Category Archives: Christian Living

Christian Living

PJs

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For me it’s true, perhaps it’s not for you; but for me clothes make a difference.

Jumping out of bed in my PJs and staying in them until Noon is bad, bad for me. Now one should be able to do housekeeping pleasures like laundry and vacuuming, cooking, cleaning, ironing, tidying this and tidying that in PJs — wouldn’t think?

Perhaps there’s something hidden in my little girl mind that the wearing of PJs signals my mobility muscles to be quiet, be still. Quirky. I know.

And today the wearing of my PJs messed me up till nearly 1:00 PM. But with one right decision: get that shower and put on those jeans! Shake off that be lazy mind and go for it, Girl, even if it is One o’clock in the afternoon!

However late in the day it is, it’s not too late to do the right thing.

Even if you have not been faithfully wearing the Armor of God, it’s not too late to open ABBA’s Wardrobe, bath yourself in His Word and put on your working clothes — your victory over self clothes.

So lets shed those spiritual PJs and get on with our housekeeping pleasures in the Kingdom of our God.

Ephesians 6:10-18 (The Message)

A Fight to the Finish

10-12And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

13-18Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

via Ephesians 6:10-18 – Passage Lookup – The Message – BibleGateway.com.

Just in case you’d like the text in a more traditional version, here’s a link to 21st Century King James Version of the Text. I like it!

Until Thursday,
Kathie

Christian Living, KWT Paraphrasing

Soaring!

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Good Morning. It’s Monday but my goal is to set this to post for our Tuesday time together.

Psalm 103:(New American Standard Bible)
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name.

All that is within me, bless His holy name — [with my whole heart, nothing reserved – no emotion, no event, no circumstance, no need, no want, no hurt, no nothing (I know bad English — but great theology!) held back to keep me from saying Blessed be the Name of the LORD. He is good, He is kind, He is my FRIEND and my GOD – always even in this!  That’s my understanding of verse 1.]

2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;
What benefits? Read on — what a list!

3 Who pardons all your iniquities, [lets us go free of the penalty of EVERY sin we have ever committed and yes ever shall and NO, NO, NO this is NOT a license to sin! And if you take it that way, you better check your ‘re-birth’ you may not have one! Would you agree with me that perhaps this is listed first because it is the greatest, most needed of all benefits and does in fact begin all the others?  That without this one we cannot receive any of the others? Praise His Holy Name!]

Who heals all your diseases; [yes I believe what it says.  He heals all our diseases. Yes, cancer is rampant. Yes hearts fail, knees, hips wear out and on and on we can list the diseases and illnesses brimming this life.  And yes in the here and now some are completely and totally healed and some are not BUT they will be. In the eternity ALL diseases will be eradicated!  We will ALL be healed of ALL our diseases – physical, emotional and spiritual! Bless THE LORD oh my soul!]

4 Who redeems your life from the pit, [Make no mistake prior to our re-birth we are ALL pit-dwellers! However, goody two shoes we might think ourselves to be, any soul breathing on this earth without JESUS CHRIST as LORD within, ruling and reining over thoughts and deeds — I am making no bones about it — that soul is a pit-dweller.  BUT the glorious news is as soon as one wants out of that pit, JESUS will lift you out — no condemnation! Just blessed and joyous love!  As the old adage goes: if that don’t light your fire, your wood is wet!]

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; [my ONLY glory, your only glory, is the lovingkindness and compassion of JESUS CHRIST flowing out of me, out of you,  to others. That’s what makes us royalty — only royalty wears a crown! And I tell you for sure, for sure, I want an crown! And I long for the day to lay it at His feet because HE is the ONLY ONE that could or would enable me to have it. Praise Him. Praise Him!!

5 Who satisfies your years with good things, Oh Yes!!! He satisfies our years on this planet with good things! Could there be anything more glorious than to be born again at 5 and from that day forward live being fully satisfied with JESUS?  I think not! But even though I do not have that legacy, I am eager to see what He will do with what I have left!  How about you?]

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle. [And oh I love this part! Even when I am old and the body is giving way, His spirit within me is renewed everyday and soars like an eagle! Oh my goodness that is glorious!!]
via Ps 103:1-5 – Passage Lookup – New American Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com.

Love y’all! Do some soaring!

Blessed to Bless,
Kathie

Christian Living

Dissatisfied Contentment

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From my Pastor’s Sunday morning sermon I got the idea that there’s a great need for a bunch of dissatisfied contented Christians and I want to be one of them.

You read it right. Dissatisfied Contented Christians.

dis·sat·is·fied (ds-sts-fd)  adj.
Feeling or exhibiting a lack of contentment or satisfaction.
via dissatisfied – definition of dissatisfied by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia..

con·tent·ed (kn-tntd)  adj.
Satisfied with things as they are;
via contented – definition of contented by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

Even so, I stand by what I said.

What our society needs is an abundance of dissatisfied contented Christians.

Philippians 3: (New American Standard Bible)
13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
via Phil 3:13-14 – Passage Lookup – New American Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com.

Who would deny that if any servant of the Living God could rest on his laurels it would be the Apostle Paul? I mean just what did the man not do for the sake of the Gospel? Yet he never stopped wanting to know JESUS better, to love JESUS more and to tell more and more people the GOOD NEWS.

And yet at the same time that he was constantly reaching ahead to know, to love and to do, he was content. Let me show you what I mean.

Philippians 4: (New American Standard Bible)
11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
via Philippians 4:11-13 – Passage Lookup – New American Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com.

I would not argue with you that in this text Paul is speaking of food, clothing, lodging and the like but I submit to you that ‘in whatever circumstances’ means just what it says: whatever — physical, emotional, spiritual. And that even while Paul continuously looked forward, desiring and making provision to attain more and more knowledge and intimacy with God, at the same time he was content in his level of maturity at that moment because he knew  The HOLY SPIRIT would not cease to work on him from within and that he himself was determined to keep on cooperating in that holy process of progressing toward that high calling he had accepted from the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

And there is our example of a dissatisfied contented Christian. As Pastor Roy said (and I am paraphrasing) Paul was never satisfied to stay at his present level of maturity but he was always satisfied with JESUS and with what JESUS was doing within him.

It’s a worthy goal I think — to be a dissatisfied contented Christian.

Happy Monday, dear friends!

Blessed to bless,
Kathie

Christian Living, Guests, KWT Paraphrasing

Following So Far

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I’m so glad I attended Going Beyond Simulcast with Priscilla Shirer!

It will take me some time to digest and put into practice the concepts and precepts taught this weekend.

Priscilla gave us a five step procedure to effective Scripture assimilation that even the busiest person can get on board with because you choose one or two verses and you stay with those verses for  a few or several days. She calls it ‘The 5 P’s of Bible Study‘.

POSITION yourself to hear from God.
Locate a place, secure 5, 10, 15 minutes – whatever you can grab from the side of the bathtub (that is often Priscilla’s place she said.)

POUR over the passage and PARAPHRASE the major points.
Read the verse (or two). Then read it again.  And then again.  To pour over the verse means think about, turn it over this way and that — look at it. Really look at it. And while you are really looking at it PARAPHRASE it. Write it out in your own words what you think the verse is saying; what’s happening in it.
We looked at two verses while in session: Exodus 14:13 and 14. This is verse 13:

Exodus 14: (New American Standard Bible) 13 But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.
via Ex 14:13-14 – Passage Lookup – New American Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com.

And this is my paraphrase:
Moses was speaking to the people, telling them that God had said, Y’all don’t be afraid — I got this!

PULL out the spiritual principles.
From your paraphrase ask yourself what principles about God do you see and record them in a notebook, journal, etc.
What did I see in verse 13? That God is trustworthy. That He is mighty. That he speaks to His servants. That He cares. That He is able to take care of my stuff.

POSE the questions.
For verse 13 based upon the principles I saw and my paraphrase, I might ask: Am I trusting His Trustworthiness in this? Am I listening for Him to speak to me? I am His servant, am I acting like it?

PLAN your obedience and PIN down the date.
And then here is where the rubber meets the road when I say Today, I will trust. Today I will present myself as His servant and expect to hear from Him. Today I will obey.

And the next day you take the same verse or two and you ponder it some more. By then you have it written out on some index cards and it’s placed here and there so you can see it throughout your day so you can discuss it with ABBA as you wash dishes, put on your make up, wait for the red light to change to green — you’ll find places.

And there you have it . . . at least that’s they way I understood it.

Just examples . . . try it for yourself.

If there are other Attendees out there who happen upon this page and you’d like to share your gleanings from the simulcast — please, feel free. Your comments are welcome here. :)

Finish out this weekend in obedience — love to you all,
Kathie