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Showing posts from 2006

Blameless Life - Last Dance

Well, we’ve looked at all of Psalm 15 as well as many other passages. Where do you see yourself, now? Have you made any progress? Have you grown in leaps and bounds? Review Psalm 15. Eulogy Every life must end – even a blameless life. The last thing we leave behind (besides our family and friends) is the epitaph on our gravestone and our obituary. So, at the risk of sounding morbid, I issue a final challenge to you that I pray will open your eyes and inspire you. Take a few minutes to write out what you want your epitaph or obituary to say. Or, if you’re feeling really creative, write out how you would like a friend or family member to eulogize you. Then pray that God will help you live up to what you’ve written. Release Your Burdens It can be scary to be on your own at first. You may not have any idea where to go from here. I urge you to continue spending time with God. Don’t allow yourself to be tempted to give the time you’ve been devoting to Him over the last few weeks to some othe

Blameless Life - Psalm 15:5

Oh, my. The things we do for cold, hard cash! We compromise our values and beliefs. We tolerate bad behavior and foul language. We stress ourselves and abuse our bodies and forsake our families. We turn our backs on our dreams thinking that the American Dream’s emphasis on possessions will make us truly happy. WRONG!!! What have you compromised this week? Will you continue to compromise? Very INTERESTing I can think of a couple of times when I loaned money and never got paid back! But, no, I’ve never charged usury – also known as “interest” – on a loan. However, I can think of a few times when my heart was in the wrong place that I wanted to injure someone who hurt me “with interest.” Look up the scriptures below to learn what God’s Word says about this. (Exodus 22:25, Leviticus 25:35-37, Deut 23:20, Prov 28:8) As followers of Christ, we should be exceptionally generous. All we have belongs to Him, and His Word teaches that we should care for each other. The scriptures above mention ou

I wonder

I was just glancing through my notebook of Bible study notes and came across Ephesians 6. It makes me wonder… I wrote that I saw chapter 6 as a progression from child to parent to bondservant to warrior. I wonder if God folded the Tuesday night Bible study that I was leading so I could become less “parent” and more “bondservant.” The reality is this: in order to have a more fulfilling Christian life, we MUST grow and progress… Not only are we at war RIGHT NOW, but a much greater battle draws nearer everyday. I take that back. The greatest battle is NOW! We need to win souls !!! The battle that is coming has already been WON! Hallelujah!!! We do need to prepare for war. But everyday we allow to pass without growing in spiritual strength is another day that the enemy gains ground… We must stop making excuses – we’re weak, we’re shy, we don’t know the Bible… BAH! Do you know Jesus? If so, you have direct access to God, The Father, The King of the Universe. So quit making excuses and start

Forgive me? Forgive me not...

Forgiveness… How difficult is it to do? Before you answer, consider this: The Bible doesn’t say we should only forgive certain offenses!!! WE ARE INSTRUCTED TO FORGIVE EVERYTHING! Think about that… Murder robbery torture rape betrayal incest cruelty lies infidelity treason assault battery Slander abuse neglect sabotage defamation I would have a hard time forgiving some of the above. Jesus doesn’t have a hard time with that. It breaks His heart, but He forgives it all. I recently read “Presumed Guilty” by James Scott Bell. It’s about a mega-church preacher accused of murdering a porn actress. As the story unfolds, you learn that he has had affairs with two women… Could I forgive? I don’t know

Blameless Life - Psalm 15:4

Today’s world doesn’t lend itself to the behavior spoken of in Psalm 15:4. We do what is considered politically correct. We are silenced in the name of tolerance. Jesus wasn’t cruel when He spoke the truth to the people He encountered. He genuinely loved them. He didn’t belittle them based on their sin to make Himself feel better. He knew who He was. It’s time we realize who we are: We are princes and princesses. My Father is the King of the Universe! What does your Daddy do? If you’re reading this, I would venture to say He is the great I Am! Loathe, Despise and Hate Are we really supposed to hate anything as Christians? I was plagued by this question a few years ago. I struggled with some very serious “hate” issues. One of the women in my Bible study group suggested I do a word study on “hate”. I did the same with the word “despised.” I found 50 verses that contained the word. Here are a few of them. Look up these verses and note the context of each use of the word “despised.” Rememb

Turning 40 (What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger - even if we do wish we were dead!)

My 39 th year was a rough one. I watched my husband grieve the loss of BOTH of his parents, tried to help my children grieve their Grandparents in their own way, and dealt with the loss for myself. Then, I lost my Granddaddy. He was the first person I ever loved - a great friend and role model and I miss him. My Aunt had a series of strokes that kept her and my Uncle from attending my Lil’ Sister’s wedding. The final week as a woman in my thirties hasn ’t been any easier. My cousin arrived at the airport in Florida to fly to Vegas because she is in my Sister’s wedding. Instead of boarding, she ended up in the hospital having emergency surgery for appendicitis. While visiting with one of my Brothers, I shared about my frustration over a watermelon plant that is overtaking my yard, but producing nothing! I have threatened to pull it up by the roots. He told me about having the same experience with a pumpkin plant when he was a kid. I guess misery really does love company. Ther

Blameless Life - Psalm 15:3

Backbiteth Not! Verse 3 in the KJV actually says “who backbiteth not.” I love that. You absolutely cannot sugar-coat that one. Sadly, I confess that I have been a master slanderer. I’ve struggled for years to break the hold that this generational sin has had upon my life. Jesus never bad-mouthed anybody. Once again, I wish I could make that claim. The good news is that I can ask forgiveness and repent of my bad behavior when God makes me aware of it and get another chance. And since I am aware of my vulnerability in this area, I can bathe myself with prayer over it and avoid situations where the temptation to participate in such things arises. To be blunt, slander is a vicious lie! When was the last time you slandered someone? When were you last the victim of slander? How did it feel to be on each side of this sin? Would you like to know what else the Bible says about slander? Take a look at John 8:44. Whoa! This is a habit worth changing. When I am face-to-face with God, I want to hea

Blameless Life - Psalm 15:2

It’s all about purity. Pure actions, pure speech, pure thoughts. We cannot achieve this purity on our own. Let’s ask God for His assistance. Being pure may not be popular, but it is the right thing to do. But how do we determine what is righteous behavior? Jiminy Cricket sang about letting your conscience be your guide. I believe that “still, small voice” is the Holy Spirit, and that He will actively guide you through life. I also know that it’s possible to ignore His voice even when He’s shouting at you full volume from the inside! This is especially true when you’ve been hurt and you’re angry. Our natural response is to counter-attack, but we must reach for God, instead. So, how can we protect ourselves? I suggest creating an action plan to test every decision against the Word of God. If we’re in the routine of ignoring the counsel of the Spirit, we must establish a habit of returning our focus to God in all circumstances. This will keep our thoughts in the proper place

I've been stung by a bug...

…”Akeela and the Bee”! What a great movie. Now, I find myself reading books like “Latin for Dummies” and “Teach Yourself Greek”. My family plays more scrabble and we give each other words to spell FOR FUN! We even watched the National spelling bee on TV in May. In honor of this film, I would like to introduce the term “eschatology.” Not only is it a cool-looking and –sounding word. It has a cool meaning, too. It is the study of the end times. When you think of the Second Coming of Christ, does your mind immediately think of the book of Revelation? Or Daniel? Or 1 and 2 Thessalonians? Or do you have a favorite scripture that comes to mind? Do you watch the news and read the papers to see “signs of the times” unfold? Or do you steer clear because no one but God the Father knows the day or hour? I think the most important question is: are you living your life as if the next blink of your eyes could open to look into the face of Christ? If we’re completely honest with ourselves, the answer

Blameless Life - Psalm 15:1

Take a moment to pray before we begin. Ask God to help you absorb His desire to be with you like a thirsty sponge today. Ask to grow in relationship with Him. Ask Him to teach you, today, and to mold and change your heart. A well-known phrase says, “home is where the heart is.” This is not far from the truth. You can always tell what is important to someone by how they assign priorities in their life. What is important to you? Would others who observe your behavior agree with that? Now let’s examine what is important to God. Read Mark 12:28-31. Jesus told the teachers of the law what the most important commandment is. Do you love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength? That’s a lot of loving! Maybe it’s easier to love your neighbor as yourself? I think not. Love isn’t supposed to be easy, it’s a mark of godly character. It is evidence of God’s presence in your life. In fact, love is the first fruit of the Spirit quality named in Galatians 5:22-23. These nine t

Living the Blameless Life - Introduction

Before we begin, take a moment to pray. Ask for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon you as you study today. Ask God to clear your heart and mind of anything unworthy of Him and to fill that space with His love and wisdom and discernment. I believe that the Lord led you to this study for a reason. Does the idea of living a blameless life appeal to you? Does this type of life even seem possible? Read Psalm 119:1. I pray that this verse is an encouragement to you and that you’re ready to get started. So, let’s dive right in. First of all, we’ll set the scene. According to The Complete Word Study Old Testament, King David wrote Psalm 15 on the occasion of moving the ark of the covenant to Mount Zion. This story is recorded for us in 2 Samuel 6:12-19. Take a few minutes to read this passage and get a better idea of what King David may have been thinking and feeling when he penned this psalm. Here are a few of my thoughts: Sacrificing the bulls and calves were acts of worship.

The Premiere

I have quite a few friends with whom I have shared hours of discussion about the Lord and the Bible who have moved away and joined other study groups. Since I began saying goodbye to these beautiful individuals, my dream has been to create a forum where the miles melt away. This blog is the realization of that dream. Friends, this is intended to be a reunion of sorts, and a place to meet others who share our passion for Jesus and His Instruction Book. I will post ideas and begin discussions that will encourage us to open the Bible and strengthen our prayer lives. We will study the Word and share devotions and grow together while we are apart. Starting in May, we will begin a study I did with my church last summer called “Living the Blameless Life” based on Psalm 15. I will post excerpts from the workbook we used and we will discuss one verse of the Psalm at a time. So, check back next month to be part of this experience. I look forward to many Bible studies taking place right here at