II Corinthians 13:11

Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. KJV

Do you see the instructions before God's love and peace being with us?

It says to 'be perfect.  Now how in the heck can I be perfect?  
      In the King James original Greek, it says 'be perfected'.  To me that is a process and one to strive         for.
      katartizó: to complete, prepare

So, the only way I know to be complete and to prepare is to be in God's Word.  We must know what His Word says, meditate on it, pray and ask God for wisdom and understanding and be willing to hear and obey what He says. The only way I can be perfect (perfected) is to keep moving forward, changing where God wants me to change, repenting of sins and drawing on God's strength to put them behind me. This is a journey I want to take, to be changed and be more Christlike.

He tells us to 'be of good comfort'. 
      In the King James original Greek it says to 'be comforted'.  Being comforted, to me, comes from             someone else - someone giving me words of encouragement or just holding my hand in                         a difficult time.
and this is what the Greek says - parakaleó: to call to or for, to exhort, to encourage

Then we are told to 'be of one mind'.  Again how the heck can we all have the same mind? same thoughts?  We can know God's Word and agree that it is the Truth.  We can know what He has called us to do and say.  We can all desire to live for God and treat each other the way He commands.
      In the King James original Greek it says 'mind (be of)'
      phroneó: to have understanding, to think

Down Syndrome Indiana October Buddy Walk

Romans 1:8

"First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world."

My husband and I begin our day by reading from God's Word and having prayer before anything else.
We are currently in Romans and for some reason this verse has jumped out at me.
Okay, the 'for some reason' is that God is speaking to me and I want to know what He has to say.

Paul is thankful for his brothers and sisters in Christ.  He is not with them and yet he is hearing about their faith.  I don't know about you but that would bring great encouragement and hope to me, knowing those I do not see often are being such a witness for Jesus Christ.  It makes me wonder what they were doing to get this much attention.  They didn't have blogs, YouTube or Facebook.

So now I'm looking inside of me and asking God, how does this happen today?  I don't believe it's just for TV evangelists or missionaries.  I believe we are all to live in such abandonment for God that we live and breath His Word and allow Him to teach us the many things we need to learn so our faith will be far reaching.

We have allowed so many divisions to come into the 'church'.  Those that have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior are the 'church'.  It is NOT a building or denomination. It is sad to see the 'far reaching' being a negative thing in that sense.

ekklésia - Strongs 1577  the whole body of Christian believers; people called out from the world and to God.

So now I'm asking, if we are condemning other church denominations, going as far as to say 'they will be surprised when God returns' or 'we are the ONLY church teaching the Truth'.........does that encourage and really show God to the world?   Would someone or would God say.....I'm thankful for your faith and have heard about it all over the world?  Or will we be doing satan's work for him by pushing people away from the only True God?

So again, I look at myself and ask - where am I belittling God's people because they go to a certain church denomination?  Where am I allowing pride to come in because 'I think' I'm going to the best church(es) in Indy??  Where am I putting myself where God should be?  That is a dangerous place to be and it can happen when our eyes are not on God. 

One form of pride that was creeping in years ago -- 

 'gossiping' when a Pastor is telling you things and you keep talking about the person in a negative way......you ARE gossiping (I was gossiping).......it is not up to the pastor or us to condemn a person, to fill them with guilt because they have a child with a special need or they are ill so they must be unforgiving or doing something wrong.  Yes I've been places like that and it messed with my walk with God.  I was not showing faith in this world but allowing pride to put me above God's Word.

So my mind is going around and around as I try to see where I need to change and how God wants me to handle different situations.

I need to remember that God knows the heart, He knows the whole person - I do not.  God is the one that has the final say on who makes it into heaven and who will spend eternity in hell.  God is the one that knows who will have what position in heaven.  God is the one that knows why certain things happen to people and families  -  He knows how it works into His plan. Only He knows what someone is talking to Him about, even with their dying breath.

Now back to the 'faith spoken of all over the world'.  Let's make it smaller - 'faith spoken of in Indianapolis, or whatever city you live in.'  

Do people know you believe in God, in Jesus Christ His Son and in the Holy Spirit?  Is it evident in your actions, what you put before your eyes, what you read, how you talk and treat your spouse or your children?

Do people see a different work ethic and when they begin to question what makes you different it opens a door to tell them how you do your work as unto the Lord.

Do you stay in your comfortable little box or do you go out into the world and volunteer to help make your city a better place? 

Do you worship famous bands and get all excited at their concerts and then sleep through church or never open your Bible and talk and sing to God through the week?

How powerful is Your walk with God, how strong is your faith?

These are things I'm asking myself because I want people to know I'm not ashamed of the Gospel. I do believe in God and in His Word and I do want to keep growing in wisdom, making the changes I need to make.

I don't want to be a Sunday Christian - I want my life to be a bright light and salt for this world, for the city I live in and I want people to say......we've heard about your faith in Southern Indiana or wherever God will take it.

I want a faith so strong in the Lord that I don't question I just do!

I want a faith that knows the voice of my Savior and that voice will always conquer the lies of this world and the liar.

I want a faith that will help someone else hang on to God and their fellow believers as they go through a hard time, a time of growth in the Lord.

I want God to live and move in and through me because in and of myself I'll blow it every time!!

So Lord, please show me how to live in faith, to live it out loud, so You will be mentioned all over the world. Help me to have such an assurance that Your Word is True and You will give me the wisdom and discernment for every situation so I will handle it Your way and not mine.  Teach me to love myself so I can love others as you have commanded and also help me to walk away from those that are wolves in sheep clothing so I don't get entangled in this world.  May the faith I have in You and Your Word go forth and encourage others.

I need my spirit to be so in tune with God's Spirit that everything will show His glory.  They may know me, my name, some of my history BUT the most important thing is for them to know the God I serve and that He is alive and well in me........and He is there for them too.

   

I Believe the Lord Just Revealed What I've Been Seeking!!

Pondering the word 'blessing'

This is from a previous post "really need to study 'blessing' because I hear people say they have this or that and it's proof they are being blessed by God - living under His blessing BUT I know people that don't believe in God or they aren't living perfectly and they kind of know God that ARE just as blessed in that area - let's use an example.......

"A great crop this year  I canned 41 quarts  She has 14 -16 plus a mess to eat so I am thinking someone else can have some"
This person does not go out and pray over their 'crops' they just work hard and do what the instructions say to do. They have an overabundance to share.

Now others say they pray over their 'crops' and it's proof of God's blessing, they are living under the blessing."

I was just starting my walk and prayer time when all of a sudden, as I was thanking God for so many things over these past several days, I went back to the.....I know there are others that have not accepted You, Lord and they have been blessed in this way, so what is the difference?

Then it hit me!! It hit me so hard I laughed out loud and was full of joy - that's it!!! Thank You, Lord.

You see good things/blessings do happen to all of us, but those of us that have accepted the Lord as our Savior, that truly have a hearts desire to serve Him and please Him and be the Light in this world for Him.....well we have something else that deepens that blessing.

When I am blessed by the Lord, this blessing go deep inside of me, deep in my spirit and touches His Spirit in me.  There is a lasting thankfulness and gratitude that comes with the blessing, not at the object, action, or circumstance but at God.  It's hard to describe because it needs to be experienced.  

Being thankful for a blessing because you know who loves you so very much, who fearfully and wonderfully created you in your mothers womb, who sent His son to live and die for YOU.....well that makes these blessings something special.

There is a pureness, a goodness and a genuine love in the blessings that God bestows upon, His children.  

I also believe He blesses the unsaved to try and get that 'amount of faith' He has deposited in each one of us, to rise up and say--this blessing is so much more than an earthly/worldly blessing - there is a Spirit of joy, contentment and amazement that just wells up and I need to find out more about this God I hear people talking about.  Maybe God will bring you to remembrance as they say, that's the difference in the blessing.....enter your name....always seems to enjoy it longer and it always pointed people to God."

I wanted to write this now because as the Lord speaks to me I need to get on it not shelve it.  When I have put God on hold I have lost way too much.

What was I doing when all this came to me?  I was starting my prayer time.  Before my husband goes to work I pray over him and when he walks out the door I continue to pray.  I was beginning to thank the Lord for so many things because I have been sick since Saturday, today is Wednesday - bladder infection and the first set of antibiotics did not work so on a new one.  That in itself was a testimony of God's goodness, maybe I'll blog what I went through later, for now......I didn't dwell on the sickness/pain, I began to thank God for all that my husband, my boss at work, friends, etc had done, especially my husband.....I just began to thank Him and ask Him to bless these people.  It was a sincere thankful spirit and it chases everything else away....then I hear from God and I get this big smile and well you read the rest :-)

Our blessings should be so much more than just a blessing anyone receives - it should ALWAYS point to God and give us a testimony to the truth of His Word.  We should have a smile and joy and a brightness that lights up Jesus and not wear a frown or a face that looks like we sucked a lemon. When you can do that.....you are walking in a true blessing from God and you are blessing Him back. 

Time to return to my prayer walk.

May the Lord bless each one of you by revealing a Truth to something you are seeking. 

Bless the Lord - Kneel Before Him

             


For several weeks this song has been in my spirit and I have just wanted to sing and worship the King of Kings.  There is a joy that rises up as I sing to the Lord and worship Him.  There is a freedom to dance, sing and pray as this song plays.

When our church has worship it is wonderful,  and they allow the Spirit to kick in and the Lord leads the team to do an unplanned song and when it's one most of us know - eyes are closed, hands are lifted or maybe people are on their knees, but we are singing from out hearts, from our spirit because we don't have to concentrate on the words------oh how sweet that is, how wonderful is the aroma presence of God during those times.  I think this is one of those songs for me, where I can just let go and kneel before God.

However, I find I want to sing the 'Bless the Lord o my soul worship His Holy Name. Sing like never before O my soul I'll worship Your Holy Name' ......over and over and over.  I want to bless the Lord, I want Him to know how thankful I am for His great sacrifice, His amazing love, His forgiveness, His provision, His correction and His strength to overcome and have a testimony of the Truth of His Word.

What does it mean to bless the Lord?  The Hebrew word means to 'kneel down'.  So as I kneel down before the Lord, in surrender, being awestruck by His presence and power, surrendering my all to Him - I am blessing Him. I believe my spirit can kneel down before Him while I'm standing with my arms are lifted high.  He knows my heart, He knows if my spirit is in tune with His Spirit. I am telling Him - here I am, send me - I'm Your servant, show me the way.

For me to lose myself in worship, in praise to the Creator is an experience that is hard to explain, but once you've experienced it you want more and more and God inhabits our praise.(Psalm 22:3)

After a time of truly focusing on God in this way, I find answers will come, direction will come and sometimes something I need to release is revealed to me and I believe, He waits to see what I will do - do I really believe through His strength I can overcome whatever it is or am I really living in forgiveness....then why didn't I talk to the person I said I've forgiven?  Will I still praise Him?
I hope I always will-I believe I always will - because no matter what I face or He wants me to change.....I belong to Him, never will He forsake me.

I wonder if God doesn't give me certain songs to strengthen my spirit when a time of testing is coming.  I wonder if God doesn't give me certain songs to help me in my praise and surrender to Him even in the good times.  In either situation it would be easy to get my eyes off of  God.  So I'm grateful He fills me up with songs, dance and prayers that will bless Him.

Prosper

Prosper, what does it mean?

Merriam Webster says - 'to become very successful usually by making a lot of money; to become very active, healthy, or strong.

Notice it says 'usually' by making a lot of money.  


Now let's look at the original Greek -
Now remember this is just my 'pondering'. I'm praying and seeking God so I can have a better understanding of prosperity because I do not believe it's having more money than you know what do do with.....although that would be nice :-)
So, I see prosper and health in the same sentence --so my soul prospers - my soul has no need for money or material things, it does have a need for health, feeling pleasure, enjoyment in this life, and happiness which to me would be the joy of the Lord.
Merriam Webster says the soul is the spiritual part of a person that is believed to give life to the body and in many religions is believed to live forever:
If I want to prosper in finances, become very successful, it appears that my soul must prosper first.

Strong's Greek #2137 says - Short Definition: I cause to prosper, have a happy journey.
                                              Longer Definition: I cause to prosper, I have a happy (successful)                                                                                journey, hence: I prosper.

With the Greek bringing up 'happy'
Merriam Webster says happy is - feeling pleasure and enjoyment because of your life, situation, etc.: showing or causing feelings of pleasure and enjoyment
: pleased or glad about a particular situation, event, etc.

So in the verse -  3 John 1:2 "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."

He mentions prosper and health together and then says 'as they soul prospereth.'



a person's deeply felt moral and emotional nature:
the ability of a person to feel kindness and sympathy for others, to appreciate beauty and art, etc.


This actually makes a lot of sense - if you have a soul that can feel kindness and sympathy for others, you will behave in a way that will bless and encourage them - not try to control or mold them.
You will appreciate beauty and art without being judgmental or full of gossip. Because you know who you are in Christ and just how valuable and what a piece of beauty and art you are, fearfully and wonderfully made, you will prosper! You see this value, beauty and just how wonderfully made all God's children are and you will act accordingly.

When you are enjoying your journey, even in the midst of trials and tests, you become light in a dark world. You are living proof that God is who He says He is and living the way He tells us to, then our soul will prosper. There are doors that will open and bring in the financial prosperity as you live this way.

Also, the 'as your soul prospers' I believe it is living in thankfulness and gratitude, it is trusting God with everything in your life.
You will have trouble prospering if you allow negative, controlling people in your life, allowing their negative thoughts and lack of action to direct you (your soul) - this will dim your light and close doors. It must be God that has control.

I choose to have my soul prosper by being thankful and enjoying my journey in this life. I know God gave me a wonderful husband to help me in this journey and there's lots of joy and laughter - I'm having a happy journey :-) and I have seen God's hand of provision every step of the way. As I have grown in this area I'm seeing how easy it is to give to certain people and causes. God will direct you in this area and I believe it's another area of your soul prospering.

So work on your soul, the way you think, the way you act and if you find you are not enjoying your journey, if you get upset easily, if you keep looking to see what others are doing or saying and it bothers you.......look inside and change what you need to change so you can begin to enjoy this journey and begin to prosper in your soul so the financial prosperity will follow.

I speak from experience, I have had to change my thoughts and actions and through God's help, forgiveness and love I am prospering!

My every need has been met and I thank God for that.

(c)hasbreathpublishingllc

More Pondering on the Word 'Blessings"

I really need to study 'blessing' because I hear people say they have this or that and it's proof they are being blessed by God - living under His blessing BUT I know people that don't believe in God or they aren't living perfectly and they kind of know God that ARE just as blessed in that area - let's use an example.......

"A great crop this year  I canned 41 quarts  She has 14 -16 plus a mess to eat so I am thinking someone else can have some"
This person does not go out and pray over their 'crops' they just work hard and do what the instructions say to do. They have an overabundance to share.

Now others say they pray over their 'crops' and it's proof of God's blessing, they are living under the blessing.


Do you see what I'm saying? I'm beginning to think we are misusing the word 'blessing' and I want to understand it better.

Another example  - a believer has a baby - it's a blessing
a nonbeliever has a baby - it's a blessing
   they are both wonderfully and fearfully made by God in the womb.....

Just pondering.....