A Gift - This Is For You

I read all the posts that many parents are sharing. Kids growing so quickly; posts about preschool all the way through to high school and college. As I read them I pray. I thank God for the opportunities I have shared in raising and caring for children during my life. I pray for safe travels; that school buses stay safe and that the driver and any caregiver riding along will care for the many lives on that bus; that schools stay safe and that God keep the enemy out. So many growing so fast; learners permits, driver's licenses, first cars. 

My gifts; is what I heard. They are My gifts. I smile to myself and chuckle; then respond with "yeah they are". Children are more than the minime's. They are more than part of life's cycles. These children, all of them are gifts; gifts from God to His children that they might raise them up to love Him just as much as He loves them and us. He keeps them safe in a package called the womb. He does His work to create them just the way He wants them to be created. I also believe He hand picks those whom He chooses to entrust a new child to.

A parent realizes, only after becoming a parent, that there is a love that surpasses all understanding. The love of a partner; a husband, wife, sister, brother, cousin, aunt and uncle all the way to grand parents. There's a love shared between friends. But there is nothing, absolutely nothing that compares to that love which is bestowed upon those who get the opportunity to give and receive a love that they have never known. A parent is more than one who provides the seed in which to plant in the womb. A parent is more than one who carries this gift in her womb. A parent is far more than blood and genetics. A parent is one whom God chooses to care for and love a new life. God places, I believe, a special and different kind of love in many parents who open their hearts and lives to children that are not their own. Because some people are unable to have children of their own does not by any means determine their ability or capacity to love and to nurture. Personally, I believe that God looks upon those who cannot and makes a way for them to have this gift that only God can provide. It takes a special man, a special woman, to accept and to love with an open and pure heart the child or children of another. I believe that this kind of love is a gift all in its own. Because God is an awesome God and whether you believe in God or not makes no matter because He believes in you; and that's what matters.

God makes no mistakes. He doesn't take away, He gives. He uses [many times] bad or hurtful circumstances and turns them into something wonderful; so long as we are open to receive His gifts. God can and does use the negative and turns them into something positive. So to you who may not be able to become a parent in the way most can, know that you have a special place in the plans of the Creator. You have that special kind of love that breaks the boundaries of biology and what a gift that is. For those who have received your gifts as many do, know that there is a reason you were chosen. There are no mistakes with God. There is no such thing as a child that cannot be cared for. Be glad knowing that you were chosen to care for the precious gift that only God can give.

All we can do, as parents, is love our children, teach them the ways of God and then when that time comes for them to leave the home, know that God is always with them. Be glad and be proud that the Creator of all things has entrusted you with a precious gift or gifts; and know that He provides you with the ways in which to raise them if you only allow Him to. And remember this always; that the way in which your heart was filled with a love that surpasses all love for others; that special love that a parent has for his/her children is only like a spec in the sand in comparison the that love which God has for His children; us. Believe or don't. This is meant for whom ever He means it for.

God Bless You

My Revelation on Creation

Every now and again I go to the Old Testament and start reading. Granted, I have read it many times but I believe by experience that as I grow older and gain more knowledge I see something in the word that I had not noticed before; and this holds true for all 66 books of the bible. I remind myself to no longer depend only on what I have been taught by man, but to depend on Holy Spirit to counsel me, teach me, and remind me of His word as Jesus explained to the disciples before He ascended up to heaven. With that said, I start reading about God’s mighty power shown through creation. As I come near to the end of Genesis chapter one and the first seven verses of chapter two, I have an “aha” moment; I have a revelation. I hope I can explain this properly as I get excited and tend to veer off, so here it goes:

In the book of Genesis from verse one to verse 23, we read that God created the heavens and the earth; trees and herbs; grass, the universe, the all living creatures in the water and the creature in the sky. This all took place during the first 5 days of creation. The 6^th day starts at verses 24; in this verse as well as verse 25 we learn about the cattle on the earth, beast of the earth and all according to its kind as God had commanded regarding procreation [be fruitful and multiply].  Now, still on day 6 starting at verse 26 to 31:

“Then God said, let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.; So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them and said unto them “be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it……””. In verses 28 to 31God continues to tell them what they have dominion over and what was available for them to eat. The last verse, 31, states the end of the 6^th day. Ok Susan, some might say; what’s the big revelation? There’s nothing new here. My revelation didn’t hit until I started reading chapter 2.

Moses writes in the second chapter that on the 7^th day God rested from all He had done. He had blessed the 7^th day and sanctified it because He rested from all His work. Moses continues to say in verses 4 and 5 that “This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, before any plant of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground”. Did you see it? In chapter 1 verses 26 and 27 is when God created man in His own image and likeness; this was on the 6^th day. Yet in Chapter 2 during the 7^th day Moses states that there was no man to till the ground. So what happens next? In chapter 2 and verse 7 [still the seventh day], “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being”. If he “became” a living being, it would stand to reason that there was not a living being prior to the forming of a man from the ground and after man was created in God’s image and likeness. So a quick recap; day 6 God created man in His image and His likeness. On day 7 there was no man to till the ground and so God formed a man and breathed life into the man and then the man became a living being; interesting isn’t it? So now what?

Well, according to the scripture God made man in His image and likeness. What is His image and likeness? Jesus tells us that God is Spirit (Nelson, 1997, p. John 4:24). So when God made man in His image and His likeness, it would stand to reason that He made spirit first, both male and female; giving them dominion over the earth. He told them to fill the earth and subdue it (Nelson, 1997, p. Genesis 1:28). God made the spirit man before he formed the living man. “The Hebrew words that “made” and “formed” are translated from are two completely different words with two completely different definitions! The term “made” is translated from Hebrew word #6212, which basically means “to prepare” and the word “formed” is translated from Hebrew word #3335 which means to “form, fashion, frame”. In other words, God “prepared” every living thing in Genesis 1, but did not actually bring it into physical form until Genesis 2” (Randy Lee, 2014), (James Strong, 2001).

What do we do with this information? Personally, I praise God even more than I had before coming to this realization. The creation story is not just Moses telling us that God made the universe or Adam and Eve, but it’s about the omnipotence of God. It’s about the great power and might of our God. The beauty and awe in His work; in His power; and to know that this is the same God that loves us today. What an absolute blessing. A little over twenty years ago I started to study the word of God and I did so based on that which was taught to me by men and women of God. About eight or nine years ago I really started to dig deeper in my studies. I decided to no longer depend solely on man to teach me God’s word, but to solely trust in Jesus’ promises and know that Holy Spirit will teach me and guide me in the right direction. That meant I had to stop being religious and start working on my relationship with God and start learning how to put faith into action. God has opened my eyes to His word and I am just so excited about it. I’ll be sharing more about the things that have come to light for me.

 

James Strong, J. R. (2001). The Strongest Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Nelson, T. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible. Nashville.

Randy Lee, R. A. (2014, January). The Controvercy between Genesis 1 & 2. Retrieved from Devoted to Truth: www.ecclesia.org/truth/1-2.html

Christ Fulfilled the Law

Jesus said “Do not think that I have come to destroy the law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled”. (Nelson, 1997, pp. Matthew 5:17-18). When Jesus hung on the cross there were seven things that he had said; one of those was 3 simple words; “It is finished” (Nelson, 1997, p. John 19:30). These two scriptures, though from different books, are important regarding the argument some may have about whether or not we still live by the law or that we no longer live by the law but by grace. Many say that the law must still be followed in addition to accepting grace and the ultimate sacrifice of love through the crucifixion. So, how about we take a closer look at the biblical facts as provided through scripture; through the very words and actions of our Lord, The Christ; Jesus.

Let’s break it down a little shall we? Hopefully you already know and understand that the original Old Testament text was in Hebrew and the New Testament was in Greek. So, since we are in the New Testament, I want to use my other bible and verse 17 reads “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until [no translation] may pass away [no translation] heaven and [no translation] earth, one letter or one stroke may in no way pass [no translation] from the law until everything takes place” (Eck, 1990, p. 14). Notice anything different between the two bibles? There are sometimes words in Greek that simply cannot be translated in English. There were some Greek words that had no translation, hence the brackets indicating so. The translation would be left up to the author’s best educational guess. And of course, the author is human and fallible. Therefore, the author is not always correct in his/her translation. This is why I believe it is so important to have a relationship with The Lord because The Holy Spirit is the one to assist us in learning and knowing the truth.

Now, Jesus reassures us that He did not come to earth to abolish or destroy the law which is the Old Testament or the Old Covenant which contains many of the laws for His people including the Ten Commandments. These would be the many mentioned in the book of Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, etc.; and He didn’t. What He did was “finish it, or, in some bibles the word accomplished is used. He said that the law would not be destroyed or abolished until when? “………. Till all is fulfilled”; “…….until everything takes place”. What had to be fulfilled? What had to take place? The prophecy had to be fulfilled. The final and ultimate sacrifice had to take place. Paul said that the wages of sin was death and when he said that he wasn’t necessarily talking about a physical death but a spiritual one. Why? Because our physical bodies are mortal and eventually die and return to the dust from whence it came, but our spirit lives are immortal; it lives eternally with, or without, being in the presence of God.

Jesus fulfilled the law, it was finished; no longer do we have to live by the law because Jesus fulfilled all obligation of the law when He died on the cross for our sins. Does that mean we now have cart blanch to do whatever we want; to sin? No. It was made clear that the Ten Commandments were still in place when the discussion between the young ruler and Jesus took place (Nelson, 1997, pp. Mark 10:17-22). In fact, not only do the Ten Commandments still have to be followed, but Jesus added another commandment. He said “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (Nelson, 1997, p. John 13:34). The commandment to love one another as He loves us is so important that He said it twice. The law was fulfilled; finished when Jesus died on the cross. Now, we live by the grace of God through His love act through the ministry, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus The Christ; Immanuel; The Son of God. Knowing and understanding the things of the OT are important as we need to know and understand the power of God as well as the love of God. Much of what we learn in the OT can be utilized in our lives today; but it is no longer the current law, nor the current commandments that we are to live by. It IS the New Testament; it is what Jesus taught; that is why we are Christians; we follow the teachings of Jesus the Christ.

Do you have to believe this? Absolutely not; however, I do and it is what Jesus said, what He taught while He was on earth, and now, what the Holy Spirit teaches me that I believe. Am I right and someone else wrong? Well, I believe I’m right based on what I have learned thus far, but no, it doesn’t mean I believe I’m right and you’re wrong. It just means that this is what I believe to be true regardless of what anyone says. I am confident in what I believe and I can only hope and pray that you are totally confident in what you believe to be true. In the end, we will all find out when we finally come face to face with The Father because it’s not just the sinners that get judged, but the Christians still get judged as well. Becoming a Christian does not exempt us from judgement day before God. As long as we follow the teachings of Christ and follow His commandments we shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Our job now, our responsibility now is to spread the Gospel; the good news of Jesus the Christ. To let everyone know just how very much God loves them and wants them to have a relationship with Him. It really is that simple.  It’s about a relationship; not about a religion; big difference. It’s not about the laws of the Old Testament and the atonement of sins, but now about the New Testament and the forgiveness of all sin through the sacrifice of Jesus; it’s about mercy. I don’t know about you but I am much happier with building and maintaining a relationship with The One who created and formed all things than, well, not.

 

Eck, O. V. (1990). The New Greek English Interlenear New Testament. Tyndale House Publishers.

Nelson, T. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible. Nashville.

The Biblical Definition of Marriage

The definition of marriage and the right to be treated equally have been a big debate for such a long time. There was a time when I had struggled with the subject and it was that struggle that pointed me to a new direction in my faith. I decided to stop listening to man tell me what God says and start going directly to God. I decided that I would no longer simply read the scripture, but decided it was time to study it. I decided to no longer depend on what man says but depend on what Holy Spirit says. With that said, understand that I do believe that assistance from other men and women of God is necessary in my studies, not because they are always right, but because they can help me understand things a little bit better or can even point me in a direction that would be more helpful to me. If I am given advice or explanation of a specific scripture, I take what I have learned and bring it to God. I let the Holy Spirit tell me what is right, what is wrong, what is important, and what is not. After all, isn’t that what a Christian is supposed to do? Christianity is about building, maintaining, and strengthening a personal relationship with The Father through the teaching of The Son and the counsel of the Holy Spirit.

Having a relationship with someone means spending time with that person, talking to and listening to that person. It’s the same thing with God; and who better to teach me the scripture and help me understand and get to know God than His Son Jesus who teaches us by way of The Holy Spirit as promised in John 14:25-26. In order for me to be in the spiritual place where I can do this I had to strengthen my faith; feed my spirit with the bread which is His Word and be truly able to let God lead me in all decisions I make. I had to learn how to really be confident in and truly believe the promises that our Lord has made. Then and only then can I start having that relationship. I wanted to know what God wanted for me. I wanted to know how God feels about who I am. So, I needed to focus more on the infallible Lord God and less on fallible man. Allow me to share with you what I have learned in the past 23 years of studying and building my relationship with The Father. In regard to the definition of marriage; today it is believed that marriage is between one man and one woman. Many Christians say that creation proves it because of Adam and Eve. So, let’s take a look at that shall we?

In the second chapter of Genesis we read about how God took a rib from Adam and created a woman from that rib. When she is presented to Adam he says “this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man.” The author of Genesis [Moses] further states that “a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” It is because of what Adam said and what Moses said that so many believe that the biblical definition of marriage is that it is between one man and one woman. However, the biblical definition of marriage is much more than just Adam and Eve. Lamech [Gen. 4] had taken 2 wives for example. In the books of Genesis, second Samuel and first kings we also find that David had 7 wives and many concubines, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, Gideon had many wives; the list goes on. If you read through Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, much of the Old Testament, you will find that women were property. A woman was property of her father until married at which time she becomes her husband’s property. The woman’s desire, according to God, is to be to her husband and he will rule over her. Don’t get your panties in a bunch; I’m not making this up.

The definition of marriage, according to the bible, is about business transactions, property, polygyny, and procreation. Now, Polygyny is when one man has two or more wives; polygamy is when either man or woman has multiple partners. Biblically, it was polygyny that was normally practiced. There is so much more about the role of a woman and how wives were treated. My point is what? The biblical definition of marriage is obviously NOT simply between one man and one woman. The scripture that proves this totally outweighs the one scripture so many turn to prove their definition of marriage. I wonder how many of the one man one woman people are truly all about the biblical definition of marriage? A lot would have to change huh? 

Religious Liberty & Gay Marriage Part 2 - The Definition of Marriage

In the beginning, the book of Genesis, Moses writes about creation. We know that God created formed man out of the ground [Adam] and we know that He formed woman [Eve] from one of Adam’s ribs. When Adam is presented with the woman Adam said “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man”. Moses then writes that “a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Nelson, 1997, pp. Genesis 2:23-24). This piece of scripture is what many Christians turn to in order to prove that the definition of marriage is a union between one man and one woman.

The problem with this is that they are wrong [my opinion] and here is why I say they are wrong; in ancient Israel polygyny is the norm, which means many wives. Polygamy is many partners of either gender. Solomon, for example had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. That can be found in the book of First Kings. In second Samuel you can find that David, the apple of God’s eye, had seven or eight wives and Jacob also had multiple wives. Many of our Christian fathers had many wives and many concubines. These guys were blessed. In case there’s doubt, let’s look at something God said to David; “thus says the Lord God of Israel; I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul; I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping” (Nelson, 1997, p. 2 Sam. 12). Did you see what I saw? God gave David the wives. W-i-v-e-s; plural. I am sure that with further research and study you will find more like it in ancient Israel, but for now, I just wanted to provide some biblical scripture that shows the biblical definition of marriage and, as you can see, it was not between one man and one woman, but between one man and many women. Women were used very much like property to be sold or taken; whatever the agreement or situation happened to be.

This doesn’t necessarily show just cause for gay marriage does it? Maybe not, but it does show that marriage was not biblically defined to be between one man and one woman. With that said, allow me to make clear that I do not believe in Polygamy or Polygyns; I am all for monogamy. Now, we are made male and female for the purpose of procreation; to be fruitful and multiply; to subdue the earth. Just read Genesis; God is pretty clear about that. This has nothing to do with a loving, committed, and monogamous relationship between two people. It’s not all about sex people. Sex is just a part of the relationship. If you think about it, biblically speaking, sex was supposed to be for the sole purpose of procreation. But let’s be honest, man realized the enjoyment and did it whether or not there was a plan for children. So, things changed regarding the act. If you want to believe that marriage is only defined as the union between one man and one woman, then you better follow the original plan for sex and only do it when you’re ready to have kids. That would be interesting.

Ok, so this is a bit longer than I planned; I did want to get into the whole religious freedom/religious liberty thing. That will just have to wait until next time.

Nelson, T. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible. Nashville.

Religious Liberty & Gay Marriage; Time To Ruffle Some Feathers

Recently I have noticed and read posts on social media about the Supreme Court case regarding gay marriage. There is apparently some concern about religious liberty and concern for non-profit colleges should there be favor for gay marriage.  There are a few things I would like to share and point out. It is of no surprise that I am all for marriage equality; that’s right, marriage equality. There is no such thing as gay marriage just like there’s no such thing as gay money; which, by the way, no one has a problem taking. So, it would come as no surprise that I would be blogging about this. Let’s tackle first the concern about non-profit businesses, colleges, and churches.

I will not pretend to understand tax exemption in its entirety. I do know that exemptions are much like tax deductions and paying less [or no] taxes depending on the organizations and the donors. What I will say is this; I do not believe that churches should be tax exempt, but should pay taxes like everyone else. Why do I say that? Because it is biblically sound; because I am going by what Jesus said in response to the Pharisees when they asked about paying taxes. Jesus answered first with a question while holding a denarius in His hand and the question was “whose image and inscription is this?” The answer was Caesar. Then Jesus said “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s” (Nelson, 1997, pp. Matthew 22:20-22). I don’t think it can be made any clearer that taxes must be paid; period. He did not give a pass to anyone. You hypocrites; you dare to use the Bible and God’s word [incorrectly by the way] to condemn the union of two people of the same gender, yet you blatantly disregard what our Lord said regarding the payment of taxes. Shame on you.

The next issue I want to touch on is Religious Liberty; what is it; what does it mean? How about we break it down a bit just so that there’s no confusion; by definition, liberty is basically having the freedom of choice to act or speak without restraint (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2015). According to Article 18(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights, “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. This right shall include freedom to have or adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice, and teaching”. The First Amendment reads “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;…………”. What does that mean? It means that the government cannot set up a single religion for all people to worship alike. In other words, it is unconstitutional for the government to set up a single religion that we all must follow. We have the freedom, the right, to choose.

With that said, religion is not a business or a college. Religion is about a relationship with God through the means of worship, trust, belief, and faith in God. If you want to run a business then run a business; your faith has nothing to do with it. If you can’t or won’t handle the fact that you have to pay taxes according to God, or that your faith has nothing to do with baking a cake, then you have some issues. Personally, if you won’t bake me a cake for my wedding I would just go elsewhere, but that’s me; I pick and choose my battles and I understand and accept that not everyone would do the same as me. The fact of the matter is that your business has nothing to do with worship or with God. If you won’t follow all that God has said, then don’t bother cherry picking the bible for that which suits you or is financially convenient for you.

So, this is the first part of my rant. I will have the other half shortly because no, I am not done yet. There’s still the whole “Definition of Marriage” crap that gets thrown around as if the correct definition is being given. I also want to touch a little more on religious liberty according to the intent of the founding fathers. It’s a hoot.

 

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2015). Retrieved from www.merriam-webster.com

Nelson, T. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible. Nashville.

Blessed Are the Pure in Heart

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Jesus). What does it mean to be pure in heart? I believe that Jesus wants for us to have the ability to love as He loves; with no strings attached and with no reservation or exceptions. A person with a pure heart will love his neighbor, his family, his friends, and even his enemy. How can we love our enemy when we have feelings of hate, anger, bitterness, disgust, or any other fitting description of how we feel about our enemies? When we are asked to love as He loves, it’s not about a feeling but is about an action. We are to put action in our love for others. We do this by helping those who are need and yes, we have to include our enemy. Pray for our enemies, help our enemies when they need help; give of ourselves to our enemies the same way we would our loved ones; the same way Jesus does. Practice forgiveness of others and allow the love of our Father through Jesus flow through us.

              To be pure at heart means to have full faith and confidence in the promises of God without reservation; to be like a child who has that ability to love, to believe and to accept without a second thought. Jesus wants us to change our way of thinking, our way of loving, and our way of believing. Jesus said that “unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (p. Matthew 18). We know we can’t physically change into a child, but we can change the direction of our spirit and our mind from the things in our lives that do not match up with the things of God; with the teaching of Jesus and to the things that are of God and the teaching of Jesus. How do we do that? Trust in the One who created us in His image and His likeness. Redirection is always difficult but is necessary if we are to be pure in heart because I know that for me, I want into the kingdom and I want to see God. Be happy in knowing that if you are pure in heart; loving others, forgiving, showing mercy toward others, accepting God’s word through the life and ministry of Jesus, you will see God.

 

Jesus. (n.d.). The Beattitudes. In Matthew, The Nelson Study Bible NKJV (p. 1583).

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2015). Retrieved from www.merriam-webster.com

Nelson, T. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible. Nashville.

Blessed Are The Merciful

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Jesus). As followers of Jesus, again, we are to follow and obey His teachings and His commandments. We are to always strive to live our lives the way He wants us to; the way He lived His life while on this earth. Jesus IS the model of mercy. Jesus taught about mercy in the parable of the unforgiving servant (pp. Matthew 18:23-25); He had shown mercy to the woman caught in adultery (pp. John 8:1-11); and He displayed the ultimate act of love and mercy through the act of forgiveness when He bore our sins us on the cross.

What is the difference between mercy and forgiveness and is there a difference? By definition, mercy is having compassion for or showing forbearance to an offender (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2015). Because of that compassion, we can then show that mercy by acting on it; and acting on it means forgiving the offender; the act of forgiveness offers absolution; a pardon. Paul teaches that the wages of sin is death (p. Romans 6:23); he also teaches in chapter 3 that we are all fall short of God’s glory; we all sin (Nelson, 1997). In order to show mercy we must be willing to forgive. We have to be willing to let the offense go without retribution on our part and trust that God will deal with the offense and the offender at His time. We have to remember that we do sin; every single human being on this earth regardless of race, ethnicity, religious background, sexual orientation, etc. We were all offered mercy through the forgiveness of our sins because Jesus took that penalty for us. Remember that the wages of sin is death. Jesus paid that price for each and every one of us. Be happy to show mercy because you will receive mercy.

Now, I get that not everyone can accept this as truth; I won’t judge. But let me say this, common sense says that a tree does make noise when it falls regardless of whether or not you are there to hear it or see it; barking comes out of the mouth of dogs thousands of miles away whether we hear it or not. God is real and His love, mercy, forgiveness, and offer of eternal life are also real whether you believe it or not. Be blessed.

 

Jesus. (n.d.). The Beattitudes. In Matthew, The Nelson Study Bible NKJV (p. 1583).

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2015). Retrieved from www.merriam-webster.com

Nelson, T. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible. Nashville.

Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Jesus). I don't believe that Jesus is talking about a righteousness portrayed by the Pharisees or one who is smug or holds his nose up so high he gets a nose bleed. No, I believe the righteousness spoken of here is about being in right standing before God; a person of ethical and moral standing according to God’s Word. The hunger and thirst spoken of is not the same as being hungry for a burger or thirsty for a shake as these are about the physical part of us. I believe that Jesus is speaking about a spiritual hunger and a spiritual thirst. Knowing that I am not perfect and I will never meet total righteousness, I can still remain steadfast in seeking and understanding God’s Word. When I thirst or hunger for righteousness, I am not looking for man’s approval of me; I am looking for God’s approval. If you earnestly seek God, continuously talk to Him and make it your desire to know Him more, then you’re on the road to righteousness.

Jesus. (n.d.). The Beattitudes. In Matthew, The Nelson Study Bible NKJV (p. 1583).

Nelson, T. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible. Nashville.

Blessed Are The Meek

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Jesus). As Christians we are called to be like Jesus; to follow His teachings and to go to all the earth sharing the gospel of The Christ as He had commissioned His disciples to do in the book of Matthew, chapter 28 and verse 19 (Nelson, 1997). Do not be confused as some have been. Jesus did not say to be a god or to be Him. During His three years of ministry on earth He consistently said “follow me”. Following Him, His teaching, and His commandments is what a follower of The Christ does; this is why we are called Christians.

One of many qualities that Jesus has is that He is meek. He is humble and gentle; and He calls for us to have this same quality; among others. Some may believe that being meek is the same thing as being weak; “turn the other cheek” blah, blah, blah. No; that is not at all what it means. Think of it this way; it’s about being patient with others, being kind and gentle. It’s about being compassionate and being humble. There is nothing weak about any of this. And, for the record, the whole “turn the other cheek” statement is not about being a doormat or a punching-bag; it’s simply about walking away and about forgiveness. Blessed are those who show kindness, who are humble, and who are gentle; that’s what I believe He is saying.

“For they shall inherit the earth”. I have found that many times the word “earth” can also mean land. Considering the fact that we have already inherited the earth and were given dominion over it from the time of creation, I would think it safe to believe that He speaks of His kingdom. There are many mysteries about what Jesus has spoken of and the kingdom is one of the mysteries. Personally, as I continue to study His word, I do believe that the kingdom can be twofold; it can be within us as Christ lives in us and He is the kingdom. I also believe that the kingdom is that which will be revealed at the second coming.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth”. Be kind, be gentle, humble yourself in the sight of God, and be patient, for the kingdom is within reach.

Jesus. (n.d.). The Beattitudes. In Matthew, The Nelson Study Bible NKJV (p. 1583).

Nelson, T. (1997). The Nelson Study Bible. Nashville.

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

 “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted” (Jesus). How can anyone feel blessed in the midst of a loss? How can one feel happy when mourning? I do not believe that God expects us to feel happy in any way shape or form when dealing with a loss. In order to put this in a little perspective, we have to understand that there are many different kinds of losses. There’s the loss of a job, a home, a family member, a friend, a family pet, etc. Not all losses are the same and not all feeling of loss is the same. Not everyone mourns the same way nor is there a time limit for mourning. Regardless of the loss, there is always a need for comfort.

Jesus said “Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Jesus Give True Rest). This was an invite to all, not to some. Jesus wants us to go to Him with our hearts and with our souls because He is the only one that can give us the rest and the comfort that we need. “Blessed are those who mourn…..” because we understand that we can go to Him who will help us deal with that which we have lost. If we have lost a loved one, He will comfort us; we just have to go to Him and ask Him for that comfort; for that peace. “….. for they shall be comforted.” This is a promise. He didn’t say “might be comforted, or, the righteous only will be comforted”. He said all who go to Him will be. No exceptions.

Be blessed in knowing that there IS comfort and there Is peace available in time of mourning. Find happiness is knowing that there is rest in Him who never brakes a promise. He made a covenant with Moses and proved that He would never leave Moses or the people of Israel. When Moses could not go into the land promised by God, Moses transferred leadership to Joshua and he reminded Joshua to “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for The Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (The Nelson Study Bible NKJV).  

Allow time for mourning and know it’s ok to mourn the loss of a loved one for as long as needed. It’s ok to be saddened and hurt about losing a job or a home. No matter the kind of loss, know that if you seek the comfort from The Christ, and truly believe that He is there for you, then you shall be comforted.

(n.d.). Jesus Give True Rest. In Matthew, The Nelson Study Bible NKJV.

Jesus. (n.d.). The Beattitudes. In Matthew, The Nelson Study Bible NKJV (p. 1583).

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2015). Retrieved from www.merriam-webster.com

 (n.d.). The Nelson Study Bible NKJV. In Moses, Joshua the New Leader of Israel.

Blessed are the poor [in spirit not wealth]

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Jesus). There are some that mistake this teaching to mean that one has to be poor in order to inherit the kingdom, but, in my opinion, they are incorrect in their understanding of this scripture. First of all, Jesus was talking about the poor in spirit, not the poor; there is a difference. Being poor in spirit, like the rest of the beatitudes Jesus spoke of, is a quality that a Christian should have. Hopefully we all know that a Christian is simply a person who follows the teachings of The Christ and has accepted Jesus as Immanuel, as the Son of God and Lord of all.

With that said, let’s look at this first quality Jesus had mentioned to His disciples and to the multitude that followed Him. “Blessed are the poor in spirit”; Blessed by definition means welcome, pleasant, or appreciated; connected with God, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary; poor in spirit [not simply poor] means that we knowingly and purposely depend on God and not ourselves, because we understand that we do not have the ability within ourselves to please God (Walvootrd & Zuck, 1989).  

As a Christian, we must understand and accept the fact that we are human and therefore fallible; we are imperfect and don’t have all answers to all questions. We need God in our lives in order to learn and understand His righteousness. We need to continually seek His will in our lives and continue to live our lives as Jesus taught and as Jesus lived while on this earth. Well, what about the scripture that says “ Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Jesus, p. Matt. 5:48) . The perfection spoken here does not mean without blemish; none of us are without blemish or without sin; “(Paul, p. Ro. 3:23).  What it means is that we need to continuously seek Him and make it a purpose in our lives to live the way Jesus taught us to live; to continuously strive to be like Him; to seek His righteousness. In doing so, we then become perfect in regard to the relationship we are to have with Him and the behavior we are to have as followers and believers in Jesus The Christ and Son of God. Being poor in spirit is knowing that we must continuously strive to learn what God’s will is for us in our lives; to continuously put Him first so that we can learn to live the way Jesus did and the way Jesus told us and taught us to live. Poor in spirit has nothing to do with money or physical possession; but has everything to do with having the understanding that we need Jesus in our lives. Blessed [happy] are those [of us] who are poor in spirit [who constantly seek Him because we cannot go it alone]. Accepting Him, living as He taught us to and acknowledging the need of Him in our hearts and life, bring us closer to the kingdom of heaven and the understanding of the kingdom.

Jesus. (n.d.). The Beattitudes. In Matthew, The Nelson Study Bible NKJV (p. 1583).

Paul. (n.d.). The Nelson Study Bible NJKV.

Walvootrd, J. F., & Zuck, R. B. (1989). The Life of Christ Commentary. Wheaton: SP Publications, Inc.

Sticks and Stones

 "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me; what ever you say to me, bounces off of me and sticks on to you".

I don't know why this came to mind today, but it did. As an adult I think back to that and actually listen, not just hear, but listen to these words and think, what a bunch of crock. This is one of life's biggest lies that we are taught when very young. First of all, yes, sticks and stones can break bones; that's not exactly the lie I speak of; "words can never hurt me". That is a lie. Words CAN and DO hurt. And, to some degree, that fact is proven with the last phrase of this saying; "what ever you say to me, bounces off of me and sticks on to you". Well, if words didn't hurt, we wouldn't have to have them bounced off and sent back. There would be no need to have that protection statement.

Words are a powerful thing. They have the power to degrade and the power to lift up; the power to hurt and the power to heal; the power to educate and the power to spread ignorance. Words can fuel the flames of hate or extinguish hate with love. Words can be a cancer or they can be a cure. Everyone has the power through the written and spoken word to motivate and inspire or to hinder and depress. Which is stronger: the written word or the spoken word? Is there a difference? I guess that would depend on the person and on the words that are written or spoken.

For me, they can both be equally damaging or equally lifting. The written word however, can be changed, deleted, or erased. The spoken word cannot be changed; cannot be deleted; cannot be erased. Once something has been verbally said, it's out there and can never be taken back. The hurt that words can afflict is something that can last generations. Even if an apology followed the hurtful words, nothing changes. Forgiveness can be had, but the words cannot be taken back and the hurt does not simply just go away.

"Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers."  ~ Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians; written in the Bible.

Paul knew the strength and power in the spoken word and wanted to make sure the Ephesians understood this as they embarked in their Christian walk. Christians are to uplift one another because we are the body of Christ and one of many ways to behave as a Christian should, is to not only walk in love but speak in love as well. For God is love and if we are to follow the teachings of Jesus, we are to behave in the love that He has taught and shown. What we say to others can make or break a relationship. The spoken word cannot be retracted no matter how hard we try or want it to.

When God created the universe and everything around it He did so by His spoken word. He SAID it, and it was done. That is how powerful words can be. Sticks and stones can break your bones but words can certainly kill you. Speak love; speak life.

I enjoyed listening to this because they both say what I have said and believe fro a long time. However, too many people may not agree.

If you don't know God don't make stupid remarks

I got this in an email and felt it is worth sharing…… 

 If you don't know GOD, don't make stupid remarks!!!!!! 

A United States Marine was taking some college courses 

between assignments. He had completed 20 missions in   Iraq   

 and   Afghanistan  . One of the courses had a professor  who 

was an avowed atheist, and a member of the ACLU.

One day the professor shocked the class when he came in. 

He looked to the ceiling and flatly stated, "GOD, if you are real, then 

I want you to knock me off this platform... I'll give you exactly 15 min." 

The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Ten minutes 

went by and the professor proclaimed, "Here I am GOD, I'm still waiting."

It got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine got 

out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him; 

knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold.

The Marine went back to his seat and sat there, silently.

The other students were shocked and stunned, and sat there 

looking on in silence. The professor eventually came to, 

noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked, 

 "What in the world is the matter with you?  Why did you do that?" 

The Marine calmly replied, 

"GOD was too busy today protecting America 's 

soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid 

stuff and act like an idiot.. So He sent me."

The classroom erupted in cheers!