Verse of the Week - Isaiah 9:6 - December 1, 2014

Psalm of the Week - Psalm 56:5,6 - December 1, 2014

Distort my Words
"...Form, fashion, and shape them at their pleasure; construe them, and put what sense upon them they think fit...And meet in some one place, to contrive ways and means to do hurt, and then assemble together again to put them in execution; as did the Jews with respect to Christ..."                        Gill's Bible Exposition

Confiding to a Worldly Human Being

This scripture has reminded me about an incident that happened to me years ago. An incident that happened because I confided in a worldly human being instead of the Lord. I experienced having my words twisted and taken out of context. In fact, I received one of the nastiest emails of my life because of this situation. 

My Initial Mistake
My initial mistake was in deciding to trust a worldly person with how I really felt about a situation involving an acquaintance of mine and their spouse. Now, I want you to understand that how I feel about things is NOT always how everyone else sees it. I know that. I just wanted to talk about how I felt and was not placing blame on anyone. Hindsight has shown me to only confide in Christ. Sowing dissension is one of the Enemy's best tools.

However, that person then repeated what I had said to their spouse.(Out of context as I found out later.) Their spouse then repeated the second hand, out of context retelling to our mutual acquaintance. 

The Consequence

An unexpected, angry voicemail was the first sign I had that my words had been repeated. I tried to call and talk to the acquaintance.  However, my calm, polite voicemail did not elicit a return call. 

Next, I went to the person whom I had shared my feelings with. Seriously, I was calm, but you know how this went. Don't you?

My point, or main concern, was to make sure the two spouses understood the context of what I had said was about me and how I felt. My perception of the situation might not be true, it was just how it felt to me. I was not placing blame on anyone for how I felt. 

Then, I continued to try and establish some communication via phone two more times, and having no luck, stopped. What do you think happened next? Yep, "The Email" arrived in my inbox. A very nasty email that stunned me with the blistering criticism of my character.  

Confiding in Christ

By this time, my actions were being guided by communication with the Lord and prayer. A little late, but I had decided to sit in the shade of the throne by this time. 

Christ remained silent before his accusers. Not once did he try to defend himself, 

Today, my feelings are expressed to the Father. No one else. He loves it when his sons and daughters turn to him for comfort, consolation, and help. 

Thanksgiving 2014 From A Joy Filled Woman

Thankful to have a personal, loving relationship with God                        Matthew 22:37
Happy I am the beloved of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
Amazed to be important to the creator of all living things                         Romans 8:38-39
No longer alone, Christ himself is interceding for me                               Romans 8:34
Keeping in the shadow of the Son in all things                                        John 14:21
Savior based life saved me from addiction                                              Romans 8:5-6
Gave myself as a servant to the Lord 
Indwelling Holy Spirit guides me, counsels me, and comforts me.           John 14:16-17
Voice uplifted in praise                                                                        1 Peter 1: 3-4
In communication with my Lord through prayer                                       Philippians 4:6
No longer afraid, with the Lord I can scale a wall.                                   Psalm 18:29
Giving myself in service                                                                       Romans 8:28-29
2 nail-scarred hands and 2 nail-scarred feet
0 regret 
1 Lord, 1 faith, 1 baptism, 1 God and Father of all                                  Ephesians 4:5
4 ever I am a coheir to the kingdom, I am a child of God                        Romans 8:16-17


My faith and love for the Lord knows no boundaries.
Sallee B. 

The Rainbow - God's Visible Seal of an Everlasting Covenant

As I was driving home from

work last week,

a faint rainbow began to form in the south eastern sky. My camera just happened to be sitting beside me on the car seat. Yes, maybe I would be able to get a great picture of a rainbow.

Eagerly and anxiously,

I began to watch for a place to park my car. I was eager to get a picture of a rainbow and anxious because the rainbow might fade away before I could find a place to park the car along the county road. However, I was able to turn off the main road and park the car fairly quickly. 

However, the faintly seen rainbow continued to be unclear. Patiently I stood with the camera focused on the sky and waited....and waited....and waited. Darn, the late afternoon sun just wasn't shining strongly enough to cause the shimmering colors to intensify and sharpen into a solid, multicolored bow. Reluctantly, I turned the camera off, replaced the lens cap, and got back into my car. 

God's words to Noah, in the book of Genesis, came to me as I sat in the car:

12 And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: 15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look on it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth. 17 And God said to Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.

KJV

Perpetual Generations and an Everlasting Covenant

Wow, how marvelous is that? As I stood there looking at the faint colors in the sky, God and I were both being reminded about His covenant at the same time. The next time you see a rainbow stretching across the sky, think about God and his covenant that is still in effect because it is perpetual and everlasting. 

Verse of the Week - Genesis 9:16 - Week of 17 November, 2015

16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."NIV

16And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look on it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth. KJV

Our pastor pointed out in his sermon that

"God himself said that the rainbow would remind HIM of the covenant between himself and all living creatures on earth." 

My NIV Study Bible states in the footnote,

"...God freely enters into relationship with His people. He wishes to know His own and to be known by them.This first, explicit biblical covenant revealed God to be a covenant-making God seeking to bless all people. Thus it prepared the way for all other covenants..."

Kind of boggles my mind. God had no one making him establish a covenant, or relationship, between himself and all living things. Plus, there are no conditions in this agreement. The creator of all things just want to know me and you. How amazing is that? 

Psalm of the Week - Psalm 15 - November 17, 2014

1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?2 He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart  3 and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,  4 who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts,  5 who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.

This psalm contains instructions for a standard of behavior that all Christians should try to reflect. I am not perfect, however I know that Jesus expects me to try and be the best person I can be today.

Perfection isn't the goal. The goal is to care about how we treat other people. Jesus summed this up when he said:

 "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."

Matthew 7:12

Personal Application

Lord Jesus, 
Help me keep my walk blameless. Let righteousness become a way of life for me, and let my words be the heart felt truth that you have helped me to see. Let no slander cross my tongue, let me do no wrong to my neighbor, and let me cast no slur onto the people who surround me.  In everything, in all ways, let me do to others as I would have them do to me. 
Amen.