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Showing posts from September, 2011

Fast Driving in the Bible?!?

Ever have problems getting your kids/teens to take a real interest in the Bible?  Start reading in the book of II Kings.  Oh, the drama!  Intrigue!  Wild drivers.  Fast cars -- uh, chariots!!   Murder.  Mayhem.  Conspiracy theories. Medical mysteries.  Makeup and hairstyles?!?  Well, it's all condensed in the first few chapters of II Kings and corresponding chapters in II Chronicles.  If all that's in the first few chapters of these books,  imagine what's in the rest of the Bible! I have trouble interesting my teen sons in going to church with me or having anything to do with anything they think might be associated with church, such as youth group.  Although this I don't understand -- they have no problem hanging out with me and my single friends from church during our activities.  The boys' dad is Catholic, which is probably why they want nothing to do with my Baptist faith.  However, when I sit at the table doing my Bible study I can mention things in the Bible

Felled by a Spider's Web

I was trying to decide what to write about this week, praying and asking God to give me wisdom.  On the way to work this morning the sun struck a spider's web by the side of the road and the drops of dew glistened and made the web shine.  I wished I had time to pull over and get a photo, and decided I would sit outside soon and shoot some pictures of webs in my own yard. Because of circumstances I was running late going to lunch today.  I was walking at a fast pace down the sidewalk to my car when I unexpectedly came up on a spider's web.  I love to look at them but I really don't like pulling the mess out of my hair, so I dodged to the side.  Sure enough I tripped and hit the asphalt parking lot next door on all fours!  I was annoyed and a bit humiliated (but I don't think anyone saw me -- I hope).  I got up, brushed myself off and went on my way.  I didn't get far down the road when I started laughing and realized that's exactly what I was supposed to write

God Supplied Her Needs -or- The Right People in the Right Place at the Right Time

I am taking a Precepts class by Kay Arthur with some women in my church, and we are studying the book of II Kings.  I am brand new to the Precepts way of study, but am finding it so helpful and rewarding.  If you ever get a chance to do one of these studies, I highly recommend it.  This evening I was reading in II Kings 8:1-6 .  To recap, Elisha the prophet told the Shunamite woman (of II Kings 4:8-37 ) to pack up her household and go stay temporarily someplace else, because God was going to bring a seven year famine on the land of Israel.  The Shunamite woman heeded the warning of Elisha and went to live in the land of the Philistines.  At the end of the seven years, she and her family came home and she went to the king of Israel (Jehoram) to petition him for the return of her land.  Now at this time Gehazi, the servant of Elisha (see II Kings 5:20-27 ), was asked of king Jehoram to tell all of the great things that Elisha had done.  While Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had

BOOK REVIEW: Has God Spoken?

Has God Spoken? Proof of the Bible's Divine Inspiration By:  Hank Hanegraaff Published by Thomas Nelson Publishers Copyright 2011 Have you ever wondered whether or not God REALLY spoke the Bible into being?  What types of proofs are there?  Can it really be proven? What about all the evidence to the contrary?  Using the acronym M-A-P-S in his book Has God Spoken? , Mr. Hanegraaff (also known as the Bible Answer Man) puts forth massive amounts of evidence that yes, God really did speak to us through the Bible.  Here's a sneak peek:  the M in M-A-P-S stands for Manuscript C-O-P-I-E-S, each letter broken down into sub chapters such as Copyist Practices, Oral Culture, Papyrus and Parchment, Internal Evidence, External Evidence and Science of Textual Criticism.  Mr. Hanegraaff goes in depth in all areas, for instance citing under External Evidence the works of Flavius Josephus (the Jewish history), Cornelius Tacitus (born twelve or so years after Christ's death and kno

Fear Not! For I Am With Thee

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness."   Isaiah 41:10 Isaiah 40 and 41 speak of the greatness of God and the weakness of man.  Although God is speaking directly to the Israelites in these passages, these chapters more broadly speak to all mankind.  Since the New Testament, these promises of God apply to everyone who professes Christ as their Lord and Saviour.  Today, 9/11/11, I am feeling the need of refreshment through God's promises.  But before the promises can be fully realized and appreciated, it is important to know Who God is.  Sometimes I feel that we as a whole try to see God as we would see another man, therefore limiting His infinite power.  We cannot move mountains, so how could God possibly move mountains?  We cannot create the earth, or the universe, or something from nothing.  So we place these same limitations o

Remembering September 11, 2001

A nation attacked.  Stunned silence.  Tears flowing unchecked.  Silent gasps for breath.  Eyes that cannot blink or be torn from the screen, lest something is missed.  Frantic e-mails sent to assure of the safety of family and friends.  Fears that other, closer areas of our nation will be attacked.  We live near a major Air Force base... Waiting.  Watching.  Hoping.  Praying.  Please, God!  Protect us and keep us from further harm!  Sitting on the couch with my young sons after the work and school day was over.  Having to explain to them what happened.  How do you explain what is going on to your children?  How do you protect them from what is happening to your country?  To the world?  You hold them close as you cry, knowing that you cannot protect them.  Nothing is ever under our own control... For so long we in America have been shielded from this type of terror, while we have watched it happening in the world.  We live in America!  This isn't supposed to happen here!  That

I Thank Thee

Not too long ago I found this poem in the fly leaf of one of my grandmother's Bibles.  Unfortunately I don't know who the author might be. I THANK THEE I Thank Thee, God, for gifts so free Unmerited bestowed on me, Though men not knowing call me poor, These are the gifts I thank Thee for: A Mother's love while in my youth, A Father's honesty and truth, A faith in Thee whate'er befall, A trust that seeth good in all, A hope as long as there is breath, A life that endeth not with death, A Friend sincere bound fast by love, A God of mercy up above; No man on earth could call me poor And know the gifts I thank Thee for. ~ Unknown What have you found in the Bibles of your relatives?  What are you leaving behind for others to find in your Bible? Reese

Preparing for the Future

Four times in recent days it has been impressed on me from various sources that we are to let go of the past, leave it behind, and press forward.  Once was at the Women of Faith Conference in Atlanta, once was at church, once was through Turning Points Magazine's September issue, and once was through a Christian novel.  To directly quote the novel, "The past is part of who we are. It formed us and shaped us and brought us to this place, but it does not define us. What defines us now, in this moment, is our relationship with God, our desire to serve Him and our pursuit of His will.  We must let go of what was if we are going to embrace what is." 1     I have to admit there are things in my past I am not proud of that have definitely shaped who I am today.  God forgave me and put it behind Him the instant I asked His forgiveness.  But I forgot that and took a long time to forgive myself.  After I have taken care of my past I can look toward the future.  You know, the fu