Category Archives: Forgiveness

Christian Living, Forgiveness

Odyssey

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It keeps returning to front stage; a thought that is. So perhaps an IDOK is forming.  We will see.

GRANDS are viewing Odyssey You Tubes, full episodes; in my opinion one of the greatest uses of the internet and in so doing I am privileged to overhear.

If you are familiar, Mr. Whittaker created an Imagination Station and Dylan and Friends often made use of it. In this episode, Dylan and Carter landed in the late 1800s; that was okay for Dylan, he was having a blast, living in the lap of luxury. Carter was slaving in the cotton fields. Yes, it was an Odyssey about the Underground Railroad.

So what’s my reoccurring thought? A word given by the Preacher: He asked Dylan how could he enjoy the luxury of freedom and not be willing to risk anything and everything he had to make that freedom available to Carter – to everyone?

Can you imagine the question that came to me next?

The ultimate freedom – Eternal Freedom from sin. Salvation. Eternal Life.
Some of us have this freedom. But Millions. Yes, MILLIONS do not.
‘How can you enjoy the luxury of your Freedom in Christ and not be willing to risk anything and everything you have to share THE WAY to this freedom with everyone?’

Slavery.
It was a dark, shameful era for us.
Today we see so clearly that it was right and good, even holy to live and die to abolish it.

Spiritual Slavery?
Eternal damnation to a devil’s hell?
Am I appalled by it? Am I willing today to give, to risk, to live, to die (if need be) as those who worked the Underground Railroad did, to bring Today’s Slaves to Freedom in CHRIST JESUS?

Truthfully?
No.
But I want to be.

Odyssey.
It’s not just for Young Ones.
ABBA speaks through it to Old Ones too.

Coveting your prayers, Kathie

PFT – click HERE.

ABBA, HOLY SPIRIT, in JESUS name and for His sake, bring me to willingness to bring the message of freedom to everyone.  Amen and amen.

Isaiah 61
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;
2 To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,
3 To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.
via Is 61 – Passage Lookup – New American Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com.

I use the word Mantra here cautiously because of its associated connotations, however let it be that Isaiah 61:1-3 become our MANTRA — may I, may we, say these verses, meditate on these Words, aloud and silently, until they come to abide in us and set us free to be instrumental in setting others free.

Christian Living, Forgiveness

One. Two. Trust Me.

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The hour is late and the morning will come early, even so I want at least a hello on the page for you this (Monday) morning.  And in the interest of time how about a word from my Sunday School study notes for this morning?

Jeremiah.
The Weeping Prophet.
The Prophet who so loved the people of Israel. So loved them he wept over their sins and pending captivity. And in their unrepentant state, they hated Jeremiah; even plotted to kill him for the message he preached.

And we found in chapter 15 that Jeremiah had some serious struggle with their hatred. And I submit to you as I did to my class that it is hard to be hated. When a servant of God comes to a season of life when they perceive they are hated by their peers at least two deep, dark struggles ensue.

One.
A war begins in the soul to hold back from hating the one hating you. And I dare say apart from the inner helping of the HOLY SPIRIT, it can’t be done. It is all too natural to hate back when we are faced with the hatred of others. Only the HOLY SPIRIT can empower us to love those who do not love us. And when we ask He will – perhaps it will take constant communication and practice but in Him we can love those who hate us. And it is in our best interest to do so.

Two.
A war begins in the soul to resist believing what is being said about us. The childhood refrain we heard spoken on the school playground: ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me’ is a lie.
Words hurt.
Words cut deep.
Words leave wounds so deep and ghastly if left to fester into a ‘spiritual cancer’, it may take years of HOLY GHOST Therapy to fully heal. We would do well to seek the healing balm of JESUS immediately. To believe what ABBA has said about us in His Word rather than the words of man.

It is crucial for the Servant of God to lose neither of these battles. It is sad, it is evil, but the Servant who succumbs sooner or later and probably sooner will find himself/herself in rebellion against the GOD they had served.

Listen to Jeremiah. Hear his wail. Hear his accusation and charge against Yahweh. Moreover, let us take heed. If Jeremiah can allow a wound to so fester that he would accuse GOD of evil – we too are capable of the same.

Jeremiah 15: Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
15 You know, LORD; remember me and take note of me. Avenge me against my persecutors. In Your patience, don’t take me away. Know that I suffer disgrace for Your honor.
16 Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became a delight to me and the joy of my heart, for I am called by Your name, LORD God of Hosts.
17 I never sat with the band of revelers, and I did not celebrate [with them]. Because Your hand was [on me], I sat alone, for You filled me with indignation.
18 Why has my pain become unending, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You truly have become like a mirage to me—water that is not reliable.
via Jeremiah 15:15-21 – Passage Lookup – Holman Christian Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com.

And now that we have heard Jeremiah, let us hear ABBA.

Jeremiah 15: Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Jeremiah Told to Repent
19 Therefore, this is what the LORD says: If you return, I will restore you; you will stand in My presence. And if you speak noble [words], rather than worthless ones, you will be My spokesman. It is they who must return to you; you must not return to them.
20 Then I will make you a fortified wall of bronze to this people. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you. [This is] the LORD’s declaration.
21 I will deliver you from the power of evil people and redeem you from the control of the ruthless.
via Jeremiah 15:15-21 – Passage Lookup – Holman Christian Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com.

Yes! Accusing God of evil is evil. And if we love Him we will continually strive to mature to the place that we do that less and less.

BUT not all questioning of God is evil. Not all questionings to God makes us a rebel. And it is far, far better for us to take our honest questions to God before they turn into accusations.

The safest thing we can do for ourselves in this life journey is to be honest with God. Hold nothing back, talk it out with Him. Lay all our ugly truths before Him and let Him heal us before we start accusing Him and charging Him with evil.  Don’t let those questions fester – ask, confess. Yes, even complain. But with the complaint, be willing to see and receive His response. Especially if His response is WAIT and TRUST ME.

And after our Sunday School hour, the Preacher (Billy Graham from First Baptist of North Mobile) said in closing when suffering comes we pray, ‘Father, I don’t like this; but I trust You.’

And when we do, we just might hear Him say, ‘I don’t like it either, and no it’s not right or fair, for now — but TRUST ME’.

Amen, Kathie

Click HERE for PFT.   My love to you all.

Assurance - Promise, Christian Living, Forgiveness, Repentance, Salvation

The Sting

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It’s Tuesday night and I’m pretty well spent for the day but wanted to at least post a Wednesday morning hello.

Numbers 21:New International Version (NIV)
The Bronze Snake
4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way;
5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
6 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.
7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
8 The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.”
9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
via Numbers 21:4-9 – Passage Lookup – New International Version – BibleGateway.com.

First thing with these verses — but the people grew impatient on the way;

And their impatience was a springboard to murmuring, complaining and accusing their Leader and their God.

Impatience is a dangerous flesh fit.  In some cases it’s a real killer.

Isn’t it interesting that for the people of Israel to live they had to look upon the very image that was killing them?

Perhaps we would do well to look our impatience (or whatever sin that is so easily besetting us — Hebrews 12:1) in the face, see it for the fiery serpent it is and call out to JESUS, saying even as the Israelites did: “We sinned … “.

We can be sure He will forgive us and empower us to live.

I think I shall retire for the night on that, knowing that He is able to do even more than I can think or ask (Ephesians 3:20).  Perhaps these thoughts will lighten your Wednesday.  What a blessing that would be to both of us!!

Please click HERE to pray for our PFT list.

ABBA, thank You.  Thank You for promised rest to our weary frames and power to overcome our flesh, the world and Satan. I pray for our IDOKs each and every one at each of their whereabouts for each to abide in Your peace, comfort, wisdom, and an ever-increasing hunger and thirst to KNOW You. We are mindful of many needs and we entrust them to You in JESUS Name. Amen and amen.

Blessed to be a handmaiden of the LORD,
Kathie

Assurance - Promise, Christian Living, Forgiveness, Repentance

Big and Bad or New Beginnings

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Oh this is hard.

Got the GRANDS settled in again; they had waited so patiently to do something fun as I worked to complete  this devotion. It was all but finished; only needed to tweak it for presentation.  I clicked all the right buttons for it to be saved, both in Word and on-line. But perhaps the thunderstorm had its way instead of mine – no words survived. Not one. Anywhere.  Other than my mind and what’s there, well that is questionable. So I am here to begin again, getting to practice what I “preached” so well just a little bit ago. :)

Isaiah 59: New International Version (NIV)
10 Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like people without eyes. At midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead.
via Is 59:10 – Passage Lookup – New International Version – BibleGateway.com.

I wrote earlier that this is a graphic picture for me this morning, depicting life lived by FEELINGS and not FAITH.  Or something like that – I need not insist that this new one be like the old one. Romans 8:28.

And right now I have feelings galore. Feelings vying for top position, and all of them detrimental to FAITH – so I prayed for help. And I’m still here; albeit jumpy.  The greater struggle in this moment is a desperate want to recreate what was. How many of you know that is not going to happen? Romans 8:28. So forgetting what is done, we press on. :)

Hebrews 10: 21st Century King James Version (KJ21)
38 Now the just shall live by faith; but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him.”
via Hebrews 10:38 – Passage Lookup – 21st Century King James Version – BibleGateway.com.

Blind groping a wall, trying to get somewhere; trying to journey this life with all its decisions and responses and defenses that bumping up against others demands. Feelings scream to rule. FAITH waits quietly to empower.

At midday we stumble as if it were twilight. Feelings do that. They ignore the Ever Present, Voluminous, Abounding (redundant, I know – but you get it) LIGHT we have at our finger tips, as close as breath, that we could call upon by FAITH. But feelings don’t want to, so we don’t.

Even in this land, Strength and Might surround us; but feelings refuse to receive and we are paralyzed. We are like dead men moving about in chains as we push and shove to get to where we think we should be or else we just despair and roll over and play dead.

That’s Feeling Life – it keeps us blind and weak, stumbling, falling, crabby, complaining, negative, pessimistic, and moody.  Trust me, I know whereof I speak.

Just this morning as I sat to write (the first time), feelings came – big and bad.  Big and bad would have won and the first devotional message would not have been written (much less this second one in process now) had not Faith Life rescued me.  More than just breathe out a prayer, I had to write it.  It’s a legacy thing.

“I cannot do this – I cannot let this happen. I am praying now for help to release these adverse emotions that have come upon me to drive me to sin and frustration.”

And so Faith Life prevailed. Faith Life won’t always prevail. Not because it’s too feeble. No it is well able to succeed every time; yet Feeling Life will in all probability deceive us again, catch us off guard and we will plunge in again. But even so we have hope.

Let me share a picture in closing.  We had a gardenia bush (more like a tree) in our side yard. It was diseased to near death.  Black soot disease was choking out the sun, preventing photosynthesis; and you know that is certain death for vegetation. Yes. Had we not waited so long other treatment might have spared drastic measures; but we didn’t. (You are getting the analogy here, aren’t you?) I finally prayed over it.  And the clear word that came was prune to nubs and burn.

Yes. Deep, deep pruning and fire. Is the picture worth a thousand words? Shall we refuse Feeling Life to embrace Faith Life so that deep, deep pruning and fire (refining) be not necessary?

Even so – New Beginnings are possible.

Just one of the LORD’s handmaidens,
Kathie

Please pray. PFT Click HERE for names.

ABBA, I see with this piece there are many avenues You could highlight, many messages You could give to Readers as they come here; even so, ABBA, as You will in JESUS Name.  Amen and amen.