Luke 12:15-21
And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. (KJV)
Since my husband and I have been suffering a dramatic loss in our income I decided to research The Great Depression. As a young child I heard my parent’s tell stories about the Depression in 1929. It was our history and that is how I treated it -- as history. Never had I imagined that now we would be so close to where they were back then. Unemployment is now up to ten percent. During the Depression it was 13 percent. In those days there was no unemployment insurance so they could only guess at the numbers who were actually out of work. Today not everyone (including myself) receives unemployment compensation so that the ten percent is not quite accurate either.
The use of credit has allowed many of us to lay back and not be concerned that we owe someone else for our wants. A quote from a gentleman who lived through The Great Depression was “Never buy anything you can use – only what you can’t live without.” I can see now that I need to conform to this pattern that has been lost to me. Abuse of credit has permitted us to gather up possessions and then have them become part of our character. Can we only get by on what we cannot live without? Can we go back to the traditional values of yesterday?
As I watch my options unfold like wings of a bird I am beginning to take flight as I regard every dollar spent as a dollar lost forever. That is not a bad thing!! Being frugal can escalate into actually being able to help other people in need too. I have been careless over the years with my finances and do not mind admitting it. If I acknowledge my mistakes I can move on and correct them.
I have always heard people say that God’s laws were how our country was begun. Now with all the hate and discontent toward AIG and the other banks with their big pocketbooks and bonuses, I wonder how we fit into this mess. It hurts to know that I am going to a food bank for assistance while others get rewarded for their greed. Don’t we all have consequences for our wrong doing? The materialism that I have fallen into others have as well. Oh why didn’t we pay attention to the warning of God’s Word? Luke 12:15 Then he [Jesus] said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions’” (NIV).
Heavenly Father, please forgive my disobedience to You. I have not followed your warning and have allowed greed into my life. You have promised to provide for me yet I wanted more. Holy Spirit I request that you hold my hand as I make the necessary changes in my life and be obedient to you. In Jesus name, Amen.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
A Decision
Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Psalm 73:24
Thou shalt guide me with they counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will.
These past few days I have had to make a decision. This was not an extremely difficult decision, but one that I truly wanted to be the right decision. What I mean is that I wanted it to be a Holy Spirit decision, not one of my own. I had the opportunity to take a few days with this decision. I was up one night with it. I prayed and prayed, “please God let this be your will, your choice. I do not want to make any decisions without your guidance.”
I have read in the Bible (Isaiah 9) that one of the many names for Jesus is “Counselor”. It is my experience to have made some pretty bad decisions in my life. Now as I try not to be “conformed of this world” (Romans 12), I wish to go to God, the Holy Spirit within me, to receive supernatural guidance from above. Whoa, wait a minute here!! “Supernatural”? My non-Christian family and friends must think that I have lost it for sure. “Supernatural” always used to mean “out of this Earth” or “another planet“. Now as a Christian my belief is that “supernatural” means “Holy Spirit”. He is in me and is there to guide me. I must admit, many times I forget to go to Him for help. What a gift to have and I am crazy not use it! It’s one of those gifts that were given to me when I became a Christian and is not seen. I cannot see Him, but I know He is there.
In the Old Testament the Bible stated that this counselor would be coming. In the New Testament the Bible showed that He is here within us. The death of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection precluded His gift of the Holy Spirit to reside in us.
So, getting back to my decision making: I asked the Holy Spirit to guide me in this decision. I did not hear anything, but I knew that I should wait. There was no rush to have an answer. I could not sleep well, I was thinking about the worse scenario of the decision. The next morning after praying and thinking about it, I spoke with my husband about it. His answer to me regarding the decision was different than it was the night before. Well, that made me wonder, is the decision beginning to fall into place? Then shortly after that, I heard in my thoughts that I should enlist the person who the decision is about to get the answer.
Well, doesn’t that sound simple to you? It sounded too easy to me. Shouldn’t there be more of an answer from the Holy Spirit? You know what I mean… like words? After I put into place what I was prompted to do, the decision was a clear as a bell. What a relief!! It may have taken two days to get the answer to my decision, but all the parts of the puzzle fit into place. I didn’t get the, do-do, do-do, do-do, do-do, “Twilight Zone” sort of answer since it was “supernatural”, but I had the answer to my decision because it was from God.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Psalm 73:24
Thou shalt guide me with they counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will.
These past few days I have had to make a decision. This was not an extremely difficult decision, but one that I truly wanted to be the right decision. What I mean is that I wanted it to be a Holy Spirit decision, not one of my own. I had the opportunity to take a few days with this decision. I was up one night with it. I prayed and prayed, “please God let this be your will, your choice. I do not want to make any decisions without your guidance.”
I have read in the Bible (Isaiah 9) that one of the many names for Jesus is “Counselor”. It is my experience to have made some pretty bad decisions in my life. Now as I try not to be “conformed of this world” (Romans 12), I wish to go to God, the Holy Spirit within me, to receive supernatural guidance from above. Whoa, wait a minute here!! “Supernatural”? My non-Christian family and friends must think that I have lost it for sure. “Supernatural” always used to mean “out of this Earth” or “another planet“. Now as a Christian my belief is that “supernatural” means “Holy Spirit”. He is in me and is there to guide me. I must admit, many times I forget to go to Him for help. What a gift to have and I am crazy not use it! It’s one of those gifts that were given to me when I became a Christian and is not seen. I cannot see Him, but I know He is there.
In the Old Testament the Bible stated that this counselor would be coming. In the New Testament the Bible showed that He is here within us. The death of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection precluded His gift of the Holy Spirit to reside in us.
So, getting back to my decision making: I asked the Holy Spirit to guide me in this decision. I did not hear anything, but I knew that I should wait. There was no rush to have an answer. I could not sleep well, I was thinking about the worse scenario of the decision. The next morning after praying and thinking about it, I spoke with my husband about it. His answer to me regarding the decision was different than it was the night before. Well, that made me wonder, is the decision beginning to fall into place? Then shortly after that, I heard in my thoughts that I should enlist the person who the decision is about to get the answer.
Well, doesn’t that sound simple to you? It sounded too easy to me. Shouldn’t there be more of an answer from the Holy Spirit? You know what I mean… like words? After I put into place what I was prompted to do, the decision was a clear as a bell. What a relief!! It may have taken two days to get the answer to my decision, but all the parts of the puzzle fit into place. I didn’t get the, do-do, do-do, do-do, do-do, “Twilight Zone” sort of answer since it was “supernatural”, but I had the answer to my decision because it was from God.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Blanket of White
Revelation 3:5 He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. (NIV)
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. (KJV)
Ryrie Study Bible - I will not blot out his name. Not a threat by an assurance that saved peoples’ names will always be in the book of life.
Snow is a type of precipitation in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary: white-not a dull white, but glittering, dazzling white [Grotius]. The body transfigured into the likeness of Christ's body, and emitting beams of light reflected from Him, is probably the "white raiment" promised here.
Today is filled with the snow-covered land of the eastern side of the United States. As I look outside it reminds me of a blanket of white. The snow covers up the dirty, soiled roads. When the snow melts it will wash most of the roads clean. This all brought my thinking to being so blessed to be able to look forward to eternity with my loving Father in Heaven.
The New Testament brings Jesus to us all. Some of us choose to read about Him or listen to words about Him. A day came to me ten years ago when I was at the end of my rope. I was not being the person that God or I wanted me to be. Up until then every where I turned it seemed that God was calling to me, but I was not ready to answer Him. The day that I answered Him I was driving down the road in an 18-wheeler. I had listened to a few cassette tapes that were recorded by a Southern Baptist preacher. I had picked up the cassettes free at a truck stop after stopping for a meal. Driving hour after hour in a big truck became boring after a while and I wanted to hear something that would pique my interest. That preacher brought me to my knees and I cried out to the Lord. I admitted to God that I was a sinner and believed that Jesus Christ died for my sins and that I wanted to live in eternity with my Heavenly Father.
Well, now when I look back on that wonderful day I still know that my name is in the Lambs Book of Life and when this old body cannot go on any longer I will be with my God forever. While thinking of the blanket of snow, I looked up the definition of snow and the word “crystalline” stood out for me. Then looking in the Bible I can see that I will be wearing white (a dazzling white), similar to the crystalline snow. There will be no end for me because I am His child and I am His treasured possession. Wearing the white garment washed my sins away, like the snow.
Is being a Christian an easy way to live? Not really because I sin often and I must reach for the grace and mercy given to me by Him and learn from my mistakes. We are all human and not perfect so we will always sin. God’s promise to me is loving me no matter what I do and forgiving me no matter what I do. Best of all He is providing me an endless life with Him. Nobody can make good on these promises but God.
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. (KJV)
Ryrie Study Bible - I will not blot out his name. Not a threat by an assurance that saved peoples’ names will always be in the book of life.
Snow is a type of precipitation in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary: white-not a dull white, but glittering, dazzling white [Grotius]. The body transfigured into the likeness of Christ's body, and emitting beams of light reflected from Him, is probably the "white raiment" promised here.
Today is filled with the snow-covered land of the eastern side of the United States. As I look outside it reminds me of a blanket of white. The snow covers up the dirty, soiled roads. When the snow melts it will wash most of the roads clean. This all brought my thinking to being so blessed to be able to look forward to eternity with my loving Father in Heaven.
The New Testament brings Jesus to us all. Some of us choose to read about Him or listen to words about Him. A day came to me ten years ago when I was at the end of my rope. I was not being the person that God or I wanted me to be. Up until then every where I turned it seemed that God was calling to me, but I was not ready to answer Him. The day that I answered Him I was driving down the road in an 18-wheeler. I had listened to a few cassette tapes that were recorded by a Southern Baptist preacher. I had picked up the cassettes free at a truck stop after stopping for a meal. Driving hour after hour in a big truck became boring after a while and I wanted to hear something that would pique my interest. That preacher brought me to my knees and I cried out to the Lord. I admitted to God that I was a sinner and believed that Jesus Christ died for my sins and that I wanted to live in eternity with my Heavenly Father.
Well, now when I look back on that wonderful day I still know that my name is in the Lambs Book of Life and when this old body cannot go on any longer I will be with my God forever. While thinking of the blanket of snow, I looked up the definition of snow and the word “crystalline” stood out for me. Then looking in the Bible I can see that I will be wearing white (a dazzling white), similar to the crystalline snow. There will be no end for me because I am His child and I am His treasured possession. Wearing the white garment washed my sins away, like the snow.
Is being a Christian an easy way to live? Not really because I sin often and I must reach for the grace and mercy given to me by Him and learn from my mistakes. We are all human and not perfect so we will always sin. God’s promise to me is loving me no matter what I do and forgiving me no matter what I do. Best of all He is providing me an endless life with Him. Nobody can make good on these promises but God.
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