Tag: bible

God’s word

Without reading the Bible

Being raised in a Christian home, and brought up faithfully attending church, you memorize key scriptures taught and those you regularly heard mentioned in sermons or recited in conversations. One could get a really good knowledge of scripture (at least enough to sound knowledgeable to those less studied) without ever truly reading the bible for themselves. 
For a long time, this was me. As a child, I loved to read story books about those written of in scripture. I understood the moral values and I grew to love what I knew of Jesus. I asked a lot of questions and as I grew older, I would study what was needed to pass a memorization test or what was needed to beat other churches in the bible bowl. Most of these were usually written out for me on a lesson sheet and rarely required my own bible reading. Even in my early teens, I found it exceptionally boring reading the bible myself. I would often fall asleep or find myself daydreaming and needing to reread what I already read for the fifth time. 
In my late teens, I became intrigued, even fascinated, by prophecy and end times. I loved trying to figure out what scripture may be referring to in modern times. My dad and I seemed to share this fascination which fueled my hunger for knowledge and desire to be educated on the subject. I loved to talk for hours with him and exchange books on the subject. I studied books of the bible such as Revelation, Daniel, Ezekiel, and a few others, while occasionally looking up verses in other books of the bible mentioned in a book I happened to be reading. Still, I had no real desire to read the entire bible. 
I had a good understanding of the Christian way of life, and I knew a lot about the bible and the stories therein, I knew little, however, about relationship with Jesus Christ Himself. God was always in heaven and as for me, well, I’m here in the world. Relationship with Him to me was metaphorical in the present, anticipating the day it would be personal upon entering heaven. 
Because of my naïve reasoning, partly due to my lack of interest in reading God’s Word, and partly due to my selfish, self-serving nature, I believe certain popular scriptures such as Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, were often used out of context. Aside from the comfort in this verse that I always felt, I believed anything I set my mind to do could be accomplished because Jesus would give me strength. It wasn’t until years later after using this verse a long time according to my own will and purposes, God finally called me to read the entire context in which it was written. 
Talk about eye-opening! To understand the context in which this scripture was written I was taken back a few verses to Philippians 4:10.
Philippians 4:10-13 NLT — How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
I thought to myself, that changes everything. This whole time I’ve been using this verse to convince myself that I had the power backing me to do anything I set my mind to, like move mountains and such. All the while knowing not one mountain I commanded to move budged even an inch. I would have been happy with even one moving a centimeter, a millimeter for that matter. I knew beyond any doubt that God, Father, Son, and Spirit were not the problem so had to be my lack of faith why mountains were not moving. 
Because I had not made it a practice to read and study God’s Word I was defeated and believed I didn’t have enough faith. 

Hosea 4:6 NLT — My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priest. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children.
Father God does speak to His children in many ways. The sad thing is, the number one way to hear God, is also seemingly the number one way rejected by His children.  I know a lot of professing Christians who rarely if ever even pick up the Word of God. I am not naïve to believe God won’t find other means to grab the attention of those He calls, however, I am absolutely sure that He is a  Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  
Hebrews 11:6 KJV — But without faith, it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Before Holy Spirit led me to read Philippians 4:13 in context, my understanding was prideful at the very least. I was not displaying an attitude of humility and surrender to Almighty God.  My use of His Word was more like rubbing a bottle expecting a genie to appear ready and able to help me accomplish my own will and purposes.  
When put in context, it’s not about strength obtained to go out and conquer, it’s about strength to get through current circumstances.  The secret to living with plenty or in poverty, having a lot of family and friends around or being alone not having anyone, having a life full of love and joy or trying to fake a smile with a shattered heart, having unlimited options for a beautiful future or running into nothing but slammed doors, being fairly treated or becoming a victim of injustice. Also, the secret too remaining kind, gentle, and self-controlled when enraged, to forgive others that repeatedly hurt us, etc. The secret to getting through any circumstances in life is surrendering to Christ who strengthens me. 
Reading His Word for myself with the help and leading of the Holy Spirit, made all the difference in my understanding. 
To believe God means to believe He is who He says He is.  This belief alone should bring a humbling to anyone who truly believes.  How small are we compared to the Almighty, all-powerful, all-knowing, always-present God? Even just a healthy fear of Him one would think reading and applying His Word would be a no-brainer. 
So the question then is, do I believe He is? If so I wouldn’t want to be on His bad side. I sure wouldn’t want to be prideful about or toward Him. 
The amazing realization is, although He most certainly can demand my obedience, He doesn’t.  Instead, He is pleased by my belief and rewards my willingness and desire to seek Him through His Word. 
For years I wanted God to be a part of my life. I wanted my prayers answered,  I wanted to be a straight A, top of my class, Christian, I wanted to stay out of hell and be invited into heaven,  etc. The problem was watching American Idol was entertaining,  reading God’s Word and trying to get to know Him, wasn’t.  
Karaoke night with family and friends was my idea of a fun, good time, allowing Father God to speak into my life through His Word, a chore I will tackle someday. 
Why ever would God try to speak to me in any other way when I repeatedly reject His first choice of ways to speak to me? Why give me anything more when I can’t be bothered to use what I already have? 
I’ve heard it said that every single Christian in the world,  already has the relationship they want with Father God. The question I finally had to answer was, how much effort am I willing to put into having a real, tangible relationship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? 
I found the Word of God is 100% opposite of the boring I once had thought it to be. Changing my perspective about why I’m reading His Word opened the door for me to experience the most exciting, worthwhile, adventure it truly is. Furthermore, I am always quite amazed as Father God shows me another mind-blowing secret within the pages. 
Jeremiah 29:13 KJV — And ye shall seek me, and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
To seek Him with my whole heart,  to me, undeniably means, searching for Him, His ways, His likes, His dislikes, His plans, and all His attributes within His written word. So He is my perspective as I read. I look for what I can learn about Him. I’m learning, this is also where I find myself,  my worth, my purpose, my weaknesses, my strengths, His thoughts about me personally, and His will for my life. 
Until next time may God bless you and keep you as you seek Him with your whole heart. 

Warrior Words

I think about the word of God. He said let there be,
and it was. And now thousands of years later, it still is.

Then I think of
the Psalms. Most were written by David, before and after he was king. His words
still have power today, thousands of years later, to change and touch lives.

When David was
just a boy tending the family sheep and he would sing songs to Father God, I
don’t think he had any inkling that those very songs would be a witness to
people thousands of years into the future.

I’m willing to bet most biblical characters never
thought Father God would be using things they have said and done to help reproach,
teach, inspire and encourage us today.

Who am I to think my words will somehow go unnoticed?
Maybe Father God intends to use my gossip session as a lesson of what not to
do, a few hundred years from now.

Matthew 15:18-19 NLT — But the words you
speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil
thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.

Think of our words as warriors we send out into the
world. They are unstoppable once uttered. Once they are loose there is no way
to change our minds and call them back. These warriors go out with mission and
purpose and they don’t rest or sleep and they never tire. There are two tribes
of warriors we all have available to us in endless numbers. The white warriors
and the gray warriors. Every single word we give voice to and speak out is
activation of either the white warriors or the grey warriors.

Once uttered the white warriors will go out to spread goodness,
kindness, gentleness, peace, patience, joy, forbearance, self-control, faithfulness
and love. The gray warriors will go out spreading gossip, division, hate,
anger, lies, intent on killing, stealing and destroying.

No matter what, one or the other, white or grey, are
attached to every single word we utter or give voice to. The possibility of empty
words containing no warriors at all doesn’t exist. Even empty words we choose
to say that have no emotion or meaning behind them whatsoever, still contain either
white or grey warriors. So no matter what if we choose to speak we release
warriors. We either utter life giving
words or words that will end up being a curse upon somebody else or even
ourselves.

James 1:26 NLT — If you claim to be
religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your
religion is worthless.

Our words are very, very powerful! Although
we are told this over and over in God’s Word, we still speak so carelessly. We
allow words to slip from our lips, choosing to stay blind to what we create for
our own reality, and blessing or hurt we speak over those around us.

Proverbs 29:20 NLT — There is more hope for
a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking.

The enemy deceives us with the lie, “sticks and stones,
may break my bones, but your words can’t ever hurt me.”

Scripture tells us opposite.

The truth is, sticks and stones, have less chance of breaking
my bones, than your words, that are sure to curse me.

I had a few physical fights with girls I went to school
with when I was young. Thinking back, I cannot remember any physical pain or injuries
I may have obtained from those altercations. I can however, remember all the mean things girls in school
would say about me, as if they were just said yesterday.

Words that have emotion behind them, good or bad, gray
or white, have more power to cause what they’re bent out to cause such as, good
or bad, hurt or help, division or unity, destroy or encourage, hate or love.

Proverbs 21:23 NLT — Watch your tongue and
keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.

When our words come from reaction to something or
someone, we, by reacting, open a door to the enemy. The enemy then takes over
and manages our reality. As long as the enemy can keep us reactive and speaking
emotionally, we cannot elevate spiritually because our words keep us in
bondage.

If however we choose to practice self-control and decidedly
bite our tongue, choosing not to react, we maintain control of our own reality.
We also, as we hold our tongue and remain self controlled, realize we had the
means of spiritual growth, all along. We also start to see the floodgates of
blessings open up, as we choose our words carefully.

Proverbs
18:20-21 KJV — A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth;
and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled. Death and life are in the
power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

We have to
understand, we don’t get to choose if our words hurt or help others just
because of how we meant them. No matter if we think someone should discern our
meaning or not, wont stop them from feeling the way our words made them feel. We
cant dismiss our responsibility for the effects our words have by saying we
didn’t mean it like that. This includes the words we utter about ourselves. We
say things like, I always lose, I’m just clumsy, I’m not good at that, etc.
Etc. We barely notice we are living the very things we allow ourselves to speak
out. Whether we like it or not our words every single one that comes from our
mouth has power to do either good or harm.

Proverbs 12:13-14 NLT — The wicked are
trapped by their own words, but the godly escape such trouble. Wise words bring
many benefits, and hard work brings rewards.

James 3:5-10 NLT — In the same way, the
tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches. But a tiny spark can set a
great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of
wickedness, corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire,
for it is set on fire by hell itself. People can tame all kinds of animals,
birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and
evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and
sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so
blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers
and sisters, this is not right!

Friends, the words we speak have a power we can’t seem
to truly imagine. None the less whether
we can imagine their power or not, wont
change the power they possess or the consequences, of our carelessness, in
which we speak them.

Until next time, may God bless you and keep you, as you
seek Him with your whole heart.

Specks n Logs

Matthew 7:1-3 NLT — “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?


Where human eyes see greed in another, maybe Father God sees the precursors hopelessness and desperation that led to the greed we now judge. 
Where were we in the hopelessness? Where were we in the desperation? Did we take the time to notice to hear the cry for help? Were we too busy with our own troubles? Maybe so, yet now we justify standing in judgment of the greed we couldn’t be bothered to help prevent? 
Where is our justification?


We too walked in greed, as we concentrated on ourselves so much we couldn’t stop to notice, we could have set aside our worries, to care for someone on the brink of destruction. 
And now, we think we can justify our right to abandon them, now that greed has taken root in them and we shouldn’t have to be bothered by it? Which side of the fence do we truly stand on in such a situation? Selfishness or selflessness? 


Though we can surely make a defensive argument make sense to ourselves and others, we know the truth as it can be felt in our gut. We don’t want to be the person pictured here so we battle even the idea of it, as that’s not who we are. 
Perhaps it’s truly not who we are, yet avoiding the truth of the situation, to justify our behavior, turns one selfish act (the spec) into a self-righteous attitude (the log) that’s near impossible to escape once it takes root. 
What may have started as a “speck” in our eye, then becomes a “log” and now, we have become that person depicted because we refused to take responsibility for a mistake moment.


Romans 12:9-16 NLT — Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!


Only God knows the truth within each human life. We can be so blind by our own troubles, that we never see the pain and suffering others around us might be struggling to survive. We don’t know what hides under the attitudes and actions of those around us. 
God knows what hides beneath the surface. When His word tells us how to treat people, He didn’t give us these instructions meant to work for only those who lived in the bible times, no His Word is timeless as He is timeless. He knew then, just as He knows now, what hurting, misunderstood, barely surviving people would need from those of us willing to be obedient to Him and with a joyful heart serve others. 


I have heard it said that in heaven the highest, most honorable, second in greatness only to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, position is… servant. I repeat, in heaven they say the greatest position is servant. Everyone serves everyone.. No more being bogged down with the weight of selfishness, self pity and self righteousness.


It can feel like it takes a lot of faith to believe God will fight our battles, while we follow His instructions, and love on the very people we are battling, especially the people that seem to drive us  crazy. Oh but the reward that comes, once we allow Holy Spirit to love them through us!! We start to see the echo of Christ’s behavior within ourselves. Character of heaven shaping and molding us from the inside out.. 
As we grow in character through the utilization of God’s word and the fruit of His Spirit, we can start to see others as He sees them. What once we saw as someone just being greedy, can be seen with new compassionate eyes toward the painful struggle they’ve endured, causing the symptom of greed to manifest.  


Leaving judgement up to God we can then love them in their process of divine shaping and molding. 


Until next time, may God bless you and keep you as you seek Him with your whole heart.