Category: Uncategorized

Do You Remember

believe41471 Comment

Do You Remember

“For I have received of the Lord

that which also I delivered unto you,

That the Lord Jesus

the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

And when he had given thanks,

he brake it, and said, Take, eat:

this is my body, which is broken for you:

this do in remembrance of me.

After the same manner also he took the cup,

when he had supped, saying,

This cup is the new testament in my blood:

this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup,

ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.”

1Corinthians 11: 23-26, KJV

The Lord had given the orders to procure a place, a specific place for him and his disciples to share this final meal. They didn’t know this Passover meal would be different from any they had ever taken. The formal Passover feast would be on the eve of tomorrow … after the lambs had been slaughtered.  But as the evening unfolded their minds must have whirled with unspoken thoughts … especially when Jesus veered from the normal routine.

“And as they were eating,

Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it,

and gave it to the disciples, and said,

Take, eat; this is my body.”

Matthew 26: 26, KJV

What? His body? Did they remember when he taught by the sea? And he said,

“I am that bread of life …

I am the living bread which came down from heaven:

if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever:

and the bread that I will give is my flesh,

which I will give for the life of the world.”

John 6: 51, KJV

Jesus didn’t give them time to think or question as he proceeded.

“And he took the cup, and gave thanks,

and gave it to them, saying,

Drink ye all of it.

For this is my blood of the new testament,

which is shed for many for the remissions of sins.”

Matthew 26: 27-28, KJV

What new testament? For a testament to be ratified someone had to die? The disciples must have been completely confused. Did Jeremiah’s words filter into their hearts?

“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD,

that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel,

and with the house of Judah:

Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers …

But this shall be the covenant that I will make …

After those days, saith the Lord,

I will put my law in their inward parts,

and write it in their hearts,

and will be their God, and they shall be my people …

for I will forgive their iniquity,

and I will remember their sin no more.”

From Jeremiah 31:31-34, KJV

None of what Jesus said made sense to his disciples. Their minds must have still been whirling with the parade hailing Jesus as king, the confrontations that he answered, the miracles. They didn’t remember him speaking shortly after his triumphal entry—

“And Jesus answered them, saying,

The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

Verily, verily, I say unto you.

Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die,

it abideth alone:

but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit …

Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say?

Father, save me from this hour;

but for this cause came I unto this hour …

Father glorify thy name …”

John 12: 23-24, 27, 28a, KJV

Did they not remember the voice from heaven and then Jesus  said,

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,

will draw all men unto me.

This he said, signifying what death he should die.”

John 12: 32-33, KJV

The disciples heard the words but did not understand how the words applied to the Lord Jesus. The writer of Hebrews makes it clear.

“For where a testament is,

there must also of necessity be the death of the testator …

Whereupon neither

the first testament was dedicated without blood.

For a testament is of force after men are dead:

otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth …

and without shedding of blood is no remission.”

Hebrews 9: 16-17,22b KJV

Jesus gave his disciples one more thing to wonder about.

“But I say unto you,

I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine,

until that day

when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Matthew 26: 29, KJV

He mentioned the Father’s kingdom. If they heard anything, these words would seep into the disciples’ minds … a glimmer of hope they still didn’t fully understand. I doubt any of us truly understand the full meaning but we are told,

“Blessed are they which are called

unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.

And he saith unto me,

These are the true sayings of God.”

Revelation 19: 9, KJV

Jesus told his disciples to remember his death, the purchase price for our forgiveness. Without his shed blood we would have no hope of forgiveness. Without his resurrection we would have no hope of life.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

which according to his abundant mercy

hath begotten us again unto a lively hope

by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled,

and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

Who are kept by the power of God through faith

unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

1 Peter 1: 3-5, KJV

On this good Friday, remember the death of our Lord and rejoice for the blood that cleanses our hearts and makes us ready to reap the fruits of Jesus’s resurrection. Remember every time the bread is eaten and the cup drank.

He Knew

believe41471 Comment

He Knew

picture courtesy of Pintrest

“Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them,

Behold, we go up to Jerusalem,

and all things that are written by the prophets

concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.”

Luke 18: 31, KJV

When did Jesus know he would give his life for the sins of the world? As the Son of God, he knew the plan.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings

in heavenly places in Christ:

According as he hath chosen us in him

before the foundation of the world,

that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:”

Ephesians 1: 3-4, KJV

Before the Lord God spoke the world into existence, Jesus, Son of God, knew where the creation would take him … and he brought it to pass anyway.

As the Son of man, I believe at age twelve, Jesus became aware of the road he travelled when he astonished the teachers with his understanding and questions. His answer to his worried parents revealed some of this knowledge.

“How is it that ye sought me?

Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?”

Luke 2: 49, KJV

Through the silent years of Jesus’s life, we know according to scripture, there was a synagogue in Nazareth. This would have been the place where Jesus was taught the Law and the prophets. Remember, he came as the son of man. Here he would have heard the prophets’ words, and we know during this time he grew in wisdom.

Jesus’s three years among his disciples and teaching the gathering crowds make evident his knowledge of his identity as the Son of God and the Son of man.

With his final year on earth quickly rushing toward him, Jesus needed to prepare his disciples for what was coming. I believe this time served him as well. His focus being set on the work at hand … Being about his Father’s business.

Jesus’s disciples, like Mary and Joseph years earlier, didn’t understand what their Lord meant, even after he explained,

“For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles,

and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:

And they shall scourge him, and put him to death:

and the third day he shall rise again.”

Luke 18: 32-33, KJV

The disciples believed Jesus to be Messiah, the one who would free Israel for Roman rule and reign as their king. They were right in their belief but wrong in their timing.

Their road to Jerusalem took them to Jericho. While there Jesus healed a blind man and was a guest in a sinner’s home. There he revealed his purpose in coming to earth as the Son of man. Zacchaeus received him joyfully.

“And Jesus said unto him,

This day is salvation come to this house,

forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

For the Son of man is come

to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Luke 19: 9-10, KJV

When John the Baptizer introduced Jesus at the beginning of his ministry years, he pointed him out and said,

“Behold the Lamb of God,

which taketh away the sin of the world …

And I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God.”

John 1: 31, 34, KJV

Thousands of years before John’s declaration, Abraham confessed this truth to his son.

“And Abraham said, My son,

God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering:

so they went both of them together.”

Genesis 22: 8, KJV

Isaiah spoke of Jesus, not by name, in his prophecy when he said—

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

yet he opened not his mouth:

he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,

and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb,

so he openeth not his mouth.”

Isaiah 53: 7, KJV

When Jesus walked the road to Jerusalem, he knew. The knowledge was too great for those around him to understand. The Lamb of God must die. Before freedom from the world could be won, the price of the world’s sin had to be paid. Sin’s price is death. That’s what Jesus came to do the first time. But his story isn’t over.

Yes, Jesus knew why he came and what he must do. Do you know why he came and what you must do?

A Writer’s Heart: Anticipation

believe41471 Comment

A Writer’s Heart: Anticipation

 

provided through pixaby by Kyraxys https://kyraxys.online/sitio/

With the onset of April, my anticipation for the *Love of Reading Author Fair grows. We, those hosting the event and the seventeen authors attending, have been busy planning, preparing, and praying.

The schedule for the planned Q & A for children and adults and author panels is posted on our event site. Advertising over radio, word of mouth, posts, & posters has gone out. All that’s left is to continue letting others know and for the people to come meet the authors.

This being our first event, we hope many readers and writers are filled with anticipation to attend. Our eagerness for the day to arrive, doesn’t begin to match what I imagine passed through the disciples’ minds when they stood on the Mount of Olives and watched our Lord ascend into the heavens.

At first they may have felt a sadness until two men spoke to them.

“Which also said, Ye men of Galilee,

why stand ye gazing up into heaven?

This same Jesus,

which is taken up from you into heaven,

shall so come in like manner

as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

Acts 1: 11, KJV

I see their mouths gaped open and questioning stares passing between them until suddenly, someone speaks up. “He told us he would come back. He’s coming back.”

There is nothing in scripture telling us exactly when Jesus will return but through the words and work of the disciples we get the impression they believed he could come at any time.

“For the Lord himself

shall descend from heaven with a shout,

with the voice of the archangel,

and with the trump of God:

and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which remain

shall be caught up together with them in the clouds,

to meet the Lord in the air:

and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17, KJV

Paul’s words were meant to comfort the Thessalonian believers and us. With over two thousand years separating us from Christ’s promise to return, we can see how the times and seasons point to the event. We have to know as Jesus said,

“And when these things begin to come to pass,

then look up, and lift up your heads;

for your redemption draweth nigh …

Verily, I say unto you,

This generation shall not pass away,

till all be fulfilled.”

Luke 21: 28,32, KJV

We know the date for our Author Fair, and we look forward to it with anticipation. But, no, we don’t know how close these events of our Lord are.  We do know they are closer than they were two thousand years ago.

We have prayed for the Author Fair and continue to pray for it to bring glory to God. Are we praying with eagerness as John prayed for the Lord’s advent?

“He (Jesus) which testifieth these things saith,

Surely I come quickly. Amen.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

Revelation 22: 20-21, KJV

Until the day of our event, we will continue planning, preparing, and praying. May we, as we wait for the Lord’s return continue the work he has given us in planning for that day, preparing for that day, and praying not only for ourselves but those who are not yet ready for the Lord’s return. We are to work while it is still day.

*

The Invitation

believe414710 Comments

The Invitation

picture courtesy of Pintrest

“Come, and let us return unto the LORD;

for he hath torn, and he will heal us;

he hath smitten and he will bind us up.

After two days will he revive us:

in the third day he will raise us up,

and we shall live in his sight.”

Hosea 6: 1-2, KJV

The charges have been levied. The case presented. The defendant has no defense. Guilty is the verdict. Their lawyer pleads with them, Come, and let us return unto the LORD. It’s time to throw themselves on the mercy of their judge, a just judge who is their Father, but they will not, not even after he has warned them and disciplined them time and again.

The judge pronounces the sentence.

“For the sons of Israel

will remain for many days without king or prince,

without sacrifice or sacred pillar

and without ephod or household idols.”

Hosea 3: 4, NASB

No one could help them. Their friends would rise up against them. Their sinful lifestyle would leave them unsatisfied, always hungering for what sin cannot provide. They would receive what they desired … a land without God but filled with many gods, a life bound in captivity to their own lustful desires, an end with only one hope … the mercy seat of God.

“I will go and return to my place,

till they acknowledge their offence,

and seek my face:

in their affliction they will seek me early.”

Hosea 5: 15, KJV

The further my Precept Bible Study group gets into the book of Hosea, the more we see Hosea’s wife and Israel, God’s wife, portray a people who have forsaken a relationship with the Lord. Hosea’s book details Jesus’s parable of the prodigal son. Beginning with Adam, we are all that son.

We are bound and determined to reap all the goodness of God while worshipping the gods feeding our selfishness.

We walk in foolishness believing there is no God or he isn’t aware of us.

We disregard the God who set the order of life.

And he says to Israel,

“For they have sown the wind,

and they shall reap the whirlwind …”

Hosea 8:7, KJV

And he doesn’t leave us out when he says,

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked:

for whatsoever a man soweth,

that shall he also reap.

For he that soweth to his flesh

shall of the flesh reap corruption;

but he that soweth to the Spirit

shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”

Galatians 6:7-8, KJV

Adam was the first to flagrantly disobey the Lord. He sowed sin and reaped death for us all. Israel followed his example as we all did. But as with the prodigal son, our Father did not leave any of us without hope.

The verdict remained the same. The sentence was passed along with the promise of pardon for those who will receive it.

“For as by one man’s disobedience

many were made sinners,

so by the obedience of one

shall many be made righteous.”

Romans 5: 19, KJV

Jesus Christ took our sentence of death upon his shoulders …

“for he hath torn, and he will heal us;

he hath smitten and he will bind us up …

“Surely he hath borne our griefs:

and carried our sorrows:

yet we did esteem him

stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions,

he was bruised for our iniquities:

the chastisement of our peace was upon him;

and with his stripes we are healed.”

Isaiah 53: 4-5, KJV

Jesus’s suffering, his death, his obedience to the Father, his reaping what we sowed, satisfied God’s judgment against us.  We know this to be true because—

After two days will he revive us:

in the third day he will raise us up,

and we shall live in his sight …

“Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

And that he was buried,

and that he rose again the third day

according to the scriptures …

For since by man came death,

by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

For as in Adam all died,

even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

1 Corinthians 15: 3b-4, 21-22, KJV

The Father is in his place, seated on the mercy seat, still pleading through Hosea’s words …

“Come, and let us return unto the LORD …”

For our Father loves mercy above judgment and has provided both in Jesus Christ. If you have received his mercy and grace, live in it with rejoicing. If you have not received his mercy and grace, why not?

A Writer’s Heart: Longing & Contentment

believe41476 Comments

A Writer’s Heart: Longing & Satisfaction

Who would have thought a scrawny blonde headed little girl who played army with the guys, ran the bases in softball, and climbed trees would be found curled up on a couch with the long-awaited-first Christmas catalogue of the season?  Every year of her childhood she combed the pages for the newest baby doll … not just any baby doll but one soft and looked like a real baby.

What longing do you remember from childhood? Was it fulfilled? The longing of the little girl gave way to the birth of a deeper desire.

She was only ten, still wanted her baby dolls, but found another longing growing in her heart.

She wanted Jesus to save her from her sins … and he did. Her longing for Jesus grew with her into adulthood. When hard times, the spiritually dry times came into her life she understood David’s Psalm.

“O GOD, thou art my God, early will I seek thee:

my soul thirsteth for thee,

my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land,

where no water is:”

(63: 1, KJV)

As I read this Psalm, I questioned myself, “What longing fills my soul?” … especially as it pertains to my writing journey.

Is it to sell hundreds of books?

To write the next best seller?

To be sought after to speak in conferences, workshops, or meetings?

See my books turned into movies?

My longings could be more humble like,

just finishing this one book I’m working on;

getting it published;

wanting every project to come easy … you know the words just flow onto the pages.

Would these satisfy my soul?

David longed for one thing … God, in every part of his life.

“To see thy power and thy glory,

so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.”

(63: 2, KJV)

David had been with God in the sanctuary,

the holy place, a place of intimacy, a place of peace,

a place where he drank in the presence of God and was satisfied.

In that place, he sang—

“Because thy lovingkindness is better than life,

my lips shall praise thee.

Thus will I bless thee while I live;

I will lift up my hands in thy name.

May soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness;

and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:”

(63: 3-5, KJV)

David remembered how God had helped him. As I ponder these things, I remember God’s help throughout my life … the longings he has filled. The little girl grew up to be blessed with three beautiful live babies of her own, and her desire to be published became a reality. Those are two of her many longings, the Lord has satisfied.

So, what thirst fills my soul, now?

As much as I want to finish my third book and stay on schedule with my writing, my greatest desire is to bring a blessing to the Lord through the work he has given me. A high and lofty longing, right?  Keeping the thirst to see God’s power and glory proclaimed at the top of my list is sometimes hard to maintain.

At times, I try to fill my thirst with what I think needs done instead of letting the Lord lead. I allow my high and lofty list to hide under the clutter shuffling through my mind. But in my quest, I will seek to follow David’s example and—

“When I remember thee upon my bed,

and meditate on thee in the night watches,

Because thou hast been my help,

therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

My soul followeth hard after thee:

thy right hand upholdeth me.”

(63: 6-8, KJV)

When God is our greatest longing, each day takes us a step closer to satisfying not only a longing for him but includes other desires he has put into our hearts. We may fail here and there but he faithfully keeps us remembering where our help comes from and where our longing is met. We find contentment in his plan as we proceed.

“So let us know,

let us press on to know the LORD.

His going forth is as certain as the dawn;

And He will come to us like the rain,

Like the spring rain watering the earth.”

Hosea 6: 3, NASB

Is your longing a deep thirst, a thirst only God can fill? Then press on to know him. He will come to you like a refreshing spring rain preparing your heart for a great growing season.

Thank you for bearing with me these past couple of weeks. I’m hoping to be on a schedule of some kind soon. Until then, the Lord is teaching me once again to fully rely on him.

Who Is He, Part 2

believe414710 Comments

Who Is He, Part 2

provided through pixaby by Kyraxys https://kyraxys.online/sitio/

“For who is God, save the LORD?

And who is a rock, save our God?”

2 Samuel 22: 32, KJV

King David knew his God, his LORD, his rock. He needed someone he could fully trust … someone who loved him when he did well and when he didn’t. Five times in this one chapter, David refers to God as his rock.

What did David know about our God who is a rock?

“And he said, The LORD is my rock,

and my fortress, and my deliverer;

The God of my rock;

in him will I trust:

he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation,

my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour;

thou savest me from violence.

I will call on the LORD,

who is worthy to be praised:

so shall I be saved from mine enemies.”

2 Samuel 22: 2-4, KJV

David knew the Lord Jehovah as

his strength, his deliverer, his protector, his salvation and hiding place.

He knew he could trust his Rock to be with him,

hear his call, protect him, and deliver him from his enemies.

We can know David’s God who is the rock will do the same for us, for he has already done it.

Moses knew him as the water of life.

“And the LORD said unto Moses …

Behold, I will stand before thee

there upon the rock in Horeb;

and thou shalt smite the rock,

and there shall come water out of it,

that the people may drink.

And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel …

And did all drink the same spiritual drink:

for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them:

and that Rock was Christ.”

Exodus 17: 6; 1 Corinthian 10: 4, KJV

We have access to the same Rock, who is Christ, our living water.

“Jesus answered and said unto her,

Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

But whosoever drinketh of the water

that I shall give him shall never thirst:

but the water that I shall give him

shall be in him a well of water

springing up into everlasting life.”

John 4: 14, KJV

Isaiah knew this Rock, who is our God.

“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD,

Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone,

a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation:

he that believeth shall not make haste.”

Isaiah 28: 16, KJV

The apostle Peter declared Jesus Christ as the sure foundation, the cornerstone of our faith. No other foundation will hold the church of Jesus Christ up before the Father.

“And Simon Peter answered and said,

Thou art the Christ,

the Son of the living God.

And Jesus answered and said unto him …

And I say unto thee,

That thou art Peter,

and upon this rock I will build my church;

and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it …

Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture,

Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone,

elect, and precious:

and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.”

Matthew 16: 16, 17a, 18; 1 Peter 2: 6, KJV

Jesus told a parable of two houses … one built on a rock, the other sand. Only the one built on the rock stood through the storms of this life. We can know this Rock who is our God through knowing Jesus Christ, the rock of our salvation. He is—

“Unto you therefore which believe he is precious:

but unto them which be disobedient,

the stone which the builders disallowed,

the same is made the head of the corner.

And a stone of stumbling,

and a rock of offence,

even to them which stumble at the word,

being disobedient:

whereunto also they were appointed.”

1 Peter 2: 7-8, KJV

Jesus Christ is either the precious stone, the cornerstone of our faith, who will not fail us or he is a stumbling stone which you will fall on. And according to what Daniel saw one day this God who is our Rock will fill the whole earth with his glory.

“And in the days of these kings

shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom,

which shall never be destroyed:

and the kingdom shall not be left to other people,

but it shall break in pieces and consume

all these kingdom,

and it shall stand for ever.

Forasmuch as thou sawest

that the stone was cut of the mountain without hands,

and that it brake in pieces

the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold;

the great God hath made known to the king

what shall come to pass hereafter:

and the dream is certain,

and the interpretation thereof sure.”

Daniel 2: 44-45, KJV

Our God who is the rock is …

  • Worthy to be praised
  • Our water of life
  • He who stands before us
  • He who delivers us from our enemies
  • He who is the foundation of our faith which cannot be destroyed
  • The rock of our salvation—none other can save
  • He who will reign forever over the whole earth

He is either a rock of offence we fall under or our corner stone we stand upon in victory.

Which is Jesus Christ to you? Will you trust him? There is only one wise choice to make.

Who Is He?

believe414724 Comments

Who is He?

“Hear this, O priest!

Give heed, O house of Israel!

Listen, O house of the king!

For the judgment applies to you …

Draw near, O nations, to hear; and listen, O peoples!

Let the earth and all it contains hear,

and the world and all that springs from it …

He who has an ear,

let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Hosea 5:1a; Isaiah 34: 1; Revelation 2: 29, NASB

News, fake or real who knows, bombards our computers, phones, radios, and television everyday. The headlines scream for our attention and strike a blow of fear into many hearts.

Yet, we listen.

We determine whether fake or real.

We consider whether to act upon what we hear.

Or we wring our hands because we don’t know the one who can help us … neither did the priests, Israel, the king, the nations, all peoples of the world, or the churches.

The LORD spoke through Hosea and Isaiah to Israel and Judah.

The Lord Jesus Christ spoke one to one with the people.

The prophets, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the word speak to us today.

Will we hear what they are saying? Or will we go on our merry way until it is too late?

Who is He who commands the world to Hear, Give heed, and Listen?

“For who is God, save the LORD?

And who is a rock, save our God?”

2 Samuel 22: 32, KJV

When you ask him, he answers—

“I am the LORD, and there is none else,

there is no God beside me:

I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

That they may know

from the rising of the sun, and from the west,

that there is none beside me.

I am the LORD, and there is none else.”

Isaiah 45:5-6, KJV

This is the same answer he gave Moses, the Jews, and he gives us.

“And God said unto Moses,

I AM THAT I AM:

and he said,

Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel,

I AM hath sent me unto you.”

Exodus 3: 14, KJV

***

“Jesus said unto them,

Verily, verily, I say unto you,

Before Abraham was,

I am …

“Fear not;

I am the first and the last:

I am he that liveth, and was dead;

and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen;

and have the keys of hell and of death.”

John 8: 58; Revelation 1: 17c-18, KJV

*What does I Am reveal about the God the prophets, Jesus, and the disciples declared … and the ancient Israelites considered so holy they could not speak it?

This name, LORD-I AM, and the more modern translation of Jehovah** is the personal name of God by which he continues to reveal himself to mankind.

When time began and by the breath of God all things were created, he revealed himself as Elohim … the mighty or powerful God.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Genesis 1: 1, KJV

Not until chapter two do we see the mighty God revealing his heart when the word says,

“And the LORD God

formed man of the dust of the ground,

and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;

and man became a living soul.”

Genesis 2: 7, KJV

Jehovah, the great I Am, revealed he is more than might.

  • He is LORD God eternal,
  • exists by his power,
  • needs nothing more than himself.
  • He is love forever revealing himself to the world through his loving care.
  • He is personal to those who will give him the space,
  • makes himself known … to those who want to know him.
  • There is none like him.
  • He is the true God.
  • He is the mighty Jehovah who is from everlasting to everlasting,
  • He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent.
  • He is the Creator and in him alone is life.
  • He is the absolute unchanging one who brings his word to pass.

Through creation, the prophets, Jesus Christ his Son, and the Scriptures he continues to reveal himself as our God of redemption.

He continues to speak to the priests, the king, Israel, the nations, and all peoples pleading for us to Hear, Listen, and Heed his word for he warns us of the day of—

“Men’s hearts failing them for fear,

and for looking after those things

which are coming on the earth:

for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

And then shall they see

THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD

with power and great glory.

And when these things begin to come to pass,

then look up, and lift up your heads;

for your redemption draweth nigh.”

Luke 21: 26-28, KJV

Three reasons this hasn’t happened yet are found in 2 Peter 3: 9, KJV

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise,

as some men count slackness;

but is longsuffering to us-ward,

not willing that any should perish,

but that all should come to repentance.”

Our hope is not found in the daily news but in the eternal powerful LORD God who loves us and accomplishes his word. That’s who he is and why we should heed his word.

“For who is God, save the LORD?

And who is a rock, save our God?”

What is your answer?

 *I used the Blue Letter Bible’s interlinear for much of my information as well as other Scripture references.

**Jehovah started being used in the 1500s.

A Writer’s Heart: Knowledge

believe41476 Comments

A Writer’s Heart: Knowledge

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:

because thou hast rejected knowledge,

I will also reject thee,

that thou shalt be no priest to me:

seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God,

I will also forget thy children.” 

Hosea 4: 6, KJV

Although Hosea spoke to the northern kingdom of Israel, according to the New Testament, it was also spoken and recorded for our learning. Israel’s problem then is our world’s problem today. But that isn’t the issue of today’s post.

Since this blog speaks to authors and writers, with some nuggets all readers can mine, I ask you to bear with me as I apply it to an author’s journey through rewriting the verse as if spoken to writers.

  • My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge … My Translation: The authors’ works fall short because of a lack of knowledge.

Many Christian authors write because God has called them to write. He’s put the desire and the talent in our hearts. There is validity to this.

After the children of Israel left Egypt, the Lord, through Moses, directed them to build a tabernacle … a place to meet with him. He even told Moses who would do what work.

“Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart,

to work all manner of work,

of the engraver, and of the cunning workman,

and of the embroiderer,

in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen,

and of the weaver,

even of them that do any work,

and of those that devise cunning work.”

Exodus 35: 35, KJV

God gifts his workers for the work he has ordained for them to do, but that doesn’t mean we are born with a hammer, an embroidery hoop, or an ink pen (ok-computer) in our hands. The Lord gives us a heart for the job, but we are responsible for gaining full knowledge of how to implement the desire.

We grow into becoming the best writer we can be through—

Reading books on how to write

            Reading books especially in the genre we write

                        Learning from those who have already proven themselves through writer’s conferences, podcasts, online writing seminars, etc.

                                    Being willing to learn

                                                Join a Christian writer’s group-don’t have one in the area-start one

                                                            Write and write some more.

If we don’t put in the time and effort, or we think we already know all we need to know, we can expect the following.

  • I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me; Translation … your work is rejected.

To avoid those rejection slips we must

            Put forth our best writing

                        Research publishers … and follow their submission guidelines

                                    If the publisher requires an agent or other contact, again research. Learn what agent your work would best fit.

Know this: If you do not follow the rules for submissions whether to an agent, publisher, or magazine,          

  • seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children … The publisher or agent in this case is our god. When we don’t follow the publisher’s law, our precious child is forgotten.

Once our heart’s blood has been placed on the paper, all the laws are followed, we’ve done our research, there is one more piece of knowledge to keep in mind.

In the process of writing and rewriting, we need a good editor. Traditional publishers provide editors. Point being … Listen to the editor. Know what you are willing to lose a contract over and what you’re fine with changing. The editors are really our friends and trying to make our best better.

We must consider ourselves disciples throughout our lives … that includes the work God has given us. Live and write to please Him, growing in his grace and knowledge. As Christian authors our work reflects our God. Follow his advice to Habakkuk.

“And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.” Habakkuk 2:2

  • Write what the Lord has put in you heart.
  • Make it plain so your reader understands the message and responds accordingly.

Remember we don’t have all knowledge, wisdom, or understanding. God has given us others to help us along the way. And He is ever present to guide us. What message are you known for in your writings?

______________________________________________________________________

*I do recommend the book You Write You, by Heather Greer. It is a finalist in the Selah Awards and can be found on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=you+write+you+heather+greer&crid

Knowledge & Wisdom Unite

believe41476 Comments

Knowledge & Wisdom Unite

“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it,

do not cease to pray for you, and to desire

that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will

in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.”

Colossians 1: 9, KJV

Knowledge without wisdom creates a “know-it-all” who knows nothing of the truth behind the knowledge. When knowledge and wisdom unite understanding is born showing us the truth—

“That ye might walk worthy of the Lord

unto all pleasing,

being fruitful in every good work,

and increasing in the knowledge of God;”

Colossians 1: 10, KJV

Knowledge of God tells us the truth about him.

Knowledge united with wisdom shows us the way of truth.

Together the two give understanding of the life of truth … a life pleasing and fruitful before the Lord.

Living out of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding leads to increasing in the knowledge of God leads to bearing much fruit and …

“Herein is my Father glorified,

that ye bear much fruit:

so shall be my disciples.”

John 15: 9, KJV

Reading God’s word opens the door to the knowledge of God. To turn knowledge into wisdom the natural man needs to be born of the Spirit so the Holy Spirit can teach him the word of God and give him understanding of God.

“For what man knoweth the things of a man,

save the spirit of man which is in him?

even so the things of God knoweth no man,

but the Spirit of God.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world,

but the spirit which is of God;

that we might know the things

that are freely given to us of God.”

1 Corinthians 2: 11-12, KJV

Our heavenly Father wants us to know him, to guide us in his wisdom, and receive understanding of his will.

He wants us to know the things that are freely given to us from him … beginning with knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual understanding—

“And we know that the Son of God is come,

and hath given us an understanding

that we may know him that is true,

and we are in him that is true,

even in his Son Jesus Christ.

This is the true God, and eternal life.”

1 John 5: 20, KJV.

Want to know the truth? Know God …

  • study his word to know the truth about him,
  • ask him for wisdom for his truth to be revealed to you,
  • ask for understanding to walk in the truth he shows you.

Start by making Colossians 1: 9-12 your prayer each day and follow it with Philippians 1: 9-11.

“And this I pray, that your love may abound

yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

That ye may approve things that are excellent;

that ye may be sincere and without offence

till the day of Christ;

Being filled with the fruits of righteousness,

which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.”