Thursday, August 27, 2015

Unplugging

After a few weeks of feeling beat, I have decided I need to unplug from blogging.  I have some 'home' projects I need to attend to and can't find the right time to work on them.

I will pop back in to check for responses to my posts but I will not be posting anything here until Monday September 7, 2015.

I intend to  spend my time, getting ready for fall by going through my clothes and my household items and donating them to our church's rummage sale the weekend after Labor Day.

My reasons are because of health, both physical and mental. I deal with some depression and I want to stay on top of things as the season changes.

I trust you will understand.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Repent



“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.”
 Revelation 3:19 (NIV)

               John, the Revelator, has conveyed God’s word to the church at Laodicea. That church ‘was neither hot nor cold.’ The LORD wanted to ‘spew them out’ of His mouth.

               The next words God speaks comprise our focus verse. “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.” My personal translation of those words is “Because I love you, I have to set you straight about your behavior.”

               God then tells the church, “So be earnest and repent.” Here, again, is my translation: “Be honest, admit where you fall short, and then strive to do better.”

               What would God say to us in the 21st Century? Would he have to spell out what our sin was? Back when I worked for the government, I sometimes had to train new employees. In my last job there, I had to use three different terms to explain to the new people what one or two terms meant before they would understand the process. This took patience.


               When He corrects our behavior, God is patient with us. Sometimes, we might not learn that lesson the first time or the second time. When we do not learn what He wants us to learn, He gives us remedial lessons. 

Monday, August 24, 2015

Discipline and Healing



“Blessed is he man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the almighty.
For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heals.
Job 5:17-18 (NIV)
               Blessed has several meanings. Among them is the word ‘fortunate.’ God chastises those He loves. We are not to despise discipline because when God uses it we learn about Him and even about ourselves.

               We learn that He watches over us and teaches us to be mindful of our future actions. In addition, we learn that we NEED His strength to get through each part of each day.

               There are times that God’s discipline causes us pain but He also soothes the hurt. Having to go through the process of His correcting us might make us feel very low; however, when He deems us ready, He lifts us up. We learn to be humble during the time of the Lord’s chastisement.

               Just as a broken bone heals and becomes stronger than it was before, when we respond positively to God’s discipline, we become stronger people. In our 21st Century world, we see people whose mannerisms and words play to the crowd, an attempt to win the masses over to his or her way of thinking. As believers, we have to be aware of the pitfalls of allowing those people to influence us in a worldly way. God will deal with us as a people-group in ways that only he can.

               

God Alone

  Jesus and the children at our church's prayer walk.          I will both lie down in peace and sleep;  For You alone, O LORD make ...