quick quotes

Give me five minutes with a person's checkbook, and I will tell you where their heart is.

God has given us two hands, one to receive with and the other to give with.

I've read the last page of the Bible. It's all going to turn out all right.

Billy Graham

live my faith – a privilege and a responsibility

A couple of weeks ago, my sweetie narrated the Christmas Presentation at our church. I listened to him recite his narration quite a few times. Each time, there were two words that caught my attention. I thought about how powerful and how significant these words are.

The words are ‘privilege’ and ‘responsibility’.

As Christians, it’s our privilege and honor and pleasure and joy and desire to love God, to serve God, to worship God, to glorify God, to praise God, to trust God, to respect God, to believe in God, to live for God, to be faithful to God. It’s our privilege to exalt the Holy name of God, to be thankful servants, and pray directly to our Lord and Savior.

Along with privilege, comes responsibility. As Christians, we are to eagerly study God’s Word, and follow His will for our lives. It’s our responsibility to share God’s gospel and love and hope and forgiveness and grace and mercy and peace. God gave each of us blessings and abilities, and it’s our duty to use our time and our talents to serve Him. It’s our obligation to willingly devote and commit ourselves to Him. Our lives are to be witnesses for God.

It seems I often read and study the Word of God and listen to His teachings thru His church, and stop there. And, that’s just wrong. I must go beyond the reading and the studying and the listening, to the point of passionately living my faith.


I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the LORD: the humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together. Psalm 34:1-3 NAS

quick quotes

If God gives you a watch, are you honoring Him more by asking Him what time it is or by simply consulting the watch?

What I believe about God is the most important thing about me.

It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.

A W Tozer

the paths of my life

When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
Isaiah 43:2-3 NIV

When I have a difficult or painful or frustrating or distressing time in my life, it’s hard to walk thru unknown waters. Where is it miry? What creatures are lurking? I can’t see what’s around me. Are there any clear waters? Is some of the water shallow? Where is it deep? How far will I have to swim? And, I’m not a good swimmer. I am frightened. I don’t want to go alone.


I need strength and courage and faith.

When I find myself on the wrong side a riverbank, I have to cross to the other side. The water is raging. The rapids are powerful. I see white waters and boulders and waterfalls and turns and twists and strong currents. Will I be swept away? Is it impossible to cross? Can I do this by myself? I can hardly think with the crashing sounds around me. I am frightened. I don’t want to go alone.

I need strength and courage and faith.

When I’m face to face with fire, I don’t know what to expect. I know I can walk thru the fire and not be burned. Fire symbolizes purification and cleansing and correcting and light. It also represents God’s power and God’s presence, and the Holy Spirit. The fire of my heart needs to be (re)kindled. It should burn with love and compassion that will spread God’s flames of kindness, melting the hearts of others. This is a considerable responsibility. I am frightened. I don’t want to go alone.


I need strength and courage and faith.

I need God.

God is the one who can calm my fears.
God will never leave me alone.
I depend on God for strength and courage and faith.
It is God who purifies my heart and He uses me to spread His love and compassion.

it’s not my will, it’s His

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7 NAS

I use to think (years and years ago) this verse meant I could ask God for anything I wanted, and He would give it to me. Sort of like I could wish for anything at all, and He would immediately grant my wish(es). And, when I never got what I asked for, I didn’t understand. I was disappointed. I was frustrated. I was discouraged. I hate to admit this, but sometimes I was angry. I just didn’t understand!

But, wait! Eventually I came upon 1 John 5:14 (and numerous other verses). I paid attention! It clearly shows I was wrong, wrong, wrong. Why in the world did I expect the trivial things? Things that didn’t matter? Insignificant? Selfish? Why did I ask for them in the first place? What was I thinking? It’s not about me. It’s all about God.

What is prayer all about? To praise God. To be sincere and earnest. To pray in faith. To ask for forgiveness. To pray for His will. Pray for guidance. To pray for thankfulness. Pray for others. Etc.

What else? I depend on God. I need God. God is my Savior and Lord. He supplies my needs. (That is needs, not wants.) Yes, I know...without God, I am nothing, nothing, nothing.

I pray for God’s will in my life and I know He hears my prayers. God’s will, not mine. I believe and I trust and I serve and I have faith in God. He never promised the narrow road would be easy. The paragraph below (I think I found it in a commentary) speaks much better than I can:

We must come away with the realization that prayer is not dictating to God, but a humble and heartfelt expression of our attitude of dependency and need. Because of this, the one who truly prays is submissive to God's will, content with Him supplying his need according to the dictates of His sovereign pleasure. The result of this, combined with the infusion of God's attitudes and thoughts as we draw near to Him, will work to create us in His image.
This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 1 John 5:14 NAS

jeremiah...

quick quotes

*Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.

*To know the will of God, we need an open Bible and an open map.

*Is not the commission of our Lord still binding upon us? Can we not do more than now we are doing?

William Carey

father of modern missions

pioneer missionary to India

closed eyes, open heart

While watching a Gaither Homecoming show last night, I heard one of my very best truly most cherished greatest ever finest especially loved favorite Christmas songs. It’s one of those songs I can listen to over and over and over and over again.

It’s one of those songs I’d rather listen to with eyes closed. Maybe to keep distractions away, maybe to become part of the words and music, and maybe in the darkness, I can freely worship God from deep within. Mostly, because of all three.

The words, written by Mark Lowry, came from a unique point of view. He wondered what Mary was thinking and how she felt holding the newborn baby Jesus. Lowry came up with questions he’d ask Mary. With the words, Buddy Greene added the music. And, hence, the song, ‘Mary Did You Know?’
(For the story behind the song, check this link: http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/2002/novdec/16.18.html)

Mary Did You Know?
Words by Mark Lowry, Music by Buddy Greene

Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you’ve kissed the face of God.

The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I Am.

lie (part 2)

In lie (part 1), I admitted that I (verbally) lied.

What is a lie?

It’s deliberately and intentionally and knowingly saying something that isn’t true. It’s consciously deceiving by a false expression or by a false impression. A lie can be spoken, a lie can be an action, a lie can be so many things, and a lie can be said or done in many ways.

As a Christian, when my actions or my thoughts or my words are against the teachings of Jesus, I consider these things are lies.

I pray that I will do and pray that I will say and pray that I will be honest and that I will be stronger and that I will strive to live in accordance with God’s will for my life.

In lie (part 1), I had an opportunity to be kind, to meet a need, to share Jesus. How many opportunities have I let slip away???

And again, the Bible is full of verses regarding compassion, and caring, and loving, and sharing, and hope. And again, I need to study the Bible and live what I have learned.

*For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
Matthew 25:35-36 NIV

*Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Luke 6:38 NIV

*But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:3-4

*Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.
1 Peter 3:8 NIV

*He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.
Proverbs 19:17 NIV

lie (part 1)

I told a lie last week. I knew it was a lie, but I said it anyway.

As I walked out of the mall, a small SUV slowed to a stop. The man inside said “Ma'am, we are asking everyone we see to help us.” A woman in the passenger seat stared at me expressionless. Next, he said, “we don’t have much gas and this is all the money we have (holding up a ten dollar bill).” Then, he pulled two pictures from his wallet. They were of a young girl. He held up the pictures and said they had to get to Wilmington to see her. She was critically ill.

I told him I was sorry, but I didn’t have any money. Before he drove away, he said “Thank you ma'am, and God bless you.”

I told a lie. I knew it was lie, but I said it anyway. I did have money. I had $14. Why didn’t I give him the money? As they left, I felt terrible. I don’t always have money to spare, but last week I did.

There is never a justification for lying. Plain and simple, lying is a sin. (Yes, the encounter did make me feel a little uncomfortable. Crime has increased, especially during the holidays. I try to be aware of my surroundings and I’m extra careful.) Yet still, plain and simple, lying is a sin.

Maybe I should have given him my $14. Maybe I should have been compassionate. Maybe I should have helped. Maybe? Maybe I should have? There is absolutely, positively, definitely, undeniably, never ‘maybe’! Without any doubt, God commands truthfulness!

I’m a Christian, but I failed miserably. Truthfulness is a commandment, but I failed to obey. I’m thankful that God forgives me of my sins. I’m grateful that the Word of God teaches me the way I should go. I pray that next time, I will be honest and truthful, and do what God has instructed.

I knew it was a lie, yet I said it anyway.

A lie is a lie is a lie.

The Bible is full of verses regarding lying, dishonesty, and deceit:

Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him
Colossians 3:9-10 NAS

There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood,
Proverbs 6:16-17

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
Ephesians 4:25 NIV

"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
Exodus 20:16 (NIV)

two roads

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Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost

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pause ‘n ponder

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the path...

(I’m not a writer and I tend to ramble, ramble. I just reread this post, and I have not the first idea on how to tie all this together. But, here goes...)

Sometimes I don’t know where I’ve been, sometimes I don’t know where I am, and sometimes I don’t know where I’m going. I may have fallen from a cliff. I may have tripped and landed in briars. I may have slipped in some mud. I may have not paid attention. I may have wondered from the path.

What is this path I’m walking? It can be rutted and beautiful and uneven and steady and rocky and smooth and bumpy and bright and shaky and rugged and hard and rough and fragile and tough. It doesn’t matter what I face on my path, I’m following and walking with Jesus.

It is difficult. But, I chose to follow the narrow path when I asked Jesus into my life. And, Jesus never, ever leaves my side. He promised.

Just read these three verses:

have faith in the straight path

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

follow the brilliant path

the path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

Proverbs 4:18 NIV

pursue the secure path

Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.

Proverbs 4:26 NIV

worthy words

because

Because the world is hungry,
go with bread.
Because the world is filled with strife,
go with peace.
Because the world is filled with deceptions and lies,

go with truth.
Because the world would die without,
go with the love of God.

more joy, holy joy, Jesus joy, awesome joy

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for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

Nehemiah 8:10 NIV

Happiness is caused by things that happen around me, and circumstances will mar it; but joy flows right on through trouble; joy flows on through the dark; joy flows in the night as well as in the day; joy flows all through persecution and opposition. It is an unceasing fountain bubbling up in the heart; a secret spring the world can't see and doesn't know anything about. The Lord gives his people perpetual joy when they walk in obedience to him.

D.L. Moody

Happiness depends on what happens; joy does not.

Oswald Chambers

forgiven?

Earlier this week, I heard that a guy I went to school with had died. I hadn’t thought about him in years and years, and probably haven’t seen him since high school graduation (31 years ago). My initial reaction was “I’m sorry he died, but...” ‘But?’

‘But.’ was followed by “particularly in the middle school years, he made my life utterly miserable.” That guy picked on me relentlessly, saying things he knew would cause the most pain. He never gave up. It was embarrassing. It was hurtful. It was cruel. It was excruciating. It was hateful. It was brutal. It was downright horrific. All these years later, the memories are still there.

I don’t know if I ever forgave him. True, all this time, I haven’t thought about him. But, have I ever forgiven him? I’d hidden these memories far, far away, yet now I remember them quite well. But, have I ever forgiven him? I’m an adult now, and things like that don’t bother me. But, have I ever forgiven him?

The Bible is very clear about forgiveness. I have a lot of prayer and soul searching to do...

bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
Luke 6:28

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Matthew 5:44

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
Mark 11:25-26

time

A Time for Everything

(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ESV)

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

We serve Jesus by following in His footsteps on the path He has already laid out for us and has prepared for us. The path of our Lord is our path of life. The path of Christ is the path of the cross.

Sometimes I veer far away from the path. Sometimes I feel lost, I lose my way, I lose my direction, I take a wrong turn, I lose my focus, I wander off. Sometimes I stumble, and I trip, and I fall. The path is narrow, and there are rocks and roots and bumps. The path has sharp turns and curves and valleys and mountains.

If only I could/would always keep my eyes on Jesus, and follow in His footsteps.
God shows me the path to take. He guides me, He teaches me, He directs me....
But, I have to do my part...study the Word of God, pray to God, grow in God, praise God, live for God....

And, stay on the path with Jesus...

You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11 NIV

He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Psalm 23:3 NIV

Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; Psalm 25:4 NIV

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path Psalm 119:105 NIV

finding joy

I came across this topic, and was reminded that joy, holy joy, is not to be hidden away. It doesn’t matter if my circumstances are discouraging or difficult or daunting or demanding or disappointing or desperate or devastating. Joy remains in my heart – Jesus joy. There are times I can’t find that joy, but I know that joy is still there.

There was a children’s song that went – “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart. Where?” etc – and ended with “down in my heart to stay!”
First of all, Jesus suffered on this earth. Job went thru unspeakable circumstances, and he still had Jesus joy. When Paul was in prison, he knew that having joy didn’t depend on his circumstances. Moses, Noah, Jacob, Timothy, Adam and Eve – the Bible tells of numerous men who suffered. Actually, all mankind suffers. Christians suffer. We were told that we would suffer. But we need to remember that we still have joy – Jesus joy.

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.
Job 8:21 NIV

Even in laughter the heart may ache, and joy may end in grief.
Proverbs 14:13 NIV

Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.
Psalms 126:5 NIV

He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.
Psalm 126:6 NIV

amazing love

You Are My King (Amazing Love)

I was driving home yesterday with the volume turned up. (‘CD 2, track 2’ may show some wear.) During the almost two hour drive, I played the same song over and over and over again. I want the words imprinted on my heart.

The lyrics speak of glory and honor, of praise and worship, of love and sacrifice, of grace and forgiveness, of encouragement and joy, of devotion and trust, of comfort and strength, of hope and peace.

And yes, the lyrics speak to me.

Why did my King die for me? For me? His is an amazing love. A love that is awesome and true.

Amazing love,
how can it be,
that You my king would die for me?*


*You are my King (Amazing Love) – various artists