Have you ever had someone irk your nerves? Is there someone in your life that completely unravels your resolve with a single word or deed? Maybe it is someone you don’t even know very well or even at all? Out of no where, someone zaps you with unmerited meanness, un-thoughtfulness, disrespect, hatefulness and down right evil behavior! Our first instinct may be to get them back. It seems so natural to just zap them the way they zapped you. It is easy to reason that someone needs to give them a dose of their own, awful medicine, and that they should definitely be taught a lesson. It is even easier to think that you should be the one to put them in their place. After all should you just let someone walk all over you and not take a stand? I think we have all been there before. It is a part of the natural and physical nature (of our flesh) to desire setting others straight when they try to do us harm or deal with us deceitfully. It is in our physical nature to want to repay others with the same terrible treatment they gave us. Often times, we envision that we deserve to be treated better. After all, should we not be treated with same kindness and respect that we freely give others? It just seems like zapping them back will make you feel better. But does it really make us feel better to that? What does God desire of us during moments like that? What is the right thing do when someone hurts us, makes us mad, or upsets us royally? Should we revenge and repay like with like-you know-an eye for eye? Or, should we just ignore it all together when someone does us wrong?

Neither one of these responses are the correct way to deal with a situation like this.   It is definitely God’s will for you help Him teach others (that have done you wrong) a lesson. The only thing is it may not be the same lesson you imagined or desired to teach them. What God desires of us is more original and requires a spiritual response not a physical or fleshly response.   The response that God desires of us is even more difficult and humbling than ignoring insults and harmful deeds.  God is clear in how He requires us to respond.  God does not want us to ignore or to return evil for evil or insult for insult.  God wants us to do something grand.  God wants for us to give blessing in return for evil and insult.

1 Peter (Amplified Bible Version)

⁸Finally, all [of you] should be of one and the same mind (united in spirit), sympathizing [with one another], loving [each other] as brethren [of one household], compassionate and courteous (tenderhearted and humble).

⁹Never return evil for evil or insult for insult (scolding, tongue-lashing, berating), but on the contrary blessing [praying for their welfare, happiness, and protection, and truly pitying and loving them]. For know that to this you have been called, that you may yourselves inherit a blessing [from God--that you may obtain a blessing as heirs, bringing welfare and happiness and protection].

¹⁰For let him who wants to enjoy life and see good days [good--whether apparent or not] keep his tongue free from evil and his lips from guile (treachery, deceit).

¹¹Let him turn away from wickedness and shun it, and let him do right. Let him search for peace (harmony; undisturbedness from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts) and seek it eagerly. [Do not merely desire peaceful relations with God, with your fellowmen, and with yourself, but pursue, go after them!]

¹²For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God), and His ears are attentive to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who practice evil [to oppose them, to frustrate, and defeat them].

This describes what God’s will is concerning the matter of treatment of others.  The Golden Rule does not teach us to do unto others as they have done to you.  No, it teaches us to do unto others as we would have them do unto us.  Whenever others do not keep this rule it is up to us to teach them this lesson of blessing and love and kindness, instead of showing them the same treatment they have shown toward us.  As believers in Christ we are called to demonstrate this principal to others.  If we hope to inherit blessing from God, we must be willing to share blessings with others whether we feel they are deserving of blessings or not.

What would it have been like if Jesus had responded to the wrongful treatment He was given with that same hateful and evil doing?  What if Jesus just stopped, called upon God, and said,” Father, I will not do this.  These people are undeserving of such an ultimate sacrifice.  I curse them with the very fate and sentence they have awarded me-death?”  Instead, even after being whipped, beaten, spit upon, and crowned with thorns, He blessed us.  He cried out to the Father, “Father forgive them, they don’t realize what they are doing.” (Paraphrased)

^{Luke 23:34 (Amplified Bible)}

³⁴And Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they divided His garments and distributed them by casting lots for them.

Jesus suffered for good.  He suffered for our sins and He gave up all He had, even His very life, even though we are sinful and undeserving.  Jesus loved us even though He already knew that many would never accept Him and love Him in return.  That is true unconditional love, and it is the true and right response we should have for others.

So remember, no matter how badly someone treats us, it is up to us to treat them right and know that God is with us.  Our reward for suffering for good and our blessing comes from God and through Jesus.  If we have to suffer for good or suffer in Jesus’ name, we are still and all the more blessed.  Not one of us deserves any blessings and a good life based upon our own actions, on account of all our sins.  We are blessed through Jesus and due to the price He paid.  He freely and lovingly gave His life and His blood was shed at the cross so that we could truly live and have a life full of goodness.   He gave us everlasting life through Him, in exchange for our sin.

I challenge you, as my challenge myself also; please think of God’s love.   This is my prayer for everyone, including myself.    The next time someone steps on you and I to get a promotion, let’s not step on them and knock them back down, let’s encourage them and uplift by promoting Jesus. Let us consider what Jesus did for us when someone cuts us off while driving on the highway and give them free clearance (not a scowl or angry gesture).   When people curse us, steals from us, belittles us, or betrays us, let’s bless them, share with them, uplift them, and be faithful to them in Jesus’ matchless name.   Even if someone beats us up and takes our lives, I hope that we can shine for God and be an example of Jesus even in our last breaths, and that our last words and deeds will be gentle and life giving actions of love and forgiveness.

May your life be blessed and a blessing in Christ Jesus.

LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS

Psalm 117 ……. Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD. 

Psalm 36:5 ……. Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.

Psalm 89:1-8 ……. I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself. You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, ’I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.’ “ Selah The heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones. For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD ? Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings? In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him.  O LORD God Almighty, who is like you?  You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

Psalm 100 ……. Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;  give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

1 John 4:15-17 ……. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.

Titus 3:3-8 ……. At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

Lamentations 3:21-23 ……. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

1 John 4:9-11 ……. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1 John 5:2-4 ……. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith

1 John 3:23-24 ……. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

Revelation 1:6 ……. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever!   AMEN!!!

For more “Wisdom” go to nuggetsofwisdom.us

All throughout the bible, from the beginning, of creation, and in creation itself, we are told of many great miracles.  Man made from the dust and clay and given life by the breath of God.  There were miracles in the burning bush, parting of the Red Sea, and Manna from heaven.  There were great miraculous healings of the blind, sick, lame, demon possessed.  Women of old age conceived and birthed healthy children.  These are just a few examples of the many miracles in the bible.

I also find wonder and awe in how God heard Joshua and caused the sun to stand still once in the sky. (Joshua 10:13)(NIV version) says: So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar.  The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.  Joshua 10:12-14  How incredible! How wonderful are the miracles of God! But do these types of miracles still happen? Do miracles so great still occur in this day and age?

Many people claim that miracles like that just do not happen anymore.  People are beginning to lose hope for miracles.  Some people believe miracles are simply a thing of that past. So what do you believe?  Do you believe in modern day miracles? I think it is up to us to look closer, take a longer, deeper look around us.  If we do, we will find that miracles do still happen.  God still rescues His people.  God still supplies us with surprise and wonder.  God still moves in mysterious ways to bring us joy and show us that He is still there, and very much a part of us.  For example, the women that are medically unable to conceive or unable to carry a child that pray and cry out to God and our given the gift of a beautiful, precious, child.  The doctors can’t explain it any other way.  When the impossible happens-it is more than just a medical mystery it is a demonstration of God’s awesome power.  Gods hand is at work there.

Another example: I heard a story of a soldier that was at war and needed to get across the battlefield to the other side.  In reality, with all that gun fire and the bombs exploding, it would impossible to do that.  So this soldier closed his eyes and prayed that somehow and someway God would help get to safety on the other side of that hill.  When he opened his eyes he was no longer in the same spot where he had knelt and prayed. God had done exactly what he had prayed for.  God had somehow, someway, got him to safety on the other side of that hill.  That was a miracle, indeed!

I personally have seen and experienced many miracles in my family, church, and in my own life.  It is amazing to see the work of God unfold in the lives of people all around us.  Recently while watching the coverage of the earthquake in Chile, and the following tsunami, I witnessed one such miracle.  It was not only the power of God but also by the mercy and grace of God that the tsunami passed over Hawaii with no real damage and no lives taken by terrible waves.  In fact, the waves that were expected to be devastating were described as small.  To many people it was a question of science and reason, but to my surprise, while discussing the current conditions of Hawaii shores, one man from Hawaii described it as a miracle that no one was hurt and that the tsunami basically passed right by Hawaii without causing any real damages.  He then gave thanks to God right there on the air.  With all the coverage that I seen and heard this stood out in my memory and forever will.  Glory to God for His miraculous mercy and saving grace!

In my own life I have seen a great miracle that I want to give God glory for.  In April two years ago, while at work, the people in our office learned of a tornado that had touched down in a near by neighborhood.  The electricity went out and the only light was that of gloom coming in from the windows in the front of the building.  We all gathered up near the front of the office in a hallway where we could see what was going on outside.  Trees were bent over as the winds came through and the sky was nearly black.  It was frightening.  It all came up so fast.  Then a strange noise growled threateningly at us and a change in the atmospheric pressure occurred causing our ears to pop.  I began to pray aloud.  The doctor I worked for said, “its okay, we will be alright,” but still I prayed aloud, “LORD, please help us and keep us safe.”  Then just as quickly as it happened upon us, the winds died down, the pressure lifted, and our ears popped again.  The tornado had passed by our office.  I went with another doctor to the back door and we watched as the dark swirling mass of rubble and the evidence of its destructive nature went by low in the sky.  It had hit another office near ours and then proceeded on a path that hit another office further down on our street.  It continued on down on a path that went through an elementary school and then several neighborhoods, other medical buildings, a strip mall and the local hospital. It was later classified as an F-3 tornado.

Many of the other people that experienced this considered us merely lucky or fortunate, but there were others like me that knew, without a doubt, it was a miracle of God that not one person was killed or terribly injured from the tornado.  I knew that the tornado had passed by my work and my home and my sister’s home because God had heard my prayer and all the prayers of others, and he had done a great miracle in keeping us safe that day!

Do you need a miracle?  Are you face a terrible situation or circumstances and see no way out except by way of a miracle?  Maybe there are people reading this that are facing life threatening illness and disease and are need of healing?  There are many in need of financial miracles and the miracle of having a safe home to live in.  There are people here in the United States that fall asleep and wake up hungry every day.  Perhaps you think that the miracle you need is too great or too small.  The truth is there is nothing too great or too small for God.  The miracles of God are not reserved for only for a select few or for specific people, they are meant to be for everyone.  Anyone can experience a life changing and totally transforming miracle of God.

Would you like to learn how?  The foundation of all miracles is found in accepting and believing in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the greatest miracle of all and He was sent by the Father for all people.  According to Hebrews 13:8 (New King James Version)  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  This means that all the miracles of the past are possible today and in the future to all those who accept and believe in Jesus Christ.

Have you accepted Jesus Christ into your heart and Confessed that He is your personal savior?   The beginning of all miracles begins with this act of faith.   Asking Jesus to come into your heart and wash away your sins is that foundation of miracles I speak of.  When Jesus was on the cross He took all of our sins and the consequences of sin upon Himself, in our place.  When we have faith in Jesus and place our trust in Him, we discover freedom from sin and we are given the gift of everlasting life through Jesus. 

Isaiah 53:5 (New King James Version)  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

It is through our heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit of God that the awe and wonder of all miracles is made possible.  Job 5:9 (New International Version)  He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.  If you have not yet done so, on faith please accept Jesus today.  As you put your faith and trust in Him, believe that through Him all things are possible!

1 Corinthians 9:22 (New International Version)  To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.  Matthew 19:26 (Amplified Bible)  But Jesus looked at them and said, With men this is impossible, but all things are possible with God.  Notice this scripture does not say that some things are possible.  It says that with God, all things are possible!   

Know that God loves you.  John 3:16 (New International Version)  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  All you need to do is ask and believe and claim the promises of God, in Jesus’ wonderful name, and you too shall see the miracles and wonders of God in your own life.

May your life be blessed and a blessing in Christ Jesus.

“So he called him in and asked him, What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.”        (Luke 16:2).

The character and actions of a godly steward stand in stark contrast to that of the unjust steward.  ( See also Luke 16:10-13 )

All good stewards do the following:

Are you that faithful and wise servant being described here in Luke 12:42-43 ?

“The Lord answered, Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns.”

Don’t let anyone convince you that you can’t do what God expects of you.  A steward has authentic responsiblility and carries it out faithfully.  By God’s grace, you can do what He has planned for you.

** comments on stewardship taken from the Word for You Today (Sep/Oct/Nov 2009)

Looking back over the past year I consider it nothing but a miracle that I could handle one of the saddest times in my life so well.  My Dad had been the victim of Parkinson disease for more than 20 years.  It is so sad to see a loved one who is so intelligent be reduced to such a state of dementia and helplessness.  Finally Dad quit walking and had to be admitted to a nursing home.  I always prayed through the years for his healing.  Well, the Parkinson’s was pretty much under control for the 6 years he was a resident in the home.  Things seemed to settle to a “normal” routine until last March.  He started to lose a lot of weight and he developed a cough.  Tests unfortunately came back as terminal lung cancer. NOBODY in Dad’s family had ever had lung cancer or any kind of cancer.  Of course right away I started making my bargains with God if he would heal him.  Unfortunately this wasn’t to be.  But I started seeming an appreciation for a man I so dearly loved.  I spent all the time I could with him.  So many prayers went up on his behalf.

Looking back I truly believe I received a blessing called time to spend and talk with a loved one.  I would sit and talk with him and through his dementia we had memorable talks.  I would tell him I loved him.  See, my idea is so many people don’t have this extra time and it would be sorely regretted.  Well, Dad lost his fight in May.  I had been asked if I thought God had answered my prayers because he didn’t get better.  I seriously believe that when a healing is prayed for God will ask us if we want to be healed or do we want the promise of something much better in heaven.  I also believe my prayers were answered because he didn’t lay and suffer long.  I find comfort in the fact that I will see him again someday.

No, my prayers weren’t exactly answered the way I would have liked but I do know I was heard.

How to Have Your Debt Paid in Full

The current national debt of the Untied States is an amount so staggering, few can grasp it. It’s one of the big reasons why national help with health care is so hotly debated, and people worry so much about Social Security.

There is an even bigger debt, though, than the tens of thousands of dollars owed by each man, woman, and child in the United States. And, it, too, is a debt each person owes.

What is that debt? When we see someone do something wrong, we all like to think “They’ll get what’s coming to them.” That faith helps us overcome the incredible evil that is all around us. It is a debt that wrongdoers owe. In fact, people released from prison are sometimes said to have “paid their debt to society.”

The problem is, we all commit wrongs, called sins. We all have a debt – and the combined total of that debt is great far greater than the U.S. National Debt. Think about all the lies that have been told. With so many people in the world, there are far more lies per second than the amount the National Debt increases per second. That’s not even counting the number of times people steal, hurt others, act mean, and so on. This sin debt grows higher and higher every day.

We can pay off credit cards bit by bit. Sometimes, we can agree to pay a certain amount, and a case will be closed. But, in order to do this, you have to not charge any more, right? You can’t pay a minimum balance of $100 on a credit card and then spent $150 per month on that card. It wouldn’t make sense. The debt would never be paid. And, this doesn’t even take into account the interest on that debt. More must be going to pay the debt than the amount added to the debt, in order to spend it down.

In order to get out of debt, we have to work to manage things so we are spending less than we take in. that includes interest. And, we need to manage thigns so we aren’t racking up so much interest we can’t repay.

Think about that debt that we owe because of our human nature, then. Each of us owes a debt because of those things we say, think, or do that are wrong. They’re usually not like the “debt to society” that is paid for with prison. Most of them are things that need a simple apology, or something else. But, even that is not enough to pay off the debt of sin.

It’s important to apologize sincerely, of course. It helps a lot when we do. But, the problem is, by the time we apologize for a particular sin, things have been added to that sin, like interest. For instance, let’s say we have told a lie, and later apologize and change our heart attitude, so we don’t tell that same lie anymore. In the meantime, someone found out that we lied. An amount of trust will have vanished, that had been there before. It will take more effort to build that trust back up. That trust is like an interest payment for the debt that we took on when we sinned. In a way, then, that lie indirectly causes something to be stolen, as well. And, it isn’t even the only thing that can be lost. Someone may act on that lie, and wind up losing money, losing a relationship, or something else based on it, when that thing should never have been lost.

As much as we try, we can’t be perfect. Even if a person sins 3 times a day – and even if you believe you’re a “good person,” I’m sure you’ll accept that there are 3 times a day – that’s over 1,000 sins a year.

Think about it. We get cut off in traffic, and we curse the person even though they could have a sick relative they’re rushing to visit in the hospital. We say something to hurt or tear others down instead of building them up. We rush to selfishly do something instead of thinking of others first. We commit adultery in our heart through how we look at another. As we can see, then, the debt of sin is huge.

It’s one we can’t repay. We can’t even repay the sin debt on each individual sin. But, to make matters worse, we add to that debt every day. We add to it through mean-spirited things, gossip, selfish thinking, and many other things that not only hurt people, they hurt God. What an enormous debt we owe!

Our debt to society isn’t paid with prison, though. The wages of sin is death. It’s separation from God’s perfect love and goodness forever., in a horrible place filled with sin. God, in His justice, must keep sin from His perfect Heaven, because in His love, He provides a perfect place once this life is over. It’s a place filled with goodness, where there’s no pain, no suffering, and no tears.

But wait, you ask: If the wages of sin is death, if we have all this sin, how can we reach that place? How can that debt be paid?

Thankfully, the story doesn’t stop there. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. It’s a free gift.

See, that debt was so huge, that no person could pay it. No person could pay it, because each person would have to pay his or her own sin debt. So, god came to this world, in form of a man. Jesus Christ was 100% man and 100% God while here on Earth. He paid all your sin debt when He died on the cross for you, and rose from the dead.

Think about it. It wouldn’t do to be 51% good and 49% bad, because that sin debt would still be there. Yes, we should try to be good. But, you can’t repay a debt just by promising to not go any further into debt. The debt will still be there. But, that’s what people do when they trust in being good. They try to ignore those little debts and just focus on not having any more debt. But, that debt still has to be paid. No amount of good work can cause that debt to be paid. Thankfully, the sin debt has been paid in full. Jesus Christ is God in flesh. He, God the Father, the Holy Spirit, all His disciples (though they were tortured and killed for it), Jesus’ miracles, and the Old Testament all testify that He is the sinless one, who became sin for us.

That’s how he took on our debt. He marked it “Paid in full” when He shed His perfect blood, as the sacrifice for our sin. All the lambs that were sacrificed from the very beginning were a sign of what Jesus Christ would do someday. He was the sinless Lamb of God. He laid down His life so we could be saved from our sin debt. And then, He rose from the dead the third day.

Archaeology confirms so much of the Bible. The testimony of people like John Newton, author of “Amazing Grace,” who have been radically changed, proves that it’s possible, and it happens. Most importantly, His Holy Spirit moves in peoples’ hearts to tell them how much God loves them.

See, God is just, but He is also a God of mercy and forgiveness. God wants to forgive your sin debt. He hung on that cross, suffering agony for hours as He endured the wrath of God the Father, as the sinless substitute for each of us. Then, as He died, He cried out, “tetelestai,” which means “It is finished!” The entire debt had been paid!And, he rose again the third day; He had defeated death, so all who believe can rise with Him.

That repayment must be accepted, though. If you knew it was free, you wouldn’t refuse a person’s offer to pay off all your credit cards and other debts, right? And yet, until that person paid them off, you would still have debt, because you wouldn’t have accepted it.

In the same way, Jesus paid all your sin debt for you. And, He just needs you to accept that He did, and receive it by simple faith. God is love. He wants to pay your sin debt. You just need to:

Accept you’re a sinner, that your sin debt keeps you from His perfect Heaven, that no amount of good work can get you there;

Believe that He is God in flesh, that He died on the cross and rose from the dead for you, personally, to take all your sin debt away;

Choose to turn away from your sins, and trust Him to save you from your sin and forgive you, and to come live in you through His Holy Spirit.

That’s all it takes. It’s a free gift. I know it can be hard for some, but that’s okay; He understands. He knows You, and loves You. He’ll help you have faith if you just trust Him to; before trusting Him to forgive your sin debt, just call in your heart, “ Lord, I’m not sure if you’re out there, but I’m giving this a try, and I trust that if You are real, You will hear and answer.”

Of course, once we receive Him as our Savior, and He comes to live in us, we still sin. We have a human nature that causes us to sin. But, we have Jesus Christ living in us so we can turn to Him and get help, so we don’t sin. And, whatever happens, He will forgive and cleanse us, if we just confess our sin to Him.

The Holy Spirit living is us is His guarantee that He will never leave us, nor forsake us. He will keep working in us to get us to be good. He might have to work pretty hard to get some peoples’ attention if they wander far away in sin. But, He will always lovingly guide us back, and watch over us, and help us. Because, God is love. And, He loves you. He wants you to be totally free from the burden of sin.

The Unsearchable Riches in Christ!!!

Ephesians 1:3-8 ……. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. (Jesus) In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

Ephesians 1:13-14 ……. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, (God) you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance (Eternal Life) until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Romans 8:1-4 ……. Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 ……. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Romans 8:38-39 ……. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 3:7-12 ……. (Paul writes) I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles (everyone not Jewish) the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Romans 11:25-36 ……. I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Isreal has experienced a hardening (not believing in Jesus) in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. (to God’s Eternal Kingdom) And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ”The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. (Israel) And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”

As far as the gospel is concerned, they (the Jews) are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, (Abraham Isaac and Jacob) for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” (Isaiah 40:13) “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” (Job 41:11) For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. AMEN!!!

For more “Wisdom” go to nuggetsofwisdom.us

First Haiti has a devastating earthquake. Then, a large quake hits near Japan. Now, Chile has one of the largest in recorded history, at 8.8! The number of major quakes in recent years seems to be increasing. These three came in just 2 months. An enormous 2004 quake not only caused the Asian tsunami, it sped the earth’s rotation momentarily. It’s enough to make people wonder if the end of the world is near.

Earthquakes are scary, as unlike bad weather, they come without warning. Aftershocks can occur for days, weeks, sometimes months. They cause terrible destruction. The increase in intensity in recent years is much like that of birth pangs that a woman feels before giving birth. Interestingly, Jesus uses the same analogy when he speaks of the end. And, “earthquakes in diverse places” – very different places, some of which don’t normally have them, thouhg some will – are one of the signs.

In Matthew 24, Jesus tells his disciples of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. They ask Him several questions. First, they ask when that destruction would happen, and then they ask about the signs of the end of the world. Jesus takes much more time on the second question than the first. He knew He would inspire His Word to be written, and that it was much more important to answer the second. Matthew 24-25 and Luke 21 each cover different aspects of what Jesus said.

Notice, first, that He answers the part about the destruction of Jerusalem in Luke 21:9. This is important because it gives us context to assure us that Matthew 24-25 is about the future, His coming and the end of the world. There are false Christs now, but there were also false Christs back then. There was lots of commotion, but the end – that is, the end of the world – did not come in 70 AD. Luke 21 talks more about the end, but also says that “before these things” – before the great earthquakes, famine, etc. – the disciples would be persecuted, and there would be a time of great trouble in Jerusalem.

However, the destruction of Jerusalem was horrible, but it was not the worst ever in history, as Mat. 24:21 says the end will be. That event in 70 AD was a picture of something that would happen in the future. We know because Matthew 24:15 says that before the end – during the Tribulation – there will be another temple. An abomination – a horrible, blasphemous thing – will be set up in the temple. That didn’t happen in 70 AD. Quite the opposite, in fact; no stone was left upon another. (The “Western Wall,” or “Wailing Wall,” now in Jerusalem is from an old Roman fort built after that.)

There’s another reason we know Jesus is speaking of the end of the world in Matthew 24. the first word of Mat. 25 – “Then” – shows Jesus is talking about the same subject. He’s drawing an analogy to situations in the end times. Yes, the parable of the talents later in that chapter has numerous spiritual applications for the Church, but there is a plain, literal meaning to Scripture, too.

“So, wait,” you ask, “you mean these earthquakes in diverse places are a sign we’re definitely near the end of the world?” Not quite. We are close – I don’t know how close. It is not given to us to know the day or the hour.

But, other signs also point to us being near, if not in, the end times: Famines, pestilence (major diseases), iniquity (lawlessness) running rampant, the love of many becoming cold (we talk about love, but that true, unconditional love isn’t there), and so on. These things are increasing more and more, just like birth pangs. There is, in fact, a site called “Rapture Ready” with a “Rapture index” that measures all of these. (The entire site is filled with good material, and forums, for those who wish to know more.)

“So, wait,” you ask, “are we really that close to the end? How do I prepare?” Like Jesus with His disciples’ questions, I will only gloss over the first, because the second is most crucial. Yes, we are getting close, but unlike a sonogram, these “birth pangs” can only be estimated. We just know they keep growing.

As for how to prepare, be confident that the Church has not replaced Israel. There will be another temple – in fact, Israelis have been preparing for it for years. God will once again deal with his chosen people as a nation, not just as individuals. Before He does this, though, something will happen which you can prepare for: The Rapture. “For the Lord Himself will descend with a shout, and the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then, we which are alive and remain shall be caught up with them in the clouds, to be meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thess. 4:16-17)

To know you’ll be caught up with Him, it’s as easy as ABC.

Admit you’re a sinner, that you fall short of God’s perfect glory. When sin was brought into the world through man’s disobedience, it spread everywhere, and caused all things to start decaying. We all fall short of His perfection through our sin. We don’t’ always mean to sin, and some people try really hard to be nice al the time. But, we can’t; we’re not perfect. That sin keeps us out of Heaven, except a price was paid to get us in.

Beleve that Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose from the dead. He is God in flesh, and he paid that price to get you into Heaven. It was the perfect sacrifice, the just for the unjust. He took the punishment you and I and everyone else deserves for our sin – for the fact we fall short of God’s perfection.

Choose to receive Him as your Savior by simple faith. That means heart knowledge, not just head knowledge. Call on Him to save you from your sins, receiving what He did by simple faith, as being for you personally. Because, He died for each of us personally. He had each person on mind who ever lived when he died on that cross, and frose again. All you have to do is receive Him.

If you do, He will come into your heart and change you on the inside, helping you be more like Him in His love, compassion, goodness, peace, and so many other wonderful things. He’ll give you peace so you wojn’t have to worry about all the problems of this world, and so you can get through them with His help. Because, we don’t know how long it will be before He comes for us. But, whether we rise first, or meet Him in the air, we have His promise that He will come for us before things get as horrible as it will in the Tribulation.

These things we see here, these massive earthquakes and such, are only the beginning of sorrows. But, Jesus has promised to help us through, if we just trust Him – with our souls, and then with our lives. And, if He says it’s our time to leave this world, by knowing Him as Savior, we can be certain that we will be forever with Him, in that awesome place where there is no pain, no suffering, and no tears.

The tenth commandment instructs us to love our neighbors.  Matthew 5:42 instructs us to love our enemies.    I don’t know about you but these are the hardest laws that God has given to us for me to follow.

I have had experiences of loving others that I considered my enemy.  My ex-husband for example he admittedly loved to  get me angry or upset even after I left.  My husband’s ex loved to do the same to him.   As my relationship with God flourished I realized the need to pray for these two and their families.  I also came to the conclusion that because of my sin of divorce that there were certain things that God was not going to keep me from experiencing.  These are the consequences of my sin.  But it is easier to love someone from a distance, not having to deal with their idiosyncrasies on a daily basis.  Now I am experiencing a much tougher love of my enemy and neighbor.

In August 2008 my family and I moved from New Jersey to Greene, NY in search of the wonderous open lands available and the safety of not living near the high crime cities of Philadelphia and Camden.  We felt it God’s will.  God moved mountains to get us here.

We really did not want neighbors to close on either side of our home but the home we chose has a neighbor to our right within 50 feet.  When we moved here the house was empty.  At the time we were so busy readying our home and land that I never thought to pray for christian neighbors. What a mistake!

In April 2009 we were going to have a new neighbor.  A single mom with two children who fell into our children’s age groups.  At first glance it seemed great.

As the weeks went by and the time of their move in was coming, I was filled with such ill-will about these people who were going to move next door to me.  I had not even met them yet.  Awful nightmares, feelings of nausea, depression, anxiety ensued.  I prayed to the Lord for His will to be done but to also protect my marriage and family during this time.  I had no idea why I was feeling so insecure about all this but I knew that something evil was lurking.

On the day of move in I mustered up the strength to go over and introduce myself.  Gave the new neighbors a casserole and cake.  As weeks went by it became clear that some of the behaviors in their household were temptations to not only myself but to my husband and children.  Behaviors that I had prayed and worked hard to rid myself of and that I prayed and hoped my husband would rid himself of.  Behaviors that we were hoping our children would not pick up on from others.

My husband was liking our new neighbors and could not understand why I just did not want to have more than a “hello, how are you” relationship.  He kept encouraging me to make friends with her and her friends.  So for his sake I kept trying thinking that this instinctive gut feeling I was having was maybe me just having an overactive imagination.

As more time went by, what I saw with my eyes was disturbing and made me uncomfortable.  My husband just kept assuring me that we would be okay and that we should be neighborly.

I was praying so hard at this time for myself and my husband, our marriage, and for our neighbors and their friends.  I was especially praying for God to instill a loving heart in me for these people because I just did not want to love them.

They seemed so nice bearing gifts, etc…I am having trouble finding the passage but the good Lord does warn us to guard ourselves against those who appear to honorable by giving they do it only for their own credit not from him.

Then suddenly an uprising at their home occurred and I had one of my neighbors friends on my doorstep.  Over the weeks she gained the trust of myself and my husband.  I wanted to believe that she was good.  She listened to me witness to her.  Her significant other and my husband were liking one another.  I thought okay now I know why God sent these people for us to be great witnesses to them.  I was still uncomfortable so many old habits that were tempting me but I was able to trust them enough to allow them to watch my children while in the hospital having my last child.

Then suddenly without forwarning after they visited the baby and went out with us once after, they no longer were answering our calls…She had fled to her mothers for rest.  I thought something was wrong so I tried to reach out.  She said she would call or come visit and there was nothing.  So I stopped reaching out.  She now is back to being great friends with the neighbor.

Hmmm…why can’t two people befriend another.  Deceit, lies, hidden lives….

The Climax:  Our neighbor has always had a problem keeping her dogs in her yard for their duties.  My husband gets disgusted with it.  So he would pick it up with a shovel and fling it. I did not agree with this.  So the last time he did it he came in and asked me what he should do about the dogs pooping in our yard.  I told him maybe we should scoop it up and put in a bag and give it to her as she is not listening or heeding to our requests to stop.  I had not realized he already flung it nor did he tell me.

The next morning I had a knock on my door.  My neighbor bearing gifts once again but this time from her friend.  Father God had given me my answer.  I had pondered how to stop the gifts coming over (free clothes and such but still…kindness I did not want to accept from the enemy I did not want to allow my home to be victimized by such deceit)…this was the opportunity.  I kindly told my neighbor that I could not accept the clothes from her and that she should not allow her friend to put her in the middle of anything.  That she should not allow her to use her like that.  Her friend needed to have the courage to face me and the lies she had weaved.  Why did I warn her?  Because I respect her enough as a human being not to see her get hurt.  I may not like her ways, beliefs, and values but she is still a person.

We both had tears in our eyes I thought maybe I struck a chord of revelation….then she lashed out at me about the poo.  Then her boyfriend came over and started yelling at me.  I told them I understood their frustration with how that was handled and that I spoke to my husband about it being inconsiderate and disgusting and it would no longer happen but on the same note they needed to keep the dogs doing their business in their yard.  They still kept yelling about how it was not their dogs and that our dog was at their house and the stray cats (that came with our house) were in their yard………….

I cannot believe I kept my composure during all this I do not like being yelled at………I kindly asked them to leave and that they were no  longer welcome in my home.  It took me a couple of times of saying it before they left but they finally left.  I was at such peace.

I told my husband and of course he needed to go out and clarify his actions which started an argument between him and them.

He seems to be so interested in what these people are doing.  Not interested in making friends with people at our church.  It has become an obsession with him.

I would be happy just to live my life with my family and stay isolated in my own yard.  If they have a need I will assist.  If they are in trouble I will be there.  But under no circumstances do I want to have them over for dinner or dessert or vice versa.  Is this loving my neighbor and enemy?  I am not being loving enough?

I do still pray for them each and every day to come to the revelation that there is a God.

Sorry to be so long winded it was hard for me to get my point out in just a few sentences and still this is not every detail that I have dealt with.

I would love to hear from others who may have had similar experiences and how they handle their neighbors on a daily basis.  Do I need to do more for them?  Less?  I need prayer for the upcoming spring.  Right now I do not see these people as much due to the weather but come spring they are always out.  They are the type of people that need to make their presence know with outlandish and loud remarks.  We are working on getting a fence over there with our tax refund………Any thoughts?

God did not make you to be average! Everything you need to succeed already exists in you.  Believe in God’s word and receive the blessings that God is offering to you.  As a matter of fact, God has already bestowed these gifts on every person that is united with Christ…

Ephesians 1:3 NIV Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Ephesians 1:4-14 goes on to explain what some of those spiritual gifts are. Our relationship with God, as His children, is the biggest and most important of the blessings.  In addition, God has a plan for our lives, and because we are His “heirs,” we are guaranteed a future inheritance. The moment we trusted Christ we inherited a great deal of spiritual riches and blessings, all of which were purchased for us by Christ.

God has endowed us with the Holy Spirit, who takes up residence in our hearts and gives us experiential glimpses of God’s kingdom. The Holy Spirit enables us to experience God’s love in this life (Rom.5:5)  The Holy Spirit also enables us to build and enjoy healthy love relationships in this life (1Thess.4:9). But sometimes we can forget that we have the rights of sons and daughters and instead live as orphans. We have incredible riches in Christ, but we often act like we’re poor. We Christians know that the ultimate purpose and meaning of our lives is to bring praise and glory to God.

What might look different in your life if you were living out of a rich experience of our spiritual adoption in Christ?

Take a look at Romans 8:15-17: For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

How does being made sons and daughters free us from fear?

So it is up to us as Christians to act on what we already possess.  We should believe, live and act as though we are blessed, because we really already are!  As Tye Tribbett would say, “We’ve got the V ICTORY!” and we should live our lives for the glory of God.

Click here to see the video of Tye Tribbett on tbn

John 4:23 NIV Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

To summarize, these verses should lead us to:

• Understand that the chief purpose for God’s blessing us is to bring glory to Himself by making us holy and blameless in love.
• Praise and thank God as we meditate on our many spiritual blessings.
• Live in such a way as to bring God the greatest glory possible
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The recent apology from Tiger Woods had been debated by many. While he has convessed what he has done, he still has quite a few sponsors who are leery at best and ignoring him at worst.

Can he recover his legacy? And, will (or can) he be forgiven?

the answer to both lies in the public. Forgiveness is something people seem rather willing to give if it is sincere. One thing that is important to remember is this: Forgiveness doesn’t mean saying something was right. In fact, in saying it needs forgiven, it’s flat out saying it was wrong.

There are, of course, different levels of wrongdoing. What Tiger Woods did was to sin – committing adultery – on a mass scale. There were no crimes involved. However, it was still an incredible breech of trust. While very few have committed crimes, a much larger percentage of people have at least looked on other adults with lust in their hearts, committing adultery in their hearts, as our Lord Jesus Christ says. Indeed, all of us need forgiven – if not for that, for some other sin.

We can do nothing to earn that forgiveness ourselves, just as Tiger Woods can do nothing to earn our forgiveness. Forgiveness is something that must be given freely. It is not earned or deserved. It is always a free gift. For by grace ar eye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. One must receive what Christ did for them by simple faith – trust that Jesus Christ, God in flesh, lived a perfect life and died on the cross to take the punishment for your sins, as your substitute, and that He rose from the dead the third day. He did all that was needed to get you to Heaven.

A person can work to regain trust, of course, and that will be important. it’s a hard thing to do – which is why the Apostle Paul warns of the need to finish well in the Christian life. It looks as though Tiger Woods wants to do that. But, the Bible doesn’t tell us to trust others. It says to forgive one another, as God for Christ sake hath forgiven us.

Trust must be earned by showing oneself trustworthy in small things first, so they can be trusted in larger things. A young teen I know is mature enough to watch her siblings. She would like to babysit outside the family, for anyone. But, she is just now working to earn her parents’ trust with those younger siblings. Once she does that, she will have the privilege of watching other peoples’ children. As she gets a larger resume and more references, more people will trust her, if she does a good job.

But, if she were to mess up – let’s say she takes her eye off a younger child and he gets hurt – she will be forgiven right away. that is, her parents will still love her. They might decide she’s not ready yet to be trusted with certain responsibilities, but that doesn’t mean they will love her any less.

This is an important concept when it comes to rebuilding his legacy, and Tiger being forgiven. Whenever he plays again, he is going to have to earn that trust. It’s up to the public to decide to put their trust in him again. In the cynical world we live in, it’s easy to wonder what people we can trust, but we can’t just refuse to trust anyone. it will take time for Tiger Woods to rebuild his legacy, but it seems quite possible for him to do so. The public, though cynical at times, does seem ready to let him build that trust up with them again. It’s just like in the Bible, when the Apostle Paul started out, just after his conversion. It took him a while to be trusted by those in Jerusalem, till Barnabas was willing to take a chance. However, that doesn’t mean the early apostles didn’t forgive the former Saul of Tarsus. It just means that they understood only God could be trusted completely.

However, forgiveness – which is also up to the public – is something that isn’t earned or deserved. In fact, true forgiveness means forgiving Tiger Woods before he ever made his apology; just as Jesus called out ont he cross, “Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do.” He certainly can be forgiven; because all of us have sinned and need forgivness, which was given to us through the wonderful cross, and the shed blood of Jesus, as the remission for our sins.

Do you feel worthless?  Do you feel like you’re a mistake?  Don’t Believe It!

You are special – You are uniquely and beautifully made!

I remember as a child, my mother told me in the heat of an argument that she was sorry I was born.  When I was in my twenties, she told me the story how she tried to abort me 3 times.  These statements surely had a negative affect on me well into my 30s.  Thank God, he has healed me from the stings of these words.  Today, I look at these happenings in a very different way….despite the fact that my mom tried to abort me several times…God willed me into existence.  What incredible plan God must have for my life.  It made me also realize that my words might have hurt people and that we need to be careful about what we say to one another.  The subconscious can’t take a joke.

Words are one thing.  I can only imagine the abuse some of you might have had to endure.  Some of you might had to endure not only verbal abuse but also physical and sexual abuse.  Watching the movie “Precious” gave a glimpse of what that would be like.

Abuses like that can make you feel worthless and full of shame.  I understand that there are even symptoms of guilt with being sexually abused, making you feel like that somehow it’s your fault you have been abused.  Let me make it perfectly clear…these are all lies of the enemy, who wants nothing less than to kill and destroy you.  Don’t you believe it!

You are special!
There is only one like you and God has a plan for your life.  He willed you and me into existence.  Let’s take a look at what the Bible says about your and my existence.

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.  Psalms 139:13 (NKJV)

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.  Psalms 139:14 (NKJV)

“Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  “Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Matt 10:29-31 (NKJV)

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.  How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!  Psalms 139:16-17 (NKJV)

God Loves You!
In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  1 John 4:9-10 (NKJV)

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  ”For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  John 3:16-17 (NKJV)

God Can Help

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe. Prov 18:10 (NKJV)

He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.  Isaiah 40:29 (NKJV)

He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.  Psalms 147:3 (NKJV)

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’  Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)

Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.  Matt 5:4 (NKJV)

“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.”  Matt 11:28-30 (NKJV)

New Beginnings
We can’t undo our past, at the same time however, we should not live with our false past identity.   I surely could have not done it myself.  God has not only healed me, but he has also given me a new identity…one that is based on my true identity that is in Christ.  As a Christian, we are no longer bound by our old identity…we’re a new creation.

Jesus is waiting.  Ask him to give you a new identity.  His word says…”Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it wll be opened to you.  “or everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Matt 7:7-8 (NKJV)

Check out this beautiful video You are Special – by Max Lucado

Also, check out our articles on We’re Created Different, But We’re All Useful, What is Heaven? A world better than Avatar’s Pandora, Can Your God Do This?, In The Wilderness, It’s not fair! But, why isn’t life fair? And, can it be?, The Comforting Word of God, Salvation, Success and Failure Articles,

Somewhere around age 40 a strange shift happened.  When I was younger, I literally fed on being busy.  And I’m not talking about a healthy busy…you know, living with purpose – having a few places to go, some people to see, etc.  No, I’m talking about insane busy – life on overdrive 24/7.  And I loved it!  I loved having a every single moment so compressed that even Einstein would have said, “This woman is going to upset the time continuum if she adds even 15 more seconds of activity to her day!”

I remember one day in particular.  I was working for a Los Angeles radio station and I was a little late to an appointment (first time ever) so I was flying down the 5 Freeway (just a few miles over the speed limit).  Well, I wasn’t exactly behind schedule – let’s just say I didn’t have an extra 30 seconds to spare.  I was weaving around the “slow pokes” with amazing skill …when a thought flashed across my mind.  ”I am really an important person because I have an appointment!  And better yet, it’s not my only appointment, I have lots of appointments which is why I’m barely going to make it to this one on time.  I have really arrived – I’m busy so I’m important!”

Now of course it is fun to have purpose and commitments, etc, but I hope you can see that this attitude was a little off. And here’s the thing…I really believed it.

Well, again, somewhere around 40 this vague cloud of exhaustion started following me everywhere I went as I sped around on overdrive.  I still believed that being busy meant I had value, but the crazy pace was beginning to wear on me.  After a few years, I still kept up my workday pace, but I started to find myself withdrawing at nights and on weekends.  At first it was just one night a week, but it slowly grew to the point I almost resented having to make any social plans at all…didn’t want to be pinned in.  What if when that scheduled time came around I didn’t feel like it? Everyone wants something from me and I have nothing left to give!  “I gave at the office” took on a whole new meaning.

Again, as I noted this growing behavior, I grew to like it.  Ok, that’s just me – I’m maturing.  But then it seemed that I couldn’t get enough time alone and away from the crowd.  If I had too many social activities on a weekend I would find my anxiety rise exponentially – which also would guarantee a very short fuse the entire next week.  I became aware of how much time I needed to “recoup” from all the workday “performing” and all that I thought others demanded of me.

Well, I’m not a total recluse today, and don’t get me wrong – I know I need my friends probably more than they need me.  But I do still find myself needing to retreat and give myself plenty of unstructured “down time.”  When I don’t, all the activity becomes completely meaningless…even depressing.  I was enjoying some of this precious alone time rattling around in the garden a few Saturdays ago.  Then I remembered a social event I had committed to. Agh!  I watched myself instantly begin brainstorming ways to get out of it, and of course, the internal angst level started rising.
That’s when I thought of Him.  How did Jesus handle it?  How could He stand all those crowds, people pressing in on every side, following Him everywhere He went, trying to catch Him in His words – with not a second to Himself?  How did He do it!?  Oh sure, He snuck off now and then to be alone and talk with the Father. But more often than not, it seems that He somehow managed to push Himself to keep going.  But why!?  I mean, He already had the great networking thing of the 12 apostles going.  Couldn’t they just pass along His teachings?  How could He stand it? How did He keep moving to the next town, and the next town and keep healing, keep teaching…keep on? And all those people!  Endless lines of people that wanted something from Him! Ugh!

But then it hit me – He pushed Himself, He pressed on for individuals. In each incident He had someone’s face on His mind – someone waiting in the next town who needed to hear about the love of the Father…and He had to get there. He had appointments!  Oh, they didn’t think they had appointments.  No, they didn’t know, but He did. I think Jesus had individuals’ faces on His mind and on His heart.  He knew their hurts and confusions, their hopes, their disillusionments.  He not only knew the people who would be changed forever with a word, or even a glance, but He knew exactly where each would notice Him and what would catch their eye or ear.  Yes, these people were usually in crowds, but they were individuals to Him…individuals that He loved.

I wonder if He would have walked all night to meet with me? Would He walk all night for an appointment with you?

Also see Seeking God, Laziness, Success, Peace, Trusting God, Money, How to succeed in tough economic times

“To whom will you compare me?  Or who is my equal?” says the Holy One.  Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name.  Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.   Isaiah 40:25-26

I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.  That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.   Ecclesiastes 3:12-14

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.   1 Peter 5:6-7 

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?   Matthew 6:25-27

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Matthew 6:5-8 

“This, then, is how you should pray: ” ‘ 

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come,  your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Matthew 6:9-13

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him (Jesus). Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he (Jesus) appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (face to face) Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.   1 John 3:1-3

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (manifest these qualities)  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.    Colossians 3:12-16

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.   Romans 8:38-39

AMEN!!!

For more “Wisdom” go to nuggetsofwisdom.us

We tend to focus on our loved ones here on earth when Valentine’s Day comes around. What about our Heavenly Father? He should be at the top of our list of Valentines.
My Father, Son, and Holy Spirit gave His love to us before anyone did. He brought us to life, touched our hearts, and gave us the power of choice. We should choose, without having to consider, that He receive our love first. Our Valentine Lord looks upon us with the utmost of love and compassion. He shares with us when we are too selfish or greedy to put Him first. He touches us when we whine and complain, when we pray for forgiveness, and when we feel there is no love left for us from anyone. He offers a love that is everlasting.
Yes, today should be an easy day for us indeed. A day to humble ourselves and gracefully bow before our first Valentine of all. Lift up your hearts, pour out your thankfulness, and open your arms to receive the Almighty Love.
It’s all well and good to give gifts and cards to our loved ones. We should be grateful and should show them that we care. For us, seeing is believing. Everyone wants to be accepted and hugged, kissed and shown love. It’s not a bad thing to want to lift the spirits of the people in our lives. We were given these priceless gifts by God. Of course He wants us to show our appreciation to them as well as to Him. Read 1John 4:8 “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

Other scriptures that remind us of God’s love and how He wants us to love (yes, loving God also means loving the way He wants us to love others) are:
1John 4:10, 1John 4:20, Leviticus 19:18, Luke 6:27 There are more scriptures, of course, just look in your concordance in your Bible under the word “love”.
Although it is usually John 3:16 that is the focus of how God loves us, He also shows us His love in many other ways. Sometimes these ways are subtle and seem more like punishment than love. Have you ever been late to work only to realize that if you hadn’t been late you could’ve been in a wreck? Have you ever prayed for something you didn’t get only to realize later why it was better that you didn’t get it? Have you ever been hurt by someone who told you a blatant truth you didn’t want to hear only to realize later that the person was right and your life has improved because of it? Sometimes when we think God must hate us, we need to remember that we are seeing our present selfish desires, not the long-reaching wisdom and love of our Lord.
Human love can be blind. God’s love is never blind. He knows us better than we know ourselves. So, today I say, “Happy Valentine’s Day, God! Thank you for knowing me best.”