero” and a “role model.” These are lies, and we must call them lies. The fact that Hefner is dead does not change the fact that he was a peddler of filth. If a man wishes to be remembered as virtuous and decent, he must live virtuously and decently. We don’t become virtuous and decent when we die, as if death itself washes away every bad thing we’ve done. Quite the opposite, actually. Death is when we reckon with the bad things.

I’ve been assured that Hefner is “in a better place” now. I realize this is just a thing we say about all dead people, no matter who they are and what they did. And indeed it’s possible that Hefner repented before death and has now entered the Better Place. But to confidently state as fact that a pornographer is in Heaven is arrogant and dangerous. Pray that God has mercy on him, but do not run around declaring that a man who spent his life having orgies and taking pictures of naked women must necessarily be reaping eternal rewards.

Let’s try to be serious for a change. Let’s treat the death of a man like Hefner with somber honesty. It is always sad when someone dies. It is even sadder when a corrupt and decadent man dies. We may have hope that a man of great faith and goodness is in Heaven. We may have the same hope for the corrupt man, but it is a slimmer hope. So, we simply trust in the mercy and justice of God, knowing that He will deliver us all to the destinations we have chosen. And, if we must learn anything from Hefner’s life, it’s that a life of selfish pleasure seems so pointless once it’s over. That is the great lesson he taught us.

May God have mercy on him and all sinners. Amen.

It is not my place to say what his eternal reward is, because I do not know what the last moments of his life pertained and contained.

Jude 1:22-23
1 Corinthians 3:15
If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

No one is good enough to enter into the presence of God!
Here’s a explanation of ‘good enough’.

I do know what the Bible says, and I do know what the God of Heaven says are the rules for entering into his house. The two biggies are to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and to love the Lord with all your heart mind soul spirit and to love your neighbor as yourself.

Believe in/on the Lord Jesus Christ
I wrote about this in Spiritual Walking Steps, Step 1

Acts 16:30-31
30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Romans 10

This well known salvation scripture has some additional pieces that folks would rather ignore:

John 3:16-18
16 “For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

And love your neighbor?

Mark 12:30-31
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.”

This is the summary of the ten commandments.
Everyone would agree that the ten commandments are the set of rules originally given to mankind from God. They are listed in Exodus 20.

Exodus 20:14 says:
14 “You shall not commit adultery.

Mathew 5:27-28 (the words of Jesus – they are red in the red letter editions!)
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Jesus didn’t take lusting after a woman lightly!

Exploiting women and objectifying women is not loving your neighbor as yourself. It was raising men to a level of control over women and degrading women down to a level of objects to be used and toyed with for men’s own pleasure. There are many verses about how men should treat women. Sex toys is not in any of them.

While I am not so naive as to believe that women were raised up, cherished, respected and honored prior to Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Empire, there was a general concept that mothers and sisters were to be protected – daughters looked after. And, some husbands took advantage of that…but the scripture clearly states that a husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church.

I do believe that the Bible teaches that women are to be treated as special as God the Father and God the Son treat God the Holy Spirit(The triune God) and defend God the Holy Spirit in a very extreme manner. The unpardonable sin – blasphemy of the Holy Spirit –

Mark 3:29
but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—

Even in prisons, inmates will fight at the derogatory comment against their mother. If even the wicked know it’s right, what about those that are considered above a criminal?

God the Father, God the son, hold God the holy spirit in a very high regard. That is what a father, husband, child, should do to their mother, wife, sister, daughter. Not belittle, not degrade, not objectify, but cherish as a unique and different but equal partner in this path of life. This is the Godly way!

By God’s grace, I don’t have to show my private parts in order for men to have some interest in me. The true honor of a human being is that their value is based on their soul, their character, and their very life. Not their physical attributes that fade, but the qualities in which they bring to The Human Condition, in order to raise others up with guidance, Comfort, love, joy, peace, patience, healing, and Reconciliation.

Here’s just a few ideas for how to cherish a woman:

In my faith walk, that reconciliation of most importance is reconciliation between The Sinner and their God through Jesus Christ his son. Eternity is real. If someone wants to spend eternity in heaven, the “better place”, they need to mind the household rules of the owner of that place. Those who come into my house and disobey my house rules are asked to leave. Those who come to my house and state that they do not intend to follow my household rules, are not invited in. Someone choosing to break into my house to steal kill or destroy, is placed under government laws that we all agree are real and need to be enforced. These are but a foreshadowing of what happens on the day we die. We do stand at the gate and we do answer for our life and we do answer for whether or not we’ve made the choice that we want to spend eternity in heaven with God the Father through God the son by the power of God the Holy Spirit, In The Name of Jesus Christ.

Hindus are not saying that he who Hefner made it to their highest plane, Svargam.
Buddhists are not saying that you have never made it to their highest plane, Nirvana.
Why is it assumed that the Christian Heaven has to take in anyone and everyone no matter how disrespectful and arrogant they are against the Lord God Of Heaven and Earth?
It doesn’t make logical sense.

So if you lived a life with no belief in a God, don’t say you went to a better place, because a “better place” is just the end result of some form of faith.
The Atheist has no heaven.
Of course the atheist has no hell.
The thing is once you die as an atheist you no longer have a choice.

So this comment that he is in a better place from the life of totally anti-god and anti-religion, would mean that the better place is rotting in a casket or being incinerated whichever way they choose to deal with his Earthly remains.
You don’t go to a better place by causing the world to be a worse place.

The amazing part of Grace, though, is that at any moment anyone no matter what they have done can repent of their sins declare Jesus Christ as their lord and savior, and they can enter in to the kingdom of God, that better or best place, even though as if by fire.
But if people are not going to embrace the actual meaning of a “better place”, then stop playing the game, and just accept the man died.

His legacy is what it is no matter whose point of view feels they agree with that. And there is no basis other than some form of faith for there to be anything after life. So just accept the man died. And his legacy is what it is.

In light of this conversation:
Did Mother Teresa go to heaven?
I don’t know – but her life certainly was lived publicly as if she believed in the Christ of the Bible!

Did Judas, the betrayer of Christ go to heaven?
I don’t know – he killed himself, and for some, that is an unforgivable sin.
Killing oneself after realizing that you had condemned your Lord and Savior could have been an act of repentance.

Did Benjamin Franklin go to heaven or hell?
I don’t know…he was a Quaker, but, not necessarily a believer in Christ.

Here is an excellent write up on whether Buddhists go to heaven.…as in, a Christian Heaven! The answer is NO!

If someone wants to enter into paradise and enjoy the blessings of the Kingdom of God – Yahweh, or Jehovah – one must follow his house rules.

My point is that if one wants to enter into the King’s palace, one must be a servant of the King.
If one wants to enter Nirvana, one must practice Buddhism.
If one wants to experience the various levels of Hindu fulfillment, one must practice Hinduism.
I would also say that if someone wanted to go to the heaven of the Muslims, one would need to practice Islam!

Why, then, is it so difficult to comprehend that a man that spent his life defending ungodliness probably did not go to God’s house at his death?

Hugh Hefner died.
Hugh Hefner left a legacy of death.
Hugh Hefner’s eternal reward is between him and God – whichever God he chose to follow.
If it was the god of flesh – that god is fully in charge of his body now.

Choose ye this day whom you will serve! Joshua 24:14-28
THIS is the day of salvation! 2 Corinthians 6:2

Hebrews 9:27-28
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Not because of fear – but because of His great love for us!

1 John 4:17
By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.

There is a principle – live so that when you die, no one will have to wonder what your believed or stood for.
The Apostles Creed

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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