For a reason…

“Everything happens for a reason” continued….

More than likely it wasn’t when someone bought a car or house. Also likely wasn’t used for congratulating on an achievement. The reason for good happening comes from the individual so an exterior causation isn’t needed. We take credit for the good.

It’s interesting that when something unfortunate or negative happens that’s when we say “everything happens for a reason”. Which has truth to it, good can be birthed from a tragedy. However, we don’t want to see our part in something that happens which is not in accordance with our expectations. Those instances we are more likely to send that credit outside ourselves. Not to say necessarily that it’s our fault why all bad happens but to parallel that a statement, that uses an absolute, isn’t applied to all scenarios.

How about the word “reason” in this saying? When telling someone there is a reason for why this happened, how is that going to bring about solace in what could be an already confusing time? Who or what could determine such a reason?….

Reason:

: a statement offered in explanation or justification

: a rational ground or motive

: the thing that makes some fact intelligible : CAUSE

: a sufficient ground of explanation or of logical defense

Life eternal

What is the greatest gift someone could give you?

”For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:“
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

”For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.“
‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Giving one’s life for another is the greatest gift anyone could ever give. Jesus gave his life that through his sacrifice all who believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Accept this free gift of God.

Letter to a friend

How fleeting happiness is in the world. We seek it constantly through others who let us down, through material with luster that dimmers soon after acquiring, or substances that are the ticket to a rollercoaster of emotions. I went through it all and tried it all with the hopes that the feeling of fulfillment would finally be felt. As if a single experience or object could cause a permanent change. There is one person who can, one whose single action of love can change lives once it’s realized. My life changed once I accepted and believed that Jesus Christ died for me, as he did for everyone, so that our sins can be forgiven and by following Him anyone can find the path to true life and eternal joy. This is something I never saw coming but once it happened this world feels more real and meaningful. Who I was wasn’t who I wanted to be I just didn’t know any other way or how to change. If you want change, know we can’t do it on our own. All this hurt and strife doesn’t have to be for nothing. Jesus doesn’t necessarily change our situations but he changes our perspective to give us hope through any circumstances. I pray that you take a chance and seek Jesus to see what I’m talking about.

”And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.“

John 1:46 KJV

Purging

How do you manage screen time for yourself?

This is a topic that has been on my mind a lot lately. How much time I spend on my phone, scrolling endlessly, and for what? Hidden agendas, mysterious answers, and wondrous stories of others. What am I looking for? Why am I spending time scrolling through others lives instead of living my own?

I think it’s used as a form of escape. Don’t have to think about anything in particular, just scrolling and feeling stimulation of what is going on in the virtual world. Living vicariously through watching others do what I would like to, then put the phone down and ask why? Is that the problem? Constantly coveting what others have or do. Can one truly live vicariously through another without the feeling of jealousy?

To be honest, all that I think about as reasons why I shouldn’t be scrolling should be reason enough to purge myself of social media. Time to unplug and focus on my life. Bettering myself and my story. No need for outside validation that rarely comes anyway. If someone wants to see or is wondering what I’m doing, come see or call me.

Who knows?

What will your life be like in three years?

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”
‭‭James‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬-‭16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Want to make God laugh? Tell him your plans. -anonymous

Child of the Most High

What does it mean to be a kid at heart?

Why does the Bible call those who follow God, a child of God? Yes, one aspect of course is if you are following God and calling Him, Father, that would make us children. Also, gentiles are adopted in and ñ, in most cases, children are adopted. However, in the book of Matthew Jesus tells His disciples that “except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven”. Since we aren’t Benjamin Button, what does that mean?

What are common characteristics of children? One is inquisitive. Children are always asking questions, most seem unnecessary, but are constantly trying to understand the world around them. Another is dependence. They need guidance, nurturing, and support from their parents or parental figures. The third is involvement. Children love to be involved with learning new things or getting in groups together to play. These characteristics are not implied to every child, nor does every child possess all of these combined, but most possess at least one of these.

Why would God want us to possess these qualities?

Let me try to answer this another way. What trait would hinder one from possessing these qualities? Or what is the antithesis to them? I would have to say pride. Pride is most likely to stop one from asking the simplest, and sometimes the most important, questions. Pride makes one believe they can accomplish anything and that they do not need anyone or anything else in their life to help them. Lastly, pride can alienate one from others. Very few can measure up to a prideful persons standards. Relationships crumble under the weight of their expectations. This is the one of the main reasons God wants His followers to be as little children.

God does not want us to act like children, but in our heart, look to Him as a Father. To continually ask Him questions and seek His truth. To lean on Him when life gets hard or we feel lost. To be open to others and to show them the love that our Father shows us.

I believe this is also one of the reasons Jesus says: “For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”Luke‬ ‭18‬:‭25‬ ‭KJV‬‬. A person with wealth is not likely to look to God for guidance. The comforts of their wealth will blind them from the need to turn to God.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

The same way children are told to treat their earthly parents also applies to how we should treat our Heavenly Father. By doing so our lives will last beyond our time here on earth. This is what it means to me to remain a kid at heart and why it is advised in the Bible. Stay humble, Glory be to God.

“At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Pride goeth before destruction, And an haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“When pride cometh, then cometh shame: But with the lowly is wisdom.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: Though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭11‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:” 1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Malachi 3:11-18

“And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.” Malachi 3:11-12 KJV

Going back to the previous three verses of Malachi, we read that God told the Israelites to test him, in that if they are generous with their tithes and offerings, He will “open you the window of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it”. The promise of His rewarding is continued into the next two verses. God promises the Israelites that He will protect their fruits of their ground from the “devourer” and that their fruits would also not fall to the ground “before the time in the field”. In the world at this time, farming was of huge importance and a focal point of worries. We can reference back to Genesis, when Joseph went from prisoner to ruler because he (with the help of God) prophesied through the pharaohs dream about a coming seven years of bountiful harvest followed by a seven year famine. Because of this, they stored up plenty of crops to not only provide for their people but also to sell to others and amass great wealth. These days it’s rarely a thought, in most people’s mind, about the harvest and threats to crops, unless something happens and we are told the prices are going to skyrocket. However, in these verses God promises that their fruits will be protected from destruction or falling to the ground too early.

Because of this promise for abundant harvest, God says that “nations shall call you blessed and a delightsome land. A nation with a bountiful harvest will be looked on as prospering because its people will be fell fed and again gain wealth from trade. The Hebrew word for blessed is āšar (aw-shar) which means to go straight on, advance, make progress, and to pronounce or be made happy. A city with a bountiful harvest in that time would be made happy, whether or not the glory is given to God would depend if they are advancing straight with the Spirit.

How can this be interpreted for Christians today?

I believe this is best explained in Galatians 5: 16-24 where its said:

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 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. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 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. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

The works of the flesh are the actions when we are focused on being generous to ourselves and our own desires of the flesh. On the other hand, the works of the Spirit are manifested through the overflowing of the fruits that harvested by one that is grounded in the Spirit. One that is filled with kindness over envy, peace over fits of anger, love or divisions, and faithfulness over idolatry, is one that through the overflowing of these virtues is more inclined to being generous to others with their time, talents, and treasures. I believe the outpouring of the Spirit becomes a cycle of giving and receiving. Where through these selfless acts walking in the Spirit, which is against the flesh, the Spirit continues to rebuke the devourer, which is the flesh.

Is there a “thorn in your side” or desire of the flesh that is difficult to overcome?

Or

What is something you do to ensure you are advancing with the Spirit?

““Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’””

In these verses (13-15) I believe God is specifically targeting a work of the flesh which is envying and jealousy. I was wondering why both of these words were used in verses of Galatians. Jealousy which is: a jealous disposition, attitude, or feeling hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage. Envying which is: painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage. As you can see these words are synonyms that both are used to show actions that are caused by ones feeling of what another has. These actions in and of themselves are works of the flesh, that are manifested by ones desire for what they have and not grateful for what God has given them. Think about how God must be grieved when his children want what someone else’s kids have? Can you relate?

“Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.” Malachi 3:16-18 ESV

In ESV the word “spoke” is used: which is the Hebrew word dābar (daw-bar) that means to speak, declare, converse, warn, threaten, or sing. and in John MacArthurs bible it refers to Deuteronomy 6: 6-7 where its written: “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

However, in the KJV version, its written as “spake” and my KJV bible references this to Hebrews 3:13: “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

These two different refernces used in different versions of the Bible create an interesting point. That we should fight against these works of the flesh in two ways: 1. By teaching them to our kids consistently and 2. Exhorting each other: to console, to encourage and strengthen by consolation, to comfort.

What are ways you have worked to fight against the flesh?

Participation in this fight against the flesh is I believe the process of sanctification. God notices those that are in the fight and writes them in the “ book of remembrance”. Those that are written in this book will be remembered in verses 17-18: ““They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.”

Here, it says that those who battle against the flesh shall be spared in the day God raises up His people or “treasured possession” and spare them from His judgement. “In the day” and “once more” is showing the day the Lord Jesus Christ returns and judges the righteous from the unrighteous will be the final example of those who served God and those who did not.

Father, thank you for bringing us together and showing us The Way. Thank you for giving us others who help us through this hard battle of sanctification, especially Your Son Jesus who leads us in this fight. I pray Father that you continue to strengthen each of us so that we can extend the overflowing of Your Spirit to others and build them up when they need it. I pray that we can continue to express our hope for the day of Your return, which brings more, as its said in Matthew 25, to the right side which will inherit Your Kingdom, for Your Glory. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

My faith

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

When I think of “most people”, I picture people I haven’t met yet. I pray that anyone who meets me, after we have departed, they know that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior, that He loves them, and so do I. If you read this, now you know. God bless

Malachi 3: 8-10

Malachi 3:8-10

“Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

In verse 8, Malachi is explaining to the Israelites that by withholding the proper tithes and offerings, they are robbing God of what is rightfully His. We read in chapter 1 that they have been corrupting God’s table by offering the lame and the sick of their livestock. The robbing of tithes probably means they withhold more than what they could give to feed the priests and the poor. Because of this, they are cursed with a curse and not just those Malachi is speaking to but the entire nation. I believe the curse is their connection to the material which is a barrier to the fullness of a relationship with God. God hardens their hearts and give them over to their disobedience. The Israelites are then challenged to return onto the Lord to fight against this connection and told to bring more and fill the storehouse to test God that He won’t shower them in return with abundance, to the amount that they won’t have room to store it all.

Questions these verses raise:

How can we relate these verses to ourselves today? Can a Christian be seen as robbing God, and if so how? Is there a requirement for what is the proper amount a Christian should tithe (the 10% rule)? What does God promise in return for those who cheerfully give?

When I read these verses in Malachi, I thought of Matthew 25: 31-46 in which Jesus states: “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”

I don’t believe these verses should be taken as, if one does not fulfill all of these that they will be thrown into darkness but that through ones faith some of these actions shall be done and if there is a complete absence then one should question the current state of their faith.

But how should we give? I believe this is answered in 2 Corinthians 9: 6-8.

This is saying that we should give what we deem appropriate. The purpose of this, I believe, is to show what ones faith deems “appropriate”. At times, if we step out of our “comfort zone” in these areas, the results may be a growth in faith that couldn’t have been predicted prior.

Beyond the aspect of material, I believe that what is most important is the giving of ourselves to the Lord. This is explained through the chapters 11 and 12 of Romans where Paul states such as: It is because of the hardening of Israelites hearts, which was outwardly shown by what is explained in Malachi(Romans 11:7-10), that the Gentiles are brought in(Rms 11:11-12). Being brought in, we should sacrifice our worldly mindset (Rms 12:1:2) That God cares more for how we act, through acts of charity which are of gifts of grace: ( 6-8), and our personal works which are marks of the true Christian and these are explained through the succeeding chapters. (Romans 13:1,8,10; 14:1,13,22; 15:1,8,13)

How had God rewarded you through an act of faith?

It is through the continuance of these acts of faith that in return God showers us in abundance of life now. It is not these acts that get us into heaven but enriched our lives here on earth. Remember tho what is said in Matthew 7:22-23, and it is not by our works are we saved, faith in Jesus Christ, who died in the cross for our sins and raised for our justification.

Father,

Thank you for showing us the path to true life. I pray that you continue to empower us to show others love in the same way that you have showed each of us. That through these acts of love your Kingdom is spread and magnified through each person that we meet. Fill us with the spirit each day so that we can walk in the light, a light that is desperately needed in this world that seems to be getting darker by the day. Help us to submit to you each day that we may be able, through You, to guide others out of the darkness and into Your glorious light. We pray for strength, we pray for love, and we pray for endurance in all these things until the day of Your return. Amen.

Matthew 7:22-23

Matthew 25: 37-43

Matthew 25: 14-30 parable of the talents

Romans 11-15

Malachi 3:6

“For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” Malachi 3:6 KJV

“now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.” Exodus 32:10-14 KJV

The first verse I was led to by my word study Rabbitt hole, Exodus 32:10, brings into question the two main points of our verse from Malachi. Does God change, or is he able to change? And what does this verse mean by “not consumed”?

Change: Hebrew word šānâ pronounced “shaw-naw” means to repeat, do again, change, or alter.

Consume: Hebrew word Kālâ pronounced “kaw-law” means to consume, end, fail, be complete, or be at an end.

“My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: And meddle not with them that are given to change:” Proverbs 24:21 KJV

Do you believe that God repented of His “evil which he thought to do unto his people”? Can God do evil?

The first aspect is, has or can God change?. The second aspect of Malachi 3:6 is the word consumed, which used in the verse from Exodus seemingly means destroy. However another meaning of the word is “left” or to be finished, completed or done with. What if God changed and was done with the sons of Jacob? Could God change his mind on who His chosen people are and move on? Back to the verse from Exodus it seems as if He almost did. God was ready to consume or destroy Israel and make a new nation thru Moses but God altered His decision back to what was the original design, so did God change?

There’s times when we may go back on things we’ve said, and those times are usually labelled as “moments of weakness”. Does God have a weakness? Can God be vulnerable enough to say something He doesn’t mean and have to actually repent? Or does He simply display his ability to make a point more profound? That He can change, God is after all God and if His mind “changes” who would know? His understanding is beyond ours and His meaning so deep that who would be able to decipher if He actually changed what he meant all along? Who would actually stand to make such a claim anyway?

Back to the point that could be made so profound through the verse from Exodus. This exchange occurred after Moses was on the mount with God longer than the people of Israel’s patience, they changed their mind about God and made a Golden Calf to worship. They left their God, who parted a sea to bring them out of bondage, and decided to worship a golden baby cow.

Now, if God chose Israel to be His people but they instead chose to serve a cow, Can God be blamed for creating a new nation? Is that repaying evil for evil, or is that allowing free will? If God created a new nation through Moses who is an Israelite, wouldn’t this new nation continue to be Israel? What is potentially changing? Seems that God is cutting off a branch that chose to serve another.

Back to our verse in focus for today, Malachi 3:6. “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”

I believe that this verse is saying that God doesn’t change therefore He will not leave or forsake the sons of Jacob. It doesn’t have to do with consume through wrath. When I hear this consumed I picture being consumed by sin. That if God exited and the only true light is gone, then darkness will consume. “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” John 1:5 KJV. Before being saved by Christ I can remember being consumed by such darkness, that at times, felt there wasn’t an end to the abyss. The thoughts I had, but what stopped me from the almost unthinkable? God. Even when I didn’t know Him, He was there keeping me from utter, endless darkness.

“Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?” Malachi 3:7 KJV

God doesn’t change and he will never leave us. “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Joshua 1:5 KJV.

“That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.” Ecclesiastes 3:15 ESV. God will provide and all He asks of us is to follow Him.

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 ESV

How often I think of something I have done and how God can’t forgive me. Or that because of x I could lose my salvation. I believe that through this verse it may be shown that the only way one can lose their salvation is if they choose to stop following Christ. You could even build a golden cow and start worshipping it for a time (not a get out of jail free card or an excuse to go rumspringa) but as long as one repents, God is unchanging and there for whoever freely chooses to return to Him.

Father, Thank you for your steadfast love and mercy. Thank you for being the unchanging God, our Rock, our Savior that whosoever chooses to believe in thee shall not perish but have everlasting life. Thank you for your word and all the unchanging promises that bring encouragement, hope and joy. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.