Category Archives: Christian Living

Rivers & Nudges

This first mention of a river in the Bible is found in Genesis.

10 A river went out of ‘Eden to water the garden, and from there it divided into four streams.

via Genesis 2:9-11 KJV;CJB – And out of the ground made the LORD God – Bible Gateway.

The last mention of a river in Scripture is addressed at Revelation 22.

Revelation 22:1-3 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

22 Next the angel showed me the river of the water of life, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 Between the main street and the river was the Tree of Life producing twelve kinds of fruit, a different kind every month; and the leaves of the tree were for healing the nations — 3 no longer will there be any curses. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him;

via Revelation 22:1-3 KJV;CJB – And he shewed me a pure river of water – Bible Gateway.

And in between there are many more. Click HERE to see all 217. It would be a worthy study, don’t you think? Like this: Long before the Psalmist saw the City of GOD, he knew there was a river. How did he know? Yeah. We know, don’t we? :)

Psalm 45:4

(4) There is a river whose streams gladden the city of God, the holy habitation of ‘Elyon —

via Psalm 46 KJV;CJB – God is our refuge and strength, a very – Bible Gateway.

 

ABBA,thank You for this River. Thank You that You have quenched our thirst and that forever we shall drink from Your River. Thank You for Fruit yet to be eaten; for the eternal healing of every hurt and every disease. Thank You, LORD YESHUA, for Your Sacrifice that has saved us. And thank You that here in Time You are also our Healer and because You are we ask You to heal Jamie. And Terri. Alyssa. Lance. Kerri. Dori. And others named in each of our respective hearts. Thank You for protecting Pam; thank You for maneuvering those vehicles so there was only little damage to each; thank You, ABBA, for sparing both their lives. Thank You for healthy test scores. Thank You for Moms, give them steady hands as they guide their children: Dawn comes to mind, as do Others. Collectively, all us gathered here come now casting our many cares upon You; thank You for receiving them; thank You for answering, ABBA. And, HOLY SPIRIT, thank You so much for Your nudges; Yes, we welcome Your conviction and correction; we do not want to take Your blessings or Your Love for granted; we do not want to live our lives sloppily; so we lay open our hearts for inspection and thank You for making us worthy vessels in Your Kingdom work. We praise You now for what You are bringing to be. 

But wait!

I am here this morning because I think I need to be, but my well of words has little cool refreshment to offer it seems. Janet’s words have come to mind: “Life’s hard but GOD is good.” For sure He is. And yet the frailty of human flesh betrays that truth from time to time and infects our soul with heaviness.

Sadness comes naturally. And here in this hostile world, there is MUCH to feed our sadness. Traffic. Rude people. Selfish people. Negative people. Mean people. Intoxicated people. Sickness. Disease. Injustices. Corruption. Disappointment. Death. It’s too much! The bravest of saints are subject to crumble under this weight.

But wait!

John 16:33 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

via John 16:33 NASB;CJB – These things I have spoken to you, so – Bible Gateway.

All of it, JESUS? Traffic? Rude people? Selfish people? Negative people? Mean people? Intoxicated people? Sickness? Disease? Cancer? Injustices? Corruption? Disappointment? EVEN Death? Yes! Even death!

So:

Nehemiah 8:10 Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

10 . . . Don’t be sad, because the joy of Adonai is your strength.”

via Neh 8:10 CJB;NASB – Then he said to them, “Go, eat rich – Bible Gateway.

Don’t be sad. Do not sorrow as those who have no hope (see I Thessalonians 4:12-14). Not over adversity; not over sickness and disease; not even over death.

10 . . . Don’t be sad, because the joy of Adonai is your strength.”

John 15:11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

via John 15 NASB;CJB – Jesus Is the Vine—Followers Are – Bible Gateway.

For more reading about these things which He has spoken click HERE.

Father, thank You for the strength and even the WILL to choose to be not sad but to abide in Your Joy instead. And so we choose to abide in Your joy as we wait for good news about Jamie. We choose as an act of obedience to be not sad. We choose to be not sad or mad in traffic, or with people, especially adverse people. Father, we choose to respond with mercy because if we do not we will grieve You and those who love us; forgive us Father and cleanse us from all our unrighteousness, and thank You that You have in the BLOOD of Your Son. We continue to pray for Terri. Dori. Kerri. Alyssa and Others named in our hearts; asking for miracles of healing – bodies, souls, hearts, minds, and families. Thank You, HOLY SPIRIT, for taking our prayers and making them answerable in the Name of JESUS.

Naked and Crazy

I listened this morning as my beloved read the Text. A familiar passage. We in Christendom often refer to the account as the man in the tombs. Perhaps you know just where to find the story. The Gospels of Mark and Luke.  And as my hubby read this morning I watched the scene on the screen of my mind. And then he read the following and I was off and running with thoughts to share with you:

15 . . . He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane,
via Mark 5 NLT;CJB - Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man - So - Bible Gateway.

Fully clothed and perfectly sane!

Oh I would that people in this naked crazy world would go to JESUS to be fully clothed and made perfectly sane!

I encourage you to read the account afresh today. Click HERE for a link to two translations: The New Living Translation, from which my beloved read this morning; and a newer favorite of mine: The Complete Jewish Bible.

This is what the man was like before he surrendered to JESUS:

4 Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.
via Mark 5 NLT;CJB - Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man - So - Bible Gateway.

Vivid description. Isn’t it?
Sad and frightening, wouldn’t you say?
Sad to be in such a state and frightening to those watching. Spiritually this scene is played out day after day, night after night all around us; people we love and care about. They scream and howl and mutilate themselves with sin and the darkness gets darker and darker. And we think: if only, if only they would surrender to JESUS they would be healed. They would be fully clothed and perfectly sane.

Why don’t they?

ABBA, my heart is heavy with this; I could name names and within the privacy of my heart, I am; and I am weary. Weary with watching the destruction, knowing You would heal and forgive and restore but so far they have refused to come out of their tombs. Thank You for Your mercy and long-suffering with us all. I pray for the clothed and the sane to keep sharing Your Message of deliverance and freedom. I pray we will guard our garments to keep them un-spotted by the world and our minds stayed on You so we can yet be a conduit of hope to them. Thank You, ABBA. Do a mighty work in Your CHURCH I pray.
We continue to bring our sick and afflicted with illness, disease and we ask You to heal them. We continue to give You praise for good reports for Terri and we unashamedly as You for more for her and her family. Kerri too. Leslie. Linda. Alyssa. David. Henry. And our much loved Jamie, please reveal the cause and a remedy for this condition, ABBA. Joyce as she grieves the death of her mother. Irene and these medical uncertainties. And there are Others. Thank You, for seeing their faces and their needs; for loving them and hearing and answering our prayers for them. And Israel: peace and protection. America: repentance and revival. And our Readers here: whatever the need, I pray for Your Provision to be received by them in YESHUA’s complete and worthy name.

Catch Phrases

I am eager and excited to share some catch phrases of wisdom with you this morning from the book of Job. Now, I am aware these are taken out of context but taken at face value the stringing together of these words as is caught my attention; and perhaps they will yours as well.

so soaked in my misery.

via Job 10 CJB – “I am just worn out. “By my life [I – Bible Gateway.

I image somewhere along the way I will see such a soul – may it not be in the mirror! And may it not be you my Friend.

11 For he knows when people are worthless; so if he sees iniquity, won’t he look into it?

via Job 11 CJB – Next Tzofar the Na‘amati spoke up: – Bible Gateway.

Rampant iniquity – I see it. You see it. And HE is looking into it. So we can rest from looking at it. In HIS timing He will attend to it and perhaps if we stopped insisting He attend to it in our time and in our way, WE would get out of His way of attending to it. You think?

12 “An empty man can gain understanding, even if he was born like a wild donkey.

via Job 11 CJB – Next Tzofar the Na‘amati spoke up: – Bible Gateway.

This one is WAY RICH. I’m only giving a morsel in comparison.
Origin (of birth) and environment is NO EXCUSE for a miserable, failing life. CHRIST JESUS is available. 

10 In his hand is the life of every living thing and the spirit of every human being.

via Job 12 CJB – Iyov responded: “No doubt you are – Bible Gateway.

Awe and comfort!

One more.

11 Shouldn’t the ear test words, just as the palate tastes food?

via Job 12 CJB – Iyov responded: “No doubt you are – Bible Gateway.

We taste food to see if it is good and acceptable before we swallow it. Likewise, should we not test words either from the mouths of others or within our own heads to discern if they are worthy of ‘swallowing’? :)

As I said catch phrases. They caught my attention. Perhaps they will yours as well.

ABBA, thank You. Thank You for more wisdom; for catch phrases to capture our attention, for us to hold and meditate upon, to give us quick and ready guidance in this fast world. Thank You for providing every resource of every kind that we need to live holy lives in this unholy culture. Thank You for knowing us and loving us. And in this moment I pray now for each one who gathers here. You know their names, their faces, their needs, their hopes, dreams and fears and You have every provision ready for them this very day. Thank You. HOLY SPIRIT, help them believe, receive, take hold and let go according to Your Plan for them. Thank You for good reports concerning Terri; yet still a long way to go all the way around and so we wait and we trust for Your Good Plan and Will to be seen. Kerri. ABBA, I am still asking You for a miracle for her. Pat & Rosalie. Alyssa and her family: time is drawing near for the trip; there must be so many details, so much we don’t even know to ask but I trust You ABBA to do ALL things well. David. Ray. Linda. Pam. Women’s Ministries,  in particular those set to rescue women from taking the lives of their babies in the womb; and all those enslaved in sex trafficking. Israel: peace and protection. America: repentance and revival. And we the BRIDE OF CHRIST: to live for Your glory alone, ABBA, these are my requests in this moment. HOLY SPIRIT, help me remain in ceaseless prayer till we gather here again in YESHUA’s name.