Light a lamp for me!

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I’m not crazy about the dark.

I struggle driving at night anymore. 

I have always feared going blind! 

I would claw your eyes out if you put me in a room with no windows and no lights.

Seriously.

Now you know a little more about me. Let’s look at someone else who didn’t like the darkness.

The Apostle Paul is standing before King Agrippa (the same one who says, “Almost, you have persuaded me to become a Christian.”) and explaining to him how he went from persecuting Christians to preaching the Gospel. He relates how he was on the road to Damascus to gather up more Christians and “put them in chains” but then a light came down from heaven, blinding Paul, and he head a voice say, “ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’…” (emphasis mine)

Paul was blind for three days until Ananias arrived and told him that he was to be a messenger for the Lord.

You light a lamp for me

In Paul’s darkness, God lit a lamp for him! 

This “chief of sinners” was raised at the feet of one of the greatest scholars of that time, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.” Acts 22:3 NIV

He was zealous for God but did not know Him! He had been in darkness all of his life and was still blind to the Truth, he did not know Jesus until the Lord came and turned on the light!

“In darkness God’s truth shines most clear.”
― Corrie ten Boom, The Hiding Place

In that darkness, God’s light shined through and reached down to the most dangerous man of that time. God transformed the Apostle Paul into the most influential and powerful preacher who ever lived. Something miraculous happened on that road to Damascus and Paul was never the same.

Will we be like Paul, allowing the Light to come in and push away the darkness? Or will we be like those Timothy speaks of in the last days? “…having a form of godliness but denying its power….always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 2 Timothy 3 NIV.

Lord Jesus, help us to allow the Light of Your Truth to shine in our lives! Push back the darkness and fill us with Your love, making us more like You so others can see Your glory!

It is crucial in this dark hour that we, The Church of the Living God, allow the Light of the Holy Spirit to shine through us. We must share this Gospel and not be laden down with the cares of this world. Our most important job that He has given us is to reach the lost. When we are filled with His spirit, others will see that Light and be drawn out of darkness to the One true God, Jesus Christ.

He will light a lamp for you! He will light up your darkness…if you allow Him to.

Light a lamp for me!

 

 

That which is truly life…Enjoy!

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“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:17-19 ESV.

I haven’t written for a while, especially for #FiveMinuteFriday. I look at the word prompt every Thursday night hoping it will spark a memory or a thought but lately I guess you could say I have had writer’s block. Big time.

This morning, in my bleary-eyed state, I saw the word Enjoy and knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to at least thank God for the things that He gives us to enjoy. There is so much evil, so much upheaval and unrest in the world that we tend to be focused only on the bad. We forget the blessings around us and even more so we forget to BE that blessing. We have the opportunity to be the Salt and Light in the world; Jesus wants us to remember our purpose here on this earth but to enjoy this life along the way!

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10.

Abundant life!

That which is truly life...Enjoy!

So, just what is truly life to the Christian? How do we fulfill our purpose and enjoy life? The scripture in 1 Timothy breaks that down beautifully for us when Paul actually addresses those that are wealthy in the Church. He first instructs them on what NOT to do, or be. Don’t be haughty, (arrogant, proud, vain conceited, snobbish, superior, you get the idea…) and not to set their hopes on their money or possessions. Why? Because they will pass away!

The wealth could be gone tomorrow due to the economy, job loss, disaster, or the stock market. And even more importantly, it is temporary; we will not carry it with us when we leave this world.

But, if instead they USE that blessing, that benefit of plenty, and are generous, ready to share, do good and be rich in good works, then they will be laying a foundation for the future…they will be taking hold of what is truly life.

Most of us are wealthy compared to two thirds of this world. We have more than we need, we are blessed beyond measure and if we know Jesus Christ, if we are in relationship with Him, we cannot keep that blessing to ourselves. It was given to us to enjoy and live an abundant life and it was given for us to give away.

Since the word prompt is ENJOY, I couldn’t resist bringing some sunshine to your day. Norah Jayne’s other beloved grandmother, Nanny Tonya, celebrated her birthday yesterday and Norah made sure she enjoyed every minute of it. Check it out and then go share what is truly life with someone else today.

Comfortable with the evil around us

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Comfortable with the evil around us. Guest Writer today! So thankful God speaks to others to bless us here at Hope in the Healing. I am praying 2017 is a better year for me in this role but I decided a long time ago that I would only share it if I felt God had given it. It doesn’t matter if three read it or 1,000, He knows who it is for and I am so content with that. You will be blessed today by my friend and SIL, Sue Elkins. She writes from the heart!

Having trouble fighting evil thoughts? Is evil abounding everywhere? Has the evilness of people become worse?

In prayer, I was talking to the Lord about the evil that seems to be everywhere today. Two scriptures came to mind:

“Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse…” 2 Timothy 3:13.

“Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Romans 5:20.

I don’t know if evil is worse or if the number of people committing those evils has become worse. Of course, the speed at which we can now know about those evils is much quicker! The age of technology is good and bad. It has made our lives easier but the bad news gets to us much faster. And it seems that bad news is all there is these days. We seem to be loaded daily with evil, so much so that I fear our minds have become used to evil.

It is all around us!

  • Another police office killed in the line of duty
  • Another school shooting
  • Another terrorist attack

These are all things that just 20 years ago were not common, every day occurrences. Has evil become common? Have we accepted evil as just another news event? And if so, perhaps this everyday bombardment of bad has made us lax in concern for the world around us.

corrie-ten-boom

Whoa!

In a world where Christians are trying to decide which evil will be worse in the White House, have we become accustomed to evil as a normal way of life? Everyone does it, so it’s not a big deal.

I am reminded of the water dripping on the rock…if it drips long enough it will make a crevice and change the rock! Seems unbelievable but it is true.

We have been pounded so long with evil that we need to be careful that we don’t accept it as just the norm. We need to check our thinking patterns and see if we view some evils differently than we did years ago. If so, why?

Have we been forced by the pounding of outside influences to decide that some evil is just normal or acceptable?

Wouldn’t the adversary be happy with that….God forbid!

I know one Rock that will not change, no matter how much evil is pounded against it! Jesus Christ, thou art my Rock. He alone is my Rock, the Rock of my salvation, blessed be my Rock!

Yes, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I because I am changeable, but Lord, You are not. I must be established in You so that no matter what force of evil comes against me I do not change in my determination to stand for You!

In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he was warning of things to come and yet I don’t want to leave my opening scripture at verse 13 of 2 Timothy 3. That could seem like a defeated, depressing place to be left, so let’s read on…

“Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:14-17.

Thank you, Paul! You gave Timothy and all of us hope! If we continue in the faith which we know is TRUE, the faith that was taught to us by our spiritual leaders and elders; if we allow the scriptures to make us wise against the evil and bring us salvation; if we remember that GOD GAVE US the scriptures for our good, to guide us, correct us, bring us instruction…then we can be perfect in Christ Jesus. Not in ourselves, but in Him!

Oh Lord, let me read more of Your Word, let me study it and hide it in my heart, let me not take the evil of this world into my world, but fight harder to overcome it and therefore be able to help others to overcome it too.

Let me end with this thought and one of my favorite passages of scripture. NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING can separate us from God unless we allow it to.

“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39.

sueSue is a mother of four, a grandmother of three, a long time Broker/Associate with Re/Max Realty Professionals, and was a pastor’s wife for many years. She and her husband, Dexter, are still very active in their church, aptly teaching, ministering and being helpers as the Bible calls us to be. She keeps the highways busy traveling to see her grandbabies as often as she can.

 

 

 

 

 

Sharing with Living Proverbs 31, Moments of Hope, Modest Mondays