Let’s change directions a little. I got up feeling a little “off center”. I think this is my “rant of the day”.
With all the media jumping on this new “Noah’s Ark has been found” it got me to thinking. Collectively they might say some of the right things, admitting the info came from the Bible, but do they really believe it? They all sound so pious they wouldn’t say {poop} if they had a mouthful!
Am I grumpy today? Maybe. Am I angry? Possibly. Frustrated? Most decidedly!
You believe there is a Noah’s Ark to be found? Why don’t you believe the Bible?
Rom 1:19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. {ALL know of God, live like it!!}
Ok, Gramma says, if: Rom12:3b – “as God has allotted to each a measure of faith”, what did you do with it? Where’d you put that faith?
The 4th commandment, Ex. 20:8-11 says we are to observe the Sabbath and keep it Holy.
{One day out of seven to rest, observe what God has done for us, gather together to worship and praise the Lord. Remember the covenant God gave to Abraham concerning – duh – US! You and me!}
Why are we Christians allowing society, the world, to dictate to us about what we are to believe and how we are to believe it?
I get so tired of hearing people say “I’m a good person, I give to charity and I believe the Bible, yes-I’m gonna go to heaven”. How ridiculous can they get? Evidently they don’t READ their Bible!
Do we interupt them and tell them the truth? No, we’ve been ‘conditioned’ to be “Politically Correct”. What hogwash! Well, we don’t want to be rude, do we? Why not? It’s a matter of eternity for cryin’ out loud!
Jesus died for our sins. He was raised from the grave. He said in John 3:16 –“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
First things first people. If you believe it, live like it. Who/what is first in your life? Your husband/wife? Your kids? Your job, house, car?
God/Jesus/Holy Spirit are in the Spirit realm. We can’t see Him or touch Him. He gave us a “measure of faith” and the “knowledge” He exists. Look around. Science CANNOT create something from nothing. God created the world and all that is in it by “speaking it” by breathing it from His mouth. Science can’t do that. The more science tries to dis-prove the Bible, the more they prove it.
Archaeologists have dug up enough proof of the Bible to prove it’s true.
What’s it gonna take for you to live like you have been set apart? What’s it gonna take for you to believe you are living a lie by following the steps of those who are rich and famous , have more than you? Life here on earth will end. Where are you going to go after that?
I ask again, “What’s it gonna take?” What do you believe, and why do you believe it?
I know what I believe and why I believe it, and I am endeavoring to share it with anyone who wants to listen and/or read. I have faith and it’s growing all the time. Is yours?
Filed under: Godly Living
Recap: That was a big time in my life when I saw God work in my life. Tom and I decided to start going to church where he was in counseling and life was feeling so much better having God in my life! That lasted a few years, until. . . . .
And now I give you:
My Life in God’s Hands, pt 2
If you haven’t read part 1, you can find it below. That way my testimony might flow a lot easier for you.
After being in church thru the hard times and the hard times becoming easier and better we gradually stopped going. Missing a Sunday here and there and finally finding other things more important than going to church. Dumb, yeah, we know that now, but I have come to the conclusion that God allows us to live our testimony. Justification for not going to church? You just might be right.
Let’s fast forward to August, 1999. I had been working in an office job for 12 years and had come to the point that I had to quit. I have an A-type personality and do my best to give 110%. Most all of my co-workers seemed to be there just for the paycheck and really, to me they didn’t give a hoot and a holler about the quality of the work they were putting out.. I allowed their attitudes to drive me almost insane.
My last day of work was on a Thursday and on Friday I started going thru what I called “culture shock”. Didn’t have to get up early and drive to work. After a couple of months I was in depression and didn’t recognize it. I would sit at the computer and go online for hours at a time. I felt I needed God in my life, so I started looking for Him on the internet. (it’s ok to giggle, it is funny!) Looking for help to pull me out of muck and mire I found myself in. Somehow I knew God was the answer to everything that was wrong with me, but to look for Him on the internet? That’s how sick I was, sick with sin.
I found Christian “communities” on MSN and joined a few. I met a few people online and we would have Bible Study, and it did help me – some.
I had been faithfully reading my Bible from the beginning and had started praying that God would change me into the woman He wanted me to be, and then around mid-January of 2000 I learned my husband was looking for another place to live. Such a crushing blow, but I didn’t blame him. I didn’t want to live with me either!
January 20, 2000 is a day I will remember clearly, the rest of my life.
Tom had gone to work and I was miserable. As soon as he left for work I started crying. I cried all day; I couldn’t stop. I would go out in the garage and cry and pray. I would pray and cry just walking around in the house. I didn’t have the strength to even get out of my night clothes. Several times I heard a voice telling me, “Linda, get down on your knees”. I was in such pain I didn’t pay too much attention to it until around 2 or 2:30. There it was again. “Linda, get down on your knees”.
I remember hearing someone say once that we should test the spirits, so I questioned God that wanting to know if it was Him and not “the other guy”. I said, “Lord, I want to believe it is you wanting me to get down on my knees, so I will obey.” I was still crying, sobbing, and got down on my knees in the garage and tried to pray. All that would come out was “God, you know already what I’ve been praying, I don’t know what else to say.”
After a few short minutes I got up and went into the house. I stopped in the middle of the family room and realized something was different. I went to the living room, turned around, went back to the family room and turned around and around about 3 times then stopped. I wasn’t crying! I didn’t have that ache in my heart that had been there all day! It took a few minutes and then I realized why I had been crying. I thought about Tom moving out – no tears, no heartache, and then I started laughing. Laughing with joy in my heart, full to overflowing!
On that day, God called me to obedience. The voice I heard was just as though He was there, physically, in the garage with me! It was the most awesome time of my life. I felt so good, so blessed I couldn’t wait for Tom to come home so I could share that blessing with him.
God didn’t give me any instructions as to what I was supposed to do then, so I kept reading my Bible and working things out with my husband. A while after that we started shopping around for a church. Every Sunday we went to another church until we discovered where his counselor was preaching. The counselor he had way back in 1984. On our first visit to Vista Community Church we felt at home. So at home we’ve been there ever since. Growing in the Lord and serving Him.
Oh, there have been hard times, but God has been with us the whole way.
I don’t have a Bible verse for that time in my life because God speaking to me is so much better! It is such a powerful memory in my mind and in my heart I share that experience whenever I can and when God leads me to. God became so very real to me that day; I hope and pray He is real to everyone!
What is your most precious memory of God in your life? We all need to share those moments, the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our life; how real He is and walking in our lives.
I have more to share, that will be part 3.
God has had me on a most exciting journey since truly re-dedicating my life to Jesus Christ on January 20, 2000. He has helped me many times and each time I was going through that deep, dark valley, there has been a Bible verse that God has given me to cling to. I didn’t realize it until last year just before my mom went home to be with the Lord. At that time I was asked to give my testimony at one of our women’s functions at church. I agonized over it for 2 weeks, not hearing what God was telling me. I finally listened and He gave me the scriptures that I clung to during each “stretching” point in my life. I am ever so grateful for His guidance and His love. And now I give you:
My Life in God’s Hands
I gave my heart to Jesus Christ just a few months before I turned 11 years old in 1959. I didn’t understand just what was going on, but I felt something/someone tugging on my heart strings. It felt right walking forward to the altar with a family friend that morning at church.
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
That was the first Bible verse I memorized and it was the reason I felt, believed, that what I had done was right. I don’t remember if I was told anything about the commitment I was making; I know that there was no talking about it or explanations, or any teaching on that commitment at home. I just knew in my heart that something different happened and it changed me – inside and out.
My family and I continued going to church for a few more years and then we just quit going. I remember I would lay on my bed and try reading the Bible many times growing up, but it seemed useless because I couldn’t understand what I was reading, but there was still some feeling that I deemed the Bible to be very special.
Fast forward to the year 1984. I was in my second marriage with 2 daughters – one from each marriage. Life went to hell in a hand basket. My husband, Tom, had lied and was unfaithful to me and to God. My oldest daughter fell apart and became quite rebellious and chose to go live with my parents. I was left at home with a 9 year old who was happiest having homemade cheeseburgers for dinner every day and going out to play with her neighborhood friends.
I cried day and night. I even cried out to God. At that time I hadn’t been in church since the early sixties. After a few days I was able to start writing my prayers to God about how I felt, how I wanted Him to “fix” my husband and bring my family back together. My parents were no help, but that’s another story.
When I would go to bed, I would grab my Bible and reading in the New Testament I believe God gave me His word – 1 Corinthians 10:13 – No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
I would read it over and over, night after night and then it came to me that God knew I was strong enough to go thru this upheaval in my life and He was going to help me get through it! Now, I hadn’t had any kind of teaching or training from the Bible, but in my heart I was very serious. I knew God was going to help me and I knew He was the One I needed in my life.
My daughter and I lived alone while Tom lived in the camper at a friend’s house downtown. We were all getting counseling, plus Tom was getting spiritual counseling and after 9 long months we felt it was time to become a family again.
That was a big time in my life when I saw God work in my life. Tom and I decided to start going to church where he was in counseling and life was feeling so much better having God in my life! That lasted a few years, until. . . . .
To be continued in the second installment of “My Life in God’s Hands”.
Filed under: Godly Living
With all the reading I enjoy, sometimes it is quite difficult to get my 60’s brain around the verbage of instructions set up as “helps” . I wish to improve the looks and add to my blog page(s).
Don’t count me out just yet. I love technology, but I didn’t take that class in high school, didn’t go to college. I got here by the sheer determination of wanting to know more about computers and the internet.
If you have tips or knowledge to share with this grammy-geek-wanna-be, I’m sure I could fall at your feet in gratitude! Or bake you a cake.
Thank you for being patient with me. Now, it’s time to go play with the younger set and see what I can learn on Xbox Live with the grandsons!
Well, I got my feet wet by wading in and didn’t sink! It was somewhat nerve-wracking for me when I got up and poured myself a cup of coffee. I kept finding something else to do to keep from grabbing up my iPod Touch or set down at the computer. I was afraid what I might find. Of course, I’m always that way – not a lot of self-confidence. Something I am trying to work on – daily.
I guess I never thought that complete strangers would read what I wrote plus leave a comment! Everyone was so kind and gracious.
Why do I want to write? I believe that if I can share insights into how God is leading me and how I am learning to apply His word to my life, well maybe, just maybe I can say something that will give someone else some hope for their lives.
I enjoy studying the Bible and have found Kay Arthur and the Precepts method of studying to be quite satisfying. The verse that helped me to desire more of what God has to offer and wanting to understand why we can’t take the Bible literally is found in 2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.
I took this verse seriously and have found that it is very rewarding being able to understand God’s word better and apply it to my life. There is so much more to God’s word than people realize.
I am so grateful to several people I have discovered who are true bloggers and writers. Their writings have been an inspiration to me as well as entertaining.
I’m able to contribute in a world of words with people who are very interesting and, even though they don’t realize it, have wisdom that I can think about and learn from. Just imagine how our world could change if more people lived their lives at a slower pace and truly paid attention to what others have to say.
Yes, I got to swim with the “big fish” and I’m hoping to do it again! The Long & Short of it? If we don’t try, we will never know if we can succeed.
I love my ministry. I believe God game me the passion for computers, technology. I have no other way to describe it. So, I put my knowledge, my energy into being the secretary at church.
I create the Sunday Bulletins and church directory, and if there is a prayer request I send it out on email. There aren’t too many events but I do try to keep the congregation informed. I love what I do.
With my whole heart I believe 1 Cor 10:31 – “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” I’m a “type A”personality, so I give it my all to do a good job. It gets quite frustrating when the computer, the printer or the copy machine malfunctions and I find myself threatenting to “drop kick” it across the parking lot.
Yesterday was one of those days. The copy machine died a couple of months ago and there has been dragging of the feet to get it replaced. Someone brought in a desktop printer they bought for $40. saying it would be a good substitute, plus they could get toner for $20. on eBay!
I’m supposed to be thrilled? I want a REAL copy machine. I want something I can deal with. It’s how I was trained working 12 years in an office job. I want the bulletin and everything else I produce to come out looking as close to professional as possible! I don’t want to waste paper that the church has paid good money for. It has been my goal to be efficient and having this “copy-machine-imitator” is like having the electricity go out.
Every Friday I have had to throw out 7 to 10 sheets of legal size paper because this printer doesn’t do well with double-sided printing. The paper gets too warm and doesn’t want to feed properly.
After 4 hours of doing what used to take an hour and a half, I’m done.
On the way home I felt like I should be asking God “what am I to learn from this frustrating afternoon?” By the time I arrived in my drive-way His answer was forming in my heart and mind.
Summing up my afternoon, God gave me the comparison between that “fake” copy machine not wanting to co-operate and how we humans act and a verse from the Bible.
There I was, wanting to drop-kick that printer across the parking lot for causing me frustration, for not performing as I thought it should. Well, I mean, it didn’t perform good enough for God, and in turn that made me feel that I didn’t do a good job. The bulletin didn’t turn out good enough for God.
Then I got to wondering if God ever wanted to drop-kick us humans for not performing well? We mess up from time to time – does that make us not good enough for God? The Bible says in Isaiah 64:6 that “for all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;”
There it was. Justification that I was worthy of God drop kicking me across the parking lot just like I was wanting to do to that printer! How many times have I been imperfect in my performance? Especially toward other people? I was not being good enough for God but did he punish me for it? I had no bruises from being kicked. No headache from Him thumping me on the head and saying “duh, Linda”.
He sent His son too die for my sins, my imperfections, my poor performance. I was forgiven before I was even born. Before you were born! God loves us that much, and what do we do? Get angry and throw tantrums because we want our actions to be perfect – good enough for God!
The “long and short of it” is, that no matter what we do, we must do our best – from the heart. God knows our heart, so He’s not going to fault us for a printer that has issues when it’s used beyond it’s created functions. If we do the best we can, with what we’ve got as our service to the Lord, we can praise God for giving us the ability to step beyond our limitations, the limitations of the equipment we work with in order to do God’s work and do it for His glory and not our own!
The Long & Short of it. . . 