Disturbing question May 31

 

        Some ask: “Where is God when disaster happens? Why does he let a tornado hit what appears to be innocent people? What is going on anyway?

There are hard and hurtful questions. When we start asking  “Why” we are looking for human reason for an explanation. Maybe “why” is the wrong question. Perhaps, we should be asking ”what” more, as in what can we see will come from any disaster. Answers may vary, but one response is certain.

Acts 14: 17 indicates God is never without his witness. We need to trust in His presence.

Intriguing Story May 30

Amazing how Jesus uses everyday practices to get points of living embedded in the mind, like in Mark 4:8.

Seeds fell. . . stands for we receive.

Growth happens. . . a renewing response.

Increase happens. . . more renewal.

30 to 60 to 100. . . unlimited reproduction.

So, here is one interpretation:

1)   Expect the Holy Spirit to speak to us. [seeds]

2)   Wait to hear what is spoken. [our growth]

3)   Cooperate with Holy Spirit. [pay attention with action]

4)   God always speaks through His word. [Scripture shows guidelines]

Correcting the Mind May 28

 

 

As a believer in the kind of walk and life Christ proposes, one way to practice renewing our mind is to enter a commitment to retrain our thinking.

We live in a mass communication culture that promotes the downfall of our senses everywhere we look.

For instance, if you glance at something, it doesn’t have to affect your senses. But if you stare at something, you usually imprint the object on one or more of your senses.

So, the renewing of the mind means we should only stare at stars, a baby, wildlife, any of God’s messages. Try to avoid the false imprints.

Like when you meet someone, where do your eyes go first?

Where do your thoughts go?

Retrain your eyes, feelings, thoughts to honor the Lord.

An Impossible verse May 25

  

A shaking word comes to us in Philippians 2:5,

 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”

Now, there are other interpretations but think about the struggle to have the MIND of Christ.

        Our mind gets formed by our perspective, how we see things. These are influenced by the 5 senses: taste, touch, smell, and hear qualities.                                 Wow! How do we control those?

One way, at least, exists that we can partner with the Holy Spirit to work on the mind.

        Think about the verse and follow tomorrow’s answer.

 

How surprising is God? May 24

     

 

For the believer, you have heard that God is so large that he knows all the sparrows. He even can count the hairs of your head.

But did you also know He---

1.   Keeps your tears in a bottle… Ps. 56:8

2.   Keeps your prayers in a bowl…Rev. 5:8.

           

Finding Treasure May 23

I remember as a kid, my friend and I would bury small toy figures and say that one day these would be “buried treasure” for someone.

It appears, everyone likes to think about finding treasure. Usually, the idea is connected with silver, gold, or jewelry of some kind. Sometimes the thought of art enters the picture. It must be the “seek and find” quality built into all of us.

And yet, I am reminded of 2 Cor. 4:7 in a modern translation.

“Our bodies are made of clay, yet we have the treasure of the Good News in them. This shows that the superior power of this TREASURE BELONGS TO God and doesn’t come from us.” [God’s Word Translation.]

Keep searching.  

Our Hope Today May 22

 

No matter what version of scripture you read, the truth is here for the believers.

        “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”   Psalm 34: 17-18.

Guides for “Going Beyond” May 20

For the believers, walking with Christ, who believe we will not only go beyond this world someday, but we are challenged to go beyond our present circumstances in this life. . . a good idea is to create and keep a growing list of guides from scripture to help us go beyond.

        Examples:  Sorrow….”those that mourn…”  Mt.5:4

                        Crisis…. “where is your faith?...” Luke 8: 22-25

                        Lonely….”I am with you…. Mt.28:20.

Then make your own.

How to do Meekness May 18

 

Some theologians think that the Beatitude “Blessed are the meek…” is actually one of the most important references in the Bible. Why? Because it outlines the heart of the whole Jesus result of his plot to show humanity that submission becomes the now power instead of whoever is the strongest in stature.

In relationship, for the Christian to follow meekness, one approach is the willingness to allow another person time to grow even in their incorrectness. We do not have to correct everyone. Sometimes [ painfully] we have to endure them the right to be wrong. Kingdom values imply that personal relationships [ at times] are often more important than corrective ideas.

The Final Answer May 17

 

 

All want it. There is no more desirable want. Everyone yearns to possess it. It is the most mysterious but attainable possession. But it needs to come from the right source.

1 Jo. 4: 7-12

A Prayer May 16

 

 

Lord, 

Maker and Ruler of all things, help us recognize your work and will today, as a new resurrection day for all.

Almost a strange scripture May 15

 

In the book of Philippians 2: 7, the Apostle Paul writes that Christ Jesus “emptied himself” by taking on the position and form of a servant.

So, what does this mean for us?

Jesus was a man. He had a self. He had a willingness to do what he wanted. For him to empty himself meant he gave up the Self for something or someone else. This is the whole picture of the Cross and Resurrection. By giving his very own Self, he becomes our substitute as we have to give our self as well. “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Christ becomes our motivator.

More Armor of God May 14

 

 

View the picture of protection in Eph. 6: 10-19.

Put on something on your waist, should be a belt of truth.

Wear your shoes of peace.

Put on a shield/ shirt of faith to cover your heart/emotions.

Wear the hat of salvation to cover your intellect.

Carry the two-edged sword of attitude of Holy Spirit.

Then raise your awareness, stay there, and pray.

 

Scripture Symbolism May 13

At times the Bible gives examples that are not only historically literal in meaning, but they have symbolic or metaphoric [spiritual] meanings. For example, scriptures like “give us this day our daily bread” or “the bread of life” statements that actually give more meaning to the word “bread.”  Bread can stand for all the things needed in this life, like money, health, education, family, almost anything needed.

So, in some sense, scripture does not nail down the “How tos” beyond showing the God/principles we are to discover and learn in order to get to know who God is and make our own applications.

Sometimes, the Apostle Paul, may give a specific set of instructions, like he does in Eph. 6:10-19 on how to combat temptation, yet it still has much symbolic meaning.

More of this to come next.

Real Truth to Live May 10

 

Mark 1:22 says, “ And they were completely astonished at His teaching, for He was teaching as one who possessed authority and not as scribes.”

Why should we believe what the Bible says? Why should we even consider what the reported Jesus said?

The smartest, most learned men were amazed at this non-instructed, non-educated man who taught such wisdom.

Because when Jesus spoke, God the Father spoke. When Jesus spoke, unconditional love spoke.

When Jesus speaks, undeniable truth speaks. When Jesus speaks, authentic living is the right kind of living.

Moving Through Pain May 9

 

        A prime example of one moving through the worst pain is the follower Stephen in Acts 7:60 when he was stoned to death. He kept the faith all during his pain because he was grounded in Christ.

The question was asked, “When two athletes have the same physical and mental skills to play the same position on a team, what makes one better than the other?”

A study was conducted to find out.

What they discovered made everyone go, “Huh.”

They found that the better athlete was the one who would keep playing while hurt.

As true believers we have to keep playing while hurt.

 

More Hurt May 8

 

Some hurt happens and then it goes away. Some hurt happens and it lingers into a kind of grief. Grief stirs because the realness of a situation becomes feared. Sorrow starts to outweigh some pleasure principle.  Most lingering hurt can come from the intensity of the memories. All hurt and grief points to the sometimes-hidden truth that death happens. We do not like to admit we are not God. We still want to control. And yet, true grief runs us hard into what seems an immovable wall.

And yet, the actual time of hurting may also be a time for healing. It is a time  of reestablishing our faith degree. We have to remember John 8: 51.

(Tomorrow: See the next story)

What about grief? May 7

A kind of grief begins when a sorrow becomes real. And with any sorrow comes pain and we engage all our forces of energy to face it.

But there is a system in place known as a substitutionary sacrifice.

        As an extended part of Jehovah Father’s love, Jesus, the Son, absorbs all hurts of believers. [ Mark 10:45] Jesus does this by paying the ransom of sin for us with his service. So, through Christ, in our daily living, we are to discover the right moves through sorrow to find some joy.

(More on this next)

Everyday Prayer for Believer May 6.

 

Truly, Truly Heavenly Father, Lord of all, to you who know all secrets,

Make any connections with the Holy Spirit to retrain our senses and thoughts, so we may learn your perfect love [John 13:34] through your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ our Lord.

Do we blend? May 4

Not everything is one way or another. Blending happens. The old one: You have hydrogen. You have moisture. Mix correctly, you have oxygen. H2O.  

When we enter the promise and reality of the kingdom of Jehovah, we experience a new kind of person, a blending upgrade.

What difference does it make? Jesus said it best,” the secrets of the kingdom of God have been given you. . .” [ Luke 8:10, Holman Bible]

Our journey now is to explore “the secrets”, the real truths of God, based on the journey that we are more than the sum of our parts. We have a heavenly blend.

Our Desire May 3

 

Our most prayerful desire should be that Jehovah Father will receive recognition of His Grace, Glory, and Kingship of all.

 

When we truly seek God’s honor in prayer, then whatever and however he decides to speak will actually become an answer to our prayer. 

Did Jesus have demon? May 1

 

The religious leaders of his day saw the Son of God performing unusual acts of healing. They asked him if he had a demon [John 48-50].

Because he did not fit their image of God, they assigned an idea of a

special being to explain Jesus’s behavior. It is not unlike today when men try to give another explanation to God’s working.

But Jesus answers with what I think has heart felt emotion in it. As he looked at them, he responded that he had no demon, that he was honoring, by his actions, heavenly Father. He did not even seek his own glory but was demonstrating the Father’s glory.

That glory, again, was  heavenly Father, who does not force belief through manipulating power but displays humble absorption.

Later, part of Jesus becoming glorified means the Holy Spirit becomes universal for everyone and therefore, becomes ultimate love/power, more all comprehensive and covering any failure when confessed.

He goes on to say in verse 51 that truly, truly [ which is amen, amen or yes, yes], that if anyone keeps his word, they will not see death.

He reaffirms a willingness to make eternal life universal for anyone. He establishes life over death for those who desire real life.