CGC Bible Study

Protection 8 ~ Hem ~ Surround

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:52:00 PST

Hello Everyone!

This is our last post for the series on Protection that we started on January 1

with "Wings".

Others include:

Shadow of His Wings
Hedge
Watches
Shield
Refuge
Shelter

Now today, we finish with "Hem or Surround".

Here are 3 Scriptures:

"For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield."
–Psalm 5:12

"You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance." Selah
–Psalm 32:7

"You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me."
Psalm 139:5

Our wonderful Creator starts "hemming" us in, surrounding us with His

protection,the moment we are created in our mother's womb.

Psalm 139 is one of the most beautiful chapters in the Bible regarding God

being All-Knowing and Ever-Present and may I add All-Protecting.

Verse 13 says:

" For You created my inmost being;
You knit me together in my mother's womb."

"You so guide me with your hand, that I can turn no way, but where you appoint me. "
–The 1599 Geneva Study Bible

"God has set us where we be, and beset (to be covered with) us wherever we be. Behind us there is God recording our sins, or in grace blotting out the remembrance of them; and before us there is God foreknowing all our deeds, and providing for all our wants. We cannot turn back and so escape him, for he is behind; we cannot go forward and out-march him, for he is before. He not only beholds us, but he besets us." (definition in parenthesis is mine)
–Charles Spurgeon

How would it feel to be "hemmed" in with God?

To be surrounded...

To be covered on all sides...

To be enveloped...

in His protection and love?

Would you feel loved?

Would you feel cared for?

Would you feel like you mattered to Him?

At this point, I would like to talk about another type of Protection.

This may seem not to fit....

but stay with me and hopefully you will see that is does.

I read Psalm 23 this last week.

I would like to have a dollar bill

for every time I have read that Psalm...

Now, I am not into prosperity preaching,

I am just using a figure of speech...

But this last week, verse 5 was for me.

I love, love, love it when the Lord does that...

He made me "hover" over that verse and I could not leave it until I knew all that

there was for me to know at this time.

Here it is:

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies."

My mind first went to the word picture of the Old West (really, it did!)

I can see the Indians high up on the tops of the hills or cliffs.

They are sitting there with their war paint on their faces and they are

holding those real long spears with feathers streaming off of them.

They are looking down to the valley below where a caravan of Conestoga

wagons are parked.

The wagons are in a circle and the families are busily.....

preparing their supper in plain view of their enemies!!

They are setting a long wooden table with dishes and dishes of food.

They are watching the fires under the kettles, so they stay hot enough to cook

what is in those great big pots.

They are not looking up to the top of the cliff or hill.

They are at peace, carrying on with their daily tasks at hand.

They are not cowering under the wagons and shaking with fear.

They are not thinking that their world is coming to an end.

They know that they are being protected by an unseen Hand.

They are being covered, surrounded with His care when everything around

them goes wrong.

Here is another different slant on this verse.

Have any of you ever read "A Shepherd looks at Psalm 23"

by W. Phillip Keller?

It was written in 1970.

I highly recommend his books, especially this one.

For verse 5 he says:

"In thinking about this statement, it is well to bear in mind that

(in the summer) the sheep are approaching the high mountain country.

These are known as alplands or tablelands.

So it may be seen that what David referred to as a table was actually the entire

high summer range.

Though these (ranges are) remote and hard to reach, the energetic and aggressive

sheep owner takes the time and trouble to ready them for the arrival of his flocks.

He takes along a supply of salt and minerals to be distributed over the range at

strategic spots for the benefits of the sheep during the summer.

The intelligent, careful manager will also decide well ahead of time where his

camps will be located so the sheep have the best bed grounds.

He will check to see if there are poisonous weeds appearing, and if so,

he will plan his grazing program to avoid them, or take drastic steps to

eradicate them.

The parallel in the Christian life is clear.

To forestall our getting into (deadly) grief of this sort, we need to remember

our Master has been there ahead of us, coping with every situation which

would otherwise undo us."

Our Protector.

He "hems" us in and surrounds us with His care and His love.

Yes, we will have trials and troubles,

but as I said in the last post,

"He shall give us the best of shelter in the worst of danger."

Thank You, Lord for Your hedge of Protection.
Thank You that You care enough about us to watch over us
and to go ahead in our pathway and be our Shield.
You hide us under Your wings,
even in the Shadow of Your wings.
You are our Refuge, our Rock in shaky times.
You are our Shelter in the storm when the "strong
furious sea winds" try to push us down.
Without You we would be "doing life on our own",
standing alone.
Call on Him today to be your Protector and your Provider.
He is able.

Amen.

Debbie G.

Protection 7 ~ Shelter

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 09:35:00 PST

Hello Everyone!

Please allow me to thank those that reply to this blog.

Some do through the comment link at the bottom of the post.

Some through Facebook or in a card sent to us,

or family members or friends telling us over the phone....

thank you so much.

I appreciate the feedback!

≥≥This post is about "Shelter", the 7th topic in our Protection series.

The word "Shelter" occurs 24 times in 23 verses in the

in the New International Version.

Here are the 6 verses that I wanted to use:

"For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock."
–Psalm 27:5

"In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues."
–Psalm 31:20

"I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm."
–Psalm 55:8

"I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Selah"
–Psalm 61:4

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty."
–Psalm 91:1

"Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor."
–Ecclesiastes 7:12

Of all of these gr8t Scriptures, the one that "stuck" out to me was the first one.

(The last one I thought was very interesting, though...)

Here is Psalm 27:5 in the King James Version:

"For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock." (all italics ~ mine)

The King James Version uses the word "Pavilion" for shelter.

Pavilion comes from the Latin word "Papilio" which means "butterfly; tent."

Can you see the picture of a tent looking like a butterfly?

Maybe like this one:

(i can see it!!)

Hmmmmmm.......

Reminds me of our first post on January 1 for this Protection series.

"Wings"

Psalm 17:8-9 in The Message Bible:

"Keep Your eye on me; hide me under Your cool wing feathers
from the wicked who are out to get me, from mortal enemies closing in."

Now where I come from...the shelters look kinda like this:

I have had some great memories in shelters like this and

one awful one.

Last year, my husband and I were meeting some families with their

children for a picnic at our local park.

Well...everything was fine when we were driving there.

All of a sudden the sky turned dark and it began to rain.

We thought...we're OK, we are under this shelter house.

Well...those rain drops started coming down harder

and harder

and harder...

Next thing we knew they were coming at us in horizontal lines (Yikes!)

In a flash, we were soaked to our skin!!

The children started crying.

The adults weren't too far from it.

Because we looked out the parking lot a stone's throw away

and we could barely see our cars!!

It was raining that hard!!

That is one event in a shelter house that I will never forget!!

So much for our picnic!!

While doing a search for shelter, I came upon this shelter in

England...

A Majestic Fish Tail Shelter!

Located in England at Blackpool’s newly regenerated South Shore Promenade, the “Rotating Shelter” by Ian McChesney is an 8-meter-tall wind vane that will counter the strong sea winds and shelter the inhabitants sitting at the base. The shelter is finished with resilient “Duplex” stainless steel and stands tall at eight meters. Sitting on a turntable (4-meter diameter) with a built-in damper to control the speed of rotation, the shelter is designed to rotate according to the prevailing wind direction. The radical shelter works around two key elements - the vane, which rotates the structure - and a baffle that protects the occupants from the furious sea wind. The shelter is not just functional in use, but also boasts an artistic design, which bestowed it with the prestigious Civic Trust Award.

"Sitting on a turntable (4-meter diameter) with a built-in damper to control the speed of rotation, the shelter is designed to rotate according to the prevailing wind direction."

God is our shelter.

We live in a rotating, turning, sometimes Tilt-a-World – World.

God is still our shelter when our world experiences some "strong furious sea

wind".

Sometimes we are bent against that strong wind.

Sometimes we fall down when the we can't stand up anymore.

Praise God that He is our "vane and baffle" to get between us and that

wind!!

We may be pushing against that wind, trying for all our might to stand up.

We may be pushed down to the ground...

But God...

But God is our shelter from the storm.

But God is our "hand up" when we are down.

He helps us brush ourselves off and binds our wounds.

He helps us learn from those falls.

We may experience trials and storms in our lives,

But God is our Protector.

Charles Spurgeon says it this way:

"For in the time of trouble, that needy time, that time when others forsake me, he shall hide me in his pavilion: he shall give me the best of shelter in the worst of danger. The royal pavilion was erected in the centre of the army, and around it all the mighty men kept guard at all hours; thus in that divine sovereignty which almighty power is sworn to maintain, the believer peacefully is hidden, hidden not by himself furtively, but by the king, who hospitably entertains him."

He shall give me the best of shelter in the worst of danger.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus,

'Til Next Post,

Debbie G.

Protection 6 ~ Refuge

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 08:47:00 PST

Hello Everyone!

This post on our series about "Protection" is about refuge.

What are the first things that pop into your mind

when you hear the word "refuge"?...

shelter
sanctuary
hide-a-way
rock
safe haven
escape
stronghold
retreat
security

During this snowy season, (I read in online news today, that all 49

states have had snow or a dusting of snow this winter ~ WOW!)

we may have felt as though our home was our refuge.

We snuggled down in our blankets and kept toasty warm.

I've been on Google Images again...

Here is what I found when I typed in "refuge" or "refuge in the storm">>>

(if you look real close...that is a fortress/castle on top of the waterfall...
...interesting...)

(beautiful colors, don't you think?)

(i like the light shining through the windows and the fact that the church...
has no destruction...)

Another form of a refuge could be the enfolding of a loved one's arms around

you in the form of a shelter ~ a comforting hug:

Sometimes I have felt that my car was a refuge, when it was pouring down

rain...

and I was safe and dry inside.

Sometimes our umbrellas could be a kinda-sorta of a form of

a refuge or

a protection:

(the one lone guy doesn't seem to be having fun...)

I had to include this picture.

Have you ever been caught in a down-pour during a picnic?

These poor people are trying to find a refuge:

On a little more serious note,

Susannah Wesley

who lived from 1669 to 1742,

had 19 children, but 9 died as infants. (how horrible that would be to live through.)

She was a very successful mother, with 2 of her children being

Charles and John Wesley.

Charles wrote over 9,000. hymns. He and his brother, John, are largely credited

with the founding of the English Methodist church.

I found a blog which lists the TOP 10 reasons why we should study Susannah's life.

Click here to view the list.

Susannah made her own refuge.

Here is reason #9:

9. Susannah made time to pray.

Susannah Wesley prayed two hours a day. She organized her children so this could be accomplished. She had a system by which they would take care of each other, and this was the root of Methodism. (In the beginning, what distinguished Methodists was their system). John and Charles, as little boys, just watched their mom. If she couldn’t find a room to retreat to, they watched her flip her apron up over her head and pray.

She made her own refuge in amongst the 10 children!

What mentoring...what modeling!

This reminded of something that Andrea, a dear sister-in-the-Lord told me

about the talith or prayer shawl that the Jewish men use as their refuge.

Prayer Closet
TALITH contains two Hebrew words; TAL meaning tent and ITH meaning little. Thus, you have LITTLE TENT. Each man had his own little tent. Six million Jews could not fit into the tent of meeting that was set up in the Old Testament. Therefore, what was given to them was their own private sanctuary where they could meet with God. Each man had one! His Prayer Shawl or Talith. They would pull it up over their head, forming a tent, where they would begin to chant and sing their Hebrew songs, and call upon God. It was intimate, private, and set apart from anyone else -- enabling them to totally focus upon God. This was their prayer closet!

Here is the link for more information regarding the talith.

All of this leads us to the FACT that God is our refuge, a very present help in time of

trouble. (Psalm 46:1)

The word "refuge" appears 93 times in 90 verses in the New International Version!!

W.O.W. ~ that should tell us something!

"But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you." – Psalm 5:11

"The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble." – Psalm 9:9

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." – Psalm 18:2

"As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him." – Psalm 18:30

"Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you." Psalm 25:20

"Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me." Psalm 31:2

"My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge." Psalm 62:7

You may see that the words rock and refuge go together quite often.

Why do you think this is?

The Hebrew word for rock is "tsuwr".

Two of its meanings are strength and strong.

When you need a refuge, you want something or Someone Who is strong.

You don't want some mammy pamby person who will not fight for you,

who will not defend you, who will not stand up for you.

You want a Rock to lean on...somewhere you feel safe.

(this would be a refuge/prayer closet!)

I invite your ideas on the rock/refuge connection.

I know that Jesus is portrayed as our Rock in the Old Testament,

especially in Exodus 17:6 ~

"'I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.' So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel."

This was the foreshadowing of Jesus being struck and beaten before his death

on the cross...

Any other ideas of why refuge and rock are so closely related?

Until the next post,

God is our refuge and God is our strength; a very present help in trouble,

Debbie G.

Protection 5 ~ Shield

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:47:00 PST

Hello Everyone!

Our topic for our series on "Protection" this time, is....

*********SHIELD*********

Here is another Brooklyn Tabernacle video.

Yes, I know that we just had one last posting,

but as the famous baseball manager, Yogi Berra once said

"It's like deja-vu, all over again." (hehehe! :D )

The song is entitled "Thou Oh Lord".

It is based on Psalm 3:1-4, which has our beautiful word in it..."shield"...

Here are the words to view as you watch, if you want to.

^"1Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.

²Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.

³But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

⁴I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah." (Psalm 3:1-4, King James Version)

This word in the Bible, means a lot to me.

The Lord started to urge me in November 1991 to get into His Word

every day...

Up until then, I read my Bible, but I did not make it my

"first-thing-in-the-morning-focused-effort...what-would-I-miss-for-that-day?-

feeling..."

I KNEW without a shadow of doubt that God wanted me to commune with Him

as never before.

And sure enough, that next February 1992, my life was never the same.

God was protecting and preparing me.

What a Savior You Are! (as the song in my sidebar sings about)

During that time of living with the Bible...actually on occasions,

sleeping with the Bible by my side...

the word "Shield" "popped" out at me it seemed,

everywhere I read.

Duh...I finally got clued in (this was all new to me)

that God was trying to tell me something.

A puzzle, if you will, that I needed to meditate on.

Over the years, I have had the meaning of that word "unlayered"

to me. Unlayered, as you would cut open an onion.

This would happen to me, just when I needed that new knowledge.

Here are some of the things I have learned:

The Lord is our Shield. He is holding up this shield when we are in battle to extinguish the fiery darts of the enemy when he is attacking. Darts of bitterness, darts of unforgiveness, darts of anger. -Ephesians 6:16

The Lord is our Shield. He goes before us in our pathway of life. Whatever comes to us...goes through Him first!

The Lord is our Shield. He is our Protector, our Armor-Bearer!

The Lord is our Shield. He is very close to us, to be able to protect us.

The word "shield" occurs 51 times in 49 verses in the New International Version.

To view them all click on this link.

The verses start out with:

"After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: 'Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.'" Genesis 15:1

And they end with:

"In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."
Ephesians 6:16

I encourage you to do a Bible Study on this wonderful word.

Take one Scripture per day, or however God leads you;

write it out, look up a commentary and then write down what it means

to you in your own words.

This is a suggestion; there are many different ways to study the Bible.

For more examples, please email me and I would be happy to talk

in more detail.

Here is a picture of a shield and a buckler:

Shields come in all shapes and sizes.

The above picture is the most common.

The round shield is a buckler.

It was used in hand-to-hand combat to ward off the blows of

an opponent's sword. It could also be used to hit the enemy as you would

use a club.

Below is a picture I found on the Web of a painting that a lady did

from a vision from the Lord.

I included her website address below, if you would like to see more of

her work.

Psalms 91:4

“He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” -Psalm 91:4

http://anointedcanvases.com

Also, in my research, I found that some versions of the Bible use the word

"rampart" instead of buckler in Psalm 91:4.

A rampart is a defensive wall of a castle or a walled city.

So you see, the same idea...a defensive wall between you and your enemy.

Here is a picture of a rampart:

“He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” -Psalm 91:4

The image suggests not only the thought of protection but those of fostering, downy warmth, peaceful proximity to a heart that throbs with parental love.

(author unknown)

From the perspective of the protected, God is warm and tender; from the vantage point of the attacker, God is as strong as steel.

From:

http://bible.org/seriespage/psalm-91-psalm-safety

W.O.W.....

I like that last statement...strong as steel!

That's what I am talkin' about!!

Please enjoy another wonderful CBN video of God's Divine Protection:

Dear Lord,

How can we even begin to thank You

for being our Protector?

Only in heaven will we know the full

extent of Your protection.

Yes, we have troubles and trials,

but You go in the pathway before us...

You are our Armor-Bearer,

You are our Shield!

Thanking Him today,

Debbie G.

Protection 4 ~ Watches

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 15:00:00 PST

Hello Everyone!

In this posting for our series on "Protection"

we are looking at the word "watches".

Below are some verses that contain the word "watches" in the

New International Version:

"For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish."
–Psalm 1:6

"From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth."
–Psalm 33:13-14

"He will not let your foot slip– He who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you– the Lord is your shade at your right hand;"
–Psalm 121:3-5

(The italics are mine.)

We are going to focus

on Psalm 121.

This is one of my all time favorite Psalms EVER!!

I think I have mentioned this before, but my 6th grade teacher

at Webb Elementary School in Rushville, IN ~

Mr. Marshall Axom, made

us memorized this in the King James Version!

It has always had a special place in my heart.

Here it is in full in the King James Version:

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help [cometh] from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD [is] thy keeper: the LORD [is] thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore."

Here is a video done on Psalm 121. Thank you Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir ~ you are one of the all-time BEST!!

>>Where does our help come from?

>>Where does ALL our help come from?

>>Our help comes from the Lord ~ AMEN!!

Under the title of this Psalm, in my New International Version Bible

it shows "A song of ascents".

Each Psalm from 120 through 134 carries this title.

This word, "ascents" could be interpreted as "steps".

Here are 4 ways these Psalms could have been used:

><> These Psalms build form the first verse to the last in a step-like progression.

><> These Psalms are a starting point from which the Psalms will be sung.
The actual steps of the sanctuary leading up to the Court of the Men are understood by many as those steps upon which the Psalms will be sung.

><>These Psalms were designed to be sung by the Children Of Israel as they ascended the hills of Judea en route to the Holy City after they have been released from Babylonian captivity.

><> These Psalms were sung on any occasion that drew the Israelites to go up to Jerusalem or to the Holy Place; for they were joyous occasions that would necessitate the singing of songs.

(ref. 1)

Verse 1 ~ "A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from?"
Verse 2 ~ "My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."

The meaning of verse 1 is not clear. Perhaps the meaning could be:

†† "If I lift up mine eyes to the hills" so as to participate in the idolatrous
worship which was prevalent in the hillsides of Judea.

†† "Shall I lift up mine eyes to the hills?" Many significant events in the life of of Israel and her forefathers took place on the mountains.

The Psalmist (this Psalm's authorship is unknown) has resolved that his help does

not come from the hills themselves; but...

"My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."

The Message Bible states it this way:

"I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven and earth and mountains."

Here is a 54 (!) picture slide show of the hills surrounding Jerusalem. They

were taken from a train, traveling from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv.

Jerusalem Hillsides

Psalm 125:2 (NASB)

"As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

So the Lord surrounds His people

From this time forth and forever."

I have always thought that verse one and two just means that I look

upward or heavenwardly. (is that a word?)

Verse 3 ~ "He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber;"
Verse 4 ~ "indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep."

The sliding of the foot is a frequent description of misfortune...

and a very natural one in mountainous Canaan, where a single slip of the foot was

often attended with great danger.

The Lord God puts a garrison (or a hedge...see previous post!)

around us with His holy angels, so that even while we sleep, we are confident

of protection because He never sleeps.

The attacks of Satan never catch our God off guard!!!

(ref.1)

(Praise God!)

Verse 5 ~ "The Lord watches over you-- the Lord is your shade at your right hand;"
Verse 6 ~ "the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night."

The word shade literally means a shadow.

This is a description of the protection we receive when we

"abide under the shadow of the Almighty". (Psalm 91:1)

(ref. 1)

Just as everywhere we go our shadow goes with us, so too God "shadows" us at all

times and in all circumstances.

(ref. 2)

"At your right hand" David proclaims "I have set the LORD continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." Psalm 16:8

Is it just me, but I often wondered why the RIGHT hand and not the left....

What do you think?

Here's what I have come up with...if you know anything else, plz comment.

∆ The right hand means power

∆ The right hand means prominence or favored position

∆ The right side means to occupy a position of recognition and prestige

∆ The right hand portrays an image of intense strength

(Please know that I am not slighting you wonderful left-handed people out there!)

Verse 7 ~ "The Lord will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life; "
Verse 8 ~ "the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."

Jehovah promises to preserve our movements, from morning to evening,

from infancy to old age, from this time for and even for evermore!

Now...please allow me to reiterate that God is our Protector...

but things will happen to us, but they go through Him first and

He is not surprised or worried about our situation.

Please enjoy another CBN video which illustrates this:

Thankful for His watchful eye,

Debbie G.

ref. 1: The KJV Parallel Bible Commentary by Nelson Publishers
ref. 2: link

Protection 3 ~ Hedge

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:11:00 PST

Hello Everyone!

Our next topic on the subject "Protection" is...Hedge.

For a list of all of our topics, please refer to "Protection 1"

in the archives on the sidebar.

Hedge.

What do you think of when you hear that word?

Here is a picture of a gigantic, humongous hedge that I found online:

It is beauuutiful, isn't it?

Here are our Scriptures for this week:

"Have you not put a hedge
around him and his household and
everything he has?
You have blessed the work of his hands,
so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land."
-Job 1:10

"Now I will tell you
what I am going to do to my vineyard:
I will take away its hedge,
and it will be destroyed;
I will break down its wall,
and it will be trampled."
-Isaiah 5:5

"The best of them is like a brier,
the most upright worse than a thorn hedge.
The day of your watchmen has come,
the day God visits you.
Now is the time of their confusion."
-Micah 7:4

Here's a rousing rendition of "Jesus Be A Fence" by Fred Hammond.

This song has been around for a while, because my brother, Delton

in the 1970's sang this song when he was a member of the Calvary Four Quartet.

I've always liked it for its upbeat-uplifting words of comfort and remembering that

Jesus is our Protector.

Here goes...hold onto your hats, while you dance around the kitchen!! :D

Weeeeee!!

W.O.W.

Now that our blood is really pumping,

let's continue!!!

The word "hedge" is used 3 times in the New International Version Bible

and 9 times in the King James Version Bible.

Somethings I read in my research, rather put down this idea of praying for

a "hedge of protection".

But as we can see, it IS Scriptural.

There are two ways that we are going with this topic:

1. The hedge is a shadow of things to come, in the Old Testament, of Jesus.

He is our Protector.

He surrounds us with His love and care.

Not saying that bad things won't happen to us, because they do!

But He is the Great Shepherd, carefully watching over us.

In John 10:1-4 it says...

¹"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. ²The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. ³The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice."

This is a commentary that I found online here that speaks of

Jesus as the Door and the Great Shepherd:

" V. 6-8 His Personality - In these verses, Jesus reveals His identity as the Door. If you will remember, there was only one opening going into or out of the sheepfold. It was in this opening that the shepherd lay. Therefore, the shepherd himself became the door of the sheep. Nothing could enter the fold, nothing could exit the fold without going through the shepherd himself."

The following are 2 pictures that I found of sheep folds:

I found out that the shepherds built them about about 5 feet in

height and:

"At night, animals were kept in a sheep-fold - an enclosure with a circular stone wall and one small entrance, just wide enough for one animal to pass through. At night, when the animals were inside the enclosure, the shepherd was expected to sleep lying across the entrance, his body providing a gate for the enclosure so that nothing could get in or out."

This last paragraph was found at this link under "The Shepherd" section.

So what I am trying to say is that:

Nothing gets to us that doesn't go through our Savior first!!

He is our Protector, our Great Shepherd and The Door to our salvation!

Praise God!

2. In my devotions this morning, I came across, again, the story of Hezekiah

in 2 Kings 18 and 19.

Hezekiah was the King of Judah, a small kingdom.

King Sennacherib of Assyria sent 185,000. men to surround and

conquer Jerusalem.

Here is an artist's picture of what they think Jerusalem looked like in the

8th century based upon recent archaeologist's finds.

Long story, short...Hezekiah did not know what to do,

so he went to the Lord in prayer.

He spread out before the Lord, a threatening letter that was sent to him

by the enemy.

God answered the King through the prophet Isaiah and basically

said that not one arrow would enter Jerusalem and that the Lord

would defend the city.

The next morning, when the city awoke, they looked out and saw that the

WHOLE enemy army lay dead!!

185,000. men! And they did not have to do ONE thing!

Talk about a hedge of protection....shuweeee!!

2 Kings 19:35-

"That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a 185,000.

men in the Assyrian camp..."

In my Study Bible, Life in the Spirit Bible (or original name was Full Life

Study Bible) Bro. Stamps says in his commentary:

"Judah's miraculous deliverance from the Assyrians is one of the great redemptive moments in OT history, recorded no less than three time in Scripture.

2 Kings 19:35-36
2 Chronicles 32:21-22
Isaiah 37:36

The most powerful political kingdom on earth stood against the little nation of Judah. When defeat seemed inevitable, God intervened and delivered his people. In mercy God showed his willingness to renew the covenant and to be Judah's God and Protector if the people would place their trust in Him."

As we close, here is another CBN video regarding

"Divine Protection"...

Thank You Lord, for Your Divine Protection.

I pray a hedge of protection around my family and friends.

Thank You for how you have helped us in the past

and I KNOW You will continue in the future.

AMEN.

Debbie G.

Protection 2 ~ Shadow of His Wings

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:52:00 PST

Hello Everyone!

Our subject in Part Two of our "Protection" series is

"In the Shadow of His Wings".

Here are two pictures I found online re: this subject:

^{And here is an old hymn using our subject.

I have been raised in the church, but I do not know this one.

Has anyone heard this one before?

Here is the link to hear the song played and more info.

Lyrics:}

Under His wings I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.

Under His wings, under His wings,
Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.

Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort, and there I am blessed.

Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus, I’m safe evermore.

How true is the line I highlighted in red....

Here's an adorable video I could not pass up:

Psalm 91:1-4
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Another Scripture:

"Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings," (Psalm 17:8, New King James Version)

Warren Wiersbe says here in his devotional entitled:

"Hymns and Psalms: Hear Me, Hold Me, Hide Me"

(isn't that a great phrase??!!)

for "Back to the Bible" re: Ps. 17:1-5...

"David wasn't simply standing still, doing nothing. He was on the move. When we're in the darkness, we move one step at a time as the Lord directs us. We don't just sit still and wonder what is going to happen next. David was saying, 'God, I'm going to get moving. You've got to hold me up. Direct me; I don't want to slip and fall'. Jude must have known this verse. He wrote, 'Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.'" (Jude 1:24).

This reminded me of someone saying that if you feel as though you

are walking around in the dark, stumbling into things, hitting your head,

stubbing your toe or smashing your nose...

and you have done everything you know to do Biblically

in your situation...

you ARE in the dark

you ARE in the shadow of His wings.

He is holding you close to His side!

The second portion of his devotional that I liked was:

"The third word is hide. 'Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings' (Ps. 17:8). A shadow is not good protection. But if it's the shadow of God's wings, we can depend on it. What wings did David refer to? The wings of the cherubim in the Holy of Holies. David was saying, 'I'm coming to the very throne of God. Please hide me and hold me and hear me.' God replied, 'David, I'll do it. I'm going to carry you through your dark time'".

This brings another viewpoint:

Hide me in Your Presence...

In between the wings of the cherubims on top of the Ark of the Covenant,

resided the Presence of God in the Tabernacle in the Wilderness

in Exodus 25:9-22.

For more information regarding the Ark of the Covenant

click here.

Two more Scriptures about the Shadow of Your wings:

"How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!

Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings." (Psalm 36:7, New King James Version)

"Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice." (Psalm 63:7, New King James Version)

I especially like the last line in Psalm 63:7.

I.will.rejoice.

Am I rejoicing in the shadow of His wings?

Am I singing and worshiping God in the good times and the bad?

Am I trusting God so much as my Source, that I can forget

my concerns and praise Him all day long?

Am I hiding myself in His Presence, because that is where I belong?

My prayer is that we all find His Presence in our lives

and REST in it.

Here is one more video I think you will enjoy...
^{Staying under His wing,

Debbie G.}

Protection 1 ~ Eagles ~ Wings

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 21:25:00 PST

Hello Everyone!

I am excited to begin our new series on "Protection"!!!!!!!!!!!!

God's protection.

This Bible Study was put on my heart to do at the end of 2008;

the last few days in December and the first few days of January 2009.

My sweet husband was in Detroit, visiting family.

(At that time, I did not have paid days off...now I do TTL!)

I was unable to join him because we needed for me to work.

He was on Christmas break from being a substitute school teacher

here in Williamson County, TN.

Anywho....I was alone.

I am USUALLY pretty comfortable in this situation.

I found myself needing a new theme, book or new Bible Study

to do. I had been studying Philippians for this blog,

but must confess to allowing my "personal" time with God

lacking, because I felt that I was getting the Word of God in me.

I knew better and God convicted me and gave me that "sweet

urging" in my spirit that I needed to get back to doing both studies

and time with Him.

So.........I asked the Lord what He wanted me to study.

Have you ever done that?

It is so exciting to do that and get the answer and see the results.....!!!!!!!

He told me "Protection".....

Some of you may be saying, "I wish I could hear from God like that".

I am NOT bragging on myself, because I will be the first to tell you

that the Creator of the Universe WILL SPEAK to your spirit.....

IF, IF, IF you will QUIET yourself before Him and LISTEN!!

He is no respecter of persons, Romans 2:11

In my new Holman Illustrated Study Bible, Christian Standard Bible

Version (shewwww..!)

...that I had just received for Christmas...

the chapter headings for the Psalms were entitled in a way

that I had never seen before.

I found 8 Psalms that had the word "Protection" in the title.

This lead me to study those Psalms, as we will do over the course

of time in this series.

The 8 Protection Psalms that this Bible had labeled are:

Psalms 17 • Psalms 64
Psalms 31 • Psalms 91 ~ (oh yeah...)
Psalms 56 • Psalms 121 ~ (one of my personal favorites)
Psalms 57 • Psalms 141

I am sure that there are others that could be labeled as a

"Protection" Psalm, but these are the 8 that were burned into

my heart, mind and soul...

In those Psalms, I kept coming across words that correlated

with the word "Protection" and here they are:

Shadow
Wings (Eagle's Wings)
Hedge
Hem
Watch/Watches
Refuge
Shelter
Shield

For my first post in this series, I am going to talk about....

Wings and Eagles.....

If any of you have ever heard or read Joyce Meyer's teaching

on the characteristics of eagles, you know that it "dovetails"

(pun intended) with the characteristics of how to be a positive

Christian.

I was wanting more of a spin on that teaching to include

how God protects us. It is a great message, though and I highly re-

commend it!

Here is a video of Joyce teaching on part of the series:

Here is where you can purchase her series.

As far as I can tell, it is out of print.

If someone knows differently, please advise us!

Here is another wonderful, fact-filled article about eagles.

The most well known Scripture about eagles IWDTS

(I Would Dare To Say).....is

Isaiah 40:31 (King James Version)...

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not

be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

I really appreciate this Scripture, but to me it is more about

renewed strength, rather than protection,

unless you really dwell on the last 3 words.

In researching for "eagle/s" and "wing/s" in the Bible,

I typed the words in the search box at

www.blueletterbible.org and found that there are:

28 instances for eagle/s
89 instances for wing/s

(In the New International Version.)

Don't worry

we will not be looking up every 117 verses! :D

Four verses "jumped" out at me:

Psalm 17:8-9 in The Message Bible:

"Keep Your eye on me; hide me under Your cool wing feathers
from the wicked who are out to get me, from mortal enemies closing in."

AND

Exodus 19:4 in The Holman Christian Standard Bible:

"You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to Me."

AND

Deuteronomy 32:11 New International Version

"...like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions."

I don't know about you, but I didn't know what a "pinion" was.

Here what my computer dictionary said:

"Outer part of the bird wing, including the flight feathers."

Well...aren't all the feathers on the wing a "flight feather"?

Click here

for a "gr8t" explanation of this pinion/flight feather situation.

(And they say there is no God....)

Here's one excerpt that I could not resist:

"(The primary feathers) are the largest of the flight feathers and are the farthest away from the body, attached to the skin of the wing on the 'hand'."

hmmm...He catches us when we fall...And He carries us in His hand...!!!

Some commentators say that it is not natural for eagles to carry their

young on their wings or backs.

But here is an eye witness to this feat:

"In his classic work on birds of prey, Arthur Cleveland Bent presented much detailed information about the nesting habits of the golden eagle, Aguila Chrysadtos canadensis (Linnaeus). He reported material derived from an observation published in 'The Condor' as follows:

Dr. Loye Miller (1918) published the following account, as given to him by one of his students:

'Last summer while my father and I were extracting honey at the apiary about a mile southeast of Thatcher School, Ojai, California, we noticed a golden eagle teaching its young one to fly. It was about ten o'clock. The Mother started from the nest in the crags, and roughly handling the young, she allowed him to drop, I should say, about ninety feet, then she would swoop down under him, wings spread, and he would alight on her back. She would soar to the top of the range with him and repeat the process. One time she waited perhaps fifteen minutes between flights, I should say the farthest she let him fall was 150 feet.

My father and I watched this, spellbound, for over an hour. I do not know whether the young one gained confidence by this method or not. A few days later father and I rode to the cliff and out on Overhanging Rock. The eagle's nest was empty.' (Miss F. E. Shuman.)" (1)

(Now...I don't think this is an eagle's wing by any means...

but I just couldn't keep from posting it.

I like the way the light is shining on it.)

"God reveals Himself throughout His Word. Sometimes He shows Himself powerful and mighty. Other times He is a still small voice. But one of the most beautiful and revealing pictures of our Lord is that of the mother Eagle. If we could only live moment by moment in the assurance that God is our Protector and Sustainer, our Power and Strength. Like the mother eagle, God teaches us of His ways. Like the mother eagle, God protects us from all enemies. Like the mother eagle, God nurtures and loves us. May we be always mindful of that love and nurturing." (2)

"God's love and care was shown for Israel already, as He bore you on eagle's wings. It is said that an eagle does not carry her young in her claws like other birds; the young eagles attach themselves to the back of the mother eagle and are protected as they are carried. Any arrow from a hunter must pass through the mother eagle before it could touch the young eagle on her back."(3)

WHOO HOO!!! Talk about protection with a capital "P"!

That reminds me a the word "shield" in all of this...

Nothing can come to me that doesn't pass through the Lord first!!!

Praise the Lord!!

You ARE my Shield and You ARE my Protector!

Allow me to end with this video...Plz enjoy!

(Friendly reminder: click the pause button on

the Playlist on the sidebar to be able to hear

this video.)

Amen!

Lord, help me to rise up as the eagle's wings, know that You are always
my Protector and Shield!

Debbie G.

References:
(1) Science in Christian Perspective
MOSES AND THE EAGLE
FREDERIC R. HOWE* AND GEORGE F. HOWE"
From: JASA 20 (March 1968): 22-24.
(2) http://ll.newsforchristians.com/sermons/sermon027.html
(3) David Guzik Study Guide for Exodus 19 at:
www.blueletterbible.org

End of Philippians

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 09:32:00 PDT

Hello Everyone!

I fixed this skillet dinner last night for supper and thought as I was eating it...

This would be a great recipe for the blog!!

This recipe was given to me during one of our MOMS Group cooking classes

that we had at our last church.

The recipe was given to us by Tina Dryer.

This dish has such a great flavor and the apples in it are......yummmmm!!

(Shoulda taken a picture of it in the skillet, but oh well...next time! :D)

Sausage Skillet Dinner
Serves 4

12 oz. Smoked Sausage Link
2 Tablespoons Water
1 Medium Onion
2 Small Red Apples
2 Tablespoons Butter, divided
12 oz. Bag of Frozen Potato Wedges
1/4 Cup Cider Vinegar
3 Tablespoon Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Caraway Seeds
2 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Parsley

Place sausage and water in a large skillet; cover tightly and cook over medium heat 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cut onion into 12 wedges; core and cut apple into 8 wedges. Remove sausage to warm platter. Pour off drippings. Cook and stir onion and apples in 1 Tablespoon of butter in same skillet, 4 minutes or until apples are crisp-tender. Remove to sausage platter.

Heat remaining 1 Tablespoon butter; add potatoes and cook, covered over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown. Stir occasionally. Combine vinegar, sugar and caraway seeds. Reduce heat; return sausage, apple mixture and vinegar mixture to skillet. Cook minute or until heated through, stir gently. Sprinkle with parsley.

Options:

I used fresh (raw) potatoes instead of the frozen. I used about 4 medium potatoes, cut into each into 8 wedges

I put the potatoes in with the apples and the onions

I used turkey sausage links

I used dried parsley

Enjoy!

*****************************************************************************************

Now we come to our last posting for Philippians.....

yes, it is true. We started out on this journey July 1, 2008!!!

Over one year ~ Z.O.W.E.E.!!!!

A lot has happened during that time.

Our last post for Philippians will highlight verse 4:13 and verse 4:19:

Verse 13:

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." ~ King James Version

"I can do everything though Him who gives me strength." ~ New International Version

"Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One Who

makes me Who I am." ~ The Message Bible

Kinda reminds me of this:

The following are excerpts from:

Rich Cather
Philippians Sermon Notes
Calvary Chapel, Fullerton, CA
(Frequent Use of Illustrations)

...found ~ where else but ~ www.preceptaustin.org ~ My all time favorite

online Commentary!! Whoo Hooo!!

Click here for the entire sermon for Philippians 4:10-23, dated 12.18.02.

Pastor Cather says:

"I can be strong through Christ who endues me with strength.

Jesus’ power in me...

The power to be 'content' in all circumstances comes from Jesus.

I think we sometimes hear this verse being used as some sort of promise of supernatural strength to pick up cars and wrestle evil-doers.

But there is a context here. God doesn’t give us a blank check for strength to do anything.

I’m not sure that God gives us strength to rip apart phone books.

I know that God doesn’t give us strength to commit sin.

I think we need to keep in mind that the 'all things' refers to learning to 'abase' (be humble) and 'abound' and still be 'content'.

God gives us strength to do His will.

(John 15:5 KJV) "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."

Jesus can give us the strength to live with less."

Amen, Pastor Cather!!

What I hear him saying is that you have to read the whole chapter

to know what Verse 13 means. He gives us strength to live our lives

when the dream we had of what our life would be....

is not.

He gives us strength to journey through the pot holes of life,

through the twists and turns,

through the almost driving into the left lane,

through almost going off of the road, into the ditch,

through running a red light.....

Thank you, Jesus.

Verse 19:

"But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory Christ Jesus."
~ King James Version

"And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
~ New International Version

"You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, His generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus."
~ The Message Bible

Again from Pastor Cather:

"God takes care of givers.

Keep in mind the context.

This is a church that is giving sacrificially.

I’m not sure that we should be using this verse as an unconditional blank check that God will always provide all that we need.

This is a common verse that people will 'claim'. Any person who has financial problems is encouraged by hearing this verse, as if God is going to always rescue you in the nick of time.

I think that in reality there may be times when God allows us to go through 'tough times' to get our attention.

The promise of this verse is towards those who are learning to give as God would lead them.

Do you pay attention to God’s promptings to give? Are you a person who has a regular habit of giving?

Are you supporting the ministries that God is using in your life and in the lives of others?

The Philippians supported Paul and they supported the poor in

Jerusalem.

Illustration

Dr. Helen Roseveare, missionary to Zaire (formerly the Belgian Congo), told the following story: A mother at our mission station died after giving birth to a premature baby. We tried to improvise an incubator to keep the infant alive, but the only hot water bottle we had was beyond repair. So during devotions that morning we asked the children to pray for the baby and for her little sister who was now an orphan. One of the girls responded, 'Dear God, please send a hot water bottle today. Tomorrow will be too late because by then the baby will be dead. And dear Lord, send a doll for the sister so she won't feel so lonely.' That afternoon a large parcel arrived from England. Eagerly the children watched as we opened it. Much to their surprise, under some clothing was a hot water bottle! Immediately the girl who had prayed so earnestly started to delve deeper, exclaiming, 'If God sent that, I'm sure He also send at doll'. And she was right! The Heavenly Father knew in advance of the child's sincere requests, and 5 months before, He had led a ladies group to include both of those specific articles."

Thank you, Pastor Cather, for your sermon and great illustration!!

God WILL supply our needs, not our wants.

Thank you, Lord for being our Provision.

I want to end this study with a little review from Kay Arthur:

Philippians 1 – you can have joy despite imprisonment because Christ is your life
Philippians 2 – you can have joy despite people because Christ is your mind
Philippians 3 – you can have joy despite things because Christ is your goal
Philippians 4 – you can have joy despite circumstances because Christ is your
sufficiency, your strength

Chapter 1's review caught me a little off guard. But I think she is saying

that Paul was in prison when he wrote Philippians. We can be in our

own type of prison, also.

I pray that the book of Philippians is more real to you, now.

I pray that the words that God wanted you to read

and remember will be sealed in your heart until we see Him

on that glorious day ~ Amen!!

Striving to have real joy in my life,

Debbie G.

PS..."stayed tuned" for www.cgcbiblestudy.blogspot.com's next series!! (hint...think of the word "protect")

Philippians 4:11 ~ Contentment

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 09:25:00 PDT

Hello Everyone!

Our Scripture for this post is Philippians 4:11-12 ~

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." ~ New International Version

"Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty." ~ The Message Bible

"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need." ~ King James Version

"Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little." ~ New Living Translation

Contentment...

W.O.W.

What a word for today.

What a wonderful word to explore for today's society,

that...includes you and me!

What words pop into your mind when you read the word "contentment"?

Peace?

Being Still?

Quietness?

Confidence?

That's what ped into my mind when I think of this word.

Here is what my computer's Thesaurus says:

Happiness

Satisfaction

Fulfillment

Pleasure

Cheerfulness

Ease

Comfort

Well Being

Serenity

Tranquility

So.....here is Paul, the author of Philippians, writing this book while

chained to a Roman guard.

But he has with these feelings of contentment

running through him like a might river!!

Could I do that?

Could you do that?

When I have a frustrating day at work, i.e., lots of interruptions,

office machine malfunctions, a project taking waaaaayyy too long

because of the process I am stuck with, coffee spilling all over my

desk....ugh.....

I want to lean toward losing my peace...

letting my frustration volumize up in me like a rolling stream

of lava from a volcano.

I must stop that more often and become THANKFUL for my job.

It is a gift from God. A TRUE Gift from God.

Everyone is so nice to me there!

Contentment.....

In research for this word at www.preceptaustin.org,

I found this sermon dated November 13, 2005 from Pastor Mark Adams

of Redland Baptist Church in Rockville, Maryland.

It is entitled, "Crossing From Covetousness To Contentment".

Pastor Adams states in his sermon that the opposite of contentment,

discontentment, starts with self-centeredness.

An "It's all about me" attitude.

This is not a Biblical way to live.

Jesus' example to us while He was here on earth was servanthood.

This started way back in the Garden of Eden.

Eve's sin was discontentment.

Pastor Adams says:

"... in his book, Authentic Faith, Gary Thomas puts it this way. He says,

"Contentment is nothing more than 'soul rest.' It is satisfaction, peace, assurance, and a sense of well-being that is cultivated by pursuing the right things. Instead of more power, more money, more pleasure, and more control, ...we seek an 'abundance' of grace and peace...contentment is the opposite of striving, aching, restlessness, and worry."

As Bill Hybels says, "Contentment has more to do with focus than finances."

W.O.W. ~ leave it to Pastor Hybels to hit the nail on top of the head

In another sermon that Pastor Adams preached, entitled

"It Is Well With My Soul"

he told the story of an elderly woman named Mable.

(Warning....this is looonnngg, but sooooo worth it....)

"In his book, Trying to be Good, Bob Schmidt tells about a friend he made in a state-run convalescent hospital—an elderly woman whose name was Mabel. He writes,

The hospital was not a pleasant place. It is large, understaffed, and overfilled with senile and helpless, lonely people who are basically waiting to die. On the brightest of days it seems dark inside, and smells of sickness and stale urine. I went there once or twice a week for three years, but I never wanted to go there, and I always left with a sense of relief. One Mother’s Day I was walking in a hallway that I had not visited before, looking in vain for a few who were alive enough to receive a flower and a few words of encouragement. This particular hallway seemed to contain some of the worst cases, strapped onto carts of into wheelchairs and looking completely helpless. As I neared the end of this hallway, I saw an old woman strapped up in a wheelchair. Her face was an absolute horror. The empty stare and white pupils of her eyes told me she was blind. The large hearing aid over one ear told me she was almost deaf. One side of her face was being eaten by cancer. There was a discolored and running sore covering part of one cheek, and it had pushed her nose to one side, dropped on eye, and distorted her jaw...so that what should have been the corner of her mouth was the bottom of her mouth. As a consequence, she drooled constantly.

I was told later that when NEW nurses arrived, the supervisors would send THEM to feed this woman, thinking that if they could stand this sight they could stand anything in the building. I also learned later that this woman was eighty-nine years old and that she had been here, bedridden, blind, nearly deaf, and alone, for twenty-five years. This was Mabel. I don’t know why I spoke to her—she looked less likely to respond than most of the people I saw in that hallway. But I put a flower in her hand and said, ‘Here is a flower for you. Happy Mother’s Day.’ She held the flower up to her face and tried to smell it, and then she spoke. Much to my surprise, her words, although somewhat garbled because of her deformity, were obviously produced by a clear mind. She said, ‘Thank you. It’s lovely. But can I give it to someone else? I can’t see it, you know, I’m blind.’ I said, ‘Of course,’ and pushed her in her chair back down the hallway to a place where I thought I could find some alert patients. I found one, and I stopped the chair. Mabel held out the flower and said, ‘Here, this is from Jesus.’ That was when it began to dawn on me that this was not an ordinary human being.

Later I wheeled her back to her room and learned more about her history. She had grown up on a small farm that she managed with only her mother until her mother died. Then she ran the farm alone until 1950 when her blindness and sickness sent her to the convalescent hospital. For 25 years she got weaker and sicker, with constant headaches, backaches, and stomachaches, and then the cancer came.

Her three roommates were all human vegetables who screamed occasionally but never talked. They often soiled their bedclothes, and because the hospital was understaffed—especially on Sundays when I usually visited—the stench was often overpowering. Mabel and I became friends over the next few weeks and I went to see her once or twice a week for the next three years. Her first words to me were usually an offer of hard candy from a tissue box near her bed. Some days I would read to her from the Bible and often when I would pause she would continue reciting the passage from memory, word-for-word. On other days I would take a book of hymns and sing with her, and she would know all the words of the old songs.

For Mabel, these were not merely exercises in memory. She would often stop in mid-hymn and make a brief comment about lyrics she considered particularly relevant to her own situation. I never heard her speak of loneliness or pain except in the stress she placed on certain lines in certain hymns. During one hectic week of final exams I was frustrated because my mind seemed to be pulled in ten directions at once with all of that things that I had to think about.
The question occurred to me, ‘What does Mabel have to think about—hour after hour, day after day, week after week, not even able to know if it’s day or night?’

So I went to her and asked, ‘Mabel, what do you think about when you lie here?’ And she said, ‘I think about my Jesus.’ I sat there, and thought for a moment about the difficulty, for me of thinking about Jesus for even five minutes and I asked, ‘What do you think about Jesus?’ She replied slowly and deliberately: ‘I think about how good He’s been to me. He’s been awfully good to me in my life, you know. I’m one of those kind who’s most satisfied...most CONTENTED...because of His friendship. Lots of folks would think I’m kind of old-fashioned. But I don’t care. I’d rather have Jesus. He’s all the world to me.’ An then Mabel began to sing an old hymn: ‘Jesus is all the world to me, my life, my joy, my all. He is my strength from day to day, Without Him I would fall. When I am sad, to Him I go, No other one can cheer me so. When I am sad, He makes me glad. He’s my friend.’

Mabel was a great student of contentment wasn’t she? She graduated with honors! It didn’t matter how much pain and sorrow—or how unfair life was for her—she had learned to trust and love her Lord. She developed a close relationship with Him—a relationship that satisfied her deepest longing...and that enabled her to be content even in her horrible circumstances—it gave her a peace like a river. It made her soul WELL."

I can think of no other way to end this but to play

"It Is Well With My Soul".

If you would like more information about the history of this

wonderful hymn, beyond what is in the video;

click on the link for Pastor Adams sermon entitled the

same name. Pastor Adams adds details that I had never

heard before.

Allow me to say as Pastor Adams did in his sermon...

"Let me ask—how are YOU doing when it comes to learning this vital lesson? How content are you? Have you become able to trust God no matter what happens?"

Let's work on our thankfulness and serving others,

Debbie G.

Philippians 4:8~Admirable and Moral Excellence

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 13:45:00 PDT

Hello Everyone!

We are talking about the last part of Philippians 4:8 on this post ~

the portion in red below:

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things." Philippians 4:8 NIV

I have been reading the Holman Christian Standard Bible since the first of the year and I liked the way they translated the last portion of this verse:

"Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things."

The phrase ~ "moral excellence" jumped out at me.

So.....this post that is what we are "dwelling on".

Below are just a few of the images I found on Google

when I searched for "moral excellence".

Moral Excellence in the first one is represented by the lantern or yard light,

I think...what do you think?

This one, I am not sure about...
what do you think?

On the last one, please tell me how a "tip truck"
encourages moral excellence?

tip truck

Product ID: A-20

"The products are designed with new ideas. They are unique and neoteric. They can promote the youngster and children to develop in moral education, intellectual education, physical culture, moral excellence and physical labor.

Features:
A tip truck with candies. This is a toy looks like a truck, and inside it there are some ball candies.They are unique and neoteric."

We Christians are in controversy over moral excellence.

We feel that we have to be politically correct.

We feel as though we are going to be hated if we stand up for Biblical morals.

We feel that we must go along with the majority and keep the peace.

We feel that we must present a cotton candy gospel.

Hopefully, by the end of this post,

we will all be more comfortable with moral excellence

and DWELLING or thinking about things that are morally excellent.

(**PLEASE READ TO THE END AND VIEW THE VIDEO.

IT WILL ENCOURAGE YOU ABOUT OBTAINING OR CONTINUING

MORAL EXCELLENCE!!**)

Why should we do this ~ have and think about moral excellence?

Because in verse 9, it says this will bring us PEACE!

Moral excellence is leaving our country as fast as a helium balloon

is released from a child's hand.

It rushes to the sky, never to be seen again, in the original form!

Perfect example was the situation we had in Nashville, this past July 4th.

Steve McNair, former quarterback of the Tennessee Titans,

whom police say was murdered by his mistress.

Here is one quote from an article written by Dan Levy for the Washington Post:

"This quote in The Tennessean, (The Tennessean is Nashville's main newspaper) taken from a fan who drove up from Kentucky to Nashville just to be near the place McNair was gunned down, is something I'm still not able to wrap my head around.

'Anyone can get famous,' said (Kelly) McCracken, who attends five or more Titans games a year. 'But it takes a genuinely moral person to be a leader. He wasn't just a football player, he was a leader.'

That quote is so wrongheaded on so many levels. First, one's morality has nothing to do with his or her ability to lead. Just ask anyone on The Hill about that one and see how long it takes before they stop laughing. Second, if it takes a genuinely moral person to be a leader, and Ms. McCracken is surmising that because of that McNair was in fact a leader, it's fascinating to think this quote came from someone outside the CRIME SCENE OF HIS MURDER WHERE HE WAS FOUND WITH HIS MISTRESS.

Where exactly are the morals in any of this? Can someone tell me, after all that's been reported, has anything fallen into the 'morals' clause of the contract? But this is what we do. Because a man was tough on the football field -- and toughness is something we laud in our gridiron greats -- we salute him for being admirable off the field as well. Clearly, at least in his personal life, that was not the case."

To view the whole article, click here.

Here is a definition of moral excellence from an online dictionary:

Noun: moral excellence

The quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong
- virtue, virtuousness

Derived forms: moral excellences

Type of: good, goodness

Here is a question and answer from www.wiki.answers.com

Do you believe in moral relativism that there are no moral truths and that morality is simply an individual's definition of right and wrong?

A.

Yes of course what individuals believe may have been influenced by society and culture and others are scared into believing stuff (Eg believing in a religion because of the 'risks' mentioned if you dont believe) but i personally believe that right and wrong is a matter of opinion but many choose to live in harmony with others by adopting the same morals as the majority.

Here is what Aristotle

thought about moral excellence:

“Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.”
Aristotle quotes (Ancient Greek Philosopher, Scientist and Physician, 384 BC-322 BC)

The bad news in that quote is that we humans are fallible ~ we mess up!

No matter how many times we try...we cannot do life by ourselves!

The good news is that we have Help.

We have a Helper with a capital "H"!!

Romans 8

tells us how to have moral excellence by asking God for help

instead of trying to do life by ourselves and our own measly thoughts

and ideas.

Romans 8 tell us how to live life with God's help.

In my Holman Christian Standard Bible, the title for Romans 8 is

"The Life-Giving Spirit".

In my New International Version Bible, the title is

"Life Through the Spirit".

In my Message Bible, the title is

"The Solution Is Life On God's Terms".

This is one of my most favorite chapters in the Bible for many reasons.

One, being verse 11:

"And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who lives in you." NIV

Verses 9-11 Message Bible-

"But God Himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of Him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won't know what we're talking about. But for you who welcome Him, in whom He dwells-even though you still experience all the limitations of sin-you yourself experience life on God's terms. It stands to reason, doesn't it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, He'll do the same thing in you that He did in Jesus, bringing you alive to Himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and He does, as surely as He did in Jesus), you are delivered form that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ's!"

All righty then...

We have a Helper with a capital "H"!

I like the Message portion of the above verses where it says-

"-even though you still experience all the limitations of sin-".

We will still be tempted when we strive for moral excellence.

We will still fail.

We will still have problems, because we are living in this world.

But we have a Helper Who is there for us and in Whom we

have the same power that raised Christ from the dead!

The same power that ascended Christ to heaven.

We have that power in us from the Heavenly Father!

W.O.W.

We may fail, but we have the power in us from God

to dust ourselves off and try again!

Below is the video that I was speaking of earlier.

I am presenting this video in 2 formats.

The first one has all the words included and has more of a nature-type picture background.

The second one has some of the words, but the background graphics are so amazing

to where I found myself asking-"How did they do that"?

Please enjoy both, because I could not chose between the two! :D

Please be encouraged to know who your Helper is.

Ask yourself the question-"Do I know Him"?

If you have not asked the Helper, or God to come into your life

so you do not have to do life alone,

so you do not have to try to have moral excellence alone,

NOW would be a great time to ask Him into your life

to be your Helper. Amen

Striving for moral excellence with my Helper's power,

Debbie G.

Philippians 4:8e ~ Lovely

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:06:00 PDT

Hello Everyone!

We are talking about thinking about things that are "LOVELY" with this

posting!

But first.....

I HAVE TO share this video with you that I found while researching

the story in 2 Kings 5 regarding Naaman. I have not quite figured out,

yet how these two connect, but I am working on it.

Here is the video that REALLY encouraged me!

W.O.W.

Did that encourage you?

It SURE encouraged me to keep doing my little part to:

<>Give someone a smile

<> Pat someone on the back

<> To say "Thank you, I appreciate that"

<> To talk to them about having peace with God

<> To tell them about the ways of God, His miracles and His love

I think I have figured out how this video and the story of Naaman in

2 Kings 5 fit together.

The servant girl that ENCOURAGED Naaman to talk to Elisha,

the prophet, so he could be healed, was a captured servant Israeli girl.

She was one of the lowest classes of people,

yet she spoke up for Jehovah, the One True God!

She did not say much, but what she said

had an impact on her world and

even us in our 2009 world.

Her unashamed boldness to speak out and help someone

had a ripple effect on those around her

just as Mr. Frank Genor did in his world in Sydney, Australia!

At this posting, we are looking at the work "LOVELY" in Chapter 4, verse 8.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is LOVELY, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things." Philippians 4:8 NIV

Lovely means:

That Which Excites Love
Endears
Exquisitely Beautiful
Very Pleasant
Enjoyable

The enemy of God, a.k.a Satan, want to get control of your mind.

He wants us to think about anything else BUT things that are lovely.

Satan approached Eve in the Garden of Eden,

through her mind. (2 Corinthians 11:3, Genesis 3:1-7)

What goes on in your mind CAN affect your relationships...

I am going to take quite a twist and a spin

on the word "lovely"...

I am going to go the opposite way

and talk about something totally

opposite of "lovely" ~ SIN

When we start to think about the world

and the things of this world....

it can lead to sin.

Sin...which is represented in the story of Naaman by his leprosy.

Sin and leprosy which can leave you unable to function properly,

From:The Healing of Naaman (2 Kings 5:1-19)
By: J. Hampton Keathley, III , Th.M.
at www.bible.org

"The pain of leprosy, at least in certain forms, was not acute because it also killed the nerves in the affected area, but it kept the victim restless, miserable, and frustrated as they felt the stigma of the disease. They saw portions of their bodies become numb, muscles atrophy (waste away), tendons contract making the hands like claws, and then the ulceration of the fingers and toes and hands and feet resulting in their loss bit by bit until the whole hand or foot was gone.

(See this link for a reflection of someone whose visited a leper colony in India.)

We must not miss the picture God wants us to see from this emphasis in Scripture. Sin is like this. Because of man’s separation from God, because of his spiritually dead condition and the hardness of his soul, he becomes insensitive, callused, restless and never satisfied. He often does not experience severe pain from his sin and waywardness, only insensitivity, restless misery, and futility, ever seeking some means of fulfillment running from one thing to another. Even in apparent prosperity and happiness, not only is there a certain amount of inner peace and true happiness missing, but their ultimate plight is death, loss, and the judgment of separation.

Because of the nature of the disease, the leper was often considered as dead; it was a kind of living death though physically alive. So men without Christ are nothing more than the living dead; though walking about they are spiritual zombies. (Ephesians 2:1)

Regardless of one’s position, honor, power, possessions, or wealth, leprosy, like sin, is no respecter of persons. Naaman was a man of position and prestige, but he was also leprous.

Finally, the leprosy of sin destroys the pleasantness and beauty (or LOVELINESS that) God meant for mankind in His creation. Sin deforms us, but in Christ we are made new creations and can be transformed into His glorious likeness.

Namaan held a high position, but had a very great problem. We need to understand that God often uses the personal failures, sicknesses, and problems of men as a means so bring them to the end of themselves and to a knowledge of the Lord and His salvation. God uses problems in life to force us to face our deeper problem, the problem of sin, and the need of God’s forgiveness and salvation in Jesus Christ. Naaman came to know the true God."

Naaman came around to think on the lovely things.

Naaman came around to think on the One True God.

Naaman came around to KNOW the One True God!

May we know Him.

May we turn our eyes away from the ugly sinful thoughts.

May we turn our eyes to the things that are true, noble, right, pure and lovely.

May we turn our eyes and thoughts to Him.

I want to leave you with this song...

May you look full in His wonderful (lovely) face ~ Amen.

Debbie G.

Philippians 4:8d ~ Pure

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:15:00 PDT

Hello Everyone!

Our subject this week is "Pure" from Philippians 4:8.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is PURE, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things." Philippians 4:8 NIV

Please enjoy this song by Kari Jobe titled "Pure" ~

Here are the lyrics:

Your love is pure
Your love is precious
Your love is all I need
Your love surrounds me
Your love astounds me
Your love is everything

I run to You
When my heart is weak
I cling to You You’re all I seek
It’s my heart’s desire to be close to You
Here in Your arms I find my strength

Everything I want everything I hope in
Everything my heart cries out for

I am asking myself...

**Is His love all I need?

**Do I run to Him when my heart is weak?

**Do I instantly go to the most "Pure" Source of peace, strength and wisdom?

Or do I "pollute" my way with the world's way of working through my problems?

This reminds me of the thought-provoking words that I have heard

about bottled water...

On their label, these bottled water companies are sure to state that their

water is pure ~ even stating the source of the water

usually from a natural spring.

What if....What if....

this label said ~ "99% of the contents of this water is from a natural spring

AND 1% is raw sewage".....

Would we want to drink that?

Would we want to put that into our bodies?

Why then, do we ever even entertain the idea of going anywhere

else but to the PURE SOURCE of peace and contentment?

hmmmmmm....

"Pure" - "Stainless" - Some thoughts leave a stain, which is difficult to erase.

David Gusik says:

"This, Paul would say, is the fruit and the food of the mind that is guarded by the peace of God; the adage 'garbage in, garbage out' is applicable here.

John MacArthur says:

"Our minds need regular cleansing.

Because we live in a fallen world our renewed minds need ongoing cleansing and refreshment. God's chief agent of purifying our thinking is His Word. (John 15:3; Eph. 5:26). The term 'pure' refers to something morally clean and undefiled. We are to dwell on what is clean, not soiled."

From Our Daily Bread:
Several years ago I read a story about a 92-year-old Christian woman who was legally blind. In spite of her limitation, she was always neatly dressed, with her hair carefully brushed and her makeup tastefully applied. Each morning she would meet the new day with eagerness.

After her husband of 70 years died, it became necessary for her to go to a nursing home where she could receive proper care. On the day of the move, a helpful neighbor drove her there and guided her into the lobby. Her room wasn't ready, so she waited patiently in the lobby for several hours.

When an attendant finally came for her, she smiled sweetly as she maneuvered her walker to the elevator. The staff member described her room to her, including the new curtains that had been hung on the windows. 'I love it,' she declared. 'But Mrs. Jones, you haven't seen your room yet,' the attendant replied. 'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' she said. 'Happiness is something you choose. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how it's arranged. It's how I arrange my mind.'"

The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.

Amen.

Debbie G.

Philippians 4:8c ~ Right

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 06:17:00 PDT

Hello Everyone!

I found a great Strawberry Cake recipe last week and I wanted to share it with you.

Mrs. Dodd's Strawberry Cake

1 Box Strawberry Cake mix
1 Quart fresh strawberries
3/4-1 Cup sugar (depending on the sweetness of the berries)
1 Tub of cream cheese frosting or 1 Tub of Cool Whip

Wash and slice strawberries
Pour sugar over the strawberries
Bake the cake according to directions in desired size of pan
COOL COMPLETELY
Poke holes in the top of the COOLED cake
Pour strawberries and juice over the cake
Heat cream cheese frosting until it slightly boils
Drizzle frosting over the cake
Optional ~ Spread Cool Whip over the cake

This cake is soooooooooooo moist,

you can almost wring out the liquid!!!!!!!!!

Depending on your sweet tooth,

you would need to decide which topping you would prefer.

The cream cheese frosting is much sweeter, of course,

than the Cool Whip. You have to heat up the frosting

because it is nearly impossible to spread it over the

strawberries. You must drizzle...(hehehehe!!!)

Now, on to our Bible Study this week about "Right"........

We are talking about the battlefield of our minds.

Clearly, the Apostles Paul's thought life

was at the heart of the contentment, peace and joy

that he had learned in every situation.

(Philippians 4:10-12)

At www.preceptaustin.org commentary,

I find wonderful comments on this Scripture.

Here are some things to "think about" for the general theme of

our thought life before we

dive

into the word ~ "Right".

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is RIGHT, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things." Philippians 4:8 NIV

Dwight Pentecost offers a practical thought regarding this verse noting that...

"The greatest area of sin in the believer’s life is not the area of actions but the area of thought. There is a whole classification of sins that we would have to call sins of the mind. What was the first sin of Lucifer? It was pride. What is that? A sin of the mind. What is lust? A sin of the mind. What is covetousness? A sin of the mind. Greed? A sin of the mind. Suspicion? A sin of the mind. Discouragement? A sin of the mind. We could go on and on. Those sins are more real to the child of God than such sins as adultery and murder and theft. That is a testimony to the fact that there is a warfare going on. Satan is attacking the mind. Therefore this word of the Apostle Paul concerning the use we make of our minds is so relevant to us today: meditate, ruminate, dwell on these things." (Pentecost, J. D. The Joy of Living: A study of Philippians. Kregel Publications)

Pastor Steven Cole introduces Philippians 4:8 with the following comments...

"Mark Twain wrote,

What a wee little part of a person’s life are his acts and his words! His real life is led in his head, and is known to none but himself. All day long, the mill of his brain is grinding, and his thoughts, not those other things, are his history. (Reader’s Digest [1/93], p. 155).

I would modify Twain by saying that our thought life forms the basis for and is largely revealed in our actions and words. But Twain’s comments correctly affirm that our thought life composes a major part of who we really are."

Right (1342) (dikaios) refers to that which conforms to the perfect standard of God's righteousness. We know from Romans that the "good works" that God requires (they are "right") do not come from our good intentions, but originate out of faith that obeys. Dikaios describes whatever is in perfect harmony with God’s eternal, unchanging standards, as revealed in Scripture.

Zoweee....that last paragraph seems very unattainable for us...

That we should always think on "whatever is in perfect harmony with

God's eternal, unchanging standards".....

I REALLY don't think that that will happen until we reach heaven,

But I liked the phrase that was used...(the) "good works that God requires do not come from our good intentions, but originate out of faith that obeys."

We should, through faith in the strength that God will give us,

try to obey more and more by controlling our thought life

and think on "right" things, positive things

rather than "wrong" things, negative things

that do not line up with the Word of God.

You may say...how do I know if what I am focusing on and

dwelling on in my thought life is "right" or "wrong"

when I do not know much of what the Bible says....

I am here to tell you that if you ask God to show you

in His Word whether what you are doing is "right"

or "wrong"....

He WILL BE faithful to show you.

You just have to be faithful to take time away from your

busy world and read His Word and ask Him!

In his message:

"Taking Control of Our Thinking"

Philippians 4:8,9

SERIES: Blueprint for Joyful Living: Philippians

©April 22, 2001 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche

Rev. Bruce Goettsche says this:
"Have you ever stopped to listen to yourself? How much time do you spend spotlighting the weaknesses of others compared to talking about their strengths? I'd bet you spend more time on the negative than you'd care to admit. Why is that? Why do we feel superior when we are tearing someone else apart? How are we better off for ridiculing the weaknesses or quirks of another?

Paul tells us we should celebrate and spotlight people's progress rather than their weakness. We should try to catch people doing things right rather than harping about the things they do wrong. We all have rough edges, we all let people down, but beating each other up over these things doesn't help anything. When we focus on the negative several things happen,

we develop a critical spirit rather than a positive spirit
we push people away rather than draw them closer
we hinder unity in the body of Christ by forcing people to choose sides rather than work together
we are a poor witness for the gospel
we reveal that we lack love
we make others tentative (timid) rather than willing to risk because they are afraid of failure and the ridicule that will follow
and we are inviting others to be critical of us

What is the "up side" to a negative spirit? There is no up-side. But when we are positive toward others,

we spur people on we give them courage and strength
we build a spirit of appreciation and oneness in the body of Christ
we find that people begin to open up to us and we discover some incredible treasure in the people around us
we find that people speak well of us
people try harder and dream bigger
conflict, churning, anxiety gives way to laughter, joy and peace
and best of all: God smiles

(Practical Application to Our Daily Lives:)

Are you living in God's peace or are you constantly churning?
Where do your thoughts go when you have some idle moments? Do you wallow in godlessness or are you feeding on the truth?
Are you a negative person or a positive person? Do you build people up or tear them down?
Are you evaluating the messages the world is subtly sending your way?
Are you intentional about filling your mind with the good, pure, and valuable truth of God?

I can't imagine that there isn't a single one of us who doesn't need a little improvement here. Ask God to help you and to help us. And maybe we can help each other. We'll hate it at first, but what if when we saw the negative and destructive thinking creeping up in our mind we said things like this,

Did you make a conscious choice to be grumpy today?
Would you call that a positive or a negative comment?
How do you think God would view this situation?
Do you think you may be jumping to conclusions ahead of the facts?

I hope you get the idea. It would be annoying at first (and maybe a little dangerous) but I know I would appreciate the accountability. I don't want to be a negative thinker, I want to be a Godly thinker. I don't want to suck the life out of a situation, I want to infuse life into the people and circumstances around me. I want to stand for that which is pure and not cave in to that which is not. I want to choose the good, enjoy the beautiful, pursue the noble, and I want to walk in the sweetness of God's peace. So, I hope you will encourage me to think better thoughts. I may grumble at the time . . .but I will be grateful . . . eventually. And I hope the same can be said of you."

Amen, Bro. Bruce...Amen.

Until next week,

Debbie G.

Philippians 4:8b ~ Noble

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 07:19:00 PDT

Hello Everyone!

I have 3, yes 3 videos for you to watch before we start our Bible Study.

Bob and I mailed our Red Envelope this week.

Please ask God if that is something that HE would want you to do.

Please go to www.belonginghouse.org and click on

"FAQ about the Red Envelope Project" ~

for more information on the details of sending the envelope.

Click on "My Bio" to find out how all of this started.

The next video is for a laugh!!

May I present Chonda Pierce, once again!

This lady of many giftings and talents from God can really SING, too! Here are the lyrics to this next video/song. They were written by Geron and Becky Davis:

Verse 1
In and out of situations
That tug-a-war at me
All day long I struggle
For answers that I need
Then I come into His presence
All my questions become clear
And for a sacred moment
No doubt can interfere

Chorus
In the presence of Jehovah
God Almighty Prince of Peace
Troubles vanish hearts are mended
In the presence of the King

Verse 2
Through His love the Lord provided
A place for us to rest
A place to find the answers
In hours of distress
There is never any reason
To give up in despair
Just slip away and breathe His name
He will come and meet you there

1983, 1985 Meadowgreen Music Company

Please enjoy God's Presence as you listen!!

Since we are talking this week about thinking about what is

"Honorable, Honest, Noble or That Which Inspires Reverence or Awe....",

Philippians 4:8b

"Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is NOBLE, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."

(New International Version)

"Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is HONORABLE, whatever is just,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable -
if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise - dwell on these things."

(Holman Christian Standard Bible)

I thought what better Subject to talk about in referring to

Honorable, Honest, Noble and Reverence....

than the Presence of God...

You may ask "How to I come into His Presence?"

It seems like such a high and mighty thing for me to even think about doing...

That is the beauty of having a personal relationship with God....

It is simple!!

We make it too hard.

All you have to do is to quiet yourself before God...

Plan to meet Him like you would plan a doctor's appointment

or a salon or beauty shop appointment...

Set aside some time....

Erase all distractions...

Turn off all of the electronic devices that come into our home....

into the gate of our homes through the airways...

Say that you need this for YOU, for YOU to be a better person,

husband, wife, mother, daughter, son, etc...

(Disclaimer ~ I am not saying that this is the ONLY way

you can talk to God. I believe that you can breathe the

name of Jesus and feel His strength and guidance.

What I am describing is A way to seek God,

especially if you are burdened down with cares.)

Say to God in that secret place, that You need more of Him,

that you need to be led and guided by Him,

because how you are doing your life is not working....

"God will surely meet you right there"....

Listen....listen....listen....

Don't do all the talking.....

"God Almighty, Prince of Peace"

will fill you with a deep settled peace.

You will find yourself breathing deeper,

letting out a big sigh....

letting out the toxic stress and worry

that have been plaguing your mind.

You will come away, not knowing ~ possibly ~

how your situation will work out

or how it will end,

but you KNOW that you KNOW, that you KNOW

that you are not doing life alone...

that you are being supported by the Creator of this world.

The same One that made the stars,

The same One that made the mountains,

The same One that made YOU and me,

He is there for you and me.

He will never leave you or me alone or forsaken.

He is a friend that sticketh (King James Version) closer than a brother!!!

Praise God!!

"Dwell" ~ to take up residence ~ on these things this week.

Occupy, Remain, Live, Abide there this week.

In His service,

Debbie G.

PS For more information on praying in the Secret Place, read Bob Sorge's book, "Secret of the Secret Place".

Philippians 4:8a ~ True

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 06:29:00 PST

Hello Everyone!

I wanted to start off with some jokes I read at Readers Digest online .

With our Scripture for this week talking about thinking on things that are

good, I thought a few good clean jokes were in order.

My criteria for these is that they make me laugh out loud.

The first one, I had heard something similar, but I appreciated how they

expanded it!

Also...this joke reverberated, much to my horror,

of my morning today at 5:00 a.m....

We had been seeing "evidences" of something underneath our sink and

in our pantry...

My sweet husband set two traps late yesterday afternoon ~ out of sight, of course...

I go traipsing (don't you just love that word?) down our stairs this morning

to our kitchen....

I rounded the corner in the semi-dark and I heard a squeaking!!!!

I saw for a split second the trap on the OUTSIDE of our pantry....

It was NOT placed on the outside....

it was placed on the inside....

The pantry door was closed tightly.....

I yelled and screamed at the top of my lungs and

took the stairs two at a time, I think,

while waking my said sweet husband....

I think he thought someone was attacking me!!!!

I curled up in our bed in the fetal position and covered myself up with the

covers and said ~ "You kill it!" ~ UGH UGH UGH!!!

My hero did and I was able to stop breathing hard and my heart returned back

to its normal pitter pat after the "deed was done".....

Then...I had to RETURN to the kitchen....stepping very carefully and sweeping

the kitchen floor with my eyes at an accelerated pace....

Shewwwwwweeeeeeeeeee..........

Now on with the jokes....

Squirrels had overrun three churches in town. After much prayer, the elders of the first church determined that the animals were predestined to be there. Who were they to interfere with God's will, they reasoned. Soon, the squirrels multiplied.

The elders of the second church, deciding they could not harm any of God's creatures, humanely trapped the squirrels and set them free outside of town. Three days later, the squirrels were back.

It was only the third church that succeeded in keeping the pests away. The elders baptized the squirrels and registered them as members of the church. Now they only see them on Christmas and Easter.

****************************************************************************************
Some neighbors of my grandparents' gave them a pumpkin pie as a holiday gift. As lovely as the gesture was, it was clear from the first bite that the pie tasted bad. It was so inedible that my grandmother had to throw it away. Ever gracious and tactful, she still felt obliged to send the neighbors a note. It read "Thank you very much for the pumpkin pie. Something like that doesn't last very long in our house."
****************************************************************************************
Nancy was Catholic, but her fiancé, Chris, was not. Since my friends were planning to be married in the Catholic Church, Chris made sure to listen carefully throughout their prenuptial sessions. At one meeting the priest turned to Chris and told him, "Since you are not Catholic, we shall have the ceremony without Eucharist."

Later that day, Chris was noticeably upset, so Nancy asked what was wrong. "I don't understand," he said. "How can we have the ceremony without me?"
***********************************************************************************************************
hehehehehehehe!!!!

Did anyone notice that I added a little "a" after our Scripture verse?

hmmmmm.....I wonder what that could mean?

After praying about our next verse,

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things."

I want to take each focus of thought, separately.

This week, we are going to talk about "whatever is true".

But first I want to start with talking about our thought life.

The following is from www.preceptaustin.org,

the online Bible Commentary I use ALOT!!

(Their link is also found on my left sidebar under "links" ~ "Online Commentary".)

"PHILIPPIANS 4:8
THE GIFT OF THOUGHT
READ: Philippians 4:4-9

Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, . . . meditate on these things. —Philippians 4:8
In some ways humans are inferior to animals. I have seen some incredibly strong men, but never one 'as strong as an ox'. Men can run 100 meters in under 10 seconds, but that doesn't begin to compare with the speed of a cheetah. There are people who have an uncanny sense of direction, but even they can't explain how migrating swallows can return unerringly to the same place year after year.

Yes, some animals are intelligent, but none of them can think as we can. No animal could ever have developed today's amazing society with all its medical and technological advances.

A human's unique ability to think enables him to have thoughts about God and eternity. The famous American poet Walt Whitman found this to be troubling. He said that he often envied the cattle that graze contentedly in a meadow, because they never worry or dwell on troublesome thoughts.

As Christians, we know that the ability to think is a God-given gift. But sad to say, we can misuse it by entertaining thoughts that are vulgar, foul, and mean. Paul told us to meditate on whatever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, virtuous, praiseworthy, and of good report (Philippians 4:8).

Lord, help us to discipline our thoughts. —Herbert Vander Lugt

Of all God's creatures only man
Can worship, meditate, and plan;
The gift of thought sets him apart
To love the Lord with all his heart. —D. De Haan

Godly character is shaped by Godly thoughts."

**The Gift of Thought**

WOW ~ have you ever "thought" about that before?

It is a wonderful gift that God has given us.

To be able to be intelligent ~ the most intelligent creature that God made.

How do we use that gift?

What do we focus our thoughts on during the day?

I have been involved in a couple of weight-loss programs. (cough, cough ~ ahemmmmm)

One in particular, asks you to write down every thing you put in your mouth during the day.

What would our page in our journal look like if we carried it around for a day a jotted down

a one word description of what we are thinking about at that given time?

We may need more than one page in a journal or even more than one journal!!!

But, what would those one-word descriptions show us?

Our last 4 verses have been teaching us how to have peace,

how to have joy,

how to have contentment.

Another way to look at these 4 verses, is to say that it teaches you how to do

spiritual warfare

in times of trial and temptation.

Rejoice
Be Gentle
Don't Worry About Anything
Pray About Everything
Be Thankful
Think On True, Noble, Right, Pure, Lovely, Admirable, Excellent And Praiseworthy Things

Then you will have the peace of God which will guard your hearts and minds.

No Tormenting Thoughts
No Discontentment
No Nervousness
No Jitteryness
No Queasy Uneasyness

(exceptwhenyoucomedownthestairsat500inthemorningandhearthesqueakingofamouseandthetraphasmovedaconsiderablespacefromwhereyouputit.)

As Paul draws to the conclusion of his letter, in this verse he deals with the

greatest conflict that every believer encounters -

the battle for the control of our minds.

Proverbs 23:7

Solomon wrote that "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he."

–(King James Version)

Do you want to know what a man or woman actually is?

Solomon has given us the "test". It is not what he or she says,

but what he or she thinks about!

Paul is not preaching the "Power of Positive Thinking",

but rather that the Christian's thought life should be focused on the

great truths of the Bible.

"Many things in this world are deceptive and illusory, promising what they can never perform, offering a specious (misleadingly attractive) peace and happiness which they can never supply. A man should always set his thoughts on the things which will not let him down." ~ Barclay

"Since as fallen creatures we are prone to Satan’s lies and deception, the only way we can know the truth and walk in it is to steep ourselves in God’s Word. We should know the Word so well that we automatically run everything we encounter through the grid of God’s Word. We live in a day that is geared toward emotions and strongly influenced by the supposed “virtue” of tolerance. Our culture assumes that love means being tolerant and accepting of everyone and everything, even if God’s Word plainly declares that something is an abomination. If you go with the flow, you will be carried far from God’s absolute standard of moral truth as revealed in His Word." ~ Steven Cole

Steep ~ "to soak food or tea in water so as to extract its flavor or to soften it."

We need to steep ourselves in God's Word.

"In the final analysis whatever God says on any given subject is true! The unchanging God and His unchanging holy Word is the final test for truth!"

Sow a thought, reap an action.
Sow an action, reap a habit.
Sow a habit, reap a character.
Sow a character, reap a destiny!

Until next week,

Debbie G.

Resource ~ www.preceptaustin.org

Philippians 4:7

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 16:55:00 PST

Hello Everyone!

It is ☂ here! How is in your "neck of the woods"?

But at least it is not ☃!

We really can't complain about our weather,

it has just been kinda ⇑ and ⇓ and sometimes...

➶ ➷ ➸ ↵ !!!

Sorry...I got carried away with a selection on my "Edit" tab

called "special characters"!

Thanks for your patience with my "playin' around"! ♡ ✟ ❉ ❀ ❆ «»

Before we get into our verse for the week,

I thought it was about time to again visit:

www.tipnut.com

This week we might see a sneak peak into the reason for the

word "nut" in their name!

No offense intended!

15 Alternative Uses for Credit Cards

By DIY Maven

Has the economy prompted you to cancel a credit card or two even though you’re still getting those fake ones in the mail? Here’s 15 ways to make use of all of them that won’t cost you a thing. Actually, in some instances, they’ll even save you money.

Open a spring latch lock. (Doesn’t work on a deadbolt, thankfully.)
Ice scraper.
Paint scraper.
Aquarium glass scraper.
Caulk edger, like one of these things.
Shims for tight spaces.
Guitar pick.
Hard Cheese grater–use the embossing side and wash the card first!
Paint guide for tight places.
BookmarkFinger splint, using it to immobilize an adjacent finger or two–until you can get to a doctor, of course.
Cake knife. (Seriously.)
Weeder, to get in the cracks between paving stones and sidewalks.
Straight edge. (Okay, a SMALL straight edge.)
Pick-pocket diverter. Fill a cheap prop wallet with them–use the fake ones you get in the mail–and slip it into your back pocket.
And finally my favorite..cut them up to use as mosaic tiles.

Compiled with the help of this, this, and this. Top image via.

You can take duct tape and wrap it several times around an old credit card

and then put it in your wallet.

Now you may ask...why in the world would I want to carry duct tape in my wallet?

Here you go....

From: www.deliciousbaby.com (I'm being serious here.)

Travel Gear: 10 Reasons to Pack Duct Tape When You Travel

We're minimalists when it comes to specialized travel gear, but the one thing we never leave home without is a small roll of duct tape (also called duck tape). Here are some terrific uses you've probably never considered.

Repair broken luggage or tape closed the area where a zipper has failed.
Once you've left the US (and TSA) tamper proof your luggage by wrapping duct tape around it. While someone can still get into your luggage if they really need to, they'll probably skip yours and rifle through someone else's bag.
Use colored duct tape, or a personal design to mark your suitcase for visibility
In a hotel, close gaping blackout drapes
Create an extra label for your suitcase by writing your name and address on some duct tape and sticking it inside.
Seal over the drain in a hotel room sink so that you can wash laundry
Babyproof a Hotel Room
Entertain the kids: Use the tape to outline a hopscotch design or a race track for toy cars
In case of fire, seal off door & air vents to keep smoke out. Some say that duct tape is more effective than damp towels, and it certainly works better to cover an air vent on the ceiling.
First Aid: In a pinch, duct tape can be used to make band-aids (with some tissue or cotton), a finger splint (with two popsicle sticks), or to remove a splinter

You can buy mini-rolls of duct tape from a travel store, but it's easy and cheap to make your own.

Wrap the tape around a popsicle stick, short pencil, crayon or expired credit card.

What are your favorite uses for Duct Tape on the road? Let us know in the comments!

Comments

mamabunny
February 28, 2008 at 3:15 p.m.

it also works well as a lint brush if you turn a bit sticky side out and form a loop that you put over your hand.

Ok...now we need to settle down and have our Bible Study!!

Philippians 4:7 ~

Available Translations and Versions for Philippians 4:7

Starting with the King James Version:

KJV - Phl 4:7 -	And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. : - King James Version 1769 Info

NKJV - Phl 4:7 -	and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

NLT - Phl 4:7 -	If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

NIV - Phl 4:7 -	And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

ESV - Phl 4:7 -	And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.



NASB - Phl 4:7 -	And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

RSV - Phl 4:7 -	And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

ASV - Phl 4:7 -	And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. : - American Standard Version 1901 Info



DBY - Phl 4:7 -	and the peace of God, which surpasses every understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts by Christ Jesus. : - J.N.Darby Translation 1890 Info

WEB - Phl 4:7 -	And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. : - Noah Webster Version 1833 Info

HNV - Phl 4:7 -	The shalom of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Messiah Yeshua. : - Hebrew Names Version 2000 Info

And one more, please ~

"Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." >The Message Bible

"How do you know when God is at the center of your life?

When God is at the center, your worship.

When He is not,

you worry.

Worry is the warning light that God has been shoved to the sidelines.

The moment you put Him back at the center,

you will have peace again."

-The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren

When we call on God from hearts that remain in Christ and His Word...

(Condition to be met)

then...

God's peace will flood

our troubled souls.

✵This peace is an inner tranquility mediated (!) by the Holy Spirit.

(Romans 8: 15-16)

It involves a firm conviction that Jesus is near and that God's love

will be active in our lives for good.

(Isaiah 26:3
Romans 8:28, 32)

✵This peace will stand guard at the door of our hearts and minds,

when we lay our troubles before God in prayer,

preventing the cares and heartaches of life from upsetting our lives

and undermining our hope in Christ.

✵This peace will replace fear and worry, when they rear

their ugly heads again. Under the peace of God, we are safe

and we will rejoice in the Lord. (there's that word, again ~ JOY!)

Just knowing that Jesus came as the Prince of Peace,

will not ensure that peace will automatically become the fabric of our lives.

To experience peace requires that we be united with Christ in an active faith.

The first step is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

When we do, we are justified (just as if we had never sinned) through faith

(Romans 3:21-28)

and so have peace with God.

(Romans 5:1)

Along with faith, we must walk in obedience to His commands in order

to live in peace.

To know God's peace, He has given us the Holy Spirit,

who begins to work His fruit in us – one portion of that fruit is peace.

(Galatians 5:22)

No God, No Peace
Know God, Know Peace

**Let peace rule in our hearts

**Let us seek peace and pursue it

**Let us do our best to live in peace with others

I want to leave you with this well-known blessing that our mentor

prayed over my husband and I just last night...

Numbers 6:24-26

"The Lord bless you and protect you;

the Lord make His face to shine on you,

and be gracious to you;

the Lord look with favor on you

and give you peace."

Amen!

Until next week,

Debbie G.

Reference: Commentary from "Life in the Spirit Study Bible", formerly known as "Full Life Study Bible".

Philippians 4:6

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 04:14:00 PST

Hello Everyone!

I wanted to start out this post with a video from friends of ours

the Burchfield Brothers, Benji and John.

They are wonderfully talented instrumentalists.

My husband went to Olivet Nazarene University with Benji and

has enjoyed renewing their friendship since we all live in the

Nashville, TN area, now.

If you like their music you may go to their website at www.burchfieldbrothers.com

and sign-up for their newsletter where you will get two free music downloads!

Please enjoy!

(Plz remember to turn off my Playlist in the left sidebar!)

Our Scripture for this week is....!

"Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."

There are other versions of this verse, but this is the one I want to use this week.

In this world, today...this verse should be taped on our foreheads!!

(That would look strange, wouldn't it!!)

It seems as the years go by, there is more worry and more worry with

each passing decade.

But this is the end of the end times and the Bible says that everyone will

wanting peace and safety ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:3

Do we have any "worry warts" present here?

Does the following story ring a bell for you?

"The Most Reverend R.C. Trench, who was at one time the Protestant

Archbishop of Dublin, had a morbid fear of becoming paralyzed.

One evening at a party, the lady he sat next to at dinner heard him muttering

mournfully to himself, 'It's happened at last...total insensibility of the right limb!'

'Your Grace,' said the lady, 'it may comfort you to learn that it is my leg

you are pinching!'"

hehehehehe!!!

But seriously, over 100 diseases have been directly attributed to worry!

An article that I just found is entitled:

"Chronic Worry Tied To Memory Problems"

hmmmmmmmm.....oh boy!!

Worry will not only take away your physical energy,

it will also rob the soul of its stamina as well.

Why?

Worry is the ultimate act of rebellion against the rule of God

in a believer's life.

How?

Worry says that God is dead ~

and if He is alive...

then He is incapable of doing anything about my situation!!

Ouch.

Worry could be called the most popular pastime of the human race.

One elderly lady said, "I always feel bad when I feel good,

for I know that I'll feel bad after awhile!"

Can you relate?

When we worry, we have ceased to trust the Lord.

If worry is eating you alive and is destroying your physical

and spiritual life, the Apostle Paul wants to help you to defeat its power!

In this verse and the next two, the Bible sheds light

on how we are to handle our worry.

Worry comes from an Old English word meaning "to strangle"...

Now, of all of the old-timey derivatives...this one nails it!!

Worry will choke the life right out of you!

Worry is the interest paid on trouble before it falls due

Worry is the interest we pay on tomorrow's trouble

Worry pulls tomorrow's cloud over today's sunshine

Worry gives a small thing a big shadow

Why should Christians not worry?

God knows what you have faced, are facing and will face (Proverbs 15:3)

God cares about what you face in life (1 Peter 5:8)

God has promised to take care of you (Hebrews 13:5-6)

Years ago, in the pioneer days of aviation, a pilot was making a flight around the

world. After he had been gone for some two hours from his last landing field,

he heard a noise in his plane, which he recognized as the gnawing of a rat.

He realized that while his plane had been on the ground, a rat had gotten in.

For all he knew the rat could be gnawing though a vital cable or control of the

plane. It was a very serious situation. He was both concerned and worried.

At first, he did not know what to do. It was two hours back to the landing

field from which he had taken off and more than two hours to the next field

ahead. Then, he remembered that the rat is a rodent. It is not made for the

heights; it was made to live on the ground and under the ground. Therefore, the

pilot began to climb. He went up a thousand feet, then another thousand and

another until he was more than twenty thousand feet up. The gnawing ceased.

The rat was dead. He could not survive in the atmosphere of those heights.

More than two hours later the pilot brought the plane safely to the next landing

field and found the dead rat. Worry is like a rat in your heart and in your mind.

If left alone, it will gnaw at you until it destroys your life and until it steals away all

your joy, power and energy. But....But....the rodent of worry cannot live in the

secret place of the Most High!! It cannot breathe in an atmosphere that is steeped

with prayer and influenced by the Word of God!! Worry dies when we climb up to

the Lord through prayer and His Word!! What do you need to carry up to the

Lord in prayer?

"but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."

Thanksgiving....

When you worry, presumably, you are not is a situation where being thankful

is automatic or spontaneous!

You will have to do this deliberately!

Thanksgiving in times of trials, reflects 3 things:

You are remembering God's supply in the past
You are submitting to God's supreme power in the present
Your are trusting in God's sufficiency for the future

Supply...Supreme...Sufficiency...

You say ~ "Lord, I do NOT understand, but I submit to Your supreme power and

purpose in this situation. I trust You.

Let me go out on a limb here...

At some point in our Christian lives....

we are to give thanks for the trial.

Now...I know what you are thinking...

How can I give thanks for my family member dying?
How can I give thanks for losing my job?
How can I give thanks for losing our financial investments?
How can I give thanks for not being able to make our house payment?
How can I give thanks for my spouse leaving me?
How can I give thanks for my teenager's rebellion?
How can I give thanks for my boss who is verbally harassing me?
How can I give thanks for my spouse who is physically abusing me?
How can I give thanks for a sick baby?

I know...I know...

Please allow me to say this with gentleness (last post)...

This is a process.

Once you have been through a fiery trial...

the next time (unfortunately there will be another)

you find yourself suddenly thrown into the fiery furnace,

you MAY BE able to:

lift your head a little higher

lift your hands a little higher in worship

lift your voice in praise

Remember one of my last posts where I said that we should be

Worshipers instead of Worriers...?

ugh.

It would be GREAT if you can do this during your first trial!

But being human, we tend to build our faith slowly, sometimes.

We need to see how each time the Lord helped us.

We need to see how each time He brought us through.

You MAY even get to the point of the three Hebrew children in

Daniel 3. You may even want to STAY in the fiery furnace.

(unbelievable)

If you read this passage closely...

verse 25, the King says that they see FOUR men in the fire!!

One of those men had to be the Lord, in my humble opinion.

AND they were unbound!!!

They CHOSE to stay there to be close to the Lord!!!

Praise the Lord!!!

When they CAME OUT....

the only thing destroyed on them were their human bonds.....

hmmmmmmm......

They DID NOT even smell like smoke!!!

Do you know anyone who has been through a fiery trial and they

came out being bitter?

They came out smelling like the aftermath of a campfire....eckkkk....

The 3 Hebrew children came out BETTER not BITTER.

The only letter that changed there was the "I".....

God bless you as you are possibly walking through a trial today.

May you be able at some point in your life to be thankful for a trial,

because you KNOW that God will bring good out of it some way some how.

Amen!!

Debbie G.

References:

"God's Word Concerning Your Worries ~ by Alan Carr
"The Answer... " ~ by Steven J. Cole

These were found at www.preceptaustin.org ~ Philippians 4:6-7

(See link on left sidebar for "Online Commentary")

Philippians 4:5

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 10:17:00 PST

Hello Everyone!

Our Scripture is on gentleness this week.

I had been doing some research on Psalm 141,

especially verse 5 where it talks about "oil for my head".

This video was one of my choices and I thought that it

so very well spoke of "gentleness" and peace.

Hope you enjoy it.

(Plz turn off my Playlist music to be able to hear this )

Philippians 4:5

"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."
–New International Version

"Let your graciousness be know to everyone. The Lord is near."
–Christian Standard Bible

"Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!"
–The Message Bible

One commentary (Parallel Bible Commentary) says for "gentleness"

or "moderation" ...

><>Forbearance (now, that a word you do not hear much of today...)

><>Considerateness (is that a word? )

><> Sweet Reasonableness

><> Being Satisfied With Less Than Is Due You

Would you please allow me to bring back a picture from my last post

for that last statement?....

Double Ouch....

This is the opposite of stubbornness and thoughtlessness.

The commentary at www.preceptaustin.org says:

(Forbearance or gentleness) describes a person who does not always insist on every right of letter of law or custom. It stands for the spirit or attitude that does not seek to retaliate. It denotes one’s willingness to give and take instead of always standing rigidly on one’s rights. This is the person who is yielding his rights and is therefore gentle, kind, courteous, tolerant or as one has described it exhibits a "sweet reasonableness" or an ability to extend to others the kindly consideration one would wish to receive themselves. The forbearing person is not spineless but selfless.

Be known speaks of knowledge that goes beyond the merely factual. Paul is saying that others are to realize our yieldedness (by experience). We are to be sure that they realize by seeing us in action that we are a people who do not...

cling to our rights as do non-Christians."

Now....we could start a whole debate on WHEN and HOW we do stand up for our rights,

that will be a subject for another post.

How was your "spirit" this morning when offended or misunderstood or mistreated?

Did you defend or forbear, even able to give thanks for all (how many?) things?

"The Lord is near."

When I read that phrase,

I was comforted.

To me and my life,

it said that the Lord is here with me.

It reminds me of a mother or father.

When a child is crying and uncontrollably,

a parent will comfort them by saying:

"It's OK..I am here...Mommy is here...

Daddy is here...

The Lord is near.

Psalm 91:1

"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High,

shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."

–King James Version

Under....not in, but under.

That means that Something is over top of us,

shielding us.

This reminds me of my post October 10, 2008

"I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings...

I had another friend tell me this week that

she feels like she is just walking in the dark...

that she doesn't know where her life's purpose

is leading her. The things she thought God was telling

her to do...did not work out at all...closed doors...

She mentioned this to her mentor at church

and this precious lady told her that she may be

walking in the dark, but it is because

SHE IS IN THE SHADOW OF HIS WINGS....!!!

Comforting, holding close, protecting, until

the storm passes..."

The other meaning of this verse could be in reference

to the return of Christ.

•Our Homegoing

•The Rapture

•The Second Coming

•Judgment Day

I like to think about...

the Rapture for this one.

WOW ~ what a day!!!

If you have watched any of the Left Behind DVDs

or read the books, you have seen their ideas on how the world will be

left when that Great Day comes.

Until next week, may you and I be encouraged to be gentle and to

KNOW that God is very near to us, AMEN!

Debbie G.

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:58:00 PST

Hello Everyone!

Stay tuned for this Friday when we will be discussing Philippians 4:5!

Debbie G.

Philippians 4:4

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:41:00 PST

Hello Everyone!

In respect for the Office of the President

and obeying 1 Timothy 2:1-5 (NIV) which says,

"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone–for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus..."

I wanted to post this article I found online at

Charisma Magazine,

which led me to the below video.

(Plz turn off my Playlist on the right sidebar before playing video.)

Let us join these 3 men in praying for our country!

This week, we are going to focus on one verse:

Philippians 4:4.

This one deals with the theme for Philippians ~ JOY~~!!!

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (NIV)

"Rejoice in the Lord alway: [and] again I say, Rejoice." (KJV)

(No that is not a typo...should be alway)

"Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in Him!" (Message Bible)

Pretty much, whatever translation you may use...

except for the Message Bible...

they all say about the same thing for Philippians 4:4.

Some verses are more varied in the words when you compare them.

For example, go to www.blueletterbible.org

Type in Ephesian 4:28 in the search box
Click on the "V" button (V for Versions)
Waalaa!!

You can see the different words that have been used to mean the same

thing...

But...for our verse this week, there is not too many ways to say it...

Don't worry...be happy...

From the great "theologian", (just kidding) Bobby McFerrin...

Now, here is how the commentary for this verse at www.preceptaustin.org

says it:

"Rejoice (chairo) is present imperative calling for a lifestyle of joy that emanates from an active choice (active voice) of our will regardless of whether confronted with joyful or adverse circumstances and/or people. We are to continually work out this command empowered by God in us Who energizes us to carry it out and Who brings forth the fruit of the Spirit which is joy (see note Galatians 5:22).

It is important to understand that this is not 'joy' as the world defines joy, envisioning it as an emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires. This secular definition hardly describes Christian joy which is not a feeling but it is the deep-down confidence that God is in control of everything for the believer’s good and His own glory, and thus all is well no matter the circumstances.

If believers are to represent heaven to earth, then joy should be one of our trademarks, for in Christ's presence is fullness of joy. We obtain (and maintain) this joy by rejoicing in the right object. We rejoice not in our situation but in our Savior, not in circumstances, but in Christ."

We should be worshipers instead of worriers.

I know I am being taught to worship instead of worrying.

I have a friend in Indianapolis who is a precious Hispanic sister-in-the-Lord.

I would go to her house to have Bible Study.

She had a mentor who advised her that when she became

agitated, anxious,

and about to fall apart....

start worshiping...start singing God's praises...

start telling Him of His attributes...start thinking about and thanking Him

for all that He has done for you in the past.

Z.O.W.E.E.!!!

What a difference that makes!!

This commentary goes on to say that...

"Knowledge of God is the key to rejoicing. Those who know the great truths about God find it easy to rejoice."

"...'Rejoice in the Lord always'. People who are very happy, especially those who are very happy in the Lord, are not apt either to give offense or to take offense. Their minds are so sweetly occupied with higher things, that they are not easily distracted by the little troubles which naturally arise among such imperfect creatures as we are."

Ouch!...Double Ouch!!

Or as my grandson, Zane, used to say..."Otch"....

To do this week:

Each time you feel that tornado of worry starting to spin inside

you and it start to spin out of control and cause destruction to anyone

or anything that happens to fall in its pathway....

Start worshiping

Start praising God

Start telling Him how good He is

Start thanking Him for what He has already done for you

Start counting your blessings

If you cannot instantly come up with anything...

Start by just saying His name....

"Jesus, Jesus"...

add to that, "Jesus, I trust You"

add to that "Jesus, I trust You with my life."

add to that "Jesus I worship You".

Then repeat and repeat over and over.

See what happens....

It Is Amazing!!!

Praise God!!!

Learning to rejoice in the Lord alway(s),

Until next week,

Debbie G.

Philippians 4:1-3

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:00:00 PST

Hello Everyone!

I have been thinking about making this recipe

so when I pulled it out of my recipe book,

I thought I should post it!

It is called Baked Spaghetti.

I believe it was originally taken from a Taste of Home Magazine.

It was given to me from a sister in the Lord who received it

from another sister in the Lord...

You know how that goes...

"Hey, Debbie..."so and so" gave me this great recipe...

you have to try it!!!" ~ .one.of.those.!

Baked Spaghetti

1 Cup chopped onion
1 Cup green pepper
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Can 28 oz. tomatoes, diced (do not drain)
1 Can 4 oz. mushroom pieces (drained)
2 Cans (2 1/2 ozs. each) of ripe olives (drained)
2 Teaspoon dried oregano
1 lb. Ground beef, browned (drain)
12 oz. Spaghetti cooked and drained
2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese (divide/ one cup and one cup)
1 Can 10 3/4 oz. condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 Soup can of water (more or less as desired)
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, saute onion and green pepper in butter until tender. Add tomatoes, mushroom, olives and oregano. Add ground beef. Simmer uncovered
for 10 minutes. Place half of the spaghetti in a greased 13x9 baking dish. Top with half of the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with one cup of the cheddar cheese. Repeat layer. Mix the soup and water until smooth; pour over the casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered at 350º for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Yield 6 servings. This casserole freezes well and is a great one to make double of and put it the freezer ~ as do the leftovers, if you have any!

The only deviation I make from the original recipe, is that I use fresh mushrooms, because of personal preference, only ~ oh... and low sodium cream of mushroom soup (I won't go there...), oh...and ground turkey instead of ground beef (same...won't go there...getting older is challenging!!) oh...AND maybe the cheese....low fat.....THAT'S ALL...I PROMISE!!!

It WAS from the Taste of Home magazine and I found it online ~ Whoo Hoo!!

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Baked-Spaghetti

One more time....(sniff...sniff...we are almost done with Philippians!!)

let's go over our little outline that we started with on....

JULY 21st!!!! Can you believe it??????

OK...now how many months has that been?

July-August ~ 1

August-September ~ 2

September-October ~ 3

October-November ~ 4

November-December ~ 5

December-January 10 ~ 6....ALMOST 6 MONTHS...can you believe it????!!!

Zoweee...

Here is our little outline one more time:

I. Rejoicing in Christ as the Principle of Life (Chapter 1:1-11)
II. Rejoicing in Christ as the Pattern of Life (Chapter 2:1-30)
III. Rejoicing in Christ as the Prize of Life (Chapter 3:1-21)
IV. Rejoicing in Christ as the Power of Life (Chapter 4:1-23 )

In this last chapter we will see Christ as the Power of our Life.

The Source of Power = Joy, verses 1-4.

The Secret of Power = Prayer, verses 5-7.

The Sanctuary of Power = Contemplation of Christ, verses 8-14.

The Satisfaction of Power = In Christ, verses 15-23.

Verse 1 ~ "Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!

Verse 2 ~ I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.

Verse 3 ~ Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Stand firm...

This phrase in verse one, takes me back to the Spring of 1994.

I was going through the hardest test of my life.

My first husband, Bruce was battling the effects of lung cancer.

He had been a non-smoker, but found himself faced with this disease.

We were living in Indianapolis, IN in a 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch-style home.

One of the features of this home that I liked was that it had a covered porch

and 2 rocking chairs.

One day, I realized that a storm was coming our way.

I had the privilege, at that moment, to be able to go out on the porch

and sit in a rocking chair and watch, listen and smell the storm as it approached.

All of a sudden, my eyes were focused on an object across the street.

There on a corner of our neighbor's yard, was a rabbit.

Now that may not seem unusual to you,

but this rabbit was sitting smack dab in the middle of this rather large

area of grass.

It was not moving.

It was not running from the storm.

It was not hiding in the bushes.

Suddenly, I sensed in my spirit the words...

"Stand Firm".

"Stand firm, do not run from the storm...

Do not run and hide and bury your head until the storm passes...

Stand firm and see the work of the Lord...

Do not be afraid..."

You can imagine that it was as though the earth had stopped spinning

and it was just me and that rabbit zeroed in and focused on.

What courage it gave me to stand firm in my faith!...

To stand firm that God will see us through this storm...

Even though the wind was blowing and the smell of rain was coming...

Even though the natural thing to do would be to run away...

Take shelter...and hide.

God said to stand firm and show no fear.....

This and other instances like this encouraged me through out the

year and 4 months and 28 days of Bruce's battle,

until God saw it best to give him an ultimate healing in heaven.

OK>>>>>(cough and clearing of the throat...)

Verses 2 and 3 deal with conflict.

Now, you may say, I can see how standing firm in your faith

can give you the source of power = joy...

But how can conflict give you...joy?

I'll be happy to tell you how.

But first, let's remember what type of "document" that we are reading here.

Paul was in prison. Paul was writing the Philippian church a letter

to send to them via of our friend Epaphroditus.

(See Philippians 2:26-30 post on November 7, 2008 to read about this wonderful

servant and co-worker in the Lord with Paul.)

So...Ep takes this letter (or what we know as the Book of Philippians)

back to the Philippian church and let's imagine

that it was read to the whole church at one time.

"Imagine sitting in the congregation listening to Paul’s letter being read. There are two women, sitting on opposite sides of the room, listening intently. Each of them is surrounded by their supporters. They both gave a hearty amen when Paul said that he was 'confident that He who began a good work in you would carry it on to completion to the day of Christ Jesus.' (Phil 1:6) Both women dabbed their eyes with tissues when the great Christ-hymn of chapter two was read (Phil 2:5-11) and they both nodded resolutely when Paul told them beware false teachers (see 3:18-21).

But Paul starts Chapter Four by calling each of these women out by name. Paul has left teaching and now he’s gone to meddling! I am sure each of them wanted to crawl under their seat. Paul does not mean to embarrass them, but does not hesitate to deal with this divisiveness head on.

I love the way that Eugene Peterson paraphrases these verses:

'I urge you Euodia and Syntyche to iron out their differences and make up. God doesn’t want his children holding grudges.' (Phil. 4:2, The Message Bible)"

–by Jeff Williams, "Getting Along With Others", 06/26/05 at www.preceptaustin.org

Mr. Williams goes on to talk about how we as Christians need to be peacemakers.

He gives the acrostic of P.E.A.C.E.

P ~ Pursue peace at all costs. Handle conflict Biblically.

Action step: Are you in a conflict right now? Maybe it is someone in the church

or a family member. It could be with a friend or a coworker. Here is the action

step – deal it with today. Putting off resolving conflict actually leads to sin and

a hard heart.

Do not delay or doubt God’s ability to help you resolve the

problem.

E ~ Express yourself Biblically. Avoid accusing comments, sweeping

generalizations, and becoming historical. (not hysterical!)

Use words that “build others up” by being gentle and kind.

Action Step: Do your words wound or bring healing? Is your vocabulary

vicious or do your adjectives affirm? Try this tomorrow. Try to go one entire

day without saying anything negative about anyone. Make a deal with someone

that every time you slip you have to pay them a dollar!

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you apply Ephesians 4:29 to your mouth...

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is

helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit

those who listen."

A ~ Ask yourself the question – "Is this worth it?" "Will this matter

one year from now?

In many situations, the best way to resolve conflict is to simply overlook

an offense.

Action Step: For the most part, people do not get out of bed in the morning

thinking, “I think I’ll go hurt someone’s feelings today.” Let me encourage you

to give a little grace to that person that hurt you by what they said, what they

did, what they didn’t do. In the name and power of Jesus Christ, who has

forgiven you and me of so much, let it go. Forgive, GOI, (Get Over It) and move

on.

C ~ Confess your sins. Jesus calls us to confess our part in the problem before

calling others out for their faults. We have enough holy hypocrites; we are in

desperate need of Christ-following confessors. We don’t like people who sin

differently than we do!

Ken Sande at www.peacemaker.net

and author of the book "The Peacemaker"

says that these are the "Seven A's of Confession":

*Address everyone involved

*Avoid the words "if, but or maybe"

*Admit specifically (both attitudes and actions)

*Acknowledge the hurt

*Accept the consequences

*Alter your behavior

*Ask for forgiveness and allow time

E ~ Engage a mentor. Finally, if none of these steps work, we are to engage a

mediator to help us resolve the issues. That’s what the “loyal yokefellow” was

to do in the church at Philippi and that is what God calls us to when we have

conflict. Listen to some pretty intimidating words from Jesus:

"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the

two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will

not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be

established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'" (Matthew 18:15-17)

Chuck Swindoll writes “if you chose mediation remember,

- the ultimate goal is restoration not discipline

- the right attitude is grace not force

- the common ground is Christ not logic, politics, tradition, or your will.”

Action Step: Identify a Godly leader within this church and asked them to

mediate for you. Stop talking about it to anyone except the individual you have

the conflict with and begin to pray that God would bring peace.

But how can conflict give you...joy?

The peace and joy that you have when you have solved a conflict is liberating...

The peace and joy that you have when you stand firm for God...

It is as though you have a 100 ton weight lifted off of your shoulder...

That gives you the POWER to walk in the purpose that God has for you!

This Source of Power does = Joy!

Now...that is what I call real J.O.Y.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Until next week....

Rejoicing in Christ as the Power of Life,

Debbie G.

PS ~ I need to add a disclaimer that I have in no way attained these principles of settling conflicts in full by any means. Verses 2 and 3 were another reminder of what I need to do, not do what I do...which is being too passive. Holy Spirit, I ask that you help me to be the peacemaker that is a Biblical peacemaker and know fully the joy You have in store for me. Amen.

Philippians 3:15-21

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 17:29:00 PST

Hello Everyone!

I don't personally make New Year's Resolutions, per say...

but I thought this video was cute!! (Plz remember to turn off my Playlist)

How has 2009 gone for you so far???

So far...So good??

I will say that I always wonder what the New Year will bring.

Could any of us predicted how 2008 turned out?

Each year when I put my Christmas tree away...

I ask myself the question...

"What will be different the next time I (read: my sweet husband)

take this tree out of the box at the end of this year?"

But as we are going to study in Chapter 4...

we are to LEARN to be content in whatever circumstance we find ourselves in...

Whether it be good times or bad times...

Whether it be for richer or poorer....

Whether it be a life and death matter....

(hmmm...sounds familiar...)

We are to be content and say, "I trust in You, O God, My times are in Your hands."

Psalm 31:14 & 15a, which happens to be my Life Verse(s).

I trust in You...My times are in Your hands....

Do I/we really mean that?

Easy words to say, but do we really MEAN what we say?

The Christian Standard Bible Version (my new Bible) says,

"The course of my life is in Your power."

Think of a mountain stream...

Can you somehow picture one in your mind???

(hehehe, just a little help from me!)

You might think that the flow of the stream (a.k.a your life) should go down

the right hand side of that picture.

But the God of the Universe KNEW that it needed to go on the left hand side

of this picture.

He also added some rocks and a "downside" (waterfall) to your life.

A place where you feel as though you are free falling with no support when

you fall.

But.God.is.there.

Be brave.

Be strong.

Don't give up.

Be content.

Expect God to be with you!!

Amen.

Ok...now onto our Bible study for this week:

Verse 15 ~ "All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.

Verse 16 ~ Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Verse 17 ~ Join others in following my example, brother, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.

Verse 18 ~ For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.

Verse 19 ~ Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.

Verse 20 ~ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Verse 21 ~ who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."

W.O.W. ~ As I typed that....I was challenged, convicted and given courage!!!!

(all in that order)

Let's pick up where we left off last week with...

Discipline: (If you are a little lost, plz go back one post and read)

In order to keep moving forward, we must exhibit discipline.

"All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained."

Paul is really telling us to take a “chill pill”

when it comes to trying to control other people.

We must remember that our response is our responsibility.

He challenges us to view our Christian lives the way he has laid them out

(think mountain stream)

but if we think differently, God will make it clear.

Leave it in His hands.

Some of us need to heed these words because we’ve taken on too much

responsibility for the response of others.

We must take the focus off of what others are thinking and doing

and live up to what we have already attained.

This means that we are to keep on living by staying in the race,

running in our lane as we move forward.

Discipleship:

In order to stay in the race, we must deepen our discipleship.

We do that in 2 ways:

1.) We are to follow the good examples of others.

2.) We are to reject the bad examples and do not follow them.

Good Examples:

“Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.”

That doesn’t mean Paul is perfect but it does mean that he is on the right path.

In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul declares,

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

The word “pattern” is from a mold into which clay or wax was pressed.

It’s healthy for us to have people to look up to,

people who can mentor us as they model Christ.

At our church, CGC, part of our vision is to be a mentoring church.

A church that generations can learn from each other.

A church that has a strong family feel in many ways.

A church that respects and honors all generations.

It is my husband's and my duty before God to help blend

and help to disciple these generations. Amen!

Bad Examples:

“For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.”

I’m struck by how tender Paul is even towards those he refers to as enemies.

When he considers their destiny which is destruction,

when he states that their appetites control everything they do (ouch!)

and how they take pride in shameful things,

he breaks down and cries.

When’s the last time you cried over the condition of someone? (double ouch)

Because their mind and focus is on worldly things,

It should cause us to cry.

But do we?

I'll be transparent here...I don't...

Word of warning, however ~

We need to have discernment (judgment with a view to obtaining

spiritual direction.)

and this next one is for you, Darlene...

(discernment) in order to grow in our discipleship

because these “enemies of the cross of Christ" may even be in church circles,

writing Christian books,

speaking at Christian conferences,

and sitting next to you on Sunday mornings.

(or afternoons which is our service time)

Delight:

Paul doesn’t want to end on a bummer,

so he brings it all together by focusing on our delight in verses 20-21:

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."

Our perspective will determine our priorities.

As we live in the future tense,

we will have freedom from the past

and find delight in the present.

These closing verses establish several truths to delight in

that will change our perspective.

Our home is in heaven. We are citizens of another place.
Jesus is coming again. We need to eagerly wait for Him.
Everything will be made right. All things will be brought under His order.
We will be transformed. The best is yet to come!

If we want to press on when the pressure’s on,

and get in spiritual shape,

we must implement these essentials:

Dissatisfaction
Devotion
Direction
Determination
Discipline
Discipleship
Delight

What’s dragging you down today?

What is it that you are leashed to?

It’s time to let it go so you can really grow.

It's time to get out of your greenhouse

and plant yourself in the soil of the world

**who needs you to flourish and tell them about Christ

**who need you to be transplanted in their area

**who needs you to show your contentment in trying circumstances

**who needs you to show your discipline, discipleship and delight

Another word for delight is...JOY!!!

(Now where have we heard that word before?)

Until next week,

Debbie G.

Resource:
www.preceptaustin.org
>Sermon "Pressing On When The Pressure's On" by Brian Bill

Philippians 3:12-14

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 20:47:00 PST

Hello Everyone!

I hope that you have all had a wonderful Christmas!

Some of you may still be celebrating and that's a good thing, too!

Let's get back into our routine and let's

turn our channels back to the "Philippians" channel.

We are looking at Philippians 3:12-14

(Verse 12) "Not that I have already obtained all this, of have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me."

(Verse 13) "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,"

(Verse 14) "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

In the first half of Chapter 3, we were reminded that we are declared righteous

not because of religious activities, but as a result of a relationship with the

Redeemer. Paul made it very clear that the seven items on his spiritual resume,

though pretty impressive, were really rubbish

compared with knowing Christ.

Here are the 7 "items":

1. Ritual
2. Relationship
3. Respectability
4. Race
5. Religion
6. Reputation
7. Righteousness

As we look at the second half of Philippians 3,

we will see that Paul balances these seven items with seven essentials for running

and winning the Christian race.

The 7 Essential for running this race of life are:

1.) Dissatisfaction (Phil. 3:12a)
2.) Devotion (Phil. 3:12b)
3.) Direction (Phil. 3:13)
4.) Determination(Phil. 3:14)
5.) Discipline (Phil. 3:15-16)
6.) Discipleship (Phil. 3:17-19)
7.) Delight (Phil. 3:20-4:1)

We will look at the first 4 this week.

1.) Dissatisfaction: The first essential to a solid spiritual life may surprise you.

In order to run the race and keep moving forward,

we must be dissatisfied with where we are right now.

Paul had some incredible experiences –

**He met Jesus on the road to Damascus

**He was caught up into the third heaven and heard “inexpressible things”

(2 Corinthians 12:4),

**He wrote a number of letters, preached incredible sermons

and yet, after walking with Christ for about 25 years,

he was not satisfied with the status of his spiritual life.

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect…”

If you want to really grow,

the first step is to admit how far you still have to go.

Do we want to stay in the "greenhouse", where someone else feeds us?

Some of us do not go outside of our greenhouse,

our comfort zone with the perfect

temperature. We do not go outside of our greenhouse

and plant ourselves

in the fertile soil of the world where many need to hear about our Savior.

In that "outside world" we may have wind, rain, storms, hot, cold, and tornadoes...

but our roots are solidly intertwined with our foundation, our belief system,

our world view and our love for God and we survive and prosper and grow!!

In fact, we are multiplied and parts of us are planted in new growths and new

works for God! That would be what I would call mentoring...

2.) Devotion: The tendency for some of us is to just give up when we realize

how far we have tripped up.

Paul didn’t do that.

His dissatisfaction led him to become more devoted:

One of Charles Spurgeon’s mottos was this: “I hold and am held.”

The Lord had seized Paul and now Paul was determined

to serve His Savior for the rest of his life.

Are you giving maximum effort in your spiritual life,

or are you a Christian on cruise control?

Turn your dissatisfaction into devotion!

3.) Direction: In the spiritual life, direction makes all the difference!

"...But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead..."

One thing...One thing...

Paul had a single-minded focus.

What "one thing" do you do?

Too many of us are too involved in too many things.

Yes, we have many obligations with our families and jobs.

But we are speaking of spiritual things.

What "one thing" do you determine in your heart that you will never lose

your single-minded focus on regarding your love for the Lord?

In order for Paul to have that tremendous focus...

He had to forget what was in his past.

Paul had plenty of reasons to feel guilty.

After all, he had persecuted Christians.

(Acts 22:4)

Some of you are so tied to the troubles of your past,

that you are not moving in any direction anywhere in the present.

We do not allow our past to control our present.

We may not be able to wipe out all of the memories,

but we can break the power of the past by allowing God to fill our

minds with His Word and our worship to Him.

Remember what happened to Lot's wife when she looked back.

(Genesis 19:26)

You cannot run forward by looking backward.

In a Daily Bread devotional called “Seeing or Remembering,” there’s a story about a man who was slowly losing his memory. The doctor told him that surgery might reverse this condition and restore his memory but a nerve might be severed in the process, causing total blindness. The surgeon asked the patient: “What would you rather have, your sight or your memory?” The man pondered the question for a few minutes and then replied, “My sight, because I would rather see where I’m going than remember where I’ve been.”

Do you see where you’re going or are you tripped up by the trash of your past?

4.) Determination: Paul not only turns his dissatisfaction into devotion

and is headed in the right direction;

he also demonstrates determination in verse 14:

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

"Press On" ~ bearing down to win...

Apparently there’s a tombstone at the foot of one of those majestic

mountains in the Alps to honor the memory of a man who fell to his death

while attempting to climb to the top.

Underneath the individual’s name the epitaph reads, “He died climbing.”

That’s what should be said of each of us.

We’re to pursue the prize with dogged determination,

so that when we die, we’re already on the way up!

How many of us surround ourselves with people who are determined?

How many of us surround ourselves with people whose direction is forward

and not backward?

How many of us surround ourselves with people who are devoted to God?

How many of us surround ourselves with people who are dissatisfied with

the way they are running their race and want to strive to do better and have

a hunger for the things of God?

When we do this, then we can step out of our greenhouse and plant ourselves

in the worldly soil and win souls to Christ. Amen.

Until next week,

Debbie G.

Reference:

www.preceptaustin.org
>Sermon "Pressing On When The Pressure's On" by Brian Bill

Christmas Story

noreply@blogger.com (debbieg) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 19:04:00 PST

Here it is the Christmas Story!
Sorry, it's late, YouTube didn't want to upload for me yesterday!

Merry Christmas from Pastor Bob and Debbie
http://www.crossgenerations.org/

The video below was labored over by my husband for many hours.

He recorded voices of 3 of our grandchildren, 3 children at our church...

and several children at the Home School Music Classes that he teaches

on Thursdays!

I am so happy with how it turned out...

I did NOTHING to help, except giving some "armchair quarterbacking"!

Thank you, my dear, for your labor of love!

(Please turn off my Playlist on the lower left hand side to hear the video :D...)

CGC Bible Study

Protection 8 ~ Hem ~ Surround

Protection 7 ~ Shelter

Protection 6 ~ Refuge

Protection 5 ~ Shield

Protection 4 ~ Watches

Protection 3 ~ Hedge

Protection 2 ~ Shadow of His Wings

Protection 1 ~ Eagles ~ Wings

End of Philippians

"I can be strong through Christ who endues me with strength.

Jesus’ power in me...

The power to be 'content' in all circumstances comes from Jesus.

I think we sometimes hear this verse being used as some sort of promise of supernatural strength to pick up cars and wrestle evil-doers.

But there is a context here. God doesn’t give us a blank check for strength to do anything.

I think we need to keep in mind that the 'all things' refers to learning to 'abase' (be humble) and 'abound' and still be 'content'.

God gives us strength to do His will.

Jesus can give us the strength to live with less."

"God takes care of givers.

Keep in mind the context.

This is a church that is giving sacrificially.

I’m not sure that we should be using this verse as an unconditional blank check that God will always provide all that we need.

This is a common verse that people will 'claim'. Any person who has financial problems is encouraged by hearing this verse, as if God is going to always rescue you in the nick of time.

I think that in reality there may be times when God allows us to go through 'tough times' to get our attention.

The promise of this verse is towards those who are learning to give as God would lead them.

Do you pay attention to God’s promptings to give? Are you a person who has a regular habit of giving?

Are you supporting the ministries that God is using in your life and in the lives of others?

Illustration

Philippians 4:11 ~ Contentment

Philippians 4:8~Admirable and Moral Excellence

tip truck

Philippians 4:8e ~ Lovely

Philippians 4:8d ~ Pure

Philippians 4:8c ~ Right

Philippians 4:8b ~ Noble

Philippians 4:8a ~ True

Philippians 4:7

15 Alternative Uses for Credit Cards

Comments

mamabunny

Philippians 4:6

Philippians 4:5

Philippians 4:4

Philippians 4:1-3

Philippians 3:15-21

Philippians 3:12-14

Christmas Story