Faith Inspiration: Creation in the Fall

There are so many things that can inspire our faith, from music and sermons, to podcasts and movies, but nothing inspires my faith and my relationship with God more than His beautiful creation. I love living in an area that has all four seasons because each one comes dressed in natural finery that no fashion diva could ever mimic. Whether it be the sun and surf of the summer time, the changing leaves of the fall, the pristine white of a first winter snowfall or the greening of spring, God’s creation boasts of a mighty, loving and artistic Creator.

Here in the midwest, the leaves are beginning their yearly change, turning from all manner of green to pale yellow, fiery red, blazing orange, soft peach, and even alluring burgundy. This year, the colors don’t seem quite as vibrant as they did last year in 2022, but the leaves still change and eventually fall; a truth that is as real and solid as the truths in God’s word.

“1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.”

— Psalm 19:1-6 (NIV)

Psalm 19 has always been one of my favorite passages and I find myself often quoting the first two verses when I am out in the woods, or watching a fabulous sunset. The psalmist knew God. He had a personal knowledge of Him and he could see that in God’s creation.

If we look closely at these verses we see that God gave His creation the ability to communicate, not only with their Creator, but with humanity. Even though they do not have voices like we do, the flowers of the field, the majestic mountains, the running rivers all have the ability to proclaim, speak, and reveal knowledge. In fact, their voice goes into all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. Think about that. My words reach a few people. Government leaders might reach a broader audience, and those who are known in many countries an even larger population, but when God’s creation speaks it can be heard by anyone, anywhere who will listen.

To help understand this idea let me give you an example from my own life. My husband and I have a place about an hour and fifteen minutes from where we live that we like to go to for a hike. It’s actually a wildlife area with hunting year round, and fishing during the summer months. There is a great trail that goes around the main lake and is about 2.5 miles long. Perfect for a leisurely stroll. Sometimes we take a picnic lunch along, and find a log to sit on by the lake as we eat. That is where the first picture above was taken.

We went for a hike about two weeks ago and the leaves were just beginning to change, but as usual, I took my phone and snapped a few pictures because I always enjoy capturing the beautiful colors.

As I began to think about the leaves in all their different stages and hues of color change, I began to think about humanity. We are all so very different, but we are all God’s creation. All of us are going through the process of change.

Some of us may change gracefully, easily allowing God to work and bring the change about. These remain soft and pliable to the will of God.

Others change in small spurts, often stubbornly bending to God’s desire in their lives. A little rough around the edges they learn to love Jesus without abandon.

Still others, go through great difficulty as God allows change to color them differently than others. Sometimes these leathery individuals have the deepest knowledge and understanding of who God is.

This is just one way creation can inspire an individual. Has your faith been inspired by God’s creation? I would love to hear your thoughts and stories in the comments below. Please share, so others can hear how God has worked in your life.

I hope you have a great weekend!

Faith Inspiration - Be Thou My Vision

This hymn has been inspiring Christ followers for over one thousand years. Originally an Old Irish hymn, the song was translated into English by Mary E. Byrne in 1905, and put into verses by Eleanor H. Hull. (Information take from Hymnary.org).

“1 Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
be all else but naught to me, save that Thou art;
be Thou my best thought in the day and the night,
both waking and sleeping, Thy presence my light.

2 Be Thou my Wisdom, be Thou my true Word;
be Thou ever with me and I with Thee, Lord;
be Thou my great Father, and I Thy true son,
be Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

3 Be Thou my Breastplate, my Sword for the fight;
be Thou my whole Armor, be Thou my true Might;
be Thou my soul’s Shelter, be Thou my strong Tow’r,
O raise Thou me heav’nward, great Pow’r of my pow’r.

4 Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
be Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
be Thou and Thou only the first in my heart,
O High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

5 High King of heaven, Thou heaven’s bright Sun,
O grant me its joys, after vict’ry is won;
Great Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be Thou my Vision, O Ruler of all.”

— Be Thou My Vision - Psalms and Hymns to the Living God (From Hymnary.org)

I think this is a beautiful hymn, and one that is rarely sung. Some may say it sounds like a dirge, but I like the lilting, Celtic style music. Let’s take a look at it verse by verse.

Image by Joe from Pixabay

Verse 1 - The writer of the hymn pleads with God to be his vision. He wants God to consume him. He recognizes his own struggle with the flesh and realizes that God’s thoughts are his best thoughts in the day and the night. He desires God be his light.

As we saw last week, our struggle with the flesh is ongoing, but if God is our vision, we can and will have victory, and we will continually be in His light.

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

— Matthew 6:33 (NASB 1995)

Image by Thomas Wolter from Pixabay

Verse 2 - The author not only wants God to be his Vision, but to be His true word and to dwell in him, and he in Him, always. He recognizes that God is his Father, and he is His son.

“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

— John 14:3 (NASB 1995)

“Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.”

— John 14:23 (NASB 1995)

“15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

— Romans 8:15-17 (NASB 1995)

God dwells with us if we love Him and keep His word. He is our heavenly Father, and we are His children. Being His children means we are heirs with Christ. We are children of the King!

Image by Donna Kirby from Pixabay

Verse 3 - He knows God is his breastplate, his sword, his FULL armor, his might, his shelter, his tower and his power. His desire is to be raised “heavenward”. This may have had two connotations. It may have referred to his mindset, his thoughts and desires, but it also may have been the longing for finally being home with his Savior.

“13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

— Ephesians 6:13-17 (NASB 1995)

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe.”

— Psalm 18:10 (NASB 1995)

“4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ”

— Ephesians 2:4-6 (NASB 1995)

Image by NikolayF.com from Pixabay

Verse 4 - In this verse the author recognizes God is all he needs. He doesn’t run after riches. He doesn't seek the praise of men. He knows the “High King of Heaven” is the only treasure he needs.

“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;”

— Matthew 6:20 (NASB 1995)

Image by Tim Hill from Pixabay

Verse 5 - The last verse is a final stand on the foundation of all that is God:

High King of Heaven

Heaven’s bright Sun

Great Heart of my own heart

Ruler of all

God is all these things and more that we cannot comprehend with our finite minds. The author knows that all his joy and all his victory our found in Christ. He also desires that no matter what happens he would keep God as his Vision.

“O sing to the Lord a new song, For He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.”

— Psalm 98:1 (NASB 1995)

“...but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

— I Corinthians 15:57 (NASB 1995)

On a personal note, I have always loved this hymn. When I gave my life to Jesus at the age of 12, I knew I wanted it to be for keeps. I wanted Him to be foremost and forever my vision. Unfortunately, ever since that age I have struggled in that desire. My vision is often clouded by doubts, fears, and failures. My eyes often wander to things that might satisfy my flesh such as food, clothes, or fictional worlds.

The counselor I am currently going to said it is absolutely normal to have set backs in life. The difference comes in how long I choose to stay in the setback mindset. The phrase “begin again”, is a mantra we all can put into play. As long as I have breathe I will begin again. I will place my eyes back on His face and know His amazing grace. I will say again, “Be Thou my Vision.”

Mulling it Over - Romans 8:12-13

This week’s Mulling it Over passage is going to continue to look at Romans chapter 8. The book of Romans is full of doctrine that relates specifically to our standing before God without Christ and with Christ. It deals, in detail, with the flesh versus the Spirit and how that plays out in our lives culminating either in the devastation and destruction of the one (flesh), or the fullness and life of the other (Spirit).

Image by Jeff Jacobs from Pixabay

Today I am only going to look at two verses.

“12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—
13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ”

— Romans 8:12-13 (NASB 1995)

Verse 12 tells us, “…we are under obligation…” What does it mean to be under obligation? Being obligated means I have a duty or responsibility to someone or something. In this case Paul is telling us we have a responsibility “…not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.” We are duty bound to not be living according to the flesh. That sounds pretty serious, doesn’t it? The next verse tells us why.

Verse 13 begins with a devastating statement. “For if you are living according to the flesh, you must die…” Whoa! Now wait a minute. How can we not be living according to the flesh? We are, after all, walking in our skin, or flesh. In a manner of speaking we are always living in the flesh.

Image by Andrew Martin from Pixabay

The idea of “living according to the flesh” isn’t speaking just of the physical, fleshly body we are stuck in while on this earth. Living according to the flesh, means that we are letting our flesh rule our lives. We are living for our desires, our passions, our lusts and our self. We want what we want, when we want it. If you are a Christ follower and think you no longer live according to the flesh, don’t fool yourself. We are in a constant state of dying at all times. Look at the rest of verse 13.

“…But if, by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the the body, you will live.” The tense of the word “putting” means we are doing it on a regular basis. If it had been in the past, it would have said, “…if, by the Spirit you put to death…” This would have changed the meaning making it that we only had to put our flesh to death once.

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Before you get discouraged let’s remember what Christ did on the cross. Verse 3 of Roman’s 8 reminds us that God sent his own Son to condemn sin in the flesh. Jesus was made flesh for us and then put to death for us. The moment we align ourselves with Christ we have His blood covering us and giving us the ability to die to sin, and flesh. We are dead, because of what sin has done, but alive because of what Christ has done.

How do we put this flesh to death on a regular basis? If you are like me, you might find yourself easily sliding into old habits like feeling sorry for yourself, thinking you are not enough, turning to food or purchasing items to make you feel better. These are all “fleshly” rather than “Spiritual” forms of coping. I am learning, to battle and put to death the flesh there are several things I need to do.

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1 - Keep short accounts. Checking in with God regularly helps me to keep my mind and heart where it needs to be and keeps me from focusing on the flesh.

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

2 - Find some accountability. I have a good friend that I know I can text any time and she will pray for and with me. I also have a group of women I meet with virtually once a week for a Bible study, that I know I could check in with any one of them if I am struggling with my flesh.

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3 - Memorize God’s word. This is one I don’t do nearly enough, in fact hardly at all, and of that I am ashamed. God’s word is our sword, and if you want a quick way to put your flesh to death, the sword of the Spirit is it.

Image by Himsan from Pixabay

4 - Pray without ceasing. You all know this from 1 Thessalonians 5:17, but we need to make it a reality in our lives. Praying doesn’t have to be an on your knees posture. It isn’t about physical posture, but heart posture, although, getting on my knees or even flat on my face on the floor does wonders for my prayer life and for my dying to the flesh.

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5 - My sister-in-law gave me some great advice, which she had gotten from a book she was reading, take life 24 hours at a time. When you wake up in the morning, before you even get out of bed, dedicate the next 24 hour period to God, submitting to His divine appointments. Sometimes, life just doesn’t go as planned, but when we begin to see that each 24 hour day is a gift from Him, even the bad stuff can be used for our growth and His glory. This is Spirit living, not flesh living.

Believe me ladies when I say, I am struggling right now to live in the Spirit rather than the flesh, but even taking the time to mull over these two verses has brought me back to His center, and that is the only way we can really live.

Next month we will delve deeper into Romans 8.

Mulling it Over - Romans 8:9-11

In this series we are looking at the eighth chapter of Romans. It is commonly believed that Paul’s letter to the church at Rome was written from Corinth and was written to provide guidance and encouragement. The church in Rome was probably rather large and had been established early on after Pentecost. Today we are going to unpack Romans 8:9-11, only 3 verses, but a lot of information.

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“9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

— Quote Source

Let’s take this a verse at a time.

Verse 9 - The emphasis here is that the individuals being written to are believers. They already have the Spirit of Christ. Paul reminds them they are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. From reading other writings of Paul and even in this letter, we know there were plenty of false teachers around, and in turn false believers.

How can someone be a false believer in Christ? For an answer to that we have to look at the Parable of the Sower and the Seeds.

“3 And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow;
4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.
5 Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.
6 But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.
8 And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.
9 He who has ears, let him hear.””

— Matthew 13:3-9 (NASB 1995)

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From this parable we learn that the seed, which represents the Word of God, can have four outcomes after it is sown:

1 - It can be eaten up by birds, meaning those who hear it have no interest at all.

2 - It can fall on rocky soil, where it takes root, but because it has no depth it withers away, meaning those who heard it, took it to heart, but in never took deep root, and as soon as the camp high is over they forget about it.

3 - It can fall among thorns, and the thorns take over and choke it out. I am unsure with this one whether the seed actually developed at all, or if it never has a chance, because the thorns, or the cares of life, difficulties and struggles overpower its development.

4 - It can fall on good soil where it takes root and grows and yields a crop one hundred fold. These seeds take root in a person’s heart who is truly searching for the truth and here they grow, and grow, and eventually they deliver the word to others, and so on.

Which of these would you say is the person in whom God’s Spirit dwells? Remember the word dwell means to abide or take up residence. Are you a person in whom God’s Spirit dwells?

Going back to verse 9 of our Roman’s passage. Pauls continues, “…if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” It is important to know whose spirit we have allowed to take up residence in us. If it isn’t God’s spirit, then it is Satan’s, there is no middle ground.

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Verse 10 - In this verse the emphasis is on Christ’s part. “If Christ is in you…” Once again, Paul is reiterating the importance of knowing Christ and of inviting Him in to dwell with you. It is Jesus Christ who took us from death to life. It is only through Him that we are able to be righteous.

You can be a good person doling out kindness, love, generosity, and helps, but still be dead in your sins. Remember:

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

— Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB 1995)

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Verse 11 - The truth is driven home once again, if God’s Spirit is in us, the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, then He will give life to our mortal bodies. This work is done in the afterlife, through His Spirit, but it is also done in this life. There is never one more alive, than the one who is in complete communion with his/her God.

Speaking from my own experience, I know the days that I give to Him, and the days I spend time with Him are the days I have focus, energy and joy. Unfortunately, so often I don’t do this. I roll out of bed feeling fatigued, and I think about doing some exercise, and spending time with God in His word, but it doesn’t happen. I get distracted by my phone, or my spouse, or the dishes that are still sitting in the sink, or my grocery list and on and on it goes.

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If there is only one thing in life I need to do better, it is this: living in His Spirit. I need to allow Him to consume me and give me the gift of His presence every single moment of every single day.

Relentless - Part 6: Home

Laney, could hear the steady beep, beep, beep of the machine monitoring her heart. She knew where she was, and what was going on. She was dying, but an amazing peace surrounded her, a living, breathing presence. She thought back to all those years ago, the night Steve walked out on her; the night the Shadowed Ones tried to get her to take her life; the night she met her unborn daughter. That night she had given her heart back to its maker; the King.

Image by OsloMetX from Pixabay

“GG?” A sweet, young voice called her name and she could feel the tender hand on her own. She opened her eyes.

Her youngest great grandchild stood next to her hospital bed. He was only eight, but his faith in the King was as strong and as deep as a mighty tree. She smiled at him.

“Silas.” Her voice came out in a raspy whisper.

“GG? Are you going to see Him? Are you going to see the King?” His eyes were wide with hopeful, childlike anticipation.

Laney managed a nod. “Yes, sweetheart. Yes I am.”

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Laney turned her head and saw the room filled with her family. She could see Steve in every single one of them. The thought made her smile. Steve hadn’t really given up on her, just like the King and His Son, he relentlessly pursued her.

For a long time she carried the guilt of her abortion, and it made seeing Steve even harder, but gradually, time, and the King’s soothing words reminded her she was forgiven. She was made new, and nothing ever captured her attention again, like His love.

Silas squeezed her hand. “GG, when you get there can you tell Gpa I miss him? Can you also say hi to Cocoa, and Nut?”

Laney managed a soft chuckle as she thought about the last two dogs she and Steve had rescued. The grandkids had been a little older than Silas when they adopted a dark brown puppy from a puppy mill, and a fluffy, white, very busy puppy from the Humane Society.

Image by carpenter844 from Pixabay

“Silas, I will tell them, and I’ll tell Myles, Sophie, Frito, and Chip.”

Silas’ brow wrinkled. “Were those your doggies when you were younger?”

“Oh, yes, Silas. Myles and Sophie were the dogs who helped rescue me. Frito and Chip were your dad and Aunt Evi’s dogs as they grew up.”

Steven Jr. stepped forward and put his hands gently on Silas’ shoulders. “Come on, bud. We need to let Gram rest.”

Silas squeezed her hand one more time then let his father lead him a way from the bed. Laney looked at all of the blessings the King had given her. His grace and mercy showed in every single face that stood in that room.

She lifted her hand towards her son. “Steven, come.”

Steven stepped to the bed and put his arm around his mother lifting her so she could see everyone.

“I love every single one of you, and I know you love me. You all know my story, because I never want you to go down the road I did…to run away from the King. No matter what happens in your lives, only He is truly trustworthy, and loves you completely. He alone makes you exactly who you are supposed to be. Always remember.”

Laney leaned back weakly on her son’s arm, and he gently placed her head on the pillow. “Good bye, Mom. We’ll see you again.”

Her daughter, Evi, came over and kissed Laney’s forehead, her tears anointing her mother for her last journey.

Laney closed her eyes.

* * * * * * * * *

When Laney woke, the first thing she felt was warmth. It was as though she was laying on a glorious Mediterranean beach, the sun beaming down on her with a gentle breeze blowing across her skin. She took a breath and realized she could breath without pain, and she could smell. A million different scents blended together filling her with a joy she had never known. She opened her eyes.

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

She found herself in a garden, one that caused all the Better Homes and Gardens winners to look faded and tiny in comparison. She sat up. She was on a blanket, and laid out beside her was a picnic complete with gingham napkins, a wicker basket, and food that looked like nothing she had ever seen before. She felt her stomach growl. What a glorious feeling after years of having no appetite.

“Laney.”

She looked up. There stood Steve, and her daughter Elena. They had decided to name her, after they had gotten back together. Both of them looked radiant. Stepping out from behind them was the King, His Son, and their presence, Arabella. Arabella was luminescent, as though a million stars filled her very being.

The Son came to her and reached out His hand. “Laney, we are so glad you are here. We have been waiting for you.”

Love, all at once a force, a thought, a breath, a place, an entity clothed her as His hand touched hers.

She was home.

Faith Inspiration - Information or Transformation: How We View the Bible

Today’s post is going to be divided into two parts with the next part falling next week under my Wonderful Words of Life post.

Dwight Lyman Moody was an American evangelist who founded Moody Church, Moody Bible Institute and Moody Publishing company, all based in Chicago, IL. Moody gave up his shoe and boot business to invest himself in the revivalist movement. His dynamic and fiery speaking style drew large crowds in both the United State and the British Isles.

Rather than try to dissect an entire sermon, I want to talk about the inspiration we can draw from just one of Moody’s quotes.

“The Bible was not given for our information but for our transformation.”

— D. L. Moody

Image by simardfrancois from Pixabay

Most of us are familiar with the transformation butterflies and moths go through. Starting out as a caterpillar, the little beastie will eat him or herself plump, then build a cocoon around themselves. Over a period of time the caterpillar will slowly change or transform into an entirely different bug with legs, antennae, and wings.

When we allow the Bible to transform us, God is changing us from one being into another. Where once we lived in the flesh, we begin to live in the Spirit. Where once we were in darkness, we are now in the light. Where once we were enslaved, now we are free.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

— Romans 12:2 (NASB 1995)

“15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart;
16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

— 2 Corinthians 3:15-18 (NASB 1995)

“20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

— Philippians 3:20-21 (NASB 1995)

Image by Kei Rothblack from Pixabay

From these three sets of verses we witness two types of transformation: the kind that we have control over and the kind that God has control over. This week we will look at transformation we control.

1 - Transformation we Control

Romans 12:2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.How do we achieve this sort of transformation? We achieve it by allowing God’s word to permeate and change the way that we think. How can this be? I can read all sorts of books, magazines, and articles but they don’t necessarily change the way I think; or if they do it is a temporary fix until the next fad comes along. Biblical transformation has to do not only with the author and the reader, but with the vitality of the words themselves.

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

— Hebrews 4:12 (NASB 1995)

The Bible states of itself that it is living and active. Obviously, this is not some magical spell, it is the natural outpouring of the Holy Spirit through the words of the Almighty God. We come into an understanding of this outpouring of living words when we give our hearts to Christ. That is why the Bible seems like stuff and nonsense to those who read it without the pulling and pouring of God’s Spirit.

However, this kind of transformation only takes place as we allow God’s word to change us. We can liken it to being a caterpillar in a cocoon. Just as the butterfly must push its way out of its flossy sleep we too must wrestle, and meditate, and study to wake ourselves from our sleep of mediocrity. If we approach God’s word with an open heart and an inquiring mind, really wanting to know what God is try to teach us, then we will see ourselves being transformed from the old beast into an enchanted creature meant to fly.

Next week we will continue our look at how we view the Bible and learn about the beauty of the ever transforming God. I hope you’ll join me.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Mulling it Over - Romans 8:3-4 - Easter Thoughts

When I study scripture, one of the first things I do is exactly what I do here with you, I take the verses I am studying apart. Words are important. How those words are used is important. Obviously, we are looking at English words, not the original language of Hebrew or Greek, so the words have already been translated into a form for us. It would definitely be advantageous if we could read the Bible in it’s original language to truly understand the nuances and meanings of some of the words, but I trust God. I know that the book that He allowed to be translated into our language is just as true and powerful as the original documents that were penned so many, many years ago.

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Last month we looked at the first two verses of Romans 8, which reminded us that we do not stand condemned if we are in Christ Jesus, and the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the Law of sin and death. Let’s continue our study by looking at verses 3 and 4.

“3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

— Romans 8:3-4 (NASB 1995)

As we move into Easter weekend and contemplate what our Lord Jesus did for us, it is apropos that we look over these two verses.

Let’s change it up just a little bit this week and instead of going through this phrase by phrase, let’s look at what we can learn about the Law in these two verses.

1 - The Law was weak - The Law, given in the Old Testament to Moses on the mountain, was given as both a mirror and a shadow. It was given as a mirror to reflect sin. The whole point of the Law was to point out and remind people they are sinners, separated from a Holy God.

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The Law was also a shadow of the spiritual reality. The reality is that we cannot save ourselves. No matter how much we try to obey the law, we still fall short of God’s holy identity. Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” There is only one way to have right standing with this Almighty being and that is through the sacrifice of blood. That sacrifice came through His son, Jesus.

2 - The Law was flesh - Everything that the law encompassed in the Old Testament had to do with deeds of the flesh. The sacrifices, the portions, the building, the lineage, the priesthood, the garments, the tabernacle and temple furniture and ornamental pieces, the commandments…all of it had to do with this life, in this flesh. Even today, we are all about doing, or what can be done or accomplished in our flesh.

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Don’t get me wrong, doing is good and it absolutely should be a part of our lives as human beings and as Christians. However, the ability to save ourselves has nothing to do with our flesh. Even Paul in the book of Galatians reprimands the Jews who are trying to add to the gospel by telling new converts to Christ they have to be circumcised. (See Galatians 3 and 4.)

3 - The Law and the Flesh are associated with sin - God created Adam and Eve with fleshly bodies, but in the Garden of Eden that flesh was meant to be enjoyed, and used to take care of the animals and all the things that God had created. Sin came about when Eve, tempted by Satan in his serpent form, wanted to taste the fruit that was forbidden. It was the desire of the flesh that caused her and her husband to fall. If they would have immediately ran to their loving Father with their fleshly desire, not only would they have remained pure, but then sin wouldn’t have been given reign in the flesh. As it was, they were cast out of the Garden and became painfully aware of now frail and sinful their flesh was.

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From that first connection of flesh to sin, came about the need for the Law, a shadow of what was to come in the fleshly form of Jesus Christ who would take away the sins of the world.

4 - The Law was fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ - God in His great goodness and fathomless love provided! Isn’t it amazing that the very God with whom we in our flesh, broke covenant, was prepared from before the foundation of the world to provide the needed, perfect and unblemished lamb to be a sacrifice for our darkened hearts. Not only did he provide the perfect sacrifice, but it came in the person of His own son, Jesus Christ. In this, He and the Father were one. The son did what the Father wanted, because the Son loved the Father and loved us.

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Christ was made flesh and dwelt among us…it is important that we understand He had to take on flesh for His sacrifice to fulfill the requirement of the Law. The Law required a fleshly sacrifice particularly for the atonement of sin. What was a shadow in the Old Testament became a reality in the New Testament. The Old Covenant was set aside for the New Covenant.

What a blessing is ours, for we were born in the time of the New Covenant, or the New Testament. We are not dependent on our own flesh to be one with God. The requirement of the law is fulfilled in our flesh because Jesus became flesh, and was the perfect sacrifice for all. Now we live, not according to the law of the flesh, but the law of the Spirit.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s post. Have a beautiful Easter weekend! Until next time, keep seeking Him.

Faith Inspiration - The Prayers of Paul

After the death of my father-in-law back in December, a good friend sent me a paper filled with handwritten paragraphs that a friend of hers, had given her when she was going through a difficult time. At the top of the page it says, Paul’s Prayers.

These are some of Paul’s prayers for the body of believers; those he had met on his journeys through out Syria, Asia, Macedonia and finally Italy, where he was imprisoned and later killed in Rome. All throughout his ministry, Paul was never concerned for himself. His concerns lay in lifting up of the name of Jesus, preaching the Gospel, and in the unity and building up of the Christ Ones.

I have read these prayers many times as I am typically reading and rereading the letters of Paul, but I don’t always focus on the prayers. More often I am focusing on the parts that show me what I should be doing. This is an unfortunate habit that most of us as Christians get into. We concentrate on the doing, rather than the Being - the person of the Lord Jesus Christ - and all that He has done and wants to do for us.

As you can see from the highlighting on the paper, I decided to really look and mull over these prayers of the Apostle Paul. We all know how important the words of Jesus are, and the high priestly prayer (John 17) that He prays for those who were following, and who would be following Him in the future. Paul’s prayers are important too, and are so adept at reminding us of who Christ is, and who we are in His sight.

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I want to share one of these prayers with you today as not only a source of encouragement, but a source of inspiration to remember whose we are.

“9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.”

— Colossians 1:9-12 (NASB 1995)

What I have been doing with each of these prayers of Paul is to write them out, but write them as though praying for myself. We need to pray for ourselves. Why do we think that is something that is selfish, or unreasonable? Yes, God commands us to pray for others, but He also commands us to pray without ceasing. I am sure some of that time can and should be used to pray for ourselves. This is my prayer:

I pray this according to Colossians 1:9-12 - I pray that you would fill me with the knowledge of Your will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. I pray this in order that I may live a life that is worthy of You, and may please You in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of You; strengthened with all power according to Your glorious might so I might have GREAT endurance (all steadfastness) and patience; joyfully giving thanks to You who has qualified me to share in the inheritance of the saints in (the Kingdom of ) Light. (This last phrase was handwritten including the Kingdom of - we can assume from other knowledge of the scriptures the saints are not just in the Light, but in the Kingdom of God also known as the Kingdom of Light).

Image by Michael Kleinsasser from Pixabay

Using these four Scriptures to pray over myself had an incredible affect on me. It made something, that I might have otherwise glossed over, come alive. It reminded me of several key points:

1 - God gives us knowledge of His will through spiritual wisdom and understanding. One thing I often heard when I was a younger Christian was, how do I know God’s will for my life. Simply put, God reveals His will as we grow in our spiritual wisdom and understanding. We aren’t going to learn His will from reading novels or watching our favorite shows. We learn his will as we gain spiritual wisdom and understanding.

2 - In having this spiritual wisdom and understanding we A) Walk in a manner worthy of Him, B) Bear fruit in every good work, and C) Increase in our knowledge of God. This makes sense and hopefully doesn’t need to be explained.

3 - God strengthens us with all power according to His glorious might. He gives us strength with all power, not just a tiny bit of power, but all of it. God doesn’t do things half way! Not only does He strengthen us with all power, He does it according to His glorious might. This is the same might we see that raises Jesus from the dead. (Ephesians 1:18-23)

4 - God gives us this power so that we might be able to endure, and have patience. Wow! How cool is that? We have His power, all of His power, so we can keep going through the difficulties and do it with patience. This really speaks to me. With all the issues I have been having over the last two years, I can say it has only been His power that has given me the ability to patiently endure. Is it easy? No! Not at all, but it is truth, and His truth is all that matters.

5 - We can joyfully give thanks, because of what follows this phrase - He has qualified me to share in the inheritance of the saints in (the Kingdom of) light. There is no denying this spiritual and scriptural truth: we are children of the King. Being a child of royalty means I have all the resources of the Kingdom at my fingertips. I partake of those resources as I clasp my hands together in humility and thank Him for them.

I hope you are inspired by Paul’s prayers as much as I am. Have a great week!

Mulling It Over: Romans 8 - Part 1

This week I want to start my Mulling It Over series where we will be taking a passage of scripture and move through it slowly. The idea of ruminating on something is likened to a cow chewing on its cud. Not a pleasant thought, but for the cow it aids in the digestion process. For us ruminating on a passage gives us time to think about it and digest what it is saying. It also allows the Holy Spirit to speak to us through His word and that is part of what enables us to become more Christ like. Obviously, we have to be willing to do the listening and participate in what the Spirit wants to accomplish in our lives. I believe that is best done at a slow, deliberate pace.

Image by Robert Owen-Wahl from Pixabay

I recently was directed back to Romans 8. It is a chapter packed full of God’s promises and gives us so many tools to use as we go about our daily lives.

“1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death”

— Romans 8:1-2 (NASB 1995)

If you have been through one of my Mulling It Over series before, then you know I like to take these passages apart verse by verse. Seeing as there is so much in this passage, I feel it important to look at it in small bite sized snippets. We are serving finger foods here, not a whole roast beef dinner. But hopefully when we are finished you will feel like you have eaten a meal prepared by the King’s very own chefs.

Therefore there -

In order to understand what the Therefore is there for, we must look back at chapter seven. There is one verse that I think sums up the section that is being referred to (7:14-25).

“18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.”

— Romans 7:18 (NASB 1995)

This passage in chapter 7 is referring to the struggle between the flesh and the Spirit. More specifically, to the Law of God, which is Spiritual, and the flesh which is sinful. Can’t we all concur with the Apostle Paul in this struggle? What sort of struggle would it be if we didn’t have the Holy Spirit? We would go about our business, not really giving a thought for the struggle that could have been.

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When we allowed Jesus to put His seal on our hearts the struggle became real. Suddenly we find our flesh wanting all manner of things that aren’t good or godly. Day in and day out we fight this battle of flesh, not because we are ungodly, but because we are His and we are meant to be righteous, and righteous we are because of His blood that covers all our sin, but we still live in this earthen vessel.

“25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.”

— Romans 7:25 (NASB 1995)

Knowing this is the struggle all Christ followers will endure, we come to verse 1 of chapter 8, and now we know what the Therefore is there for.

…is now…

The word now speaks of time. The time is not future and it is not past. It is today, this morning, this hour, this moment. It refers to what we now know because of what was referred to in the previous chapter.

…no condemnation…

What could be more beautiful and life giving that those two words? This is a promise. The condemnation that we could be under because we know the law of God, the spiritual reality, yet our physical reality binds us to this flesh. How is it that a Holy God would not condemn us, since we continue to struggle against sin.

…for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Oh the blessing that is ours, because we are His and He is ours. We are not condemned because we are in Christ Jesus. What does it mean to be in Him? It means that we live with Him, abide, dwell, invest and put all our heart’s trust in who He is and what He has done for us on the cross and in the refrain, “Up from the grave He arose…”

Now we come to the reason:

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus….

We are no longer under the law of death as the physical Israelites were as they lived and moved across the wilderness, trying to adhere to a system of weights and blood balances that they could never completely live up to. We are under a new law: the law of the Spirit of life. This is only available through our Lord and savior, and by it He -

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

…has set your free from the law of sin and death.

Blessing upon blessing. Mercy upon mercy. We were under the law of sin and death, but now we are under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. I have to really think about this and ask myself, am I still living as one in the wilderness continually looking back to my “Egypt”, wishing I could go back, longing for the comfort of my sin, or am I a new creation forged by His blood and released into a Promised land of freedom and joy?

Until next time dwell in His promised land, that place where you are not under condemnation, but lavishly loved.

Relentless - Part 1: The Pursued

The following piece and its subsequent installments are works of fiction created by myself as allegorical of the Christian life. As with any allegory it is a picture or type, more specifically in this case a picture of what our relationship with God might look like. The following parts will be posted monthly on the fourth Thursday as part of my Creative Christianity feature. I hope you will enjoy it.

He was coming for her. She didn’t know how she knew, but she knew. She tried to shake it off, telling herself she was being silly. Why would he still be pursuing her? She had left the smothering confines of his kingdom long ago. She was nothing to him, not any more. She had made sure of that.

Image by Christian_Birkholz from Pixabay

She smiled coyly at the bloke sitting at the end of the bar. He looked like a decent sort and maybe with a bit of change. She could tell by the sunglasses that sat on the top of his finely coiffed hair and the watch that shone loudly on his wrist.

“Buy me a drink?” She used her most innocent, yet seductive purr.

“Sure,” he responded with feigned enthusiasm. He sidled closer to where she sat.

She could tell he’d been here before. Not in this exact pub, but at this point in life. His wife or current lover had jilted him, leaving him for someone with fresher curb appeal. Just like her he was trying to find a small measure of comfort, even if just for a moment.

“I’d ask you what’s a nice girl like you doing in a dive like this, but I think we both know, neither of us is very nice.” His voice sounded tired.

She smiled. “My, my, a philosopher.”

He smirked, the corner of his mouth just barely rising before he lifted his glass in a mock toast towards hers. “How did you know? Was it my snarky response, or my academic attire that gave me away?”

Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay

She clinked her glass against his. “Definitely, the snark.”

They sank into a puddle of warm conversation, not really talking about anything, but also everything. He told her about his kids; she talked about her dogs. He shared the frustrations of the academic world, and she griped about the long hours she worked in the medical arena.

“So why are you here?” He asked. “You seem like a genuinely descent person? Don’t you have a family, friends, a significant other?”

The alcohol was beginning to make her feel odd. Her whole body was covered with goosebumps.

“Ooo, I feel weird. Hey you didn’t put something in my drink did you?” She looked at the professor, whose face looked concerned. “Hey, bartender! I need some help. I think this guy messed with my drink.”

The lights over the bar and around the pub began to flicker. She looked around the room and suddenly realized she and the bloke were the only ones in the room. She didn’t even see the bar tender, who was normally playing musical glasses as he cleaned and wiped down the counter.

“I feel it too,” the professor said quietly.

“Feel what?”

“A presence.” The man’s voice had become a subdued whisper.

Image by Robert Owen-Wahl from Pixabay

The lights went out, all except the blinking open sign in the window. The pub seemed to fill with moving shadows and sounds. She thought it sounded like many voices whispering, or were they hissing. She knew in her gut she needed to run, but she couldn’t.

“What have you done?” The man’s voice sounded befuddled.

Funny, it made her think of her mother asking her the same question when she had emptied a three pound bag of flour onto the living room floor.

The prof looked at her with wide eyes. “You are one of his. You have his seal.”

She jumped off the stool and away from him. “What? What are you talking about? I don’t belong to anyone! I’m my own person.”

The shadows in the room seemed to grow, almost taking on a three dimensional quality. Were they moving towards her?

“Then why are they here?” The bloke nodded towards the shadows.

“I assure you I don’t have any idea what they are, let alone why they are here.”

“Boy, you really are naive aren’t you. Everyone knows anyone who leaves his kingdom will be followed by the Shadowed Ones.”

Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay

She looked from the creeping shadows to the professor. “Well, I highly doubt that everyone has this information seeing as this is the first time I have heard of it.”

The bloke’s face became gentle and kind. “He wants you to come back. He never wanted you to leave. He loves you, Laney.”

Laney felt her jaw drop. “How do you know my name? I didn’t tell you my name.”

“Laney, he will never stop pursuing you. He cannot bear that you have left. He knows exactly who you are and what you need. Return to him.”

Laney shook her head. “NO! I can’t go back. It’s too late….this has to be a nightmare….maybe if I just close my eyes it will all disappear.”

The professor put a hand on her shoulder. Laney felt a different presence. Suddenly, an explosion of light forced her to close her eyes, but a force that could only be described as a tsunami of love swept passed her.

It was gone. She heard the tinkle of glasses, subdued voices and snippets of laughter surround her. Opening her eyes she found herself sitting at the bar. The bartender was busy wiping the counter. There were a few others at the bar, but the snarky professor had vanished.

The bartender approached. “Need another round, Laney?”

Laney looked at her empty glass. She took a deep shuddering breath. “Fill it up!”