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2017 – My One Word – #mydays – first love

As I said, last weekend really brought me around to remembering what my focus should be, in light of eternity.

Psalm 90:12
12 So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.

I turn 57 on September 8.
that is 7 years past a half century.
that is 13 years until the ‘fullness’ or, if I’m strong, 23. (threescore and 10 in KJV)

Psalm 90:10
The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.

Numbering my days….

Psalm 39:4
“O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!

Is this a morbid consideration? No, at least, not according to Solomom:

Eccl 7:2
It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.

What is the purpose for this focus?

Eccl 9:10
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

To number our days…to make our days count!

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.

Ephesians 6:1-9 speaks on how a servant – and I am a servant of God – should serve.

In my last post, I shared how it is my desire to see my Lord face to face – and hear him say:

Matthew 25:23
23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

I want to respond as Isaiah and Samuel:

Isaiah 6:8
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:
“Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?”
Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

1 Samuel 3:10
10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

I want to respond as Mary and Ruth:

Luke 1:38
38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Ruth 1:16-17
16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”

I have just re-read what I wrote about Ruth 1.
For Advent, I did a study on Mary – the mother of Christ. Very convicting how this girl just obeyed…even in the face of death. And, in the face of a horrible death for her son.

There is Abraham – who in the face of sacrificing his son – got up in the morning immediately!

Genesis 22:1-3
22:1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

And there are those that followed Jesus – when he called – straightway….always immediately. I’m not going to list all of them here.

Then, Jesus condemns those that put their hand to the plow and look back:

Luke 9:
57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus[g] said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

The first one, I will follow you wherever you go – receives a challenge about the difficulty. Did Jesus know something about this person’s heart?

The next requests to take care of things seems reasonable…
First, let me bury my dead – commentaries say that this person asks to be allowed to care for his family then come.
First let me say goodbye – it would appear that putting those at home above service and following did not go over well with Christ.

From Blue Letter Bible, here is Matthew Henry’s Commentary on Luke 9 – for he says it much better than I, and I am convicted by this commentary:

Luk 9:57-62

We have here an account of three several persons that offered themselves to follow Christ, and the answers that Christ gave to each of them. The two former we had an account of in Mt. 19:21.

I. Here is one that is extremely forward to follow Christ immediately, but seems to have been too rash, hasty, and inconsiderate, and not to have set down and counted the cost.

1. He makes Christ a very large promise (v. 57): As they went in the way, going up to Jerusalem, where it was expected Christ would first appear in his glory, one said to him, Lord, I will follow thee withersoever thou goest. This must be the resolution of all that will be found Christ’s disciples indeed; they follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes (Rev. 14:4), though it be through fire and water, to prisons and deaths.

2. Christ gives him a necessary caution, not to promise himself great things in the world, in following him, but, on the contrary, to count upon poverty and meanness; for the Son of man has not where to lay his head.
We may look upon this,

(1.) As setting forth the very low condition that our Lord Jesus was in, in this world. He not only wanted the delights and ornaments that great princes usually have, but even such accommodations for mere necessity as the foxes have, and the birds of the air. See what a depth of poverty our Lord Jesus submitted to for us, to increase the worth and merit of his satisfaction, and to purchase for us a larger allowance of grace, that we through his poverty might be rich, 2 Co. 8:9. He that made all did not make a dwelling-place for himself, not a house of his own to put his head in, but what he was beholden to others for. He here calls himself the Son of man, a Son of Adam, partaker of flesh and blood. He glories in his condescension towards us, not only to the meanness of our nature, but to the meanest condition in that nature, to testify his love to us, and to teach us a holy contempt of the world and of great things in it, and a continual regard to another world. Christ was thus poor, to sanctify and sweeten poverty to his people; the apostles had not certain dwelling-place (1 Co. 4:11), which they might the better bear when they knew their Master had not; see 2 Sa. 11:11. We may well be content to fare as Christ did.

(2.) As proposing this to the consideration of those who intend to be his disciples. If we mean to follow Christ, we must lay aside the thoughts of great things in the world, and not reckon upon making any thing more than heaven of our religion, as we must resolve not to take up with any thing less. Let us not go about to compound the profession of Christianity with secular advantages; Christ has put them asunder, let us not think of joining them together; on the contrary, we must expect to enter into the kingdom of heaven through many tribulations, must deny ourselves, and take up our cross. Christ tells this man what he must count upon if he followed him, to lie cold and uneasy, to fare hard, and live in contempt; if he could not submit to this, let him not pretend to follow Christ. This word sent him back, for aught that appears; but it will be no discouragement to any that know what there is in Christ and heaven to set in the scale against this.

II. Here is another, that seems resolved to follow Christ, but he begs a day, v. 59. To this man Christ first gave the call; he said to him, Follow me. He that proposed the thing of himself fled off when he heard of the difficulties that attended it; but this man to whom Christ gave a call, though he hesitated at first, yet, as it should seem, afterwards yielded; so true was that of Christ, You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, Jn. 15:16. It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth (as that forward spark in the foregoing verses), but of God that showeth mercy, that gives the call, and makes it effectual, as to this man here. Observe,

1. The excuse he made: “Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. I have an aged father at home, who cannot live long, and will need me while he does live; let me go and attend on him until he is dead, and I have performed my last office of love to him, and then I will do any thing.’ We may here see three temptations, by which we are in danger of being drawn and kept from following Christ, which therefore we should guard against:-

(1.) We are tempted to rest in a discipleship at large, in which we may be at a loose end, and not to come close, and give up ourselves to be strict and constant.

(2.) We are tempted to defer the doing of that which we know to be our duty, and to put if off to some other time. When we have got clear of such a care and difficulty, when we have despatched such a business, raised an estate to such a pitch, then we will begin to think of being religious; and so we are cozened out of all our time, by being cozened out of the present time.

(3.) We are tempted to think that our duty to our relations will excuse us from our duty to Christ. It is a plausible excuse indeed: “Let me go and bury my father,-let me take care of my family, and provide for my children, and then I will think of serving Christ;’ whereas the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof must be sought ad minded in the first place.

2. Christ’s answer to it (v. 60): “Let the dead bury their dead. Suppose (which is not likely) that there are none but the dead to bury their dead, or none but those who are themselves aged and dying, who are as good as dead, and fit for no other service, yet thou hast other work to do; go thou, and preach the kingdom of God.’ Not that Christ would have his followers or his ministers to be unnatural; our religion teaches us to be kind and good in every relation, to show piety at home, and to requite our parents. But we must not make these offices an excuse from our duty to God. If the nearest and dearest relation we have in the world stand in our way to keep us from Christ, it is necessary that we have a zeal that will make us forget father and mother, as Levi did, Deu. 33:9. This disciple was called to be a minister, and therefore must not entangle himself with the affairs of this world, 2 Tim. 2:4. And it is a rule that, whenever Christ calls to any duty, we must not consult with flesh and blood, Gal. 1:15, 16. No excuses must be admitted against a present obedience to the call of Christ.

III. Here is another that is willing to follow Christ, but he must have a little time to talk with his friends about it.
Observe,

1. His request for a dispensation, v. 61. He said, “Lord, I will follow thee; I design no other, I am determined to do it: but let me first go bid them farewell that are at home.’ This seemed reasonable; it was what Elisha desired when Elijah called him,Let me kiss my father and my mother; and it was allowed him: but the ministry of the gospel is preferable, and the service of it more urgent than that of the prophets; and therefore here it would not be allowed. Suffer me apotaxasthai tois eis ton oikon mou-Let me go and set in order my household affairs, and give direction concerning them; so some understand it. Now that which was amiss in this is,

(1.) That he looked upon his following Christ as a melancholy, troublesome, dangerous thing; it was to him as if he were going to die and therefore he must take leave of all his friends, never to see them again, or never with any comfort; whereas, in following Christ, he might be more a comfort and blessing to them than if he had continued with them.

(2.) That he seemed to have his worldly concerns more upon his heart than he ought to have, and than would consist with a close attendance to his duty as a follower of Christ. He seemed to hanker after his relations and family concerns, and he could not part easily and suitably from them, but they stuck to him. It may be he had bidden them farewell once, but Loth to depart bids oft farewell, and therefore he must bid them farewell once more, for they are at home at his house.

(3.) That he was willing to enter into a temptation from his purpose of following Christ. To go and bid them farewell that were at home at his house would be to expose himself to the strongest solicitations imaginable to alter his resolution; for they would all be against it, and would beg and pray that he would not leave them. Now it was presumption in him to thrust himself into such a temptation. Those that resolve to walk with their Maker, and follow their Redeemer, must resolve that they will not so much as parley with their tempter.

2. The rebuke which Christ gave him for this request (v. 62): “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and designing to make good work of his ploughing, will look back, or look behind him, for then he makes balks with his plough, and the ground he ploughs is not fit to be sown; so thou, if thou hast a design to follow me and to reap the advantages of those that do so, yet if thou lookest back to a worldly life again and hankerest after that, if thou lookest back as Lot’s wife did to Sodom, which seems to be alluded to here, thou art not fit for the kingdom of God.’

(1.) “Thou art not soil fit to receive the good seed of the kingdom of God if thou art thus ploughed by the halves, and not gone through with.’

(2.) “Thou art not a sower fit to scatter the good seed of the kingdom if thou canst hold the plough no better.’ Ploughing is in order to sowing. As those are not fit to be sown with divine comforts whose fallow ground is not first broken up, so those are not fit to be employed in sowing who know not how to break up the fallow ground, but, when they have laid their hand to the plough, upon every occasion look back and think of quitting it. Note, Those who begin with the work of God must resolve to go on with it, or they will make nothing of it. Looking back inclines to drawing back, and drawing back is to perdition. Those are not fit for heaven who, having set their faces heavenward, face about. But he, and he only, that endures to the end, shall be saved.

Lot’s wife experienced the effects of turning back!

Simply said:

Matthew 10:37-39
37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

In Revelation, The church at Ephesus is rebuked:

Revelation 2:1-7
“To the angel[a] of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Such a promise! Repent and do the things you did at first.

Psalm 23 – thy rod and thy staff they comfort me!

Hebrews 12:10-13
10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.
13 “Make level paths for your feet,”[a] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Luke 9:23-27 talks about taking up our cross and following…

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

My first loves….

  • life time service to the Lord – full commitment – seen in my young Anglican mind as becoming a nun.
  • to whom I should serve – children and women – with the childhood thought of an orphanage, but, enacted by working with children’s homes, and crisis pregnancies, and training to come alongside abused women.
  • The Bible – I have always loved digging deeply into the Bible.
  • Writing – I write to remember, and I write to share. As a child, I wrote stories.
  • Art – as my dear school time best friend reminded me once – I was always drawing and painting.
  • Prayer – as in constant communication with the Lord Jesus Christ
  • Worship – singing praises to my God.
  • Mission field – serving those in country and out of country that are in need, in Jesus’ name.

I knew from early on that I was called, that I was gifted, that I was chosen.
I just could not believe it – nor did most of the adults that I confided in.
My spirit was broken from abuse from 12 months to 13 years.
My energy was broken for care of my mother.
My body was broken for the disobedience to the calling of God, removing his hand of blessing and protection(check out Deut 28 for that principle).
BUT – GOD!

I will be 57 years old in a little over a month.
I declare here and now –

Speak; for thy servant heareth.
Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”(Matthew 4:19)
“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

I want to say with Paul in the letter to the Philippians:

Phil 3:8-14
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

In my own strength, it is impossible – (Matthew 19:26; Mark 10:27; Luke 1:37; Lk 18:27)

But I declare with Jeremiah(32:17):

‘Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.

Philippians 1:6
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

My God began a good work in me in 1969.
I have bungled it – but nothing is a surprise to Him.
Here I am – I’m not dead yet(though, I’ve been dead a couple of times).
My story is not finished yet.
This is what I hear Him saying:

Isaiah 55:
1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

John 4 – to the Samaritan Woman:

10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.[b] The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

And this is my desire:

John 7:37-38
37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

Is 12:3

Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

As Brother John says in 1 John 1 and 2 – confessing our sins, HE is faithful to forgive us –
I want to stop buying things that do not satisfy!
I want to stop expecting others to fill what only God can fill!
I want to press on toward the mark of the prize of the HIGH CALLING of Christ Jesus – for all the rest of my days.
I want light, salt and living water to flow from me – to the glory of GOD!

Phil 4:13
13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Enjoy a touch of worship:
Mandisa – Unfinished:

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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2017 – My One Word – #mydays – cleansing

Psalm 90:12
12 So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Honestly folks, I did not think that this was going to be part of my one word this year!
Cleansing?
BUT…..GOD!
This past weekend, I have spent a wonderful time with my classmates at a reunion.
Springfield South High School – combined reunion of classes 74-79.

my high school days were a little different than many.
Sophomore – 1975-1976 – Band, Choir, fun…except for the things going on at home.
I was enjoying music and the one semester of art so much – I wanted to go to the JVS school for art. the school counselors told me that I was ‘too smart’ to go to JVS – and to stay at the high school. I look back now, and realize, at that time, I knew I was to be an artist – but the powers that be(were) did not see that path for me.

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Junior – 1976-1977 – things got worse at home with my mother’s bi-polar, and her self medicating, and, I ‘dropped out’ of classes for a couple months to work at Burger Chef as much as possible to pay for the heat, electric, and make sure my brother Johnny had some sort of Christmas.

Senior – 1977-1978 – I didn’t even do band or choir. I tried to get all of my classes before Dec, but could not get government in first semester.


I started working for my Aunt to get a paycheck to support the family, in case my mom would lose another job at another nursing home.

I started running with a bit rougher crowd because the stress of what was going on at home was getting rough…I needed release, and I needed to feel like someone was accepting me.

When I say a rough crowd – I may have gone to a handful of parties and drank. I never did drugs, because of my mom’s issues with drugs. But, I was inching away from my Jesus Freak days of my sophomore year. I was worried that I wasn’t good enough to accomplish anything.
The second semester – I started working full time-ish for my Aunt Dodi, to pay for the family needs.
I was trying out different churches to see if I could find something that would fill my emotional needs.
I found ways that I thought were filling my emotional needs – and, those ways undid my desire to be a nun.
By the time the end of my senior year came around – I was so tired of taking care of my mother’s drug problem(self medicating bi-polar, manic depression back then), and I was so sure that there was something seriously wrong with me, I could not accept a scholarship to THE Ohio State University for art and music. I remember telling God that HE did not know what HE was doing – I was NOT good enough for an Art OR Music career.
I also was convinced that I needed to make sure I was taken care of, and that I had a steady paycheck to make sure that my mom and brother would be taken care of. If I went to college, it was only going to be money going out…not coming in.
I joined the Navy.

I almost skipped my graduation for leaving for bootcamp.
God intervened there. I did march in graduation with my class.


But, my photo is NOT in the senior class yearbook – because I was not attending school after 11am, and didn’t show up for the photos.

I disobeyed God in 1978, and joined the Navy.
I did not have enough faith that He would provide for our little family.
I don’t think I had the energy to actually go to school AND care for my family.
I also had so little confidence in myself that I got so sick, I never took the ACT or SAT – I would be totally nauseated – and didn’t attend the test.
I’d been so isolated from my school friends, I didn’t even know when anyone else was taking it!
The counselors that were supposed to guide me had implied, at least in my mind, that a technical art career was only for those troubled kids that could not make it through college, and needed to attend the Joint Vocational School. By the time I made it to deciding the course for my life(what a horrible pressure to put upon a 17 year old!), I was so mixed up in my head, I couldn’t even believe God knew what HE was doing!

CONFESSION FOR CLEANSING –

James 5:15-16
15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

1 John 1:7-10
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

1 John 2:1-2
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.

1 Peter 5:6-7
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

James 4:10
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

What happened because I went into the Navy?
ON THE THIRD DAY – he didn’t raise me – because I was NOT in obedience, I was NOT listening to the voice of the Lord…

I was NOT trusting in the Lord – in my reverse pride, I was trusting in my own might:

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.

I KNEW I was not following the path the Lord put before me – though I did ask him to bless it! (such pride!):

Psalm 37:5
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

on the third day of boot camp – as I was running in our PT – thrilled that I was being able to run, and keeping up, and not out of breath, as I turned to my friend and said “I’m not even out of breath…”

Proverbs 16:18
Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.

SMACK!
I blacked out!
first my tail bone hit…
the snap of my back whipped my mid back, then my neck….
then my head hit the pavement.
Those on the other side of this HUGE black top area HEARD my head hit the ground.
Within a week, I could not stand on my right leg – and I was being carried to and from classes and the galley for meals.

I spent one week, I think it was week four, in the recruit hospital, because I could not walk.
I had fallen!

2 Sam 1:27
“How the mighty have fallen! The weapons of war have perished!”

Strongs Concordance breaks “mighty” down very interestingly.

Within the above tool, there is a tool called Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon.
there is a slight twist on this definition within that Lexicon:
“commonly of an impetuous soldier”

I had been so busy taking care of my family (and I’m sure it was not nearly as competently done as my little 16 and 17 year old heart remembers) – that I was impetuous in my decision to join the Navy.
I thought it was MY job to take care of my mom and brother.
I made a decision at age 17 that laid the course of my life, forever.

I can go into how my thinking I wasn’t good enough in the face of God’s gift of college was actually thinking I could do better than God – that I knew better than God.
I can go into how my not placing my burdens on God was my actually being prideful – that I was more able than God.
I can go into the stories that brought me to this point….

But, the point here is that I DISOBEYED MY FATHER GOD!
it’s as simple as that.

1 John 2:3-6
3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:
6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

There’s only one thing I can do!

James 4:7-10
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.

Therefore – I am confessing before my brothers and sisters, the pride of a 17 year old…that laid a path for my life.

I have been in disobedience for a very long time.
I have not addressed the art gift that the Lord placed within me as a calling to be focused and applied. I have allowed the prideful aspect of a lack of confidence IN MYSELF(thank you brother Darryl Simmons, for again pointing that out!) to put my light under a bushel.
I have allowed my lack of confidence to quiet my story, in much the same way as Moses…and I am hearing God cry out from His word to me:

Exodus 4 specifically”
10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” 13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” 14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses

This weekend, I obtained some closure to the years of my highschool.
Like our highschool has been revived to produce new fruit, the Lord Jesus has touched my struggling heart to produce new fruit.
Like lost friendships have been rekindled, the lost first love of my faith has been rekindled.

Oh Lord Jesus – I thank you for not giving up on me!
Oh Dear Heavenly Father – I thank you for grace, mercy, forgiveness, and that rod and staff that you use to guide me, protect me, draw me to you, and comfort me!
Oh Dear Holy Spirit – fill me – and renew a right spirit within me!

Psalm 51:3-12
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right 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.

And when one is forgiven – there is a “show me” response:

Psalm 51:13-15
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

UhOh –
yes, there is teaching…but, there is some singing in there as well!

I have some marching orders:

1 Timothy 4:14
14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, [that special endowment] which was intentionally bestowed on you [by the Holy Spirit] through prophetic utterance when the elders laid their hands on you [at your ordination].

I do not want to fall into the negative aspects of Matthew 25.
the ten virgins – 5 prepared, 5 not…and miss out.
The servants given the ‘talents’ – 5, 2, 1. and the one that only hid his talent:
“30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

I know that my salvation is sure – so please, do not worry about that.

John 10:28-30
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[a]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

But, this is my cleansing by confession post.
I just said I did not want to fall into the negative aspects of Matthew 25.

Jesus gave me a command:

Matthew 5:13-16
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

For this reason was I created!

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

I do not want to see my Lord face to face – and hear him say:
depart from me, I never knew you….

Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

I do work out my own salvation with fear and trembling now….

Philippians 2:12-13
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

I know it is by grace that I am saved, and that not of myself…but that it is a gift from God!

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

The desire of my heart is to please my Heavenly Father….and to one day hear these words:

Matthew 25:23
23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. ….Enter into the joy of your master.’

Very few would accuse me of hiding my light under a bushel.
and that’s fine…they aren’t the ones that will invite me in past the white throne!
here is my confession:

Proverbs 16:2
All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
but the Lord weighs the spirit.

The Apostle Paul thought he was doing God’s work by persecuting the Christians.
The Apostle Peter thought he was doing God’s work by rebuking Jesus for stating that he would be killed.
Martha thought she was doing the work of the Lord by taking care of the household!
Jacob wrestled with God – Genesis 32:22-32 – and while God gave me what I asked, I walk with a limp.

Psalm 106:15
And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.

I have felt, always, that something was preventing me to be all that I wanted to be for Christ. Yes, it was my sin!

I can ‘defend’ and ‘explain’ my decisions in 1977-80.
But GOD knows my heart.
I disobeyed what I KNEW God wanted me to do.
And yet, HE knew that I was but dust – and HE never left me!
My salvation was not jeopardized – but, my relationship with My Lord has had a deep dark secret for many many years. Lord, have mercy upon me, a sinner! Forgive me and cleanse me! In Jesus’ name!

This quote explains my understanding of WHY I should obey…
“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

While I was in the Navy hospital – the Lord and I had a talk.
Again, I was bargaining.
“I will yield to your will for me to be removed from the Navy. I ask that you will make it so that they cannot find the reason I am paralyzed, and that you will allow me to finish bootcamp. ”
But God knows our hearts…HE knew mind…and HE was so gentle with me.
The swelling went down and I was released from the bedrest.
The doctors were going to put me back into another unit, but my CPO believed I would do the PT work – and I actually graduated with my unit!
I was chosen to paint the unit concrete block in the hallway – and it was a painting illustrating:

Isaiah 40:31
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.

This became my life verse.
as well as:

Ps 63:7
“Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of Your Wings.”

The story of what God did to have me removed from the Navy – WITH HONORABLE DISCHARGE – is another story.
And it’s part of the story I’m supposed to write…
It’s part of the light I have hidden under a bushel.
It’s part of the salt that I have not shared.
Because I did not continue in His word – there were many more stumbles.
I’m not dead yet!
But my soul needed cleansing – I needed the confrontation of that time, to realize that I needed to more completely confess my sins, and ask for forgiveness.

Now – I am facing the dilema that Isaiah did in chapter 6

Isaiah 6:5
5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.

I know that I am forgiven – as Isaiah was:

6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

And, I want my response to be as Isaiah:

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

I want my heart to be that of Samuel:

10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”

This was the prayer I prayed as I knelt in the church wherein I grew up.
This was the prayer I prayed as I read those prayers from the Episcopal prayer book.
This was my commitment sealed as I took the bread and the cup, in remembrance of what Jesus has done for me.

Proverbs 9 gives us the Ways of Wisdom….
and these are some points for me to heed:

Proverb 9:
9 Give instruction[b] to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
11 For by me your days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life

Prov 1:5
Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Psalm 111:110

Job 28:28
And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”

Hosea 6:3
Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”.

2 Peter 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

The above explains my marching orders!
I have been forgiven much – and, therefore, I love much!

Luke 7:36-50
Luke 12:41-48

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.”

I will not apologize that this is such a long post.
I will not apologize for the Word of God that is set forth in this blog.
I will not apologize for my faith in the Lord Jesus.
For I am not ashamed!

Romans 1:16
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.

I AM NOT CONDEMNED!

Romans 8:1-6
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

But, I do have work to do!

Philippians 3:13-14
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Amen! and Amen!
I will be writing about committing my way to the Lord – as I work on the second installment of the Itty Bitty Bible Study Philippians 1:3-11.

For now, here’s a few photos of my shenanigans this weekend:

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Until then:

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, 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.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Philippians 1:1-2

it’s been a long time since I’ve been posting these…and I have no excuse.
here we go again!

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

Phillipians 1

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers[b] and deacons:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Servants – websters – one that serves others a public servant; especially : one that performs duties about the person or home of a master or personal employer

of Christ Jesus – the point of servant is that it has a master…and they declare who their master is, Whom they serve, right up front!

to:

All – websters – used to refer to the whole quantity or extent of a particular or thing.
ALL – not one left out!

All the saints….
Saints – websters – one of God’s chosen and usually Christian people

if the definition of saints is not clear enough, Paul and Timothy clarify it by saying that the ALL saints are those that are IN CHRIST JESUS!

The difference between we Christians and everyone else is NOT that we have no sin.
1 John takes care of clearing up that!
it’s that our sins are hid IN CHRIST, and that we continue to dwell IN CHRIST to live!

Colossians 3:1-3
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Or – it should be….

Romans 6:5-11
5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
6We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
7For one who has died has been set free from sin.
8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
9We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.
10For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.
11So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Paul described the live of a Christian this way:

Acts 17:28a
for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’;

The benefits of being IN CHRIST are priceless:

Philipians 4:7
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This is peace that the world does not have, cannot understand, but desires intensely.

Then, the prayer –
grace be unto you, and peace…..from where?
FROM GOD OUR FATHER, AND FROM THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
here, Paul is really laying it on thick to make sure that we know…WE KNOW without any shadow of doubt…that he is talking about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – the FATHER, as well as the multiple titles of Jesus…LORD – JESUS – CHRIST –
Lord and master
Jesus – God with us
Christ – messiah.

As Jesus left – he sent us a few gifts…
the Comforter and

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

My whole life has been filled with struggling against fear, and doubt.
Yes, even after all of the years of walking with the Lord.
Yes, even after all of the times he has proven over and over and over that HE is faithful.

Jesus knew that anxiety and doubt would be the greatest detriment to our faith.
that’s why he told us to cast all of our cares upon HIM!

The New Living Translation says it this way:

1 Peter 5:7
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

New International Version says it:

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

The common denominator is HE CARES FOR YOU – AND ME!

I believe that it is the Holy Spirit Who imparts the peace upon us…but, first, we must let go of the anxiety, worry, care…so there is room for peace.

So, in an odd way, I see the whole trinity in this prayer of Paul and Timothy – and the power of the God Head, to bring us into and to keep us IN Christ Jesus – and the life that he desires for us.

 
The Lord has had me on several journeys, with much soul seeking, and heart tweaking. (NOT TWERKING!)

I hope you will join me on a journey through Phillipians.

I don’t know that this will be a week long…two weeks – or maybe up to a month.’
I do know that God has something wonderful to speak to us – if we are willing to listen!
Please join me!

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, 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.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Galatians 4

Galatians 4

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

I’ve shared my thoughts on

As you can see – I had difficulty getting out of Galatians 3.
The Bible was not written with chapters and verse, well, unless you are talking about Psalms.
So, Galatians 4:1 is a continuation of what Paul was explaining in Galatians 3
.

Galatians 4

4:1 I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything,
2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father.
3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

From the time of Creation – when Adam and Eve sinned, God was putting into production the plan to bring us back to HIM.
The Law as a school teacher – until such time as we were ready to receive our sonship through faith in Christ Jesus!

Just like when we first have a child.
We tell them

      • when to eat,
      • when to drink,
      • when to brush their teeth,
      • wipe their toosh,
      • and go to bed.

We tell them to

      • pick up their toys,
      • put dishes away,
      • be nice to their sisters,
      • don’t lie,
      • don’t steal
      • don’t hit

…you get the point.
Once they are old enough, the get to learn the consequences of their choices.

      • hunger
      • thirst
      • rash on their bottom
      • too tired to have fun
      • broken toys
      • hit in the nose by the sister…

We have adult children that are all around their 30s. Every now and then, we get a call, and we hear “I know you told me that if I did this, then that would happen.” We do NOT rejoice in the troubles of our children – we do rejoice in their growth. I will say it right now, We have been very blessed to watch our children grow into adults. The struggle is wishing we could protect them from pain! It was often through that pain that they have learned to be responsible adults.
Because of grace, our children can talk to us, and they know that we will love them through whatever. Sometimes, they wonder – but the truth is, God has taught us that a parent always loves. Nothing they can do can ever cause that to stop.

I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
As long as I’m living
my baby you’ll be.

From the book “Love You Forever” by Robert Munsch

God has done the same thing for us, his children. He doesn’t want us to hurt. And if we had just listened to what HE said we should do, and done it…we could have saved ourselves SOOOOOOO much trouble! Just ask Adam and Eve!!! Moses! David! Peter!!! AND, He loves us forever – FOREVER.

The thing is, that humans are hard headed, and we all need a teacher. The law showed us what is right and wrong, our actions showed us how impossible it is for us!

Galatians 4:8-11

8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.
9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?
10 You observe days and months and seasons and years!
11 I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.

ENSLAVED!

Captive!

Romans 6 is such an amazing chapter on the difference between being a slave to sin and a slave to righteousness.

Jesus declared the beginning of his ministry by standing up in “church’ and reading Isaiah 61:1:

Luke 4:18-19

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Other versions of Luke 4:18

      • The Berean Study bible says:
        “proclaim deliverance to the captives”
      • Holman Christian Bible says:
        “proclaim freedom to the captives”
      • God’s Word Translation:
        “He has sent me to announce forgiveness to the prisoners of sin and the restoring of sight to the blind, to forgive those who have been shattered by sin,”
      • Weymouth New Testament:
        “He has sent me to announce release to the prisoners of war and recovery of sight to the blind: to send away free those whom tyranny has crushed,”
      • Amplified
        “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (the Messiah),
        Because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor.
        He has sent Me to announce release (pardon, forgiveness) to the captives,
        And recovery of sight to the blind,
        To set free those who are oppressed (downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy),

The very purpose for which Christ was sent was in jeopardy by the Galatians turning back, or turning to the law!

Colossians 1:13-14

13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Ephesians 2:1-7

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Also – Read Ephesians 2:11-22 – Again, Paul is declaring to the Ephesians what GREAT deliverance God has given them!

Paul is referring back to the beginning of the letter!

Galatians 1:6-9

In IBBS Galatians 3:1-10, I was quite struck by how serious Paul took their deception!

After he has spent time trying to explain to them how deadly the law was, and how life was given through Christ by faith – he pleads with the Galatians!

Galatians 4:12 12 Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong.
13 You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first,
14 and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus.
15 What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me.
16 Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?
17 They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them.
18 It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you,
19 my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!
20 I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.

This passage sometimes gets confusing to me.
What I hear here is the heart of an apostle, evangelist, preacher, pastor, shepherd – whose heart is filled with the desire for his spiritual children to follow the path laid before them, and not to wander. I hear frustration in Paul’s voice here. He does not want to see them suffer the consequences of the old ways…but to walk in the freedom of the way of Christ!

Romans 6:20-23

20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:1-2

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

I can’t help stopping a moment to worship!


 

Paul takes the time to try to show the Galatians, and US – the difference between those of the law and those of faith:

Galatians 4:21-31

21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law?
22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman.
23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise.
24 Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar.
25 Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.
27 For it is written,

“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
than those of the one who has a husband.”
28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.
29 But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.
30 But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.”
31 So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.

The Old Testament is a rough, raw, set of stories. Life is rough and raw.
God uses the past to teach us in our present so that we can have a different future.

Why would someone want to live under the law whe this is true?

Romans 8:1-2

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

When I was looking at Galatians 3:10-20, I was impressed with how impossible the requirements of the law were, and that to try to live by the law is to have to live by ALL of the law!

I can’t do it. You can’t do it. The Galatians couldn’t do it. Adam and Eve couldn’t do it. EVEN NOAH couldn’t do it. And Enoch…he was so righteous that he just ended up walking with God and was not…but, did HE do it????

Galatians 5 starts with

1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

That will be my next thoughts…

2009 IBBS Galatians 4

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.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!

Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, 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.

Itty Bitty Bible Study – Galatians 1:1-10

Galatians 1:1-10

I am sharing my thoughts, and others are commenting their thoughts at the Itty Bitty Bible Study on Facebook. Please Join us! You can also comment here if you’d like!

I’m trying my hand at highlighting, I’m not sure this will show up for anyone but me!

Galatians 1

1 Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—

In the old days (hahaha), folks put their authorship at the beginning of letters. It’s kind of like a return address.

Paul – once Saul. Wikipedia is not the bastion of Christian thought, but, it is a good place to obtain a summary on Saul/Paul! Lot’s of excellent information and links to research on Paul’s life.
CALLED as an APOSTLE

  • Not of men
  • neither by man
  • but by Jesus Christ
  • and God the Father (Who raised HIM(Jesus)from the dead)

This book is truly deep – and I’m not going to go into a word study on Men and man – because honestly, in the strongs, they look like the same thing.
Matthew Henry has this to say, if you are interested!

As to his office, he was an apostle. He is not afraid to style himself so, though his enemies would scarcely allow him this title: and, to let them see that he did not assume this character without just ground, he acquaints them how he was called to this dignity and office, and assures them that his commission to it was wholly divine, for he was an apostle, not of man, neither by man; he had not the common call of an ordinary minister, but an extraordinary call from heaven to this office. He neither received his qualification for it, nor his designation to it, by the mediation of men, but had both the one and the other directly from above; for he was an apostle by Jesus Christ, he had his instructions and commission immediately from him, and consequently from God the Father, who was one with him in respect of his divine nature, and who had appointed him, as Mediator, to be the apostle and high priest of our profession, and as such to authorize others to this office.

The second Part states what he believes about God, as well as the basis for his calling!

  • but by Jesus Christ
  • and God the Father (Who raised HIM(Jesus)from the dead)

Again – Matthew Henry’s thoughts on the differentiation here:

He adds, Who raised him from the dead, both to acquaint us that herein God the Father gave a public testimony to Christ’s being his Son and the promised Messiah, and also that, as his call to the apostleship was immediately from Christ, so it was after his resurrection from the dead, and when he had entered upon his exalted state; so that he had reason to look upon himself, not only as standing upon a level with the other apostles, but as in some sort preferred above them; for, whereas they were called by him when on earth, he had his call from him when in heaven.

I have read this, and said yeah yeah yeah – of course.
In Paul’s day – he was under fire about who he was, Whose he was, and HOW he got his calling. This first chapter shows his concern that not HE, but the GOSPEL was being discredited.
WHO calls me?
TO WHAT had HE called me?
and is my life bearing witness to that call, or discrediting that call?

Galatians 1:2 and all the brothers and sisters with me,

It’s nice that Paul includes his brothers and sisters. Though his name is on the letter – he includes others in sending out the blessing. Christianity is NOT a loner religion – it is a communal religion. I do not mean living on a commune together, though, that would be amazing. Living in close proximity to believers of similar intensity would give a standard of support, and even a bit of peer pressure, that would make walking the walk a bit easier. That is the purpose of a local body!

To the churches in Galatia:
3 Grace and peace to you

Grace and Peace.
Grace

  • Noah found grace in God’s eyes! Genesis 6:8 In this grace, he built an ark and survived the flood!
  • Moses found grace in God’s eyes! Exodus 33 In this grace, he made a demand of God to go with them!
  • Ruth found grace! Ruth 2 In that grace, she gave birth to King David’s grandfather and preserved the lineage of Christ!
  • Esther found grace! Esther 2 In that grace, she delivered the nation of Israel!

Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We have found grace in God’s eyes – and in that Grace, there are good works which he has prepared for us to do…amazing!
Amazing Grace!

Peace
The word study on this is Strongs G1515 –

  1. a state of national tranquillity
    exemption from the rage and havoc of war
  2. peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord
  3. security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous)
  4. of the Messiah’s peace
    the way that leads to peace (salvation)
  5. of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is

Doing a study on that Greek word has many offerings, but these mean much to me:

John 14:27
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 16:33
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Galatians 5:22 mentions it as a fruit!

Ephesians 2:14
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,

HE – Jesus is our PEACE!

Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

Hebrew, 7965 – shalom

  1. completeness, soundness, welfare, peace
  2. completeness (in number)
  3. safety, soundness (in body)
  4. welfare, health, prosperity
  5. peace, quiet, tranquillity, contentment
  6. peace, friendship
  7. of human relationships
  8. with God especially in covenant relationship
  9. peace (from war)
  10. peace (as adjective)

Two different languages, ONE HUGE blessing and promise!
I wonder if this is how we should bless one another – GRACE and PEACE to YOU from our Lord Jesus Christ, ….
Galatians 1:3

from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,
5 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Here is the power!
FROM OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST!
BY the power of his paying the price for our sins, and his resurrection by the Power of OUR God and Father(Who is ONLY our God and Father through the price paid by our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ!)!
BY GRACE – we have been rescued from this present evil age by the Will of our Father God!
PEACE in that we are no longer at war with sin and death(well, at least the war is over…we have to fight the battles).

I want to break out into the song “There is power, power, wonder working power, in the blood of the Lamb!”
That blood bridged the chasm that separated us from the PEACE of GOD!

Jesus was being heckled for mentioning the forgiveness of sins when he healed a paralytic, and he said:

Matthew 9:5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?

The implied answer is that it would have been easier for him to say get up and walk, because man cannot forgive sins! It was a statement of WHO He is, and FROM WHOM He came!

POWER! This is not your squeamish “bless you” thrown around on a daily basis!
AND, as ambassadors for Christ – we are to bless others! Paul begins his letters with blessings, and ends his letters with blessings. The people in that day took blessings very seriously!
Just check out the verses about taking back your blessing if the folks of the house are not worthy!
A blessing is not something to be tossed about willy nilly!

Then, Paul really jumps into the WHY of the letter!

Galatians 1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—
7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!
9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!

We’ve just looked at the power behind a blessing – now Paul is speaking out a curse!
This almost sounds like some mumbo jumbo in our day in age.

Jesus said, in Matthew 18:18

“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

That’s some more mumbo jumbo sounding stuff.
Is it?
Or do we really have power to impart God’s blessing, and to withold it?

Jesus says in John 14:12-14

12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Matthew 21:21-22 records Jesus saying:

21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

We are given responsibility for our words, our speech to speak the things of God.
I’m not talking name it claim it, though there is some truth to those teachings. That is why they are so popular.
I’m not saying that we have the same creative power in our words as the Son of God, who spoke the worlds into existence.
I’m saying that the creator God lives within us, and by that position, we have the power available, and we can speak good and evil over people, and God will hear, and move. We are his hands, feet, ears AND HIS MOUTHS!
I want to be a blessing!
But, when someone needs to know that they are taking the wrong turn, I want to speak correction in love!

Galatians 1:10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

The Amplified Bible says it this way:

10 Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God?
Do I seek to please men?
If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).

I kind of giggle when I read this.
If I wanted to be popular, I wouldn’t be talking this kind of talk!
I’d be talking to tickle ears!
I’d be petting and flattering!
And I cannot be a bond servant of Christ and live like that!

Jesus mentioned in Matthew 6:24

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

On the mount, God spoke to Moses and said (Exodus 20)

20:1 And God spoke all these words:
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

“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

Before I move on to Paul’s explanation of WHY he can claim to be an Apostle – I am thinking on this very point…
If something that is told to me as scriptural leads me to be more comfortable with men/women, and not with God – should I be listening? When I write it out that way, of course the answer is NO!

When I am speaking with someone that is espousing homosexuality, abortion, addictions, promiscuity, working on the Sabbath or even which day is the Sabbath, what to eat or drink or wear or any other item in the word, how do I handle myself? Do I water down the word? Or do I pound them into the ground with scripture from my perspective?
Do I start clawing at their splinter, while I cannot see around the beam in my eye?
The key for me is that I speak the truth in love.

Ephesians 4:14-16
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

It appears to me that this is addressed to Believers speaking to believers – not unbelievers.

Mark 16:15-16
15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

In case you do not like the latter part of Mark 16, here is Matthew 28:19-20

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you.

FIRST, we preach the gospel to the unbelievers.
NEXT, we teach them about baptism
THEN, we teach them to obey all that Christ has commanded us.
By that time, THEY ARE BELIEVERS!

My point is that we need to recognize to whom we are speaking.
In doing so, we need to recognize our own tendencies to want to be pleasers of men.
2 Corinthians talks about not being unequally yoked.
John 17 talks about being IN the world but not OF the world.
1 John talks about not loving the world.

It is so easy to just hedge, so that I don’t have to deal with conflict.
On the other hand, I’ve been in places where there are those that are screaming angry phrases and waving judgmental signs and I have unbelievers ask me if THAT is the Jesus I serve.
I have to tell them no.
Jesus did not scream angrily at unbelievers.
He did not point out the sins of unbelievers with a bull horn.
He spoke to them one on one, and once they believed, he took them by the hand and discipled them.
Noah, Hebrews 11:7

7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.

I’m sure Noah had many many people asking him questions…and I’m sure he told them what God had said.
I’m sure that his life stood out as different – considering that God had noticed that he was the only righteous one!
It wasn’t Noah’s words that condemned the world – it was his righteousness in the face of all the others telling him to be this way or that! IN the midst of an evil generation, Noah was righteous! He did not succumb to peer pressure. He was not a man pleaser!

Hebrews 11 speaks of many that lived a righteous life, by faith.

This is what I see for me in this section.
I want to walk in the Grace and Peace of God, to use the gifts HE created within me to glorify HIM, and to not cave to the ways of the world to be more comfortable. That takes FAITH – which of course is not of my own, but a gift from God!

I want to stand before my Lord and hear Him say that I am definitely a bond-servant of Jesus Christ.
I want to hear him say “enter into the joy of your Lord”
And I’d like to take as many with me as I can!

A Blast from the Past – my comments in 2009 on Galatians 1.
Itty Bitty Bible Study – Galatians 1:11-24 & 2:1-10

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.

I’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, 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.

2016 Word of the Year – Prepare? – yeah, right!

This contains many photos of our trip for surgery.

In January, the Lord gave me this word to meditate upon this year.
Prepare

In 2014, we weren’t prepared to deal with cancer.
We chose a procedure that had a 98% cure rate…as in, no recurrence. It is called HIFU.
At that time, it was not approved in the United States.
In 2015, February, we made out of pocket, traveled to Cancun, Mexico, to receive this state of the art procedure to treat Prostate cancer.
January 2016, the PSA let us know that we were not in the 98%.
So, we started to research options.
From January, to August, the PSA rose from 1.7 to 5.6. In the last few months, it doubled. It was time to do something, but, what?

By now, the procedure had been FDA approved, but not insurance covered. So, still out of pocket. In the meantime, I started doing intense research on the prostate, and what nutritional options would strengthen Jim’s body to fight off this enemy.
~~~~~~~~~

James 1:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

~~~~~~~~~
In September, We went to see the doctor and obtain biopsies in order to make sure that we have all the options for any future need for cancer treatments.
We were told that November 29th was the date that was open. We were waiting for confirmation, and working to handle our money in order to pay for this procedure.

In addition to choosing to repeat the HIFU, we wanted to get a second opinion for the cancer treatment – and we went through the process of setting up a visit to Cancer Treatment Centers of America, their prostate division based in Atlanta.

We were scheduled for August 17-21. We would be flown in, and see the medical team Thursday, Friday, then stay over the weekend, and get the final recommendations on Monday. We were working with the travel team, the medical information team and everyone at that center.

One week before our trip, we spoke with the Nurse Navigator. We discussed the HIFU done in February 2015, and let her know that we were planning on doing a repeat to eradicate the remission.
She took our information to the medical director who then said that we were not a good fit for their program.
Why?
Jim had not jumped up on a surgery table when his PSA was at 5 when he was 50.
Jim had undergone HIFU without biopsies, based upon Dr. Wheeler’s explanation of Prostate Cancer development, and because of the incidence of track back metastisis at the site of biopsies.
We based it upon a specialized MRI system that indicated the dubious nature of the mass – even though it was in a very difficult place to be found by biopsies.
We did not follow the CTCA procedure. Of course not, we weren’t their patient! So, they denied us the opportunity to ask questions about traditional treatments, to talk with naturopath and nutritionist about how to combat the side effects, and to strengthen Jim’s body to fight cancer.

This was like a punch in the stomach. We didn’t know what the Lord was up to, but at least we knew that we were not going to go to Atlanta.
Then, fires around Atlanta. The city was dealing with the smoke just as we were going to be there. That seemed like a good enough reason for God to change that plan. I don’t do well in smoke filled areas.

Every good gift comes from the Father of Lights…

We went ahead and sent part of the downpayment for Jim’s treatment at the end of November, and we were working on obtaining other funding. I even was a bit rough on Doc about the date…when??? November 29th, but many things need to be orchestrated – please be patient. That was the conversation on Wednesday, November 16.

Friday, November 18, before noon, we got the call that the place had been set up, and we were scheduled for Sunday, November 20. At 9am. WHAT?!?! So, we cleared out schedules, and left for St. Augustine on Friday evening. I had just unpacked my suitcase from my plans to be in Boston. Now, I just had to put those clothes back into the suitcase! I threw most of next weeks groceries I’d just purchased into the freezer!

If we had gone to Atlanta as planned, for the CTCA consult, we would not have been available for this opening! We would have been sitting around Atlanta watching the forest burn, instead of burning out the cancer.

We arrived into the hotel in St. Augustine Beach around 8. We ate at Wendy’s because it was so late.

 

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Saturday, November 19, I woke up barely able to keep back tears. I did not have any peace about the procedure, but Jim was freaking out enough that I needed to stay calm.
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We had breakfast at a local eatery, and Jim started on his clear liquid diet.

 

We did have to find some clear liquid options – which ended up being cartons of bone broth and green jello.

Mostly, Jim drank water. water. water.

First, we explored Palatka.

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This is where the specialists have their out patient clinic, and more importantly,
the Ablatherm HIFU machine.

 

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

We traveled around St Augustine, took photos, and just basically spent time enjoying each other.

Fort Matanzas,

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Crescent Beach – just across the road.

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We had not been in the hotel very long when we got the call that the anesthesiologist had been called back home, and that the procedure was canceled for Sunday. “Go ahead and eat some supper, breakfast tomorrow, then clear liquids again after 10, and nothing by mouth after midnight. You are scheduled for noon on Monday.”
I guess God wanted a different anesthesiologist for the procedure.

Exodus 31 – God set apart specific ones for specific giftings

We went to Applebees, because of the burgers.

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified

 

It was so beautiful out, that we took a walk along this St Augustine Beach community.(Christmas lights at the beach)

street view

street view

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dock

dock

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We walked out on the dark, and looked at the stars!

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Then we finished our Christmas Lights walk!
 

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We returned to the frog place for breakfast. Jim really enjoyed their omelet.

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Then, we  spent Sunday driving around, enjoying the sights, and each other.

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Monday morning, enemas, and take off for Palatka, Florida.
I was very nervous, very sensitive – and I felt like I was going to fall into a crying fit at any minute. But I needed to be strong for Jim.
As we were waiting, with Jim in the spiffy paper gown,

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we overheard the conversation between the engineer and the doctor about the machine. A cable was not working correctly on the machine. The one that connected the ultrasound to the HIFU machine was dead. It had been working just fine on Saturday. It’s canceled for mechanical reasons.

What? Ok.
“Better before than during” – Jim said, after he took a moment.

“the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”Philippians 4:7.

Nerves?
Yes.
Disappointed?
Completely.
Confused?
You bet.

Jim’s comment:

It’s really futile to complain that something is not going right when you are listening to “The Sovereignty of God” by AW Pink

How’s this for preparation – I had brought my medicines for up to one extra day, through Tuesday. I will run out Tuesday evening, and Wednesday morning. Oops. I know I heard a voice in my head telling me to fill in the whole medicine container! I didn’t listen. “I’ll be home – there’s no way that we would be here past Tuesday!” Yeah, Right! Another lesson to LISTEN!

We took another drive.

So, today(I wrote this while waiting for him during the surgery), Tuesday, enemas again. Jim should be very cleaned out by now!

At 9am, we arrived at the clinic again.
The office nurse is not here.
The office doctor came in, then left, and did not unlock the medicine cabinet.
Whew. I’m not telling Jim what I’ve overheard this time.
Jim’s snapping – and who can blame him? He’s not angry, he’s just very guarded. He’s so tired. Very hungry. Tired of drinking bone broth and eating jello!
More nervous than he was any of the previous days. And again, who can blame him?
Jim went out for a walk, and I was not sure if he would come back in.

I found the gown for him this time.
I found the chux to put under him on the chair.
I’ve sat watching the doc, the technician, the anesthesiolgist looking through the cabinets and such in this office. I have heard the doctor say that he didn’t have the catheters that he is used to using.
And then, I was asked to go sit in the waiting room. Of course, that is probably better for me anyway, because I could hear almost everything that they were saying. Now, they could have closed additional doors, but, I was struggling between being able to know what was going on, and being somewhere peaceful!

Prepare for this? HOW?
Be wrapped in the word of God.
Jim played some scripture music as we were on our way here.
I’m focusing on the scriptures while I’m waiting.

Storms?
This feels like a hurricane that just keeps swirling around and coming back and hitting again.
And each time, I feel weaker – and yet, maybe this feeling of being resigned to the Lord’s hand, is exactly where I need to be.
Waiting in the palm of God’s hand.

I met the couple that are going after Jim. Mike and Sandy Norris.
A very sweet couple.
We discussed how we all got here.
We discussed how we believed that God’s hand was in these delays.
I’m so grateful for Christians to sit with.

Post Procedure

  • He had much difficulty with the intubation – almost called off the procedure.
    If not for the new anesthesiologist – this would have been canceled.
  • Jim was difficult to wake up – if not for this very skilled anesthesiologist, we may have ended up at the hospital across the street.
  • Jim could not have the same type of catheter…the had to have one through his abdomen.
    If not for the experienced Doctor, this could have been a serious complication.
  • Considering the stress of all the delays, Jim’s blood pressure remained safe.
    His oxygen even remained 98 and above!

Jim has some wins as well.

Jim was not happy with the placement of the catheter, but, when one is under anesthesia, one cannot understand all the things the doctor explains.

The upside is that the doctor said that he was able to do everything that he wanted to do and that the tissue responded so well, just melting instantly, that he didn’t even go around to do some other areas that were ‘just in case’.
Now, it’s a different type of recovery than the first time. But recover, we shall!

I’m trying to finish this the following week.
To be honest, we are still struggling, which is why this blog is a week late.

The doctor that was supposed to follow up with Jim, and in fact, talked to him on Wednesday, giving him great calming advice, decided on Monday that Jim was not a candidate for his practice.
WHAT? We were just IN his clinic! He’d been talking to us, and gave Jim his cell phone number! And talked to him on said cell phone!

Disappointed?
Yeah!
Confused?
Completely.
Jim was completely frustrated, potentially angry, but I was not with him, because my leg had given out.

Same day – I found out that my pain doctor may not take me back because I’d rescheduled 2 appointments over the last year, and cancelled one. Not one no show…but, still, I was told that she could not schedule me until he looked over my chart and decided he still wanted me for a patient. WHAT? now it’s wrong to reschedule or cancel appointments?

Angry?
you bet.
And I fell apart.
I was trying very hard not to cry as I went in to see my doctor, and ask for pain meds!

I did get in to see my PCP, and she gave me a new medicine for the pain in my hip. One that will not have the side effects that the previous one had. Surprise? IT WORKS BETTER THAN THE OTHER ONE WITH A PAIN PILL! No pain pills! No pain! And sleep, precious sleep.

How do you prepare for surprises?
You put your faith in the Lord, and you dwell on His word, and you join together, and remind each other that we are a team, Jim, me and God.

Isaiah 54:17
No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.

I found this devotional on Isaiah 54:17 by James MacDonald
It reminds me of everything that I believe about God walking with us through storms.

no-weapon-formed-resized
And another devotional about preparing for warfare came with this graphic above. From ChristiansTT, it teaches about warfare in prayer.

The point is, just because we don’t know the answer – our faith tells us that we know the ONE that holds the ANSWER in His hand.
If we did not believe this – we would not be where we are today.
We would both be locked up in a hospital for not being able to think straight!

  • Our lives are not perfect, but we live in the One Who is.
  • they are riddled with sin, but woven with mercy.
  • they are encumbered with guilt, but awash with grace.
  • they are surrounded with storms, but enveloped with his words “Peace, be still”.
  • HE holds us together…without the Love of God through Jesus Christ – we would not be able to handle the storms.

Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom,
and the Power
and the Glory,
Forever.
Amen.

We celebrated Thanksgiving by giving thanks that the Lord is in His house, and in our hearts.
We celebrate Advent, by remembering that many before us have waited to see God’s hand move on their behalf.
We will celebrate Christmas, by thanking the Creator of the Universe for choosing to give of Himself to win us back to Him.
My studies in Prepare this year have been very appropriate.
My studies in Psalm 23 have been very personal.
My heart is that you will be blessed by something in my life stories.

Thank you for sharing them with me.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

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.

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

“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’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, 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.

2016 – Word of the Year – Prepare – Psalm 23 MY(part2)

lord-is-my-shepherd_t_nv

I started this series in October.

Then the world fell apart! Well, just The United States going crazy over an election.

In the midst of all the noise, I was reminded what my government thought of me in 2009, 2012, and now again in 2016.

In the midst of this, I was hit with not being prepared for the path placed before me, being Cancer in my husband. Even this plan has changed, and become up in the air!

ps23tattoo

Today, I saw a sweet young lady’s tattoo that had a lamb on it, with the words “The Lord is my Shepherd” above it. Interesting way for God to remind me that I need to get back to the work HE has placed before me!

Psalm 23.
I’ve been looking at the meaning of the first words of the first verse.

The.
Lord.
Is.
MY…and I ended with the first part of my understanding of MY.

Here’s a gift for the families, or for folks that want to color, as they meditate upon Psalm 23.

ps23colorPsalm 23 Coloring Pages

Here’s part two.

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

When we want to own something, we go and purchase it.
By paying the cost we free that item from its previous owner, and make it our own.

Sometimes, that is done with the trade.
Our son Stephen has a gift for finding things people want who have things that he wants in order to trade with them and both parties are happy.

There is also the concept of bartering.
Our two daughters-in-love have a system of bartering for clothes and hair care. Some parents barter babysitting. “I’ll watch your kids this week and you watch my kids next week”. Both parties benefit.

The thing is, both parties need to want something from the other. Both parties have to agree upon the value of that item or service or relationship. If the price of one person’s belonging is higher than the other can pay, the owner has the ability to make or break the deal by adjusting, or making provision for the deal, or not. The person in the lesser position is at the mercy of the person with the more coveted belonging.

In the case of salvation I have to want to be set free from my old life and be given a new life in Jesus Christ. That wouldn’t make any difference if God did not want a relationship with me.

In the situation with Jesus, I don’t have enough to buy my salvation. I am so far in the hole that I cannot get myself out in order to purchase my salvation. The rules in the Old Testament prove that we cannot earn our way into heaven. The price for salvation is so immeasurably High that only the owner of that gift can meet the price.

At the time of Adam and Eve, God chose to provide the sacrifice. It was the first time that a life was given for a life. The first blood sacrifice. It was the first death in the garden. That is a serious message about separation from God, and that is the evidence of the cost for sin.

Romans 6:23a

The wages of sin is death.

Habbakuk 1:13

Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.

When we have sin in our lives we have enslaved ourselves to sin. Ever notice how easy it is to say yes to sin after you say yes once?
Ever notice how difficult it is to say no once you’ve said yes?
Ever try to only take one bite of a decadent dessert, and not finish it once it is sitting in front of you? I have! on all accounts!

There is an awesome chapter about sin, and slavery to it.

Romans 6

When Adam and Eve sinned, they separated themselves from their relationship with God who would walk in the garden with them normally.

Genesis 3:

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

Adam and Eve had never felt the need to hide from God before. Their disobedience (sin) separated them from a pure and free relationship with their creator.

The fact that God created a sacrifice for them or perform the sacrifice for them, shows how great was his desire to be in relationship with his creation. God paid the price on their behalf. Actually, He made the first sacrifice by creating them skins to cover their nakedness.

Genesis 3:21

21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

And Adam and Eve suffered the consequences of their choices.

Genesis 3:23-24

23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.
24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side[e] of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

Adam and Eve were separated from the intimate relationship they had previously enjoyed with God.

~~~~~~~~~

Step One – He paved the way long before we were born;

Romans 5:7-9

7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

Step Two – Recognize we are separated from God by our actions

Romans 3:10-12

10 As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”

Step Three – We have to believe.

That is the first part of our part of the price. To believe.

Acts 16:30-31

30Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”

It’s in the contract:

Mark 16:16

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Here’s the contract:

John 3:16-19

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

Acts 2:37-39

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

Acts 16:30-31

29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

John 3:36;

Unfortunately we don’t even have that much that we can give towards this purchase!

Ephesians 2:8-9

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Back to my analogy:

“The thing is, both parties need to want something from the other. Both parties have to agree upon the value of that item or service or relationship. If the price of one person’s belonging is higher than the other can pay, the owner has the ability to make or break the deal by adjusting, or making provision for the deal, or not. The person in the lesser position is at the mercy of the person with the more coveted belonging”.

We can’t even come up the down payment to believe that we are sinners and we need a savior.
We can’t even muster up the down payment of wanting to have a relationship with God.
God in His grace and mercy saw our poor, wretched selves, and not only did he pay the price with Jesus Christ on the cross, he gave us the ability to say “I want you in my life”.

The point of being able to trade with someone is that both of you have to want the trade. Both of you have to have something that the other one wants. Even if that something is a $20,000 car, and your other person is the car salesman. If you don’t have $20,000 in your account, you can’t buy that car. Sometimes, when the car dealer wants to sell the car to you bad enough, they will actually set up a loan in order for you to be able to pay in parts. It’s not your money that is paying for the car, because you didn’t have any. It is the car dealers money and they are asking you to pay it in steps.

We don’t have enough in our account to pay or earn or by our salvation. The Creator God wanted a relationship with us so badly, it had such value to him, that he chose to pay off our debt. That is salvation.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

He paid a debt He did not owe!

Faith through Grace. IT’S A GIFT!

Which brings me to Step Four – RECEIVE!

GIFT
The other person in a deal can GIFT the item to you. That is the other way a deal can be made!

What is our responsibility in the event of being offered a gift? RECEIVE!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That will be Part 3 of Psalm 23 – MY

I’ll discuss receiving the gift, not receiving the gift, and the payment plan!
What does this have to do with my one word, prepare?
This is the beginning, the preparation work, the foundation stone for everything else in my life. I hope you will join me!

Team Wildman

Team Wildman

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.

I want to thank

for the ability to search the Bible online.

“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’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!

Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, 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.

Holidays – Why I don’t celebrate Halloween

I’ve been asked over the years by Christians and nonChristians alike. Oddly, the non Christians accept my reasoning much more readily than Christians.  This is MY point of view, based on MY life experiences and MY understanding of the Bible.  I’m sharing MY story.  What you do is between YOU and Your God and conscience!

IT’S SCARY!
No, actually, that’s not the original reason that I stopped celebrating Halloween. I once participated in Halloween dances, haunted houses, and watched horror movies. So, I cannot say that this is the reason I quit.

I have a history with witchcraft, so I am very sensitive to anything that has the slightest hint of it.  I know there are those that participate. I know there are those that do so in order to pass out tracts and to share the gospel.  Others may, I may not. But why?

Once, many years ago, my dear husband refused to watch a scary movie with me. His reason? It gave him nightmares! Over the years, I stopped watching the crime dramas because, they, too, gave me nightmares. Why would I want to put myself through such things? Still, that has little to do with why I stopped celebrating Halloween.

When we decided to make it known to our family that we would not be participating in holidays, we mentioned Christmas, Easter and Halloween. Which one got the reaction? Halloween. The one that has nothing to do with celebrating Christ Jesus. I have one family member that has never spoken to me again since.

One church we participated in many years ago, had a harvest party, and asked that children come as Bible characters. I caved in. What harm could come from this? We had a dress for one that with some wings, she became an Angel. The others all had animal sleepers, and went as animals from the ark. All this did was to muddy the waters, and give others reasons to question our integrity. My desire is to be a light to the world, shining Christ’s light. I do not want to be accused of sounding an uncertain sound, or having a filtered light, or casting a shadow.

I am going to share my thoughts on this holiday.
This is how I came up with my decision to not participate at all, in any way.

What is a Christian supposed to focus upon?
Phillipians 4:8-9

8 Finally, brothers and sisters,

  • whatever is true,
  • whatever is noble,
  • whatever is right,
  • whatever is pure,
  • whatever is lovely,
  • whatever is admirable—
  • if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.
And the God of peace will be with you.

In my experience, there is nothing in Halloween that fits these categories. And, yes, I have heard all of the excuses to participate…I’ll share my thoughts on those later.

So, if Halloween is NOT these things, upon what does it focus?

Witches – worshippers of the devil

Death –

Darkness –

  • We’ve been called OUT of darkness –
    1 Peter 2:9

    But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

    John 8:12

    Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

  • We are called into the Light –
    1 John 1:5-7

    5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
    6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.
    7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

  • We are called to BE light –Matthew 5:14-16

    14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
    15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
    16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

  • and darkness is the realm of the devil:
    Acts 26:18

    to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.

Horror

  • this is a simple statement – look at the Halloween movie offerings!
  • My issue with this is that it feeds fear.2 Timothy 1:7

    7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind

  • Jesus said that He came to give us peace…
    John 14:27

    Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

  • All through scripture, God tells us not to be afraid…he doesn’t say there aren’t things to be afraid of. If it is best for me to not be afraid, why would I put myself in the position to be fearful to get an adrenaline rush?

Monsters, demons, vampires and the undead.
Again – none of these glorifies God or confirms the gospel of Christ.

Here is the one scripture verse that really turned my head:
2 Corinthians 6:14-16

14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

So – is it serious enough just to base this upon what the current practice does? Well, I look around at the continual decay of the celebration. More and more decorations are based around scaring, with death, and witchcraft and demonic activities. In my area, there are even sheets hanging from the trees covered in “blood”.
None of this brings Philippians 4:8-9 to mind!
None of this brings the light of Christ into our midst… were delivered From darkness into HIS LIGHT. Why would I want to go back there?

To do a very simple research upon the roots of Halloween, I have turned to Wikipedia. This is NOT known for it’s religious bent! Even so, this research option includes some of the pagan background of Halloween.

Just reading the generic write up of Halloween in Wikipedia sets my nerves on edge. There are too many similarities to the various occult practices. As for using it to celebrate those that have gone on before, such as all hallows eve? We are not told to celebrate the dead…and even when the rich man asks Lazarus, who was in Abraham’s bosom, awaiting the day of the resurrection, Abraham says that there is a chasm between the living and the dead, and that no one could go through it.(Luke 16:19-31) Those who have died are either in the place of suffering, or are in the place Jesus called paradise when he spoke to the thief upon the cross.

May I present some interesting articles, that of course, support my position, some more than others.

So, why do Christians participate in Halloween?
Why do Christians participate in any worldly activity?
It is much easier to just follow along rather than stand up for one’s beliefs.
In many cases, it is even excused by those in leadership.

You, dear reader, can google why a Christian SHOULD celebrate Halloween on your own. There are many, many articles out there to support this position.

I said I would comment on some of the reasons Christians use to excuse participating in Halloween.
Some just do not see the harm in participating in this high holy day of the devil.
Some use it to pass out Christian Tracts – little pamphlets that present the gospel.
my issues with this:

  • Who really believes that a child that is looking for candy is going to be happy about a little booklet?
  • Who really believes that a child looking for candy is going to READ said booklet?
  • Could this be considered a bait and switch tactic? Oh, yes, the church has gotten very good at bait and switch in order to ‘preach’ the gospel, or to ‘catch’ converts.
  • It’s very dangerous to bring the worldly ways, the pagan ways, into the gospel. There are passages that speak about this, and stories that illustrate this in the Bible. Strange fire and uncertain sound come to mind.

Christianity is not immune to the occult practices, and has it’s share of worship of the dead, as well as giving demons and the devil way too much credit for some things, and not enough credit for others. In fact, even angels and those that have passed on before us are sometimes given special powers and honor that is not biblical! That does not make any of this right. It is the Bible that is my source for my decision.

Again, for me, I must turn to scripture:

2 Corinthians 6:17

Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

More than any other thing, I want to hear the Lord say, “Enter into the Joy of the Lord”.
My heart’s desire is to be received by my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Do I think that celebrating Halloween would keep someone out of the Kingdom of God? I honestly don’t know. I know salvation is based upon the relationship with Jesus Christ.  I know that for me to participate is for me to go against all that I have learned about Jesus Christ, God the Father, and against all that the Holy Spirit confirms in my spirit. For me, it opens doors to my past in witchcraft, which, was practiced with the blessing of my church. For me, this is not something I want to risk damaging my relationship with my Creator God. For me, this is playing with fire. I know that I will get burned. This is my experience any time I go against what I believe the Bible leads me to do. I want to enter in at the straight gate….

Matthew 7:14

14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Contemplating this very post has had an effect upon my recent watching of murder mysteries. Not the scary, gory ones…these are the ones on Hallmark channel! I believe that a sign of a living relationship with Jesus Christ is that we grow, and change, and learn to look more and more like Him. For my own peace of mind, I will be giving these shows up as well.

I want my life to stand for all that Jesus has given me.
I do not want to complicate it.
I do not want to contaminate it.
Seriously, giving up a scary holiday is the least that I can do to tell my Father God that HE is my one and only God.
Giving up gory or non-gory, scary shows is such a tiny offering, considering all that my Lord has given me.

Deuteronomy 30:15-19

15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them,
18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live

Here is my declaration:

Joshua 24:14-15

14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.
15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

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

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

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

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Psalm 23

2016 Word of the Year – Prepare – Psalm 23 – in preparation for a storm

Psalm 23

Psalm 23

Why am I focusing on Psalm 23 right now?
There are several storms on the horizon.

  • Depression
  • Age
  • physical illness
  • age
  • relationships
  • Age
  • Finances
  • Age.

Ok, yes, age is a biggie, but that one will never go away, until the day that I am promoted to live eternity in the presence of My Lord.

In light of coming storms, Psalm 23 is a great comfort.

Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

I even have a coin necklace that has Psalm 23 on it, to be a type of ‘touch stone’ for me.

One year ago today, I was reading through Psalms and Proverbs by the date(first – Ps 1, 31, 63, 91, 121 and Proverbs 1 plan). Apparently, I was a day behind!

But here are a few of the verses upon which I was meditating.

Psalm 32:6-8New International Version (NIV)
6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
while you may be found;(MY LORD Ps 23:1)
surely the rising of the mighty waters
will not reach them.(Ps 23:4))
7 You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. (Ps 23:3)

Many forget this part of the Christian Walk:

Psalm 32:
10Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him.
11Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.

But this is the reason for Psalm 23:5-6

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

Psalm 62 is such a beautiful Psalm about resting in the midst of battle!

1 Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from him.(Ps 23:1)
2 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.(Ps 23:4)

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

5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.(Ps 23:2)
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.(Ps 23:4)
8 Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge. (Ps 23:6)

The Psalms are so full of comfort!

Psalm 5:11-12New International Version (NIV)
11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you. (Ps 23:4)
12 Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous;
you surround them with your favor as with a shield.(Ps 23:5-6)

Psalm 33:
18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.

And the truths follow throughout the whole Bible.

1 Peter 3:12
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

In the face of upcoming storms, and in the midst of the first wave of the storm front, I can hide myself in the Lord – and trust that HE will guide me through.

This week, I’ve had to give up my service dog of 9 years – for his health.
This week, We’ve had to sell our RV trailer, because of our health issues, and financial issues.
This week, I’ve had to rethink my purpose and focus of my life.

The enemy has come in like a flood.

Isaiah 59:19
So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

Isaiah 59:1
1 Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear.

Deut 31:6 & 8
6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

Joshua 1:9
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Here is my job:

Deut 10:12-13
12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
13 To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?

1 Timothy 1:5
5 The goal of our instruction is the love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and a sincere faith.

2 Timothy 2:211-22

…21 So if anyone cleanses himself of what is unfit, he will be a vessel for honor: sanctified, useful to the Master, and prepared for every good work.
22 Flee from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

And, this is my comfort and reward:

1 Timothy 1:12-17
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.
13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.
14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.
17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

My comfort, above all else, is that when I was still a sinner, before I was even conceived, Christ loved me enough to die for my sins. He IS my shepherd (Ps23:1)

God the Father showed me mercy – and continues to show me mercy!

Psalm 23:6a
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life!

And, because I am adopted into the house of Yehovah –

Psalm 23: 6b
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

So, no matter what storm comes up – Psalm 32:11
He is my hiding place – HE shall preserve me from(in?) trouble(distress).

Psalm 119:
114You are my hiding place and my shield; I wait for Your word.

Another version says it this way:

Psalms 119:114 New Living Translation
You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.

Here is my Prayer:

Psalm 61[a]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.

1 Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
2 From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.
4 I long to dwell in your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.[b]

Psalm 27:4-5
4 One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.

This prayer was written in a time of storms:

Psalm 27:1-3
Psalm 27
Of David.

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me
to devour[a] me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.

Jesus gave his followers this warning with a promise:

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

All because HE is my shepherd!

John 10:7-18
7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

So, this is why I focus on Psalm 23 in the midst of storms.

And he will surround me with songs of deliverance!
Psalm 56 is another confirmation – What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee!(Psalm 56:3)

For other thoughts on Psalm 23, I’ve written a few things.
First thoughts on Psalm 23

Psalm 23 – THE

Psalm 23 – IS

Upcoming foci – MY and SHEPHERD.

For those that are following, I promise, I will not do the whole Psalm word by word!
The first phrase is so powerful to me, and for me, sets the tone for the whole Psalm.

Here’s something to remind you – a vinyl wall decal of Psalm 23
5132_psalm_23_cross-1_large-1

And here’s a place that you can get wallpaper for your computer that reminds you of Psalm 23.

psalm-23_1-4

And this is another bit of art, from From the Heart Art.
psalm23art

In 2015, I wrote about living through a storm. What’s up?

I pray that this sharing of my heart will bless you, and that you will find scripture that will surround your heart, and keep you in perfect peace, as your mind is stayed on Christ Jesus!

Me and My Love

Me and My Love

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.

I want to thank Blue Letter Bible and
Bible Gateway and
Bible Hub for the ability to search the Bible online.

“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’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, 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.

Naomi’s Heart Ministries

Psalm 23

2016 Word of the Year – Prepare – Psalm 23 – Is

Psalm 23

Understanding my benefits, my tools, my source.
Things that anyone should know to be prepared for battle!

LORD – Who?

THE – or part 2

This will be in two parts.

First – what do these words have to do with preparation?
When soldiers are preparing for battle, they get into physical shape, mental shape, and spiritual shape. They also build a community, and get to know their up line officers.
In addition, they learn their weapons. Which ones, and how to use them.

Psalm 23 is completely full of the keys to all of this, in light of preparing for the battles that will come into every life.

Second – IS

Is what?
exactly!

IS
From Dictionary.com
Is
verb
1.
3rd person singular present indicative of be.

BE

bē/Submit
verb
1.
exist.

From Merriam Webster:
1
a : to equal in meaning : have the same connotation as : symbolize
God is love
January is the first month
let x be 10

This word, used in connection with the Divine Creator, draws some interesting correlations.

The Lord IS
we could say, The Lord IS.

Exodus 3:14
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

This is a bit difficult to comprehend, why I am so excited about the word “IS”.
For this, I’m going to just reference this from Matthew Henry Commentary on Exodus 3:14

Two names God would now be known by. A name that denotes what he is in himself, I AM THAT I AM. This explains his name Jehovah, and signifies,
1. That he is self-existent: he has his being of himself.
2. That he is eternal and unchangeable, and always the same, yesterday, to-day, and for ever.
3. That he is incomprehensible; we cannot by searching find him out: this name checks all bold and curious inquiries concerning God.
4. That he is faithful and true to all his promises, unchangeable in his word as well as in his nature; let Israel know this, I AM hath sent me unto you. I am, and there is none else besides me. All else have their being from God, and are wholly dependent upon him. Also, here is a name that denotes what God is to his people. The Lord God of your fathers sent me unto you. Moses must revive among them the religion of their fathers, which was almost lost; and then they might expect the speedy performance of the promises made unto their fathers.

Here are just a few other places that say so much, because of this word:

John 8:58
“Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

Revelation 8:1
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come–the Almighty.

Psalm 90:2
Before the mountains were born, before You gave birth to the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity, You are God.

The interesting thing I’ve noticed when looking at the Strong’s concordance, IS is not in the original, if I understand it correctly.
It is there to point to SHEPHERD.
Yet, I think that it is also an excellent reminder that The Lord OUR Lord IS!
And, in response to the previous post on THE – the uniqueness of Our LORD is that He is alive!

Revelation 1:8
I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Amen!

Me and My Love

Me and My Love

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.

I want to thank Blue Letter Bible and Bible Gateway for the ability to search the Bible online.

“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’d love to hear what you think – please leave a comment!
Or choose to LIKE me on facebook, 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.

Naomi’s Heart Ministries