Romans 12: 1 & 2….from the Amplified Bible…as if the NIV didn’t say ENOUGH for me???

OUCH.

Ever wanted to think through something the Bible says – read a different version…and go OUCH?

Yeah…me too.

I used to love the Amplified Bible but haven’t used it in years. I don’t love it because it is not an easy read and it doesn’t flow like other versions.  But I do love it because many times the “additional” information in it really speaks to me.  Or should I say – because this is the version most likely to STEP ON MY TOES?

So I was reading the Amplified about presenting my body as a living sacrifice to God…thinking about all that it entails.  Now think about it – look at your body and ask yourself…if I give this to God…what exactly am I giving Him?

One of the first – and most obvious – was – my sex life.

Then it goes onto what I eat.  What I drink . Items like smoking and drinking (which I don’t do – although I will sometimes have a wine cooler).

What about my exercise life? (Hint:  I currently have none).  Maybe I should call it my exercise “decisions”.

Then this goes to medicine – to being compliant to taking my blood pressure pills – to seeing the doctor or getting some sort of help when I am sick. It includes taking preventative care to not become sick.

It means….remembering to put on sunscreen because I burn easily.  Not making excuses when I don’t do stuff like that.

I fear it may even mean walking further in a parking lot (and parking further away than I would like)….

And what does the Amplified Bible have to say about all this?

Two words stick out to me….then I’ll share the rest of it.

“Decisive Dedication”

OUCH!

Romans 12:1-2

Amplified Bible (AMP)

12 I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.

² Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

 

Saying you’re willing to present your body a living sacrifice is all well and good – but make sure you think through the cost before actually doing so.  So far- I can’t say that I’ve willing made the promise – because I’m counting the costs and asking God to help me become more aware of them.

I really wish He’d let me spend this week meditating more on Romans 8:38 and 39…where all things “work together” for those good of those who love God…to help conform us to the image of Christ.  That was much easier last week when I thought about it.  (Then again – I didn’t have my Amplified Bible at my uncle and aunt’s house).

Still thinking about all this – how God considers this should be a “reasonable” and “rational and intelligent” service and spiritual worship.

Going to look more into worship this week and try to see and understand a bit more about HOW doing this can be worship.

Keep tuned…more to come…

Opening up my heart again…

This blog hasn’t been active for a while….I think I closed down my heart and a lot of things in my life due to various things going on in my extended family.  But it’s time to reopen this one.

I’m enjoying doing my main blog Mon/Wed/Fri so much that I’m going to try to do this one on Sundays – to share what God has been laying on my heart – whether it is verses that I’ve been meditating on or something else that touched me.

For some reason, I feel like God keeps directing me back to Romans. I am not sure if it is because my mother made me memorize a large number of verses in this book when I was little – or what – but it is one of my favorite books of the Bible – that I never seem to quite fully grasp – but I always seem to get some snippet to cherish in my heart.

Last week I was so thrilled when Charles Price from Toronto, Canada was speaking on his show about baptism and how it is a picture of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Last week he spoke of the death….(it was a repeat I found out later – but it was still excellent).

For some reason though, I find myself camping out in Romans 12:1,2 a lot and meditating on it. Here it is in the New International Version (NIV):

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Romans 12:1-2

New International Version (NIV)

A Living Sacrifice

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think about offering my body as a sacrifice…what does that entail?  Obviously – the food I put into it. The words and pictures I put before my eyes and think about. I imagine it includes the things I do with my hands. The exercise I do…or don’t do with it.

How is this a true and proper worship? I haven’t quite got this one down yet – I think I’m gonna spend a bit of time looking up worship…what IS true worship? It seems to be it needs to be in spirit and in truth…but how does that apply to how I handle my body?

I’m not even done with verse one and already I’m finding myself looking at areas of my life and asking God if they please Him.  Do I use the words of my mouth the way He would have me use them? Do I do those things He sets before me to get done? Am I partaking in the BEST that He has for me – whether that be spiritual food or physical food or activities?

And I am not even to verse two yet….about not being conformed to the pattern of this world….I somehow suspect this ties into Colossians 3 where we’re told to focus our mind on heavenly things and places.

I’m going to ponder some of these things for the next couple of days and try to come back mid-week and share if God shows me anything to pass on.  I’m also going to focus on memorizing these two verses (again) – but also – meditating on them….asking God how I need to apply them to my life.

I’m almost afraid to see what God is going to show me….so I can share from my heart again later on….

Suggestions for Scripture Memorization – Part One

Well, I guess its finally here – time to share some ideas for scripture memorization for those would like to do so.  Today I want to share some verses (and topical ideas) from the Old Testament that I felt were great for memorization.

I want to quickly remind us that while it is great to read and memorize from the Old Testament – that it is more “descriptive” to show us examples of how God has worked, etc. (and how the Old Covenant worked) – and the New Testament is more “Prescriptive” as far as showing us how to live.  So please be careful before memorizing promises and applying them to your life….unless you’d rather be under the Old Covenant! 😀

Also – a reminder that one of the reasons that memorizing scripture is so good for us is because God has said in Isaiah 55:10 & 11:

¹⁰ As the rain and the snow
   come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
   without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
   so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
   It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
   and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

We memorize scripture because we know that God’s Word will not return to Him void.

From the Old Testament – here are some verses I have memorized:

Isaiah 43:2

New International Version (NIV)

² When you pass through the waters,
   I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
   they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
   you will not be burned;
   the flames will not set you ablaze.

 

I love these verses because I am reminded of how God protected His people when they passed through the Red Sea in Genesis – and other times when He has protected them.  I remind myself that God loves me and will protect me too – and a word that I love in this verse is “through”.  I am constantly reminded that there is another side of the problem and I will make it to the other side.

I also love Habakkuk 3:17-19

Habakkuk 3:17-19

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁷ Though the fig tree does not bud
   and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
   and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
   and no cattle in the stalls,
¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
   I will be joyful in God my Savior.

 ¹⁹ The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
   he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
   he enables me to tread on the heights.

I had never really read these verses before until our Pastor shared them recently and he talked about Habakkuk’s faith even though it looked like everything was against him.  He pointed out that the fact that there were no buds on the fig tree meant that there would be no crops – no harvest.  Yet, Habakkuk chose to rejoice in God.

I am in the process of memorizing these verses because I struggle with depression on a fairly regular basis – and I wanted a reminder for myself that I can CHOOSE to rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in Him – if I want to.  Its a matter of my choice.

Some other great ideas for Old Testament memorization are to memorize verses that deal with the characteristics of God (the Psalms are full of this)- or verses that deal with worship (once again – the Psalms) or verses that deal with wisdom (Proverbs).

Personally, I love Psalm 1 and Psalm 37.

Psalm 1

BOOK I
Psalms 1–41

 ¹ Blessed is the one
   who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
   or sit in the company of mockers,
² but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
   and who meditates on his law day and night.
³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
   which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
   whatever they do prospers.

 ⁴ Not so the wicked!
   They are like chaff
   that the wind blows away.
⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
   nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

 ⁶ For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
   but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Psalm 37

New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 37

Psalm 37^[a]

    Of David.

 ¹ Do not fret because of those who are evil
   or be envious of those who do wrong;
² for like the grass they will soon wither,
   like green plants they will soon die away.

 ³ Trust in the LORD and do good;
   dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
⁴ Take delight in the LORD,
   and he will give you the desires of your heart.

 ⁵ Commit your way to the LORD;
   trust in him and he will do this:
⁶ He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
   your vindication like the noonday sun.

 ⁷ Be still before the LORD
   and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
   when they carry out their wicked schemes.

 ⁸ Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
   do not fret—it leads only to evil.
⁹ For those who are evil will be destroyed,
   but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

 ¹⁰ A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
   though you look for them, they will not be found.
¹¹ But the meek will inherit the land
   and enjoy peace and prosperity.

 ¹² The wicked plot against the righteous
   and gnash their teeth at them;
¹³ but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
   for he knows their day is coming.

 ¹⁴ The wicked draw the sword
   and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
   to slay those whose ways are upright.
¹⁵ But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
   and their bows will be broken.

 ¹⁶ Better the little that the righteous have
   than the wealth of many wicked;
¹⁷ for the power of the wicked will be broken,
   but the LORD upholds the righteous.

 ¹⁸ The blameless spend their days under the LORD’s care,
   and their inheritance will endure forever.
¹⁹ In times of disaster they will not wither;
   in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

 ²⁰ But the wicked will perish:
   Though the LORD’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
   they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

 ²¹ The wicked borrow and do not repay,
   but the righteous give generously;
²² those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
   but those he curses will be destroyed.

 ²³ The LORD makes firm the steps
   of the one who delights in him;
²⁴ though he may stumble, he will not fall,
   for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

 ²⁵ I was young and now I am old,
   yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
   or their children begging bread.
²⁶ They are always generous and lend freely;
   their children will be a blessing.^[b]

 ²⁷ Turn from evil and do good;
   then you will dwell in the land forever.
²⁸ For the LORD loves the just
   and will not forsake his faithful ones.

   Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed^[c];
   the offspring of the wicked will perish.
²⁹ The righteous will inherit the land
   and dwell in it forever.

 ³⁰ The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
   and their tongues speak what is just.
³¹ The law of their God is in their hearts;
   their feet do not slip.

 ³² The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
   intent on putting them to death;
³³ but the LORD will not leave them in the power of the wicked
   or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

 ³⁴ Hope in the LORD
   and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
   when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

 ³⁵ I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
   flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
³⁶ but he soon passed away and was no more;
   though I looked for him, he could not be found.

 ³⁷ Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
   a future awaits those who seek peace.^[d]
38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
   there will be no future^[e] for the wicked.

 ³⁹ The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
   he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
⁴⁰ The LORD helps them and delivers them;
   he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
   because they take refuge in him.

 

Tomorrow – Part Two – the New Testament!

 

Christians are one of the Biggest Problems in Christianity

I oftentimes wonder why folks wouldn’t want to be a Christian.  I mean – as a Christian, I’ve come to believe that God has a plan for me – and ultimately has things in control in my life.  I know that I have a future once I leave this world and while I admit the process of death scares me a bit – it also excites me – because I know I’ll be going home.

I once had someone ask me about what if I got to the end of my life and I was wrong…that there was no God…there was no heaven.  My thoughts were along the lines of “That’s ok – look at the life I’ve had here on earth…and how my faith has sustained me.  Could you imagine though if I wasn’t a Christian and I got to the end of my life and I found out there WAS a God and heaven and hell”?

Anyway – I think I’ve figured it out as I’ve watched people over the years. I think one of the biggest reasons people don’t want to become Christians – are some of the Christians they’ve seen over their life.

 

We’re too self-centered on our lives

How often do we as Christians forget to claim that which is ours?  We get so wrapped up in this life – how others treat us – what is going on around us – what we want or don’t want – that we forget some basic truths.  One of the biggest truths we forget is – we don’t belong to this world.  We are citizens of another realm – and we’re just passing through here.  While we’re here – we’re to minister to those around us – to be a form of God in the flesh (not saying we can be Godlike or become gods – but we are his image-bearers to the world).

But instead of keeping our eyes on the “end game” so to speak – the fact that we will one day be in God’s presence and have so much to be thankful for and rejoice in….we have our eyes on the situation around us.  “Woe is me” we claim because we don’t have enough money or things or because someone speaks against us.  We whine and say “Why me?” as if we should be immune from the consequences of living life in a fallen world with human beings.  My answer to that is – “Why not me?”   We are to be witnesses to the world of how to go through those things – with God’s help and guidance.  We should have an inner joy and peace because we know that ultimately God is in control and is USING the events in our lives to help us become more Christlike.  That is right – according to Romans 8 – the “all things WORKING TOGETHER for our good” – is to “mold us to the image of Christ – keep reading after verse 28…because that is where you’ll see why God is working all things together for our good.

We’re too busy judging sinners to get to know them and reach out to them

I think of Christians I’ve seen (myself included) who are judgmental to those around them.  Yes – we know what sin is – and yes – we know what the consequences of sin is.  But how often do we reach out to the unsaved – versus judging the unsaved?  How often do we criticize them and knock them down – rather than get to know them for who they are?

I think of Jesus – who went out into the world of sinners and ate with them and talked to them and was in their midst.  He didn’t hold himself aloof from them – and while he spoke the truth to them – he did so to bring them to God and not to drive them away.

Yet we march in protest against them and we fight them with angry words and a hostile heart.  Where is the love that we’re supposed to have and show to others?

What should we do then?

I think the first thing we need to do is to repent of our attitudes.  That’s right – go to God in prayer and admit to him that you’ve been wrong in your attitudes and actions.  Call it what it is – whether you’ve been selfish and focused only on yourself…or been judgmental….whatever you’ve done – admit it – tell God that you will do your best to turn away from it – and then thank Him for the Holy Spirit who will help you conquer this.

Stay in the Word – daily.  I admit it – I’m horrible about this.  I can go days and weeks sometimes without reading my Bible.  I used to read emails from a woman who was up every morning early to read her Bible and she was filled with joy and thanksgiving for the little that they had…and to her – she cherished her Bible – its words sustained her and were like milk and honey.  Not so for me….don’t get me wrong – I love to read my Bible and to do Bible studies – but if I don’t make plans to read my Bible – I can go days reading 500 page spy novels….and never read one word of the Bible.  But – we need the Bible – it is one way that God can communicate with us and teach us.

Develop a spirit of gratitude for what you have.  Focus on not just the material things you have and the people in your life – but the spiritual things also.  Look at us – we have a future – a heavenly home.  I love Ephesians 1 – where we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing.  Start focusing on what you have and develop an inner attitude of joy.

Get around other Christians who will support you and encourage you.  Yes – we need each other.  We need other Christians who can lift us up in prayer when we’re discouraged and who can encourage us and come alongside us.  We also need to be in their lives – encouraging them – because it helps keep the focus off us.

I think one of the highest compliments I’ve ever heard of – was when one man who worked with my husband said to him, “I’ve never wanted to be a Christian before….but if I did want to be one…I’d want to be one like you.” Mind you – my husband wasn’t trying to preach to him – he was simply living out his faith in daily actions and deeds.

Let’s take our eyes off ourselves and our present circumstances….and put them where they belong – on the fact that we have a heavenly father who loves us – who watches over us – and who wants us to be a witness to the world for Him.

 

Standing on the Promises of God

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

(First verse – Standing on the Promises of God hymn by R. Kelso Carter)

I don’t know about you – but I hate making promises.  Its so hard for me to keep them.  I hate for others to make me promises – because what if something comes up and they can’t keep them?

But there’s one set of promises I love – and those are …. the promises that God has made to me as his child – his precious daughter.  I know THOSE promises will never fail – I will never have to worry about them at all because God will keep them IN HIS TIME.

HOWEVER – I am concerned about what some people consider the “promises of God” because I believe that a lot of scripture that people claim as promises – were not meant for them personally.

I already know as I type this – that I am going to offend fellow Christians.  I know some will say, “Well…the Holy Spirit told me to claim this…” or “I’ve read this so often in a book and how much its helped others.”

But the fact is – not all of the promises in the Bible were meant for us today – and by us – I mean Christians – in the New Testament era.

The fact is – Israel was under one covenant with its rules and blessings and curses – and we are under the New Covenant (thanks to the blood of Christ).

One of my favorite authors writes fiction that “changes lives” and I love her stories and the realism portrayed in them.  But she often uses Jeremiah 29:11 as the verse that they cling to that God gave them.  Here is the verse:

Jeremiah 29:11

New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

 

Now that sounds great – I love knowing that God has a plan for me – and a future.  But the fact is – you need to read that verse in its context….let’s do that now.  We’re going to start from verse 4 through to verse 14.  I am going to boldface who God is speaking to in this passage.

Jeremiah 29:4-14

New International Version (NIV)

⁴ This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: ⁵ “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. ⁶ Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. ⁷ Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” ⁸ Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. ⁹ They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the LORD.

¹⁰ This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity.^[a] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

WHO is God speaking to in this passage?

Those He carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.  He is giving THEM a promise.

Does this mean we can’t apply this promise to our life?

Well, we can certainly learn things from it.  We can learn that God had plans for those in exile, that He wasn’t going to leave them without a future. We can learn from the earlier passage that He was giving them instructions on what to do (settle down & build homes because it would be a while).

BUT – this promise was given to the exiles…..not to us.

Learn from it – yes.  Claim it for yourself…well…would you want to be under the Old Covenant or the New Covenant?

I would like to give another example of some scripture that is often misused….

Have you ever heard the phrase “The Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent one from another”?  It is from Genesis 31 – specifically verse 49.  Many times people use it for friendship necklaces or wedding bands.

But that was actually a CURSE.  If you go back to Genesis 31, you will see where there was dissension between Jacob and his father in law Laban.  They are basically calling God to witness between them.  Read it – its a very interesting story.

My point is this….

I’m not trying to say don’t read the Old Testament – there is a lot we can learn from it.  We can observe how God worked in the lives of others.  It can give us courage and faith as we go through life in these troubling times.

But before you start “claiming” scripture for yourself as a personal promise – remember to read and see exactly WHO God was speaking to and what He was speaking about.

 

I really wanted to cover this before I share some recommended scriptures for memorization (which I will do later) – because I think it is something we need to think about.

My son shared some insight with me that he’d heard while working at a Christian camp.  “The Old Testament is Descriptive. The New Testament is Prescriptive.”

I like that.

 

Admission: I’m a “KEPT” Woman…

Did I get your attention?  I hope so!

Of course – I sorta…well….stretched the truth a bit.  But let me explain.

In March of 2001, I was in a woman’s Bible study taught by my friend Ruth Ouellette and we were working through I Peter.  We were dealing with the first chapter and I will quote below the passage we were working on.

 

Praise to God for a Living Hope

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷ These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹ for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.   (Boldfacing mine)

As we discussed the passage, Ruth shared that the word “KEPT” – when you go back and study it in the Greek (along with various verb tenses, etc) – meant that it is a past activity with results that continue into the present.

In other words – the inheritance is done – completed – and it is NOW mine (but it is being kept in  heaven – both in the past – and now – for me to receive it later).

In addition – as we studied, she shared that when it talks about being “shielded” by God’s power in verse 5 –  that word was the one which used to describe a garrison inside a city – that is how shielded we are.  (Mind you – we’re talking cities and garrisons of the New Testament times – before our air weapons, etc).

Finally – when it tells us to “greatly rejoice” – that means to have deep, spiritual joy that remains unchanged.

Now I want to think about that for a minute …let’s break this down.

• First of all – I have an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. (I’m RICH….maybe not in money or possessions – but in what God considers important).
• This inheritance is already completed and yet it is present now (still working that one out) – but basically – once it was done – it was done.
• Through my faith, I’m shielded by God’s power as if I was in a garrison inside a city
• Because of this – I can/should have a deep spiritual joy that doesn’t change based upon the circumstances around me.

That’s a lot for me to take in sometimes….I’m human.  I want to run by emotions.

But when I live my life by faith – when I consider that I’m in God’s hands….I can have a deep joy inside because I know…

 

I’m KEPT by HIM!

 

Bible Mark-Up Tips

I hate a “naked” Bible…I really do. No – I do not mean a Bible without a Bible Cover….I mean a Bible with no personal handwriting in it.  Whenever I see one – I yearn to grab a pen, pencil or colored pencil and start writing in it.

Why do I have the urge to do this?  Isn’t it DEFACING God’s Word?

By no means – at least not the way I do it.

Here is what I do with my Bibles – and I have done several different things with the various Bibles I have.

First of all – I usually go through a new Bible and underline some of my favorite verses that I refer to time and time again.  This way – I can see them easier when I am looking for them.  Colossians 3 is almost one of the first passages I mark because I refer to it so often.  Ephesians 1 gets marked up too.  James has several verses that I mark and Romans gets some marked too.

But then – as I “live” with my Bible over the next few days, weeks, months and yes – even years – I will write notes in my Bible whenever God uses a passage to speak to me.  I love to date those notes  so I can refer back to them and see how God was working in my life.

Let me give you a few examples from one of my Bibles.  This is the Disciple’s Study Bible (NIV) and it was the very first study Bible I ever owned.  Art bought it for me because I’d bought him one and then couldn’t leave it alone!

On January 2, 1989 I was dealing with trying to lose weight and spending time in God’s Word too.  I am not sure if this was “Free to be Thin” or another book I was working through – but I highlighted Psalms 37:3-6 which says:

“Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in he Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn.”

My notes to the side say, “I will gain a new way of eating if I trust, delight & commit”.

Years earlier – in another Bible (which I don’t have handy) God used those verses to comfort me because I was searching for my birthmother and there were people trying to discourage me.  Yet, I knew it was what God wanted me to do.

In Isaiah 43 of my Bible I do not have a date marked but I have circled the word “through” in the passage of “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned.”  Off to the side, I noted “God never leaves us alone in the midst of trials – He always sees us through them.”

In the front and back pages of my Bibles, I write quotes that really minister to me and if possible, I note the author.  Here are a few notes that I have in the front of this Bible:

Unattributed:

If I am becoming upset that God is not giving me “good things” – it is because I have started believing that I must “obtain blessings” when I need to start seeking to “obtain holiness”.

God orders the steps AND THE STOPS of a righteous person!

“Satan” means accuser in Hebrew.

God did not take away Paul’s thorn; He did better – He mastered that thorn and made it Paul’s servant. The ministry of thorns has often been a greater ministry to man than the ministry of thrones.” – Streams in the Desert, Volume 1, Dec. 18th

In the very back of this Bible, I have written lists of verses so that I can go to them quickly if I need to.  One is about Discipline/Trials (which I mark with a dt when I mark the verse), another is Christian Character (CC) and another one is Promises.

One final comment I want to share from this particular Bible is from 11/21/04 from Brother Bob here in Del Rio (who has since moved on – notice though I put the Pastor’s name and city if its from a sermon)….He was referring to 2 Corinthians 8:5 where Paul is talking about the Macedonians.  I will not type out the verse except to point out that the Macedonians gave themselves FIRST to the Lord and THEN TO OTHERS (which according to the scripture was in keeping with God’s will).  How many times do we try to give ourselves to others but we haven’t yet given ourselves to God that day for His filling and leading?

Some day – Lord willing – years from now – when I am gone – I hope my kids will dig out my Bibles and take the time to page through them and read the various notes I’ve made – to see how God has worked in my life at various times and taught me things.

Until that day though – I just keep on writing my notes – and then – when I get discouraged with my life – go back and reread them and remind myself of the lessons God has taught me and how He has brought me along this path so far.

Many of my future blog posts will be coming from notes and lessons I’ve marked in my Bibles over the years.

More Benefits from Memorizing Scripture

This has been such a hectic week that I haven’t been able to sit down and type down what I’ve been thinking.  Finally though – the house is quiet and I can hopefully share what is on my heart.

I know that there may be some folks reading this blog who aren’t Christians and that’s fine!  What I’m about to share about memorizing scripture some might want to compare with “self-talk” because in some ways – it works the same way.  In self-talk, you are trying to replace untrue thoughts with true thoughts.  For example, if you always tell yourself, “I am a failure” – you would replace that by telling yourself, “I am not a failure because I have succeeded at ….” and list some areas where you have succeeded.

In this case – for Christians -we’re replacing the self talk with the truth of scripture though – to make the changes that we need to make.  Sometimes the changes are ones that God may have laid on our heart – for instance – showing us that we have a problem with anger or fear or self-discipline.  Other times we might memorize scriptures that have to do with encouragement so that we don’t get discouraged.

I want to share three examples of how scripture memorization has worked in someone’s life.  The first example comes from someone else.  They were struggling in an area of their life and memorized Galatians 5:16-26 which talk about the works of the flesh versus the works of the spirit.  Whenever they had a question about their actions or thought life – they could quote through those verses and say “is what I’m feeling/thinking right now…flesh…or spirit”?  (All verses referred to will be at the bottom of this entry).

The second example comes from my own life.  Recently, I was really wanting a new laptop.  Mind you – I did not NEED a laptop.  I had a computer that worked well even if it was slower than I wanted and had to sit on the desktop (versus being with me in bed and hooked up to our large screen tv).  But I kept researching the prices of laptops and how to buy one at a “rent to own” place and then pay it off in 3 or 4 months.  I saw how if I saved my money, I could buy a much nicer laptop for the same amount of money.  But let’s face it – I wanted the laptop NOW…I didn’t want to wait.  Then, when I was in the midst of wanting it the most – of going to Art to try and convince him that I NEEDED it…the Holy Spirit convicted me of the verses I’d been memorizing from Colossians 3 – “Set your mind on things above and not on things below.  Set your heart on things above, where Christ is seated in the heavenlies.”  Suddenly, the laptop did not seem quite so important anymore.

The third example that comes to mind is from 1984.  I was in my hospital room and pregnant with our twins.  My water had broken and one twin was sitting on their umbilical cord and the doctor and nurses were trying to save my baby’s life.  As I was rushed into delivery, Psalms 91, which I had memorized as a child, came to mind and the very last words that went through my mind before I went under anesthesia were,

Psalm 91 (KJV)

 ¹He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

 ²I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

It didn’t matter that the last words I heard the doctor say were, “We have a heartbeat – let’s get the baby while we can”.

Why?  Because I knew in my heart that my trust was in God and not doctors.  (By the way – our son is doing just fine now – 27 years later.  God truly watched over him).

 

As you can see – scripture can be used to teach us and encourage us as well as to reprove us.  In fact, II Timothy 3:16 & 17 (NIV) says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God^[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. “

 

This is one reason – a spiritual reason – for us to memorize scripture.  In my next post, I hope to give some specific scriptures that I recommend and that God has used in my own life.

 

But I’d also like to share another reason for memorizing scripture and that is – because it helps our mind in a “physical” manner.

 

I’ve been reading the 2011 Johns Hopkins White Paper on Memory.  These are updated yearly with the most current research that is available on various topics.  On page 14 of the 2011 edition, they state, “In addition, research from the Rush Memory and Aging Project found that cognitively active elderly people (average age 80) were 2.6 times less likely to develop dementia than those who did not engage in mentally stimulating activities.”

This book is filled with a lot more details about how to keep from developing dementia and they include activities such a dancing, crafts, reading and participating in social events as well as other ideas.  But the main point was that people needed to USE their brain in order to help themselves become less likely to develop dementia.

 

Personally, I believe that the spiritual reasons for memorizing scripture are the more important ones – BUT – I will gladly accept the bonus of keeping from developing dementia as an incentive to continue memorizing scripture.

 

Scriptures referenced here:

Galatians 5:16-26 ESV

Keep in Step with the Spirit

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit,you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness,self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Colossians 3:1-4 NIV

     Living as Those Made Alive in Christ

¹ Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

The Value of Meditating on and Memorizing Scripture

Shortly after I wrote my post this morning – I decided to lay down and take a nap.  I was tired – partly because of my wacky sleeping schedule (Art works midight sihft and I often stay up all night) and partly because I was off my meds for depression for a day and I was feeling funny.

As I laid down to rest, suddenly my mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts that scared and bothered me.

In the past, I’ve had panic attacks and at times I think I’ve struggled with a bit of manic behavior – hard to explain but I can see it when I look back now.

But this time – it was intense – anything from thoughts of suicide (hey – good Christians don’t struggle with that – right??) to wanting to just punch walls with my fists and hit things and throw things.

I had no idea where these thoughts were coming from and they were overwhelming.  If it wasn’t for the fact that my body was exhausted – I’m not sure what I would have done.

But after about 3-5 minutes of this, I told myself, “This is not right.  As a Christian, I have the mind of Christ.  This confusion and these horrible thoughts are not from Him.”

So I started telling myself scriptures that I’d memorized – anything from “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” to “Set your heart on things above…” and “Set your mind on things above…”

It took me several minutes of doing this and really FOCUSING on the scriptures I’d memorized – to have those thoughts  leave – and I was able to get restful sleep.

When I awoke – I was rested – I was well rested – and I did not have any depression.

This was not the first time that I’d used scripture to help me battle something – usually I’ve used scripture to help me battle anger or the “I wants”.   But this time – my mind was filled with such confusion and chaos – that scripture was the only answer for what I was facing – and it helped me.

But what if I’d never read scripture – or meditated on verses that deal with my weaknesses and failures – and what if I’d never memorized them?

I knew before I ever did the first post in this blog – that “the enemy” would try to attack at some point and discourage me.  Why?  Because the reason for this blog was to encourage others to seek God more and grow closer to Him.  The enemy HATES that.

But I didn’t expect something to happen so soon after my first post.  I didn’t expect it to come in a “battle of the mind” type of battle – where I had to struggle with my thoughts.

I have so much more to share on memorizing and meditating on scripture – later.  I want to share more about how its helped me in the past….particular scriptures and how I like to use them in my life…and so much more.

But for now – I’m going to leave you with one question…and there is no need to answer it here.

Are you willing to commit yourself to memorizing scripture AND meditating on it – so that when the enemy attacks – you have help?

Love is….

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about a topic that I think we as Christians need to consider – and that is “love”.

I want to start out though by pointing out something that I think we need to consider before we can even talk about love.

If  you are a Christian – you are not a citizen of this world – but of heaven.  Therefore – our standards are different and the way we live should be different.  We define things differently than this world does – because if you think about it – we’re really aliens on this world – strangers on our way passing through.

I often hear folks talking about love…..about falling in love or falling out of love.  They look at love as an emotion  – a feeling – something that we do – or don’t do – based upon the circumstances around us. In their experiences, just as others can make us feel happy – they can make us feel (or not feel) loved. They can also affect our actions to become loving – or not.

But as Christians – our example of love – is Christ.  His love was shown to us by His actions – His willingness to die for us – not because we loved Him – but because He loved us.

His “love” and his actions were not done because of a feeling but because of a commitment He made – to do the best thing for us.  His love wasn’t about Him – but about us.

When we choose to love someone – especially in marriage – we are choosing to make a commitment to that person.  We don’t make that commitment simply because of who they are or how they make us feel – we make it based on our character – our choice to love them.  This is especially true in marriage – when two become one.  We have made a choice at that time to make a vow to be committed to that person.

The wonderful thing is that usually at the time we make that choice – we feel like making it.  We’re happy and we like what they’ve done for us and what we can together.

The problem comes when time passes and we realize that we don’t feel happy anymore.  Our emotions aren’t lining up with our commitment. The other person has let us down – we don’t feel like we’re getting what we want or need.

But the problem with this thinking is two-fold.

First of all, it is “me-centered”.  What is in it for me? Why am I not getting what I want?

The second problem is that our actions and attitudes are based upon our feelings and our desires.

It is at these times that we have to make the choice to love – not out of our feelings and emotions – but out of our character.

We made a commitment.  We chose to become one – no longer was our life about “me” or “I” but it became about “we” and “us”.

We have to acknowledge to ourselves that “I do not feel like doing this…but I am committed and I am going to love anyway”.

Over the next few days and weeks I hope to share more about what I’ve observed and learned about love – about the actions that show love (and hinder love)….and about the differences between the world’s definition of love and our Father’s definition of love.

For now though – I’d like to leave us (especially myself) with a thought to ponder…

As a Christian, when I commit myself to love someone – I do so knowing that my love is not to be based upon my emotions or the situations around me  or even how I feel.  Instead, my love is to be based upon a commitment that I will do what is best for “us” and not just “me”.

 

I’m so glad that God loved us first….enough to send His Son to die for us and set the ultimate example of love – aren’t you?