Monthly Archives: January 2018

2018, Acts

See?

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Acts 26. Such a worthy read!

If you are short on time at this page opening let us concentrate on just this portion. 

A little background, Paul is in Rome, in chains, and appearing before King Agrippa, Bernice (said to be Agrippa’s sister/lover)  and Fetus the Governor. Paul is giving testimony as to his conversion. 

Acts 26: 15 “Then I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

“And the Lord said, ‘I am Yeshua—whom you are persecuting. 16 But get up, and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose—to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things you have seen as well as to the things I will yet reveal to you. 17 I will rescue you from your own people, and from the Gentiles to whom I am sending you, 18 to open their eyes—so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of satan to God, that they may receive release from sins as well as a place among those who are made holy through trusting in Me.’

19 “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. 20 Rather, I kept declaring—first to those in Damascus, and then Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also the Gentiles—that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds consistent with that repentance.  source

Verse  18 in particular. What do you see in this one verse packed with so much Gospel? 

Selah ~ ~ ~ 
Ephesians, Proverbs

Becoming

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We have many translations of the Bible available to us from the Biblical languages of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Click HERE for an incomplete list of translations with publication dates.  I read a few translations, particularly when preparing a class lesson. Two of my favorites are Tree of Life Version published in 2014 and Young’s Literal Translation published in 1862. 

As long as I depend upon the HOLY SPIRIT to guide me as to what He said when He inspired the Original Penmen, I have confidence reading all the Translations I have explored thus far.  After all, the Scripture does say: 

Proverbs 11:14  (ESV) 14 . . . in an abundance of counselors there is safety. source 

Would you be willing to look at Ephesians 4:32 with me?

Perhaps the most familiar rendition of this verse is the KJV.

Ephesians 4:(KJV)  32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. source 

I’ve been quoting that one since primary school.  However, the older I get the more I am convinced quoting it is only the beginning of what GOD has in mind for me.  

Would you also entertain with me Ephesians 4:32 in the Young’s Literal Translation?

Ephesians 4: (YLT) 32 and become one to another kind, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, according as also God in Christ did forgive you. source

KJV is bluntly authoritative. Be ye kind! Perhaps I’m wrong, but as a child ‘be kind’ was a DO to me. It was an action I was expected to take whether I wanted to or not.
Now. For the YLT. Lets read it again: 32 and become one to another kind, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, according as also God in Christ did forgive you. 

BECOME. 

Become is more than DO, isn’t it?
Do is . . . well, something I do. 

I submit, that BECOME is not DO but ARE (or AM).
I can DO something and my heart (the real me) not be in it, you know what I mean? But when I have BECOME (Ephesians 4:32), it’s no longer something I do, it’s just who I am.
I will admit though, it does take some considerable doing to actually become.
So there is no time like the present to get started BECOMING. Right?
Like BECOME

Kind people
Tender-hearted people
Forgiving people

Other Bible verses give us more to BECOME. 

Selah ~ ~ ~ Kathie

2018, Christian Living, Ephesians, Forgiveness, Gospel of Matthew, Guests, Romans

In A Word

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Reading time: Approximately  3 minutes.

One word for the year.
One word to guide the year.
One word to direct my focus for 365 days.
Could one word do all that?
In a word.
Yes! 
But how do you pick that one word? In two words. You Don’t. You receive that word from The GOD who loves you. Okay. That was more than a word. :)

I like my friend, Leah Adams‘ word for 2018. Here’s a link. Check it out! 

I believe my guiding word for 2018 is forgiveness. It’s my word to receive, to give, to pray for, to live. Forgiveness heals. Forgiveness revives. Forgiveness restores. Forgiveness gives life to body, soul and spirit. Forgiveness sets a soul on the path to wholeness. And wholeness is my plea; for myself, for family, for friends, for strangers near and far.

A year of forgiveness, what will that be? I would say not easy but naturally speaking it is more than not easy. It. Is. Impossible!  Unless! 

Matthew 19:26  (YLT) 26 And Jesus having earnestly beheld, said to them, `With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.‘  source

This year when I forgive will I be saying the offense is any less offensive? Will I be saying it’s okay? Will I be saying it didn’t hurt? Will I be denying the awfulness of it? Nope! Not at all. Will I be saying they deserve forgiveness? Do any of us?

I just know this, when I give forgiveness it sets me free. Free to love again. Free to trust GOD again. Free to live again. Forgiveness lets me take my rightful place. Forgiveness takes ME off the throne of my life and gives that place to He who deserves it. The One and Only JESUS.

Forgiveness takes my hands off the control button and with trust, faith and love yields justice to GOD’s Perfection alone.
Forgiveness says I love JESUS too much to hate you (the offender).
Forgiveness says, GOD, I trust You to do what’s right by me with this one who has offended me. It’s, I give way to You, My Heavenly Papa, to treat me right in the way You treat my offender.

In a word, forgiveness is me (and you) trusting GOD. Trusting that He has done right and He will always do right.  This is forgiveness whether we are receiving it or giving it. 

Again I say, it’s impossible for natural people! But we who have said yes to JESUS in salvation are no longer just natural people. We have the SPIRIT of the LIVING GOD residing within and we can forgive – all year-long!  (Romans 8:9)

How many times this year must I exercise this gift of forgiveness? 

Matthew 18: 21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Master, how often shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”  22 Yeshua said to him, “No, not up to seven times, I tell you, but seventy times seven!  source. 

If we find ourselves doing the math, I think we’ve missed His point. 

Ephesians 4:32(KJV)  32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. source

Forgiveness.
In a word, it will make me whole and a whole lot more Christ-like. 

Selah ~ ~ ~ Kathie
2018, Gospel of John

Beginning

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John 3:16  (TLV)

16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  source

A Word for 2018?  I may already have mine.  Perhaps I’ll share soon.

Kathie ~  ~ ~