Today is a really good study. I first went to Church, then served at the second service in the nursery while their Mothers were able to worship and hear the Word undistracted. Then went to lunch with a powerful Woman, and then gathered some donated things and took to a family we were helping that recently lost their home in a fire. As I returned home, I began to feel a hunger to get into the Word. I'm so grateful for that hunger. I wanted to satisfy it. If you no longer have a hunger for the Word, pray about it, then open it up. There's no magic pill you can take that makes you want to read the bible, it's through prayer and being urnest with God, real with God, and crackin that thing open that it will happen. I believe this call to go into indepth study of the Word has come out of time in the morning with God in His Word and in prayer, the prayers of my ministry partners and a result of our fast at Church this month, asking God to direct us. Boy is He ever. So with that said, go get your bible and we'll get started. I want you to go through your Bible with me in this study to show you for yourself where these scriptures are. So If you haven't grabbed your Bible yet, go ahead and go get it, and I will wait for you...............go ahead...................okay? You got it? lol, alright, let's see what God has to say.
1 Peter 1:15-19 'But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written: Be ye holy, for I AM holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your Fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot'.
We established in yesteday's study, part one, holy means sacred, pure, innocent and clean and as God has those characteristics, so are we to have them as well. "like Father-like Son". This is an instruction so therefore God has provided us with the grace and the ability to be pure, innocent and clean. Remember everything we need to live this way was provided at the Cross and we then received at our salvation, the day we were spiritually born and our Heavenly Father picked us up to look at our face for the first time as an infant. The grace and ability entered our lives to live pure, innocent and clean lives. But..........why dont we live that way from the moment of salvation onward?
Romans 12:2 'And be not conformed to this world'. If you were saved at a young age this would be saying to you "you are fresh and clean, the world has not imprinted ungodly habits, mental strongholds, harmful thoughts into your life yet. Be trained in the way you should go and when you are old you will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6).
Romans 12:2 again 'but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind', if you were born again as an older person and walked longer in the world's ways which are contrary to the ways of God. The world's ways were engraved into you, they became your core beliefs, you wrapped your entire thought process around them and to become holy, pure, innocent and clean you have to be transformed. Can anybody witness that that's most of us? Huh? I think so too. But that.....is a process. So? Will you "act" pure, innocent and clean immediately when you are saved even though through the Cross and what Jesus Christ did on the Cross is provided? The answer is no.
Romans 12:2 says you have to be transformed. One of this year's block buster films is 'Transformers'. What is the key element of each one of those characters? That's right they 'transform' into something else. Now, as a new believer, saved, born again, however you want to refer to yourself, how are you changed? Through your body like a transformer changing from a person to a motor vehicle? No. Romans 12:2 says through the renewing of ......what? Your mind!
Let's look up Renewing-Greek Strongs #342 [anakainosis] pronounced an-ak-ah'-ee-no-sis. and means renovation.
So this scripture could read 'but be ye transformed by the renovation of your mind'!
Let's stay there just ......one......minute. When a builder goes into a house that needs to be renovated and assesses the rot, damage, requirement of change, and he begins to work, in order to get to pure, innocent and clean wood (lol) what first has to happen? You have to remove what first is rotten or damaged.
1 Peter 1:22 'Seeing ye have puried your souls (your mind, will, emotions) in obeying the truth'. Or another way to say this is 'Seeing ye have renewed your mind in obeying the truth'. What truth? Eveyone these days feels they have the truth. Students go to college and are told by a Professor that Darwins Theory is the truth. Many religions claim they have the truth, but what IS the truth?
John 17:17 Jesus, Himself prayed to His Heavenly Father to teach us to be like Father-like Son. 'Sactify them'. This is us. Sactify them.
Sactify-Greek Strongs #37 [hagiazo'] pronounced hag-ee-ad'-zo. to make holy; purify or consecrate; (mentally) to venerate-hallow, be holy.
Jesus was asking God, His and our Heavenly Father to make His disciples (isn't that us?) holy. Jesus was asking God "make them holy". Well I thought God said 'Be ye holy, for I AM holy'. Jesus asked Him to 'sactify them through Thy truth. Thy Word is truth'. So the bible, His word, is the truth. His Word! Not any other word or bible is the truth. That also means the things written inside are the truth, all of it. God 'created' in Genesis. So that makes Darwin's Theory false.....and so on. But His Word is truth.
Go to John 1:1 'In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God'. This is Jesus. So when in John 17:17 Jesus says 'make them holy through Thy truth, I AM their truth! Jesus is speaking of Himself. Jesus is the truth. Jesus is the way.
So if God's Word, the bible, the truth of Jesus Christ and what He did for mankind, for you, is the way to become holy by renewing our mind with the truth of it, then why aren't we in our bible more?
Each of us have to deteremine what choices we're going to make concerning this. We make the choices, not the Lord. He's given us His Word as truth to renew our mind by reading it and then applying it. Jesus said in Matthew 7:24-25 "therefore whosoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock".
Let's pray:
Lord, we place our eyes upon you. We place our affecton upon You. You are our God, our stronghold, our tower. We move not from beneath your wing. We huddle to you as a baby chick huddles under it's Mother. We love you Lord. We thank you Lord for Your teachings. We value your word. We value it, Lord, for it is the truth. There is no other truth but yours. We ask you Lord, to take our hearts, and renew our minds, and give us all a deeper hunger and willingness for your Word. Create in us a desire to know it and make room for it in our hearts, Lord. We need your help. As we take the steps to be inside your word, we ask you illuminate it for us. Let us see your truths and become excited about them. Give us your secret manna set aside just for us. We love you Lord. We give ourselves a fresh Lord. We take this instruction to heart and make the steps toward you and your love for us. We ask you to anoint our mind, transform our thinking, and begin to break us loose from the ways of the world, replacing those ways with Yours. In Jesus' name we ask all these things.....Amen!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
(Study 2) Like Father, Like Son (part one)
Midway through my study I broke for breakfast; fresh farm eggs and milk (thanks Misy), bacon, toast and jelly. I had a little sniffer at my feet too. Yeah, she got a little too. My Lainie girl, my baby.
As I forked through the first egg the yolk just stood up and barely ran when I pierced it. This new way of eating my fried eggs is so delicious. I've always eaten them over easy and they were good. But in the last few years someone I cooked for took their eggs a little more done and I began to cook mine longer, being in the same skillet. Yes, us southern girls use skillets! haha.....but this morning as I pierced the egg and reflected on how much better they are a little more done I could see they are so much easier to handle on my fork. They dont run all over the plate and really, I loose so much of the value of having the fresh eggs bc so much ends up stuck to my plate and wasted (even tho the toast is made just the right size to scrape that plate lol). But eating this way I was fully nourished, barely any would end up on the plate and I could use the full benefit of this healthy food. I dont think I'd ever eat my eggs over easy again. Over medium is for me. Then suddenly I saw how this 'new way' fits todays study. God was giving me a modern day parable to understand the verses He had me study. Thanks God!
In 1 Peter 1:13-15 it says "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of converstaion".
I began to look over these scriptures bc they stood out at me, I knew I was to study it thoroughly. As thoroughly as I know how, anyway. But I began to chew on it, to go over it slowly, even as I went on and read other scriptures I still came back to these, especially the first and second verses.
Now in modern day language we dont know the definition of some of the words they used in King James' day when they translated the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into English. They spoke differently than we do today. I like to use the King James version, then also the new Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, where each individual word is listed and where to find the 'original' meaning of that word to get a clearer meaning of what God is saying to us. We are never ever to add anything to His word. And as we stay with the translations, we should do just fine.
So today to begin with, in our second verse the word 'fashioning' stood out at me. 'Not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance'.
Fashioning- Strongs Greek #4964- [metheg] pronounced meh-theg, it says from a root meaning 'to curb; to bit; bit and bridle'.
So that verse could read like this:
'Not bitting and bridling yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance'. Bits and bridles are used in training and performance of a horse as a form of control. Seems also the horse could be paralleled to our former lusts couldn't it? Ever have a lust of something before you were saved that could be equivalant to a horse, a big steed, a stud horse, or powerhouse of an animal. Hmmm? Does that sound anything like your past desires and lusts? Let's move on.
Here it seems Peter is saying 'not controlling yourself according to the former lusts while you were ignorant. You're not ignorant of your ways now. You have knowledge of your former ways that were not pleasing to God. He says dont buckle yourself into those ways, dont bridle yourself to those ways anymore. He says now that you're aware of them, unbuckle, unbridle, take that particular bit out of your mouth. This doesn't sound like God's asking us to do this, does it? It sounds to me as if this is an instruction. So many times we say 'I cant do that!'. 'It's got such a hold on me!'. 'I'll never be able to give THAT up!'. Well, here it sounds like the Lord is pointing out that we CAN choose. Not bridling yourself means dont put the bridle on, doens't it?
The verse above it says 'as obedient children' of God. He's giving us instruction here as our Heavenly Father, our spiritual Father. We are to obey this instruction.
Then says to gird up the loins of your mind. What in tarnation (yeah that's a word) does this mean?
Gird up-Greek Strongs #328 [anazonnumi] just says to gird afresh, but references #'s 303 and 2224.
#303-says it often means repetition, intensity, reversal.
#2224-says to bind about (especially with a belt) gird.
The loins- Greek Strongs #3751 [osphus] the hip, the procreative power. (in addition to procreate offspring) procreative means to produce or create.
For better understanding, the scripture can read like this; 'as obedient children, bind, like with a belt, the productive, creative power of the mind'. We are to belt the power of the mind. Why? I'm a why person. Why are we instructed (not suggested-instructed) to belt the power of our mind? Before you received peace in your mind do you remember how it used to race and cause so much anziety from stress and worry? That was the UNBELTED productive, creative power of the mind. Satan uses thoughts against us, throwing all different types of thoughts into our mind. It's our instruction by our Heavenly Father to belt that productive and creative power. Not do away with it.....but belt it, bind it, secure it.
Let's move on to the next instruction to us as an obedient child of God. We are to be sober. Once we belt the productive, creative power of the mind so satan cant use it against us, we are to be sober. Let's look at the most obvious meaning of the word sober. If you alter your mind in any way, be it by drinking or drugs, do you feel that you could belt the productive, creative power of the mind in ANY way, shape or from? hahaha....I never could. If I was not sober, let's say intoxicated, I was NOT able to belt anything. On the contrary, the power of my mind was UNBELTED! I used to say drinking just loosened all my inhabitions. Well, Cindy, you were unbelting the power of your mind, leaving it unguarded and wide open to satan to throw so many thoughts right inside. Now, how many times have you been around an intoxicated person and a simple statement just snowball into a huge fight? It happens so often. Why? The power of the mind is unbelted and satan is running wild within. (this was not in any of my notes but boy is this right on. Thank you Holy Spirit). Let's move on to other definitions of sober.
Be Sober-#3525 [nepho] pronounced nay-fo, says abstain from wine, be discreet, watch.
Discreet-Websters says wise and sensible, using good judgement in one's conduct of speech with regard to respecting or maintaining silence about something of a delicate nature, I like this one --> wise self restraint in speech and behavior.
We are to use wise, sensible speech and behavior along with self restraint....and watch. Be alert. Have fun, but be alert. Have a great time with your friends, but be alert. Watch. Watch how you act around certain people. God is telling us to watch how we act. Then tells how to act.
Then the rest of the scripture adds to that; I like to separate thoughts:
"and hope to the end
for the grace
that is to be brought unto you
at the revelation of Jesus Christ".
Then the next scripture:
"But as He which hath called you is holy,
so be ye holy
in all manner of converstation".
Holy-#40 [hagios] pronounced hag'-ee-os, means sacred, pure, blameless, consecrated. it also references # 53 and 2282.
#53-clean, innocent, modest, chaste
#2282-cherish, to foster, to brood
Conversation-#391 [anastrophe] means behavior. also references #390
#390-to busy oneself, live, abide, be used.
For better undstanding, verse 15 can read like this; 'But as God which called you is pure, innocent and clean, so be ye pure, innocent and clean in all manner of living'. I dont necessarily think of God as pure, innocent and clean even though He is. I always use the original word sacred, don't you? But we are made in His image and we are to be as He is; pure, innocent and clean as obedient children of His.
LIKE FATHER-LIKE SON!
As I forked through the first egg the yolk just stood up and barely ran when I pierced it. This new way of eating my fried eggs is so delicious. I've always eaten them over easy and they were good. But in the last few years someone I cooked for took their eggs a little more done and I began to cook mine longer, being in the same skillet. Yes, us southern girls use skillets! haha.....but this morning as I pierced the egg and reflected on how much better they are a little more done I could see they are so much easier to handle on my fork. They dont run all over the plate and really, I loose so much of the value of having the fresh eggs bc so much ends up stuck to my plate and wasted (even tho the toast is made just the right size to scrape that plate lol). But eating this way I was fully nourished, barely any would end up on the plate and I could use the full benefit of this healthy food. I dont think I'd ever eat my eggs over easy again. Over medium is for me. Then suddenly I saw how this 'new way' fits todays study. God was giving me a modern day parable to understand the verses He had me study. Thanks God!
In 1 Peter 1:13-15 it says "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of converstaion".
I began to look over these scriptures bc they stood out at me, I knew I was to study it thoroughly. As thoroughly as I know how, anyway. But I began to chew on it, to go over it slowly, even as I went on and read other scriptures I still came back to these, especially the first and second verses.
Now in modern day language we dont know the definition of some of the words they used in King James' day when they translated the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into English. They spoke differently than we do today. I like to use the King James version, then also the new Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, where each individual word is listed and where to find the 'original' meaning of that word to get a clearer meaning of what God is saying to us. We are never ever to add anything to His word. And as we stay with the translations, we should do just fine.
So today to begin with, in our second verse the word 'fashioning' stood out at me. 'Not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance'.
Fashioning- Strongs Greek #4964- [metheg] pronounced meh-theg, it says from a root meaning 'to curb; to bit; bit and bridle'.
So that verse could read like this:
'Not bitting and bridling yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance'. Bits and bridles are used in training and performance of a horse as a form of control. Seems also the horse could be paralleled to our former lusts couldn't it? Ever have a lust of something before you were saved that could be equivalant to a horse, a big steed, a stud horse, or powerhouse of an animal. Hmmm? Does that sound anything like your past desires and lusts? Let's move on.
Here it seems Peter is saying 'not controlling yourself according to the former lusts while you were ignorant. You're not ignorant of your ways now. You have knowledge of your former ways that were not pleasing to God. He says dont buckle yourself into those ways, dont bridle yourself to those ways anymore. He says now that you're aware of them, unbuckle, unbridle, take that particular bit out of your mouth. This doesn't sound like God's asking us to do this, does it? It sounds to me as if this is an instruction. So many times we say 'I cant do that!'. 'It's got such a hold on me!'. 'I'll never be able to give THAT up!'. Well, here it sounds like the Lord is pointing out that we CAN choose. Not bridling yourself means dont put the bridle on, doens't it?
The verse above it says 'as obedient children' of God. He's giving us instruction here as our Heavenly Father, our spiritual Father. We are to obey this instruction.
Then says to gird up the loins of your mind. What in tarnation (yeah that's a word) does this mean?
Gird up-Greek Strongs #328 [anazonnumi] just says to gird afresh, but references #'s 303 and 2224.
#303-says it often means repetition, intensity, reversal.
#2224-says to bind about (especially with a belt) gird.
The loins- Greek Strongs #3751 [osphus] the hip, the procreative power. (in addition to procreate offspring) procreative means to produce or create.
For better understanding, the scripture can read like this; 'as obedient children, bind, like with a belt, the productive, creative power of the mind'. We are to belt the power of the mind. Why? I'm a why person. Why are we instructed (not suggested-instructed) to belt the power of our mind? Before you received peace in your mind do you remember how it used to race and cause so much anziety from stress and worry? That was the UNBELTED productive, creative power of the mind. Satan uses thoughts against us, throwing all different types of thoughts into our mind. It's our instruction by our Heavenly Father to belt that productive and creative power. Not do away with it.....but belt it, bind it, secure it.
Let's move on to the next instruction to us as an obedient child of God. We are to be sober. Once we belt the productive, creative power of the mind so satan cant use it against us, we are to be sober. Let's look at the most obvious meaning of the word sober. If you alter your mind in any way, be it by drinking or drugs, do you feel that you could belt the productive, creative power of the mind in ANY way, shape or from? hahaha....I never could. If I was not sober, let's say intoxicated, I was NOT able to belt anything. On the contrary, the power of my mind was UNBELTED! I used to say drinking just loosened all my inhabitions. Well, Cindy, you were unbelting the power of your mind, leaving it unguarded and wide open to satan to throw so many thoughts right inside. Now, how many times have you been around an intoxicated person and a simple statement just snowball into a huge fight? It happens so often. Why? The power of the mind is unbelted and satan is running wild within. (this was not in any of my notes but boy is this right on. Thank you Holy Spirit). Let's move on to other definitions of sober.
Be Sober-#3525 [nepho] pronounced nay-fo, says abstain from wine, be discreet, watch.
Discreet-Websters says wise and sensible, using good judgement in one's conduct of speech with regard to respecting or maintaining silence about something of a delicate nature, I like this one --> wise self restraint in speech and behavior.
We are to use wise, sensible speech and behavior along with self restraint....and watch. Be alert. Have fun, but be alert. Have a great time with your friends, but be alert. Watch. Watch how you act around certain people. God is telling us to watch how we act. Then tells how to act.
Then the rest of the scripture adds to that; I like to separate thoughts:
"and hope to the end
for the grace
that is to be brought unto you
at the revelation of Jesus Christ".
Then the next scripture:
"But as He which hath called you is holy,
so be ye holy
in all manner of converstation".
Holy-#40 [hagios] pronounced hag'-ee-os, means sacred, pure, blameless, consecrated. it also references # 53 and 2282.
#53-clean, innocent, modest, chaste
#2282-cherish, to foster, to brood
Conversation-#391 [anastrophe] means behavior. also references #390
#390-to busy oneself, live, abide, be used.
For better undstanding, verse 15 can read like this; 'But as God which called you is pure, innocent and clean, so be ye pure, innocent and clean in all manner of living'. I dont necessarily think of God as pure, innocent and clean even though He is. I always use the original word sacred, don't you? But we are made in His image and we are to be as He is; pure, innocent and clean as obedient children of His.
LIKE FATHER-LIKE SON!
Friday, January 29, 2010
(Study 1) My Faith and Works together, What the heck does this mean?
As I began to study this morning, I started in the book of James as he was sharing about how your faith (what you believe in) is dead without works (actions).
James 2:22 "Seest thou how faith wrought (operated) with his works (talking about Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac), and by his works (actions) was faith made perfect (complete)?"
So I began to contemplate that as I believe God and His promises, then I'm to act on them. I'm to go forward throughout my day acting on the things I believe. We do anyway. If you believe your car's going to start in the morning, you jump behind the seat and reach for the ignition with your key. We act on what we believe.
In my study today I began to ask myself, then, what I have faith in right now, in this time in my ministry. The list I scratched down was:
1. I have faith that God is with me.
2. I have faith God has called me to be a teacher of His word to Women.
3. I have faith God is showing me His ways in the Word.
If these are the things (right here right now) I have faith in, then what are the corresponding actions or works that show I have faith in these things?
1. Since I have faith that God is with me, then my actions (or works) are to obey Him in all things He's instructing me to do.
2. Since I have faith that God has called me to be a teacher of His word to Women, my actions (or works) are prepare in the Word for when I meet these Women.
3. Since I have faith God is showing me His ways in the Word, my actions (or works) are to be in the Word to give Him opportunity to show me His ways.
He gave me insight that Him showing me His ways in the Word is Him teaching me. And as I am willing to be in the Word (as He's called me into this indepth study) I am letting Him teach me, that's my preparation for the Women He has called me to teach.
He has a way of showing you things that may seem like a 'duh' to some, but not so with the one He's speaking to. To know something is one thing. To see it backed up in scripture is a whole other thing. Some wise Man once instructed me 'show me book, chapter and verse for what you're saying'. I suppose God is teaching me those books, chapters and verses.
To close this 1st study blog, God wanted me to go back to the verse again to see something special. At the beginning and end of the verse He says "Seest thou, then a question mark". God was asking ME this question! And as the scripture says ' by works (actions) was faith (what is believed) made complete. So Faith alone is dead. Works alone is vain. It's faith and works together that bear good fruit!
Thank you for joining me in my first study blog of indepth study of the Word of God. I hope you continue to read my entrys and feel free to add a comment that will expound on this study. We can all learn from each other. Anyone want to share?
James 2:22 "Seest thou how faith wrought (operated) with his works (talking about Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac), and by his works (actions) was faith made perfect (complete)?"
So I began to contemplate that as I believe God and His promises, then I'm to act on them. I'm to go forward throughout my day acting on the things I believe. We do anyway. If you believe your car's going to start in the morning, you jump behind the seat and reach for the ignition with your key. We act on what we believe.
In my study today I began to ask myself, then, what I have faith in right now, in this time in my ministry. The list I scratched down was:
1. I have faith that God is with me.
2. I have faith God has called me to be a teacher of His word to Women.
3. I have faith God is showing me His ways in the Word.
If these are the things (right here right now) I have faith in, then what are the corresponding actions or works that show I have faith in these things?
1. Since I have faith that God is with me, then my actions (or works) are to obey Him in all things He's instructing me to do.
2. Since I have faith that God has called me to be a teacher of His word to Women, my actions (or works) are prepare in the Word for when I meet these Women.
3. Since I have faith God is showing me His ways in the Word, my actions (or works) are to be in the Word to give Him opportunity to show me His ways.
He gave me insight that Him showing me His ways in the Word is Him teaching me. And as I am willing to be in the Word (as He's called me into this indepth study) I am letting Him teach me, that's my preparation for the Women He has called me to teach.
He has a way of showing you things that may seem like a 'duh' to some, but not so with the one He's speaking to. To know something is one thing. To see it backed up in scripture is a whole other thing. Some wise Man once instructed me 'show me book, chapter and verse for what you're saying'. I suppose God is teaching me those books, chapters and verses.
To close this 1st study blog, God wanted me to go back to the verse again to see something special. At the beginning and end of the verse He says "Seest thou, then a question mark". God was asking ME this question! And as the scripture says ' by works (actions) was faith (what is believed) made complete. So Faith alone is dead. Works alone is vain. It's faith and works together that bear good fruit!
Thank you for joining me in my first study blog of indepth study of the Word of God. I hope you continue to read my entrys and feel free to add a comment that will expound on this study. We can all learn from each other. Anyone want to share?
(Study Intro) My New Venture in Studying the Word
God has been laying on my heart recently that He wants me to begin studying the Word in depth. During last summer (2009) I began to read in the mornings along with prayer time, but recently He's been opening up to me studying is what He wants.
He's guided me before into times of intense study, bringing revelation of what I'm reading and it's all been for my growth. Yet, I've kept it to myself, knowing others one day would share it with me, but just would file those things away.
Today, as I came out of study, I knew I was to begin blogging the results. You know, like Julie and Julia? Julie would cook one of Julia Childs' recipes and then blog about it. Well, that's what I'm going to be doing here. I'll be in the Word, studying, praying, meditating on what particular scripture God lays out for me, and then come here and share it all with you. Do you like that? Great. I'm not promising anything. I'm just saying here is where I'm going to lay it all out and let you read it.
I use the King James version of the bible. At times I may quote another version. I also use the Strongs Exhaustive concordance to look up the words God lays on my heart. Those scriptures that just leap off the page, or pose a question to dig further.
Great. Well, looks as if we can start immediately bc I just finished time in study and will begin right after I'm finished here.
Several warnings though, my grammer is 'me'. I'm not always proper, so dont judge me. If you do, shame on you. My punctuation (sp) may frustrate you, but oh well. And as you can see, my spelling may stink so just get over it. If this thing has spell check I'll def check it, but if not, I'll do my best, you'll get the idea! cuz....this is mine! haha and lol!
Well you ready to get started?
He's guided me before into times of intense study, bringing revelation of what I'm reading and it's all been for my growth. Yet, I've kept it to myself, knowing others one day would share it with me, but just would file those things away.
Today, as I came out of study, I knew I was to begin blogging the results. You know, like Julie and Julia? Julie would cook one of Julia Childs' recipes and then blog about it. Well, that's what I'm going to be doing here. I'll be in the Word, studying, praying, meditating on what particular scripture God lays out for me, and then come here and share it all with you. Do you like that? Great. I'm not promising anything. I'm just saying here is where I'm going to lay it all out and let you read it.
I use the King James version of the bible. At times I may quote another version. I also use the Strongs Exhaustive concordance to look up the words God lays on my heart. Those scriptures that just leap off the page, or pose a question to dig further.
Great. Well, looks as if we can start immediately bc I just finished time in study and will begin right after I'm finished here.
Several warnings though, my grammer is 'me'. I'm not always proper, so dont judge me. If you do, shame on you. My punctuation (sp) may frustrate you, but oh well. And as you can see, my spelling may stink so just get over it. If this thing has spell check I'll def check it, but if not, I'll do my best, you'll get the idea! cuz....this is mine! haha and lol!
Well you ready to get started?
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
(FOR FUN) The Courtroom
I sat in as Clergy with a new friend that invited me to be with her during a ruling before the Judge this week. As I walked into the courtroom, I noticed a sign on the door, 'no food or drink allowed in the courtroom'. No problem. I'm not that type of person that always needs something to drink in my hand. I'm good. So I continued.
Now, by sheer grace, I've not known what it's like to half to appear before a Judge. Not that I didn't break the law, I was just never caught. Well, I was caught once and thrown in jail when I was 21, spent 4 days in jail and had to confront a real big girl about her radio, but the whole thing was dropped and besides that writing is for another day!
This new friend wants to sit at the front of the room, near all those that appear to be 'on the other side'. She knows them, and it must bring her comfort to be near them. So, okay, let's sit up front.
As the morning rolled on, of course I began to notice people. I'm a people watcher and an observer. I used to judge people in a bad way, but I'm not that mean anymore, thank you Lord. But having that habit of watching, I try to figure out what their conversations are with their neighbor they came with. I try to figure out if they are lonely. I like to spot those in a crowd and pray for them. I know those are very close to God's heart.
As the names of those appearing that day began to be called, an intersting young man stood up and came before the Judge. I dont care how nice your khakis are, tatooed flames coming up out of your shirt is surely to get you a label. A rebel? Is he really a rebel?
Isn't there a rebel in us all? Arent' there times when God requires something of us....we're just not quite ready to do? Or give up? Or NOT DO? Hmmmmm..... the rebel.
As I sat there contemplating the whole idea of the rebel, it hit me, the whole room was created for rebels. Our law system needed a way to convey "hey, you need to stay within these boundaries to live peaceably with all men" and so a court system was created. How sad we all cant just have our neighbors best interest at heart and not have a need for such a system. However, that's not reality.
As I began to watch 'the one's in control', I spotted a woman that had fixed her hair in the 'hair helmet' style and had a wad of gum she just harshly worked over in her jaw. I leaned over, asking my new friend what position she held. Parol Officer for the hard core was her answer. I leaned back in place. Wow, a woman in that position. Typically they have some big, heavy, tall Guy wearing a real tight shirt busting at the buttons for that position. Hmm. She must be somethin. But that gum....gosh she comps so hard.
As the morning wore on, and hundreds of 98.6 degree bodies in that room, it got warmer. The Prosecuting Attorney removed his suit jacket and got a chair and raised himself to click on the overhead ceiling fan. Oh that will feel better. Yeah, get some air circula........wait. what's going on? There's something not right here. In this huge county courthouse room, there are only two ceiling fans to move the air around. Hmm. I say Hmm alot when I'm observing. Anyway, back to my observations. There are only two ceiling fans. Only two ceiling fans in that whole big room, and I notice those two fans are only on the side of the courtroom that house 'those in control'. That didn't feel right. That didn't feel right at all. I wonder why that was? I dont want to judge here right? Hmm, so I'll just jot that in my mental tablet and move on.
Then time wore on and I notice Miss Hardcore Parole Officer still chomping away at her wad of gum. Hard too. Bless her heart, that had to hurt. Surely she'll get all the sweet or mint out of it soon and spit in.....where?.....surely not on the floor, that wouldn't be becoming for a woman!
Boy I got bored. I started noticing all the different fashion trends in the room. Some just denim. Some wore their hair in ponytails or buzzed or, hey check him out he has a bald spot right in the back and it seems he thinks he can cover it up with combing his hair over it. No sir, um, sir? You're not covering it up. Sorry sir. Em, no.....he wasn't covering it up. I could see it.....FOCUS Cindy. My new friends name will be called soon. I'm sure.
Hard chomping still going on!
Surely there's a water fountain around here. I know that sign said no drinks in here, but what if you need a drink. All of a sudden all these Route 44 cups from Sonic started coming into focus. Yeah, Strawberry limeaid where there's strawberry at the bottom when you're done. That sounds really good right now. Sonic ice is really good to chomp......hey, all those Route 44 Sonic cups aren't supposed to be in here. There's a sign on the door. Hey.....Oh.....'those in control' must not have the sign on the door where they come in. Looks like they all ran to Sonic on their way to court this morning. They must have known. Yeah, they know you get thirsty in here, and because you dont know when you'll have to go before the Judge, you dont leave. Oh. I didnt' know that. Hmm. Yeah, I'm observing.
I begin to watch as a Woman my age, upper 40's and her Mother come sit on the empty front row. I know it's her Mother because they look just alike, but her Mother is a wrinkled version of her. And the daughter had really really long hair all wrapped up and dangling from the back of her head. She wasn't wearing her teeth today. It's Arkansas, you can chose to wear your teeth or choose NOT to wear your teeth. Hmmmm, seems like she'd wear 'em on a day as important as this. She's upset too, very upset. Her Mother puts her arm around her shoulders and pulls her to her. Boy they are really close. She buries her head in her Mothers chest. She's wimpering. Her Mother is looking around with her eyebrows together in worry. It looks like she's had that look for a while, like it fits real well. Hmmmm..... The Mother gets up and goes to the front to talk to the public defender. The daughter sits up. Then the daughter gets up. She walks up to her Mother and grabs her by the arm to bring her back to the seat. Well, look at that. She's acting like she's about 8 years old. That's exactly what age she's acting, pulling her Mother by the arm back to the seat. She looks around like she's embarrassed. But she whispers to her telling her something her Mother doesn't want to hear. Wow, that's interesting. Her Mother is scolding her now.....like she's 8 years old. The Mother gets up and returns to the public defender, then begins walking toward the Judge. The daughter is devistated. She has a wide eyed look in her face and gets up and tries to return her Mother to her seat. The Judge is looking through paperwork and doesn't notice a thing. I'm watching all this. Apparantly this Woman has comitted a serious crime because the Mother is adamant about talking to someone. But of course we all know you dont wait until court to do that talking. By then shouldn't you have most things you're going to say pretty well nailed down? Suddenly the Woman's name is called. Due to the sound system being none of our business, I cannot hear anything said. And then I see the Woman's head hang down. She must not have heard what she wanted to hear. She turns and looks at her Mother with tears in her eyes. Her Mother stands up, walks up to her at the stand. The daughter gets loud telling her to go sit down. 'Go sit down Momma. Go sit down'. Beyond the juvenile scene of it all it was a bit sad. The Woman had committed some crime she was going to have to face and the Mother had to watch it all play out. Then he said it. The Judge said she had to go straight to jail. The Woman looked back at her Mother with tears streaming down her face and I saw her mouth the words ' i love you' and then look down then back at the Officer that had come for her. She was escorted out.
Many of us face things we've done and we have a sinking feeling in the bottom of our stomach, but that's when it hits us the heaviest. We've hurt others in the process. This courtroom was filled with family members of those that had committed crimes, those rebels, those never seeing the effects on their families. Never. I would like to record it all and play it for them once they've been placed somewhere that light cant hit them. That's usually when they begin to see the truth. They see that all this is serious and the Law of the land is in place to keep boundaries.
If you have found yourself in a hard place, a tender place, a rock and a hard place, God cares for you. He sees you right where you're at. He's so selfless that He's willing to take you in, take you back, take care of you. You just have to agree with Him that the rebel in you has caused nothing for you ..... but trouble!
If you have something to share.....let me know!
I begin to watch as a Woman my age, upper 40's and her Mother come sit on the empty front row. I know it's her Mother because they look just alike, but her Mother is a wrinkled version of her. And the daughter had really really long hair all wrapped up and dangling from the back of her head. She wasn't wearing her teeth today. It's Arkansas, you can chose to wear your teeth or choose NOT to wear your teeth. Hmmmm, seems like she'd wear 'em on a day as important as this. She's upset too, very upset. Her Mother puts her arm around her shoulders and pulls her to her. Boy they are really close. She buries her head in her Mothers chest. She's wimpering. Her Mother is looking around with her eyebrows together in worry. It looks like she's had that look for a while, like it fits real well. Hmmmm..... The Mother gets up and goes to the front to talk to the public defender. The daughter sits up. Then the daughter gets up. She walks up to her Mother and grabs her by the arm to bring her back to the seat. Well, look at that. She's acting like she's about 8 years old. That's exactly what age she's acting, pulling her Mother by the arm back to the seat. She looks around like she's embarrassed. But she whispers to her telling her something her Mother doesn't want to hear. Wow, that's interesting. Her Mother is scolding her now.....like she's 8 years old. The Mother gets up and returns to the public defender, then begins walking toward the Judge. The daughter is devistated. She has a wide eyed look in her face and gets up and tries to return her Mother to her seat. The Judge is looking through paperwork and doesn't notice a thing. I'm watching all this. Apparantly this Woman has comitted a serious crime because the Mother is adamant about talking to someone. But of course we all know you dont wait until court to do that talking. By then shouldn't you have most things you're going to say pretty well nailed down? Suddenly the Woman's name is called. Due to the sound system being none of our business, I cannot hear anything said. And then I see the Woman's head hang down. She must not have heard what she wanted to hear. She turns and looks at her Mother with tears in her eyes. Her Mother stands up, walks up to her at the stand. The daughter gets loud telling her to go sit down. 'Go sit down Momma. Go sit down'. Beyond the juvenile scene of it all it was a bit sad. The Woman had committed some crime she was going to have to face and the Mother had to watch it all play out. Then he said it. The Judge said she had to go straight to jail. The Woman looked back at her Mother with tears streaming down her face and I saw her mouth the words ' i love you' and then look down then back at the Officer that had come for her. She was escorted out.
Many of us face things we've done and we have a sinking feeling in the bottom of our stomach, but that's when it hits us the heaviest. We've hurt others in the process. This courtroom was filled with family members of those that had committed crimes, those rebels, those never seeing the effects on their families. Never. I would like to record it all and play it for them once they've been placed somewhere that light cant hit them. That's usually when they begin to see the truth. They see that all this is serious and the Law of the land is in place to keep boundaries.
If you have found yourself in a hard place, a tender place, a rock and a hard place, God cares for you. He sees you right where you're at. He's so selfless that He's willing to take you in, take you back, take care of you. You just have to agree with Him that the rebel in you has caused nothing for you ..... but trouble!
If you have something to share.....let me know!
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