Literally, talking to God

This year, I have made a commitment to read through the bible, I hope to do it in a year.  Hope being the operative word, since I am not really following any type of plan, just kind of winging it.


So having prefaced the story, I was reading in Genesis and it seemed amazing to me the way that God spoke to Abraham.  He came down to him and had real conversations with him.


Amazing, right?


In Genesis 17:1, it says when Abraham was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him.  It does not say in a vision or a dream, but he actually appeared to him.


In Genesis 18:2, Abraham saw three men standing near him.  Two of those men were angels, but one was the Lord.  Can you imagine having a conversation, face-to-face with the Lord?


I'm not sure I can really fathom the idea of being able to talk to God like that?  But I imagine that it was an amazing experience.  Actually having God answer you when you are talking to him.  I wonder why he doesn't come down to talk to us?  And how would we react if he did, I'm not sure we  would like everything he had to say to us.  


I don't see God as someone who would sugarcoat what we are doing wrong in our lives do you? I know he is a loving, caring God, but he is also a jealous God.  Sometimes, I'm not sure we really get that, or me at least.


I have so much I would like to ask God, if I could sit down with him and talk to him.  First off, I really don't get how the ocean just stops at a certain place.  Why do some people get sick, while others don't?  Why do some people die young?  Why, Why, Why?  Then I think I'd want to know a little more about what he expects of me.  I know, I know, I have the book that tells me all of that, but sometimes hearing is better than reading it.


What would you ask?

Suffering

Since Christ suffered while he was in his body, strengthen yourselves with the same way of thinking Christ had. The person who has suffered in the body is finished with sin.  Strengthen yourselves so that you will live here on earth doing what God wants not the evil things people want.

1 Peter 4:1,2

My friends, do not be surprised at the terrible trouble which now comes to test you.  Do not think that something strange is happening to you.  But be happy that you are sharing in Christ's sufferings so that you will be happy and full of joy when Christ comes again in glory.

So those who suffer as God wants should trust their souls to the faithful Creator as they continue to do what is right.

1 Peter 4:12,13, 19

What goes through your mind when you read those passages?  Do you find yourselves turning more to God when problems arise?  Do trials bring you closer to him?  

I know for me, while I am in the midst of a bad situation I go through several different stages.  I feel sorry for myself, I get angry, then I may ask myself why?  Why do bad things have to happen to us?  Maybe they happen to strengthen us, to prepare us for something, to show us that we can.  Because with God's help, we can, and we do, we get through situations that we never thought we could.  

So I will leave you with a favorite verse;

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

What love can do

At bible study we are discussing 1Peter.


This verse was discussed at length.


Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 
1 Peter 4:8

Isn't that a wonderful verse.  Last night we were talking about how we, us puny humans, are capable of loving each other sometimes to the point of blindness.  Once we love someone, it can be pretty hard to make us stop loving them.  They can lie to us, hurt our feelings, just plain walk all over us, and yet we still love them.


I hope that is how much God loves us, so much that nothing we do can stop him from loving us and all he wants for us is to come to him.


Amazing love!  


I have found from personal experience that even when someone I love hurts me, I still love them, and I just want them to make the right choices.  I want them to realize that with God on their side, they will always be OK.  


I imagine that's how God loves us.  He only wants to take care of us, he wants us to come to him, and stay with him.


Love is alive, because God is alive!!

Sunday Scripture

But when he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.  He will not speak on his own, he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.  He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and make it known to you.

John 16:12-14

Peace or Freedom

If someone asked you what you would rather have, peace or freedom?  What would you say?

I was watching a TV show the other night with my daughter and a man was asked that question and it got me thinking, which would you choose?

I thing I would choose peace because with peace comes freedom.  There is something to be said for knowing that no matter what I do my father loves me unconditionally.  Honestly, and completely, UNCONDITIONALLY!

I suppose freedom has a certain appeal to it also.  Who wouldn't love complete freedom?  Freedom to do whatever you wanted with no consequences.  Is there such a freedom?  Doesn't everything have consequences?

Besides that if we have peace, true peace, don't we have freedom also? 



To the Jews who had believed  him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

John 8:31,32

That's true freedom, freedom that comes with peace.

Which one describes you?

In Sunday school this week, we were asked to write down the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear two things.


First was when someone says they are religious.


Second, when someone says they have a personal relationship with Christ.


I have to say that I was a little nervous and wasn't sure I wanted to share my answers with the class but I quickly found out I wasn't the only pessimist in the class.


I would like to say that most of the time, I really give people the benefit of the doubt.  I want to believe them, but I do work with the public and I have been lied to and led astray before.  


Having said that I will say that when someone says to me they are religious, I usually think they are telling me because their religion is better than mine or they are just better at being religious than I am.  But for some reason when someone says they have a relationship with Christ, it makes me think while they may not be perfect they are striving to better their relationship with Christ.  


I wonder why that is, I am sure it's just because of past experiences, but I was curious about what other people might think?  Am I being cynical?  


I will say I know that I am a sinner, probably more of a sinner than most.  I certainly don't think I am any better than anyone else, so please don't think that I think I am any better than anyone else because I KNOW I'm not.  I KNOW!!!!


I thought, or think that God wants us to have a relationship with him.  He wants us to talk to him daily, and I guess when you say "relationship", that makes it sound more personal to me.  Shouldn't we strive to have a personal relationship with God?


Thoughts?

Getting Picked

Last weekend I watched "Letters to God", what a great movie.  Sad, but great!

In the movie, a boy with cancer writes letters to God about all the people that he cares about, and things he wants God to know about them. 


That was his way of communicating with God, he wrote him, while most of us talk to him.  What a great idea.  I have known other people who write things down to pray for but not really anybody that writes letters. 

While that was a really what the movie was about, my favorite thing of the movie was when the little boy looked at his mom, and said, "Mom, you know God picked you.  He picked you to be my mom."

That was the sweetest, most honest thing of the movie! 

Because it is true!  God did pick you, he picked you to be right where you are right now. 

No matter what it is you are going though, just remember you were picked, picked by God.

I was picked to be a caregiver to mom.

A wife to my husband.

A mom to my kids.

A bookkeeper.

A Sunday school teacher.

A friend.

A sister.

All this and more.  And knowing that I was picked for it makes me want to do it all the better!

Loss

This week we lost the sweetest, kindest gentleman from our church.


He would sit in front of me on Sundays and ALWAYS gave me candy.  Always.  It was the littlest thing, but I will never forget it.  It was just one of the ways he was always thinking about everyone else.


Once when we had an ice storm, a lot of people in the community didn't have any power so we all went to the Fellowship hall of the church to eat and stay warm.  He was there cooking and calling everyone he could think of to see if the needed anything.


I will miss Gordon so much!  


He was such a great example of God's love and compassion.  I was blessed to know him.


It is comforting to know that I will see him again, and to know that while we grieve for our loss, we are not alone.  God is right here with us.

The Lord remembers us and will bless us.

He will bless the family of Israel;

he will bless the family of Aaron.

The Lord will bless those who respect him,

from the smallest to the greatest.

Psalm 115:12,13

Precious

Each person, no matter who they are or what they is special.  It can be something remarkable or it may seem like something insignificant, but whatever it is, it makes them special just the same.


We are each unique, and we each bring something to the game.  No matter if you are the person who signs the paychecks, or the person who picks up the trash.  We are all just as important as the other.


There have been times when we have come across people who just give off that vibe that they are more important than you, don't believe it.  


You are special!  We are all special to God!

Because you are precious to me,

because I give you honor and love you,

I will give other people in your place;

I will give other nations to save your life.

Isaiah 43:4