Have the meaning of #words changed in the last few years? Good is #bad.. Hot is #cool….Truth is #fake…#Wise is rash…are just some expressions that I have heard individuals switching from antonyms to a synonyms! Could it be that some in our society have chosen to change words to meet their lifestyle? The Living God is Wise discerning and judicious concerning what is true or false, proper or improper. Our local television is promoting a special on the 6:00 news giving information on how to know if a news release is true or fake. How can you be wise? Turn to God’s Word and “FIND BIBLE TRUTH” 1Corth.1;20-30 “Where is the wise:..has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? That in the WISDOM OF GOD the world by wisdom did not know God ..so it pleased God through preaching of Christ crucified to save those that believe..both Jew and Greeks that CHRIST IS THE POWER OF GOD AND THE WISDOM OF GOD. . . Are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.” Paul was writing to friends who served and followed Jesus when he wrote in Rom, 16:17-20″I urge you, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teachings which you learned and turn away from them, such men are slaves, not to our Lord Christ but of their own appetites: and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. . . I WANT YOU TO BE WISE IN WHAT IS GOOD an innocent in what is evil for the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. Rom.16:26,27 “Now LORD JESUS CHRIST IS MANIFEST by scriptures according to the commandment of the EVERLASTING GOD and has been made known to all nations who leads to obedience by faith: to THE ONLY WISE GOD, BE GLORY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST FOREVER.” and Amen.
from Barbara’s Bible
THE LIVING GOD #COMFORT
Are you in a comfort zone? With each passing year, I find I need comfortable surroundings. How about you? How’s your mattress working for you? I have observed many mattress stores allow people to sleep on their product for several days to test the comfort and be satisfied with their purchase. Then there is that lounge chair. Is it relaxing your body by taking the weight off your feet? Speaking of feet, do you buy a shoe that seems the perfect fit to only find out after walking in it a few hours that those shoes just do not fit or cause blisters! You may have noticed all the things I mentioned for comfort take the weight and pressure off our aching body. I have chosen merchandise over the years that did not meet my needs, but I made one choice which gives lasting comfort. You see I cast my burden on the Lord who is able to envelop it all and in return has given me comfort and hope. Paul had many adversities but through it all wrote in Romans 15:4-6 “whatever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now the GOD OF PATIENCE AND COMFORT grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify GOD, even the FATHER of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.” Choose Jesus’ Comfort.
THE LIVING GOD #DAYSPRING
You might say, “What is dayspring?” Dictionary definition of the word Dayspring as the beginning of day or the dawn! You asked, “What does that have to do with the Living God?” Glad you asked. I just came back from a trip to the gulf in Florida where you can truly see the dawn of a new day across the emerald sea with all its magnificent splendor. Now there were a few days that storms clouded my view, but that reminded me of my pathway following my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You asked, “How does that relate to Jesus Christ?” I find it in the scriptures starting with Gen. 1:3 “GOD said, ‘Let there be light: and there was light” 11Corth.4:6 “GOD who commanded the LIGHT to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts to give the LIGHT of the knowledge of the glory of GOD in the face of JESUS CHRIST.” Luke 1:78,79 “Through the tender mercy of our GOD; whereby the DAYSPRING from on HIGH HAS VISITED US, TO GIVE LIGHT TO THEM THAT SIT IN DARKNESS AND IN IN THE SHADOW OF DEATH, TO GUIDE OUR FEET INTO THE WAY OF PEACE.” You might ask, “But will the light of the Lord last or will it expire?” Again I go to the Bible where we find words about last days in Rev.21:23 “the city had no need of the sun, nor the moon to shine in it: for the GLORY OF GOD DID SHINE IN IT: FOR THE GLORY OF GOD DID LIGHTEN IT, AND THE LAMB IS THE LIGHT THEREOF.” Now I’ve seen beautiful dawnings here on earth, but I cannot even image the awe I shall have when beholding JESUS’ LIGHT in HIS GLORIOUS TEMPLE one day!
THE LIVING GOD #SHEPHERD
When you hear the word shepherd, do you immediately think of the Christmas story recorded in the Bible of the shepherds’ watching over the sheep when the angels appeared in sky announcing Christ our Savior’s birth? As a child that was my first understanding of a shepherd! I knew about cowboys caring and herding cattle, but at that time in the Texas Panhandle I saw no sheep or shepherds so my knowledge came from books. The dictionary defines a shepherd as one who herds sheep, gathers, guards, leads, and drives i.e, pastors. That sounds like a full time job to me especially as we are the sheep and Christ is the shepherd as God’s Holy Word depicts us. When sheep are frightened they hunker down just as many of us do when faced with fearful circumstances. Matt.10:16 “I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves” Did you know Hitler’s first name Adolf means wolf in Hebrew! John10:11 “Jesus said, ‘I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD; THE GOOD SHEPHERD GIVES HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP. He that is a hireling , not the shepherd…sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep so the wolf catches them and scatters them because the hireling does not care for the sheep. I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND KNOW MY SHEEP AND AM KNOWN OF MINE. I as the Father knows me, even so I know the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.” May we follow the true Shepherd, “THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name?s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and staff comfort me. Thou prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will live in the house of the LORD FOREVER.” Psalms 23
THE LIVING GOD #DIED
Have you had a loved one who died? Notice I said “had”, because #death is the absence of life. None of us want to talk about dying, but we know that our mortal bodies cannot last forever. As I age, I realize how swiftly time goes bye as I watch my speed just fly away! When death comes to the young or those in the prime of their lives, we are mortified. Everyday I am thankful for all the young men and women who have given their lives voluntarily serving and protecting our freedom. I am brought to my knees in humble adoration before our Savior, Jesus Christ who shouldered my sin by dying at the prime of His earthly life on that heinous cross while suffering His sacrificial death so that I can now choose to live eternally with Him. His earthly death has given me everlasting life. He is the way, the truth, and the life. This is our choice – life with Christ our Redeemer or /my way day by day! Rom.5:6-10 “For we were without strength, in due time CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY. Perhaps for a righteous man will one die: or for a good man some would even dare to die. But GOD commends His love toward us while we were yet sinners, CHRIST DIED FOR US. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. When we were enemies, we were reconciled to GOD by the death of His Son, even more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Through His death He brings forth our new eternal life. “For CHRIST DIED FOR ALL that we should no longer live unto ourselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” 11Corth.5:15
THE LIVING GOD #LAMB
Our first born daughters’ favorite #toy was a stuffed lamb. She learned at a very young age that the lamb was #comforting to her. We would put the lamb on the #shelf where she could see but not touch; however, that was not the same as holding it. Through the years that stuffed lamb was not as pristine or white, but showed the results of many hugs and tears. (Just between us, I think that lamb is still around with her keepsakes) That was just a toy, a replica of a real lamb. Thirty years later on our farm, we raised real sheep that had precious lambs, but surprise, they didn’t stay pristine white either after all they were grazing in our red Georgia clay fields. Now why would I be talking about a lamb? The Bible does…in Jer,22:29 “Hear the word of the LORD” John 1:29 John was baptizing and saw Jesus coming and said, “BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD” Why a lamb? Why God’s lamb? What’s a lamb got to do with removing sin before God? The Lord instructed Moses as recorded in Exodus 12 to kill an unblemished lamb, place it’s blood on the doorposts and lintel, then roast with fire and eat it in haste while standing so the LORD would PASSOVER all who whose entrance was covered by the blood of the lamb. This miracle of our Lord has been commemorated each year since then. Would you believe God’s perfect timing? In Jerusalem at the same time that people were taking the sacrificial lambs to their homes to observe Passover — Jesus (the Lamb) was being carried on a colt into Jerusalem – no coincidence! Each individual had to partake of the lamb and recognize the saving blood covering them from the death angel that night in Egypt. Today each of us can accept Jesus Christ sacrifice for our individual sin before our Heavenly Father by asking the spotless lamb to cover our sin. Remember the sacrificial lamb! Don’t put the LAMB OF GOD on a shelf, but hold Him and feel His comforting love then “the LAMB in the center of the throne shall be their SHEPHERD and shall GUIDE them to springs of the water of life, and God shall wipe every tear from their eyes” Rev.7:17
THE LIVING GOD #SWEET SAVOR
Savor is defined by Webster as a distinguishing smell that delights and has distinctive characteristics in its’ presence. We all know the difference between the moldy/musky and the fresh/airy smells when we are out and about. Recently I had to go nosing around at an antique mall where I was searching for a replacement of an old hand blown glass window pane from the 1800 era. They had some stacks of salvaged windows piled in a musty basement which one of the men offered to help me search. So with my measuring tape and a strong helper, I leaned over and examined them one by one while he maneuvered the windows. When we finished the search, he quietly said to me, “Your hair smells good”. I said, “Thank You” (I knew he didn’t have alzheimer’s cause he could smell even over that stale musty basement enclosure) Have you ever had someone walk by you who was wearing a certain perfume that you immediately associated with another individual who always wore that scent? Was it a sweet savor or stinky sweet? You know what I mean was it- overpowering ..lingering….suffocating…or pleasant…refreshing…appealing? God created all things with a unique savor. Even hound dogs can track by smell. If we have our own savor, does GOD have a scent? What does the Bible say? 11Corth.2:14-16 “Now thanks be to GOD , who always leads us to triumph in CHRIST, and makes manifest the SWEET SAVOR OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIM IN EVERY PLACE. FOR WE ARE A SWEET SAVOR (FRAGRANCE) OF CHRIST TO GOD AMONG THOSE WHO ARE BEING SAVED AND THOSE WHO ARE PERISHING” Eph.5:2 “Be followers of God….walk in love, as CHRIST also has love us, and has given himself for us an OFFERING and a SACRIFICE TO GOD FOR A SWEET-SMELLING SAVOR” What is your fragrance of choice?
VOICE OF THE LIVING GOD
#Voice recognition is amazing! I was in a small dress shop last week asking the salesperson about an item when a woman at the checkout called out my name while coming over to give me a hug. We had not seen each other for over ten years, but she said she recognized my voice. We all have distinct detonation, accent, and tone when phrasing our words which makes us distinctive. I have always been partial to a low mellow voice which I find very pleasant. I even married a man with a God given voice that was so suited for proclaiming God’s Word to a listening crowd. Even today, I recognize Nat King Cole’s voice from recordings like “When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever” that he made back in the 50s. Here in 2017 I enjoy the group Home Free with their great voices. Do you have voices that you immediately recognize? Could it be a singer, preacher, friend, teacher, spouse, child, mother, or father? What are your ears tuned into? Prov.7:24 “Listen unto Me now..and attend to the words of My mouth” Is.28:23 “Give your ear, and HEAR MY VOICE: listen and hear my speech” John10:27 “Jesus said, My sheep HEAR MY VOICE AND I KNOW THEM AND THEY FOLLOW ME” Rom.10:17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the WORD OF GOD” Rev.3:20″I stand at the door and knock: IF ANY MAN HEAR MY VOICE, and open the door, I will come into him and will sup with him and he with Me” John 15:11 Jesus said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full” While I have mentioned two musical voices that bring me joy there is another message in my choices for I pray you too will Fall in love forever with Jesus Christ so you will be Home Free with Him ETERNALLY!