I need to begin this with the disclaimer, I am not a medical professional, at all. This is simply a reflection of some of the moments of life. If you need urgent or professional help, please get the help you need. Contact me if you need help finding help. 226-231-0914, you can call but texting is preferred as we have poor cell phone reception where we live and I work behind the wheel, a few hours, most days. If I don't reply within a few hours, please try again as there are some messages that simply never come through. Never give up. I might not know you but I can promise that your life is worth fighting for and that there's hope for all of us.
Are we broken? Humanity is both fragile and resilient at the same time and life seems to be a constant balancing act between the two. We might struggle with physical issues, mental/emotional issues, spiritual issues, and probably an ongoing amount of all three in varying doses, depending on many factors. Now, that's helpful, isn't it?! Despite not being medically trained to any great extent, I find that the beginning of treatment tends to start with the question, "what is the problem?". We go to the doctor and that's often the first question. My wonderful grandfather used to respond with something quirky like "you tell me!" Isn't that why we go to the doctor? To see what the problem is and what to do about it? That's how it is with any problem-solving, too. We can't fix anything if we can't identify what's broken, in the first place. What's wrong with my bike, my fridge, my car, my house? We seem to be constantly driven to the negative on a never-ending quest to improve. Sometimes, this is healthy and takes us to a state of improvement. But sometimes, it overwhelms us and we need to be aware of this. Are we alone? Loneliness brings it's own set of challenges. True, some people love certain amounts of solitude, but we are mostly social beings. God not only recognized, but even confirmed that "it's not good for man to be alone", very early in human history. Right away, you can try to deny God's existence if that's where you are, spiritually, but to do so may not truly be helpful. Only the Truth can set you free. If you're not yet certain of God's existence, I encourage you to consider the possibility in searching for answers to some of life's hardest challenges. Even as a starting point. You might ask me to prove whether or not God is real. That's not up to me. I can tell you about my own experiences, but only God reveals Himself, and no, we are not alone. Just look at all the amazing discoveries that Charles Darwin made while searching for God! Not everything in the universe has been discovered yet! But what about loneliness on a human level? Even Adam, who walked with God, experienced loneliness to the point where God intervened. Sure, we can pray that God would help us when we're lonely. We also need to recognize that we can be surrounded by people and feel even more lonely than if we were in forced isolation. There are steps we can take to improve our situation: 1. Seek like-minded people in a safe environment. There are organizations for just about every interest out there, and if you can't find one, start one! Maybe you like Scrabble, collecting "pretty stones", painting stones, crafts of any type, movies, or video games. Maybe you want to learn to be a better artist, dancer, athlete, mechanic, or musician. Maybe you'd like to learn another language. Maybe you enjoy books, cooking, or science. The possibilities are endless and they don't even have to be costly. Be safe! If you're meeting with people you don't know, meet in a public place like a library or a restaurant. If you have family, try to find more/meaningful ways to connect. Nobody should be lonely within a family, but it happens. "Seek to be the change that you want to see in the world." 2. Be a peacemaker. Be a friend "that a friend would like to have". It's worth it! 3. Find ways to help others. There's lots of volunteer opportunities, everywhere! There's even paid opportunities to help others, in some places! Like being a school bus driver! (just saying!) But honestly, there's lots of professions that help people: teachers, drivers, health care, fitness, ministers, lawyers, etc... ok, honestly, any line of work must be helping someone. That's why we get paid - to do something that benefits someone else. Whatever we do, the value is increased if we're able to see beyond just working to pay our bills. 4. Take time to take care of you. We don't get far if we keep trying to drive the car after it's run out of fuel or after the tire falls off. Self-care is not selfish, it's necessary, like preventative maintenance. But sometimes that's a lesson in itself. Get help when you need help and pay it forward as much as possible! 5. Free yourself of the past! If you need to make things right in the world, do what you can, but some things are beyond us. Learn from the past but don't get stuck in it. Work towards a better future. 6. Include God in your life, your motivation, your healing, your hopes and dreams. He is the source of all blessings. I would love to hear from you! I'd love to know of your accomplishments. I'd love to be able to pray for you. I'd love to know what's helped you. If you're able to share publicly, please do! Others may benefit. If you'd like to share anonymously, please let me know. Maybe start writing your own publications, online or hard copy. Maybe even just in your own little journal. If your journal doesn't need to be private, it could be something like these devotionals that I write. :) I'd love to know if they help you. If nothing else, it helps me to write out my thoughts from time to time. We're all in the journey of life together. Let's make the best of it! Every day is a new beginning! So is every hour and every minute! One day at a time. Are you broken? Maybe, but we all are. More proof that we're not alone. <3 Even Jesus was broken, for us! God observed and provided. Let's make the best of it! If you need me, I'm here! Because that's what He's called me to be. "Here am I, send me!" With love!
0 Comments
Are Christians really "anti-science" as many non-believers claim?
Hopefully, we start with a basic understanding of the definition of a Christian, a follower of Christ. But what is science? That seems to be something that has become quite questionable, in recent history. From Oxford Languages: "sci·ence /ˈsīəns/ Learn to pronounce noun noun: science the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment. "the world of science and technology" Science is an ongoing activity of study; the pursuit of facts. Many start attacking Biblical science right from the start of the Bible and God's creation. This is anti-science right from the start as creating the universe as we know it is neither observable nor repeatable. We might question the age of the Earth or stars - how is it possible that some stars are billions of light years away if the universe is only 6,000 years old? Joe and I just watched an interesting video about the birth of a new planet and it explains that the aging process might not be what we'd expect. I'd love to thank the scientific community for finally realizing and admitting that. Beyond the video, we mostly don't understand dark matter, which is a large portion of the universe, and how does it affect gravitational lensing? Do we have to understand dark matter and gravitational lensing to stand firm in our faith? No! In the Book of Job, God describes areas of creation that were at that time (and may still be) beyond human knowledge. Throughout the Bible, God performed miracles that were witnessed by up to hundreds or thousands of people. These miracles were beyond human science and they were observed by skeptics as well as believers. That doesn't mean that we quit believing in science. It's very important to study God's creation. Also, let's even consider the very beginning. When God spoke plants, animals, and humans into being, what stage of development were they? God did not create Adam as an infant or even an embryo. God created man. If God can create an adult human (or two), why can't He create an adult star, galaxy, planet, or universe? In fact, when He created the sun of our solar system, was it a baby star? I don't think so. But I wasn't there - non observable, non repeatable. If we're going to question science, we at least ought to do it in a scientific way. In fact, studying science sometimes backfires on the atheistic community and proves God to be even more true! Creation.com is a great resource for more information! First of all, what is time? According to Wikipedia, "Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future.[1][2][3] It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to compare the duration of events or the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change of quantities in material reality or in the conscious experience.[4][5][6][7] Time is often referred to as a fourth dimension, along with three spatial dimensions.[8]"
Simple, right?! It's been a full week since Resurrection Sunday, which commemorates the most impactful event in human history since creation. For believers or non, even the earthly calendar revolves around this one day. As a believer, for me, it is THE most critical day of all time, so far. That being said, I don't want the next thought to be considered a complaint, as it's not. I will celebrate the Resurrection for all eternity! But in the earthly rat race that we live in, today, I am so thankful to be back to a normal schedule. This past week has been full of days of really struggling to know which day it was. I was on time for work and almost everything else that had been scheduled, with only one major mistake that still worked out perfectly by the end of that particular day. And even today, I was asked if I was still coming to a meeting this morning that I had accidentally mistaken for being the meeting tonight that I am to attend. Yikes! Yes, there's an extreme increase in scheduled activity with restrictions finally being lifted. We've waited too long, prayed for this for what seems to be too long, so there's no regrets. I just have to do better keeping track and keeping up. So, still no complaints! Not from me, anyway. Hopefully everyone is patient with everyone as we step into this new season. And without even realizing that I had two meetings today instead of one, I found myself thinking about the concept of time. I thought about the Israelites who had to follow a very strict schedule which included the Sabbath observations, three annual pilgrimages, feasts, etc. They didn't have calendars in every home! They didn't have reminder notifications on their cell phones! Just how did they keep track? I don't feel as though learning this even helps! "What’s interesting is besides Shabbat — which is the name of the seventh day of the week — there are no names for the days of the week in the Jewish calendar. The days of the week are known as the first day, second day, the third day, and so forth. There are times when the days of the week are referred to as the First Day of the Sabbath." The webpage where I did get this information from did remind me through the one picture, of this calendar. I still don't see how they counted days. Maybe there were smaller indications for days. I can't find anything about it! argh! LOL I have just found the concept of the Metonic Calendar, just in case that helps. So for us, especially during a pandemic, we're at risk of every day seeming the same. At least our days had names! Even if they all end in "y". How much more difficult was it for them when they absolutely had to observe the seventh day, every week, when the other six might have just run together with little notice?! And now, it's lunch time already! Time flies, time drags, and as mentioned in the movie, The Chosen, "what is soon?" What does the Scripture say? Revelation 22:12-13 ESV, “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” His followers actually thought that He would be back in their lifetimes. So what is soon?! And what is time to God? " 2 Peter 3:8, NIV "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." And if God knew us before the dawn of time, just when did He create us? Ephesians 1:4, NLT: "Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes." How old are we, really? LOL So, what is time? Does it really matter? Thankfully, God knows us, and He knows our every need in every moment and for every moment. Do we need to worry? Nope! God's got this, too! Matthew 6:27, NIV: "Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" This means we really shouldn't need to argue over time, either. Maybe that applies to other concepts that might be beyond our understanding as well. Yes, we need to agree on the critical - Jesus saves and there's no other way. But some things will remain a mystery for a matter of time. Genesis 23:
Sarah died in Hebron at the age of 127. Abraham asked the Hittites for a cave to bury her in. They offered for free, but he insisted on paying full price. He purchased a field and cave at Machpelah near Mamre (Hebron) from Ephron for 400 shekels of Silver. Exodus 23: Be truthful, be kind, be merciful, even with your enemies and "foreigners". Avoid bribes, observe the Sabbath day and Sabbath year. Pay attention to what God has said and don't even speak the names of false gods. Send your men to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering (first fruits, and final harvest).* Don't show up at the temple, empty-handed. God's angel will lead and protect those who obey and God will bless the obedient. *Why only the men? Women and children were not excluded, but they also were not required to attend. The after-school program bus wasn't quite ready to roll, yet. Critics might try to condemn this type of requirement, but we need to consider the reality. I used to enjoy taking my children to a "moms and tots" program. Maybe if a Dad showed up with some tots, I don't think they'd be turned away. I don't know for sure as it never happened that I was aware of. So can we not imagine a whole lot of men going off on a pilgrimage, conference, or retreat and the women of each community enjoying their own social time while their children played together? The moms wouldn't even have to pack diaper bags! It sounds good to me! :D Jonah 3:6-10, ESV: 6 The word reached[a] the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”
10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. It's Good Friday - yes, I've seen why to call it good, but it's still the darkest day in history for me. When you truly, truly love Jesus as Lord, King, and brother, His suffering must hurt our souls. At least it does mine. But, is the world talking about Jesus today? Some will, yes. Some will be at church today, despite it not being Sunday. But, in general, is Jesus the "hot topic" of today? Not very likely, at least not around here. And for me, today is like an international funeral. I don't want to talk about much. True, at a funeral, we tend to talk about fond memories and why we love the departed. That's good, it's healthy, it promotes healing. But we also tend to stay pretty focused on topic. We're not so likely to start talking about controversial topics such as government - are we? I find in the last two years, government has been THE topic. It infiltrates every aspect of our lives, it seems. And it's caused me to think back on governments of the past. Is there any hope for our government? I think according to this true, historical account, there is! Yes, we do know the Books of Isaiah, Daniel, Matthew, Revelation, and more, too. We know what's ahead. But we also know that because of today, because of Good Friday and especially because of Resurrection Sunday, we know WHO holds the victory! "and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6b, NIV) Jesus is our only Hope. May He be the reason for our lives, today and every day. <3 How is our devotion? My current Scripture "plan" is to go through the chapters of the Bible that match the calendar date. Today's Scriptures, for example, are Genesis 27, Exodus, 27, etc. I've skipped a few books as they don't have at least 27 chapters. Some have many more than 31 chapters, such as the Book of Psalms, so I might consider chapter 37, 127, etc.
As I was listening to some of these chapters on audio Bible today, I was drawn to the amount of devotion that was required of Old Testament Israelites. If we consider the number of festivals, rituals, the amount of their lives spent preparing for these events, etc, they were basically required to spend almost all of their lives, devoted to God. It's a wonder that they had time for anything or anyone else. Yes, time with family was part of their devotion to God, as well. They also spent their lives, recorded as falling short, repeatedly. If we check the New Testament, the Book of Acts gives us a great idea of how much time could/should be devoted to God. As we'd seen yesterday, in Colossians 3:17, we're to do all unto the Lord. Everything. Our work, our family, our rest, our recreation, our socialization, everything. I know, it's a tall order and I totally admit that I fall short far more often that I'd like. I am going to travel right out on a limb and say something pretty profound; I think our failures are necessary. What?! Why?! 1. Our failures keep us humble. 2. Our failures give us reason to NEED our perfect God. 3. Our failures give us reason to remember to treat others with grace and mercy. 4. Our failures give us constant room to improve, best started by going straight back to God. So, how is your devotion, lately? How does it compare to Old and New Testament devotion requirements and actual facts as recorded? How does it compare to where we want to be? Do we want to improve? and how can we? We do need to remember that we are not saved by works. Our spiritual to do list might reflect our desire to do God's will, as given through the Great Commission, Matthew 25, etc, but these are things that we don't need to wear ourselves out, trying to be "good enough" for God. The thief on the cross was "good enough" simply by giving his last breath to God. His faith was assured by Jesus. We are not to worry that we're not doing enough. Jesus also assured us that worry or anxiety will not change anything of lasting value. I've been saying it for decades, now, "do your best and trust God for the rest". Remember to balance life with some Sabbath rest. Do what you can to not become a burden to others. Do what you can to care for your health. Do what you can to share God's love in every aspect of your life. "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect," (1 Peter 3:15, NIV) Maybe spend some time in the Word, studying how others showed their devotion to God. We know that the Bible tells us that there's a season for all things, under the sun. That means that there's time to be a Mary and a time to be a Martha. A time to listen and learn and a time for action. Either way, time belongs to God. "So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up." (Galatians 6:9, NLT) What is your Saturday like? Are you off work, off to work, celebrating Sabbath, celebrating life, or trying to figure out how to make ends meet? Maybe a combination of these, maybe none of these?
Colossians 3:17, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." First of all, if you don't know Jesus as your Saviour, this might not make any sense to you at all. Why would you trust Jesus? A great starting point is why don't you? Not in a judgmental way, but in a manner of true curiosity. Why do some people, including me, trust Him, and others don't? Do you know someone who loves Jesus without understanding why they do? Do you know them well enough to discuss it with them? This works both ways. Do you know someone who believes in another deity or in no deity at all? Are you able to talk to them about it? Find out the core of their beliefs. Of course, this is a very personal topic so you really need to have a solid relationship with them, in the first place, and you need to be respectful and kind: 1 Peter 3:15, "but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect," Next, whether you trust Jesus as Lord or not, you might be struggling with the idea of being thankful for the situation that you're in. The world's a mess and we're promised that it's only going to get worse before Jesus returns. You're being asked to trust an all-knowing God Who does allow bad things to happen. Yet, in every single hardship in life, there has been some good found within it. I can think of many examples, one in more recent history, the life and testimony of Corrie ten Boom. Nobody truly knows who came up with the concept of "be the change you want to see in the world", but it's definitely a good idea. When we focus on our own problems, we can become very discouraged. When we can find a cause beyond ourselves, we give our own lives purpose and meaning that can be very rewarding. We have to be careful; we must maintain balance or risk burnout. Part of why bad things happen is so that others can respond in love. Not all bad things can be prevented by good intentions, but we definitely have opportunity to help others deal with their pain, suffering, and feelings of hopelessness. If you're a believer, and you haven't already, seek God's will for your life. He will direct your paths! If you're a non-believer, I encourage and even challenge you to learn about Jesus. If He truly is the Son of God, and if He truly is God, consider His life. He healed the sick. raised the dead, drove out demons, fed the hungry, empowered women, encouraged children, transformed the murderers, and so much more. I'd love to hear your story! Whatever you believe, your story is worth being heard. You can comment here or you can contact me privately. May you be blessed! Psalm 96:1, "O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth." (KJV)
Dealing with fatigue, again: "He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." (Luke 10:2, NIV) What to do? Today, I had things to do on my laptop, so while doing these things, I have had random worship music playing on Youtube. My playlist is great, but maybe it's time for a new song! And what a blessing! And I'm energized, ready to face this afternoon! Happy Friday my friends! May you always know deeply that God is Good! May He be your Strength and your Song! "The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17, NIV) Did you know that if you do a Bible search for the Name Jesus, you might get 2088 results? Did you know that almost the entire Bible points to Jesus? Yes, there's some historical facts recorded, as well. John described best, "1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made." (John 1:1-3, BSB) So, with the Word being Jesus, and the fact that nothing exists without Him, everything in the Bible has something to do with Him. So, big question? If Jesus created everything, did He create sin? That's a great question, and often asked. It can lead to very deep and lengthy discussions, but the quick answer is that God is Righteousness, that it's an eternal part of Who He Is. Sin is an absence of righteousness. He has given us the gift of righteousness but He doesn't demand that we live within it. Life is far more meaningful when we are given options to explore and Jesus gave us freedom to choose, knowing how much grief and suffering it would cost Him. There is no true love when it's forced. God gives us the freedom to choose, for His benefit and ours.
Deuteronomy 3:22, "Do not be afraid of the nations there, for the LORD your God will fight for you.’' (NLT)
Galatians 3:22, "But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ." Psalm 33:22 "May Your loving devotion rest on us, O LORD, as we put our hope in You." (BSB) Proverbs 3:21 "My son, do not lose sight of this: Preserve sound judgment and discernment. 22They will be life to your soul and adornment to your neck. 23Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble. 24When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you rest, your sleep will be sweet. (BSB) I love that God gave us 365 days in a year AND the same number of times in the Bible to remind us not to be fearful. No matter what we're going through, He's still in control. He can help us overcome anything. Most of us will think or say that our own pain is unique, and it is - it's unique in how we perceive and handle it. God has endured the loss of His only Son, yes, knowing that He'd be restored, but the pain was real. Jesus faced horrific torture, pain, and death - for us, whether we accept or reject His actions or not. Jesus, "Man of sorrows" knows grief, knows living on very little means, knows pain, knows us and sees us. Some will say that a Scripture is specifically for another time, place, and or person. That is true, yet, the Scripture is the Living Word of God, and every Word is meant for each of us, entirely. None is to be added or left out. Some is meant to teach us, some is meant to guide us, some is meant to remind us. I don't believe that any of it is specifically "for someone else". Case in point, "fear not". It's in the Bible, 365 times! So, yes, for example, one of those times, God is speaking directly to Joshua, who really did have a monumental task at hand. We know that God is speaking directly to Joshua, but we also can learn that we can face monumental tasks or situations because God IS able to carry us through. If God only spoke "fear not" to Joshua, we might question whether or not only Joshua was to be fearless, but because it's consistent through the Bible, we can see a theme and build our faith on the love and power that is proven to be God's nature. Does that mean that we can do something dangerous and foolish and hope that God will protect us? No, because we also have plenty of warnings against foolishness. So the question of the lifetime might become finding the balance between faith and foolishness. All the more reason to study God's Word. What actions are we considering, what's the outcome, would it seem reasonable that God would carry us through those actions, for what purpose, and is it possible that God would allow natural consequences to teach us a lesson, to build our faith, to get our attention, or to protect someone from other situations, many of which we might not be aware of?
So, we're going to look at some Scriptures, hopefully every day, and hopefully they will benefit each of us in the way that God intended. I'm starting with this verse about fear, because I feel as though it sums up my point very nicely: 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (NLT) Here's a bit of a lengthy reminder of the benefits of loving God from Proverbs 3: 1My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; 2for they will add length to your days, years and peace to your life. 3Never let loving devotion or faithfulness leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4Then you will find favor and high regard in the sight of God and man. 5Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. 7Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil. (BSB) Here's a reminder of our assurance in Christ: John 3: 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in His hands. 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”i (BSB) And since every day is a good day to praise God, Psalm 33:20 Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. 21For our hearts rejoice in Him, since we trust in His holy name. 22May Your loving devotion rest on us, O LORD, as we put our hope in You. (BSB) It's such a new word in my vocabulary, that I didn't even know how to spell it to find it! I had looked it up before and I encounter it more and more since first hearing it on the Chosen, this past year.
From dictionary.com; minutiae [ mi-noo-shee-ee, mi-noo-shuh, -shee-uh, -nyoo- ] See synonyms for: minutiae / minutia on Thesaurus.com plural noun, singular mi·nu·ti·a [mi-noo-shuh, -shee-uh, -nyoo-]. precise details; small or trifling matters: the minutiae of his craft. I tend to encounter it more as referring to the "small or trifling matters", potentially insignificant. The very word brings to mind how nothing seems to be insignificant to God, which is a mind-boggling thought. The God of the universe, Who knows all things from before the dawn of time until far beyond the end of humanity as we know it. He knows the number of hairs on our heads (each of us, who have ever existed, for every day, every time we lose one or grow some back). If you're like me and love reading more about God's knowledge, another great snapshot begins in Job 38. Fasten your spiritual seat belt for that one! Today, minutiae was the word that came to mind when I saw deer tracks in the snow. Lots of adult tracks and even some smaller ones that seem to be last year's fawns. That may seem insignificant to many. Around here, it means that some fawns have actually survived the large numbers of coyotes that also live around here. I typically see around seven deer at a time, and I don't know how many are needed to withstand a pack of coyotes. Do deer and coyotes even matter to God? Maybe... "For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God." (Psalm 42:1, NIV) "For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:" (Ecclesiastes 3:1, WEB)
We are called to be good stewards of all the resources that God has given us, including our time. I have enjoyed writing these devotionals and I have received many encouraging responses to them. I just need to know if this season has passed or not. Is anyone still reading these? Would it be a good time to consider something different? You can respond here or private message me on fb or at 226-231-0914. Thank you and wishing you God's richest blessings! What are your Theology goals? What?! Should we be making Theology goals? When you read the Word, you are learning more about God - Theology is the study of God. Some of our learning is directly through the Spirit (Luke 12:12), but some of it is intentional on our part.
For me, I want to keep studying through Christian Leaders Institute as much as possible. The courses are free and they're excellent. I also want to continue practicing my Greek and Hebrew, as well as Spanish, I'd like to work on copying Scripture, and I think I've finally figured out a great way to combine these ideas that should work out wonderfully. I have copied what I can understand in Spanish plus what I can understand in Greek, and filled in what English I need to understand it. I had intended to do some Old Testament today to include some Hebrew, but I got carried away. Maybe I will do some, tomorrow. I'm not one to have new year's resolutions but I do often evaluate my life (almost daily as a minimum), and make adjustments as much as possible. Funny, I chose Luke 12 for verse 12 but I didn't get that far in my copy work. It's ok. We're not guaranteed tomorrow but we can still plan for it anyway! Just a little note about the Greek; I do know more Greek than what is shown in my copy text. The first word, "En" occurs in both languages. The first word in the second verse, "y" is "and" or "kai", which I also know in both languages. Simple words are not so simple, for an easier example, the word "kai" has multiple meanings, so in either case, I didn't want to lose track of the meaning. I also noted on my page, which isn't in the picture, that I didn't see a clue to differentiate from positive to negative "fear" in verse 4. I'll certainly be going back to check it over to see what I missed. So, what are your Theological goals and how do you achieve them? I pray that you grow closer to God as you consider this thought. Blessings! It's a blustery day; we're getting a little rain/snow mix. It might not be ideal for suntanning nor skiing, but it might be ideal for something. Is there such thing as bad weather? As I think about this, I can't help but think of the thousands? millions? of people who are affected by flooding, wild fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, the weather. I'm sure these people would mostly agree that bad weather does exist. These and more are continually in my prayers that something good would come from their circumstances. Many of us who deal with ice and snow might not like it but I can't help but be thankful that we don't have tropical diseases because of cold weather. I also am so very thankful for maple syrup, which doesn't exist without winter cold.
Today's weather inspired me to think about the Scriptures about the weather. There's many, so I might not cover them all at once. When my youngest was little, we used to enjoy Job 38 together. Not only does God speak about holding storehouses of snow and hail, but He speaks from a whirlwind! Many take comfort knowing that Jesus had been witnessed calming a perilous storm. We cannot live without sun nor rain, so it's also reassuring to know that God blesses us with both, whether we're "evil" or "good". We cannot earn God's goodness but we can know that He loves us, that He is able to calm the storms in our lives, and when He doesn't calm the storm, He strengthens us to weather it and He never leaves us to endure it alone. Is there contradiction in the Bible? How do we compare these two passages that follow? Ecclesiastes 12:8, "8“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher. “Everything is futile!”
"13When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man. 14For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, BSB) The writer considers a great many of life's situations and vs 13-14 are his final conclusions for of all of them. The Old Testament if full of wisdom and commandments but we must also compare them to the New Testament to see what God still desires or what is beneficial to us and our relationships with each other. There may also be some confusion regarding the events recorded in the Bible. The Old Testament gives many commands for harsh punishment and the New Testament records many executions, yet God calls us ALL to be peacemakers. In the Old Testament, there's a lengthy list of reasons for The Law and consequences. The easiest to explain is a hopeful deterrent to not harm each other and that we never forget God's goodness and mercy, even when we've made mistakes. In the New Testament, many executions were under the authority of those who opposed God. There's more, but this is meant to be a quick devotional, not an entire Theology lesson. So, when we want to know what is confirmed in the New Testament, we can consider the most important message, that Christ is the only true source of Life and Peace, that we must literally give up our lives for eternal life with Him. Beyond that, we see great emphasis on generosity, mercy, forgiveness, basically everything summed up in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5) or by the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5). There are examples of harsh judgement but they mostly seem to be in response to the lack of these traits. We know that we cannot earn our salvation nor forgiveness, that they are a gift, but there are expectations of how we can live well out of love and gratitude for He Who gave everything for each of us. Some passages may seem confusing or even contradictory, but the Truth of God's Word is understandable to even young children. Sometimes we overthink it. Sometimes we complicate it. Some of it remains a mystery, but the focus of the Gospel is very clear. Only Jesus saves and we do well to share God's goodness and generosity. I was listening to some Christian radio and there was something about stepping out in faith. I don't remember the details, and sometimes it's the big picture that we need to cling to. God cares about the tiny details and He's far better equipped to remember them all. Not always so for us. Sometimes, God's ability to take care of the tiny details can strengthen our faith, but today, I want to focus a little more on the big picture details of faith.
If God calls us to listen to donkeys speak, walk on water, come back from death or even raise the dead, heal the sick or be healed, resist the devil, He will enable us and what then can we not do in faith? If nothing is impossible for God, then nothing is really impossible for us if God wills it. We have to be careful how we use this information, though. We are not to use this to condemn ourselves nor anyone else for not having enough faith to get through any situation. We know that Paul asked God to remove the "thorn from his flesh", repeatedly, and God continued to allow Paul to deal with that situation. We don't always know why God chooses to respond to any situation as He does, but when He does call us, we must be ready to respond in faith.
and this was my response, "Listening to broken vessels right now. Absolute.perfect.timing!!! Even better, I had forgotten that I had this song on my sad little banana phone. I charged my beaten, broken little old phone and this was the first song waiting to play!!! I am amazed and blessed!!!"
I'm taking some time off from church, for the next couple of weeks, not because I fear the virus but because there's already a shortage of school bus drivers and they don't need me taking time off to isolate. We're not called to live in fear but we also need to live responsibly. I don't currently have any speaking obligations at any churches, so this timing is also good in that respect. Hubby's up now, and disappointed with the click bait video that he was watching, while I have Way Maker playing on my laptop, through my head phones. I am not disappointed in my video! But! I need church! I need time to praise my God! Thank you, YouTube, for helping lead my joyful noise! I need time with fellow believers - God acknowledged that man should not be alone. I may be in contact with a few people today through the benefits of technology. I know it's not the same, but God has also given us strength and resources for such a time as this. I really do believe that we're coming to the end of these restrictions, too! I need teaching! My school work is free! Praise God! It's Biblically sound teaching and I can access it any time, including today! Plus I have access to sermons from most churches around the world. Some of my current favourites include Hess Street Mission, Emmanuel Bible Church, Grace Baptist, Grace Family Bible Fellowship, Thompson Pentecostal Assembly, Bethel Baptist,..., There are more, and there are some that aren't currently online. If you want or need to reach out to me today, (or any day), please do! I'm usually awake until about 8 pm and if I miss you, I'll be back online again, tomorrow, Lord willing. We CAN stay in touch if we choose to! I'd give my cell number again, but it's not been getting a good signal lately, at all. FB messenger is best. I do see comments left here, too, as well as emails sent through here. Do I need a blessing? Sure, here it is from Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes. Blessings! All our blessings truly are from God above! He empowers each of us as we allow Him to. May you be blessed. It is my youngest son's birthday and so I thought I'd see what treasures God's Word would have for celebration...
Isaiah 54:13, “All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.” I feel like this one needs to simply speak for itself while I humbly marvel at God's goodness in our lives. Proverbs 1:8-9 “Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.” OK, so we're not the world's best parents, but I am thankful for Joe. He's worked hard his whole life, teaching be example. We've been through good times and hard times, and he's had our backs, every step of the way. Psalm 127:3 “Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him" Another verse that simply needs to speak for itself. We are blessed by God and we are blessed by our family. Far more than I feel I deserve. Thanks be to God! Looking for something to do? Looking for something to read? Is there a better time to praise the Lord? or study His Word?
The Book of Psalms has something for just about everyone! Psalms one, two, and three! Enjoy and be blessed! I'm not going to summarize them today as the subtitles are sufficient and the chapters are very short. In fact, chapter four is quite manageable, too! I've done various Scripture summaries over the years and I'm also forever looking for better ways to wedge more Scriptural wisdom into my noggin. Yes, I know that "the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” (Luke 12:12, NIV) but that's not an excuse to avoid studying Scripture. In fact, "6These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. 7And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8Tie them as reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates. " (Deuteronomy 6:6-9, BSB) Oh, but that's so Old Testament! What does the New Testament have to say? Matthew 5:18 says, "For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished." (NIV) . Revelation 22 says, "18I testify to everyone who hears the words of prophecy in this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 19And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and the holy city, which are described in this book. " (BSB) Can we write notes without adding or taking away? I think so. It's not difficult to differentiate between a short passage and the entire Word of God. We must also consider how our belief must be built on the entire Scripture and not any incomplete version. How well do we know the complete Scripture? (and yes, I'm asking myself, as well, knowing full well that there's always more to learn) How important is is to us? Is it as important as entertainment? Education? Should it be? How's our motivation level, now? Be encouraged! If you're able to read this much, you're able to read the Word! We're in this together, right?! I love getting feedback on these devos! Either here, on social media, or even in person! Online is lovely, especially in public space, whenever possible, so that others may benefit from the insight of others.
My summaries: Luke 12: leaven/Pharisees dark secrets fear God alone sparrows/hairs on head numbered confess Christ, denial is blasphemy Holy Spirit will teach us what to say the rich fool, this very night... do not worry, ravens, hours, lilies fear not, treasure in heaven be ready like the servants waiting for the master not peace but division interpreting current events reconcile with your adversary Deuteronomy 6: know and teach the Word of God Matthew 5: Sermon on the Mount poor in spirit, kingdom mourn, comforted meek, inherit the earth hunger/thirst for righteousness, filled merciful, mercy pure in heart, see God peacemakers, sons of God persecuted for righteousness, kingdom persecuted because of Christ, rejoice/reward salt/light of the world fulfill the Law, greatest and least anger/reconciliation adultery, divorce, oaths/vows love your enemies Revelation 22: River of Life Throne of God/Lamb servants worship, Name on foreheads no night, no need for a lamp or sun Christ is coming "soon" Add or take away nothing the end, amen John 12:27-28, "27Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? No, it is for this purpose that I have come to this hour. 28Father, glorify Your name!”
Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” (NIV) It overwhelms me that Jesus knew about the journey to the cross, and all the pain and suffering that He would endure, even before He stepped down from Heaven. He did it willingly, to glorify the Father and to save us. He selected the exact moment in time and very specific people. He didn't choose the best people because we're all equal, really. The disciples weren't always the best of friends and they didn't always support Jesus in a beneficial way. Yet, He chose them from all the people in the history of the world for a reason. Each of them, except John, died for their faith. John died in exile for his faith. I'm thankful for the Chosen, which shows us possibilities for how Jesus' life on earth might have looked. It shows us that He did spend much time in anguish as He considered the path ahead of Him. It also shows the joy He found in the people in His life. Most importantly, it shows us that He also spent a lot of time, alone in prayer. How do we deal with anguish in our own lives? We can learn from Jesus. We can spend time in the Word and in prayer. We can "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) We can be thankful that God recognized our need for fellowship, "The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Genesis 2:18 (NIV) Though God made a wife for Adam, He also acknowledges the benefit of good friendships, as well, throughout the Scriptures. It's important to have good friends and to be a good friend. The book of Proverbs shows us many examples of both; the benefits of good friends and the potential consequences of having or being a bad friend. Have you had a teacher or mentor that you really loved to learn from? Maybe a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher, pastor, colleague, friend? You looked forward to spending time with them, being encouraged or enriched by them? I've had so many such people in my life that I can't even begin to list them all. I am thrilled and thankful that many of them have left us with blessed assurance that we'll see each other again, even when our journey on this earth is finished. Some of them, I've never even met in person, including my Bible college professors, as I'm currently learning online. Some have mentioned their past work and some I recognize from television or Christian radio.
I've just barely started my third level of Biblical Greek and I tried looking up some information about the professor. I've really enjoyed the Greek classes, despite them being painfully difficult. I also really enjoyed an Old Testament course that he taught. I wondered what might be available to the general public about him and I found a really fun, silly, but helpful set of videos on YouTube! This set of videos has inspired me that it is possible to have better success at learning where to find things in Scripture! What teacher do I look forward more to than Jesus? I'm blessed enough to feel as though I've already learned from some of the best. A day will come when we will all learn from the best, whether we want to or not. It will be a glorious day for those of us who trust in Him and a dreadful day for those who refuse Him. Learning patience in the meantime is not everyone's favourite subject. Until then, I think it's an incredible blessing to be able to learn all we can about God from His Word, from His people, and from His creation. What Scripture passages to suggest when the entire Bible has so much to teach us? Matthew 5 comes to mind, along with Matthew 25. Job 38 is excellent, too. I can't leave out John 3. and... but I need to leave some for another day! By the way, I really hope that you've seen part of Matthew 5 as shown in The Chosen, season 2, episode 8. There is no disappointment. If you don't know about it, there's a free app available for cell phones. You can check YouTube for limited content or on the Angel Studios website. Merry Christmas Blessings! Looking back over the ages gives us hope for the future:
Approximately 700 years before Christ: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14). Written about 750 years BC: "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son" (Hosea 11:1). "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." (Micah 5:2). Micah was written about 500 years before Christ. In the next passage from Luke 21, we might see the present and the future: "25There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among the nations, bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the surging of the waves. 26Men will faint from fear and anxiety over what is coming upon the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.b 28When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (BSB) And... "I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them." Revelation 21:3 (NLT) Tis the season of giving and I was asked about a millionaire who has a ministry that benefits possibly more families than any other. How do we even think about that? Are we really doing what is right by supporting such charities? Are we really making an impact or just lining someone's pockets that are already full?
These are really important questions to consider so that we can be effective stewards with our resources. The Bible has lots to say about giving to the poor, so that's a starting point. But what "poor" do we give to and who really gets that gift? I found a great online resource, Charity Navigator, that can help. It rates a great number of charities and helps us know whether or not we can give with confidence. Charity Intelligence is another similar resource. I looked up one specific charity through both and they have conflicting ratings. The one that gave a low rating also gave a brief summary of the profound impact of the charity but still gave a low rating based on "reporting" and "cents to the cause". The charity in question has money in reserves but it also responds to disaster relief, which might need to draw on reserves, right? If you wait for a tsunami to start raising funds, isn't it almost too late? Maybe that's not what they're referring to. It is beneficial to see both sides of the coin - why one charity is "good" or not. It's good to know what charities are doing better than others. It is critical to remember that God gave us the ability to look at things from different perspectives and that His ways are not our ways. God gave each of us our own level and sense of compassion. Do we want to feed starving kittens or starving children? Do we want to help provide education, healthcare, or clean drinking water? The truth is that we're called to care for all the earth. We're to be sensible yet generous with all that we have. Pray about what you have and what you want to do with it. We're encouraged to seek wisdom from God. As for the millionaire running a super-sized charity - there's a few. Some of them run shady business or mistreat their associates. But not all. Can we judge a charity by the financial status of who's in charge? Let's consider the millionaire who gives away a lot of money yet mocks God and potentially turns people away from Him. Do we want to support that? There really is more to charity than money. Does the world see that? But back to the millionaire. I was reminded of R.G. LeTourneau who "served both God and humanity by setting aside 90 percent of his salary and company profits for God, and living on the other 10 percent." It was LeTourneau who said, "I shovel [money] out, and God shovels it back...but God has a bigger shovel!" R. G. LeTourneau was one of the richest men of his time. Can we really judge a person by their wallet? Are we supposed to? If LeTourneau was graded on one of the charity websites, would he have gotten a good score, despite being a person, not a charity? I was just rereading the quote about LeTourneau - he set "aside 90 percent of his salary and company profits for God", not just his personal salary but that of his company, too. That's quite an impact statement. How about the widow who gave all she had and was criticized? What about the woman who anointed Jesus with the expensive oil and was criticized? Let's consider Jesus' response to both. Most importantly, how is our impact statement? Are we satisfied with where we're at or do we want to improve? Can we? Thankfully, our salvation is not dependent on it! So, who are we giving to? Where does that money go? Are we satisfied? Is God satisfied? Can we do better? To what extent? John Wesley reminded us not to wear ourselves nor others out, just so we can give more. We were also reminded in Scripture not to become weary in doing good. Pray, be wise, seek your personalized place and way of giving. Suggested readings for today: Matthew 26, Luke 18, Luke 21 , and Galatians 6. |
AuthorSeeking to share the truth and love of Christ to all the ends of the Earth. Archives
May 2022
Categories
All
|