CHANGE

Change is always with us. I began this blog nine years ago on April 6th and wrote then about Change. Today I’m making another Change. I’m taking a long vacation from my blog - probably a permanent vacation. I need to simplify my life and this step will help. It’s a hard decision as I have enjoyed writing my blog and knowing that a few people at least were gaining ideas or even help from the information I shared. 

Nine years is a long time. My life on earth is probably going to end before April 6^th of 2030. I’m looking forward to winding up my days here in meaningful ways and I’m looking forward to eternity in heaven! It will be amazing to spend eternity in the presence of almighty God. If you don’t believe so see my book reviews on books about heaven! (Click on the word heaven in LABELS to the right of this.) Also you can pick any topic any time to read more. The blog will stay on line for another decade I would think!

I hope that my blogs have been true to the heart and mind of God in Christ Jesus. I pray that all who have read my blog will continue to seek God, deepen their faith in Christ and follow his guidance. Don’t miss the blessings of knowing and loving Him.

“This same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches which have been given to us by Christ Jesus.” Phillippians 4:19

Blessings, Dottie

Resurrection Doubt? No, He's Alive!

Christ the Lord has risen! He's alive! Do we believe this? The disciples spent three years with Jesus, living and learning from Him. They saw the healings and miracles and knew He was the Messiah. But they didn't expect Him to die. They witnessed His arrest, trial, and crucifixion, though some ran away and hid. Some helped bury Him. Then they hid together and grieved.

Three days later they saw Him! Can you grasp the surprise, amazement, and yet belief in their voices?  

Mary said, "I have seen the Lord! (John 20:18) She knew it was Him!     

The two men on the road to Emmaus did not recognize Him until He broke the bread and revealed Himself to them. They said, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?" (Luke 24:32) Their hearts burned within them even before they recognized Him. Does your heart burn within you in His presence?

Thomas wouldn't believe the reports of the other disciples until he saw Jesus a week later. Then he said, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28) I imagine he said this with a hushed and humble voice. He may have even bowed before him. Wouldn't you? Do you now?

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most essential doctrine of the church. Any who don't believe this truth are denying Jesus, Christianity and Scripture.  He said He was the Son of God. (Luke 22:70) He said He would rise from the dead. (Luke 18:33) And He did. He said He would return and He will. (Matthew 24:30) What a marvelous faith we have.  

Blessings, Dottie

The Miracle of Christmas!

Christmas is a happy, festive and joyful time. We celebrate Christmas with gifts, fancy meals, family gatherings and we enjoy marvelous, joyful worship. But in the busyness of the season do we miss the holy meaning of Christmas? Do we know what Christmas is really about?

It’s about the greatest miracle of all! The Incarnation of Jesus as a baby. Christ assumed human form in the person of Jesus and is completely God and completely man. The Son of God existed before the world was created. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things came into being through Him and apart from him nothing came into being that has come into being.” (John 1:1-3)

The divine Son of God existed with God and took on his human body in the womb of Mary. He was not the son of Joseph. He was the Son of God. Mary was a virgin and God impregnated her. Can you imagine this?

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Emmanuel, which means, God with us.“ (Matthew 1:23) In this scripture Matthew is quoting from Isaiah 7:14. Scholars for centuries didn’t know this could be taken literally. They were expecting a different kind of Messiah. This is a promise greater than anyone expected. Mary is pregnant with the Son of God!

Angels run all through this holy story. The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and said: ^“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.  He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.  And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” (Luke 1:31-33)

Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:34-35) Have you ever seen an angel?  Can you imagine this happening to a teen-age girl? What an amazing revelation!

When Joseph learned Mary was pregnant he planned to quietly end their relationship. Then an angel appeared to him in a dream and said: “Do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. And you will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21) And Joseph listened and married Mary in spite of what the neighbors must have said.

Another angelic appearance came at the birth of Jesus. An angel appeared to the shepherds and said, “I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior – Yes, the Messiah, the Lord- has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him. You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snuggly in strips of cloth!” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others – the armies of heaven – praising God: “Glory to God in the highest heaven and peace on earth to all whom God favors.” (Luke 2:10-14)

How amazing that must have been for these shepherds to hear the angel’s message and then to see a vast number of angels praising God and announcing the Good News. Can you imagine the awe and wonder of this? Only Almighty God, the King of Kings, Our Holy God would do this. Coming as a baby cost Jesus much. He gave up indescribable power and glory to become one of us.

There were witnesses to all these events and they have been studied and written about and pondered over for centuries. The star that guided the wise men from the East also attests to the divine nature of Jesus. He was both divine and human. He lived on earth, grew up and taught his disciples to love God and follow Him. And he died to save us. And he rose again! The Christmas “story” is the most amazing true story told and it is a TRUE story. It is His Story. Don’t miss this. Ask Jesus into your heart this Christmas.

“Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  Isaiah 9:6

Blessings, Dottie

Two Books about Powerful Praying

I’m including two books in which the authors “hear” God speak to them. I previously reviewed Hearing God in Conversation. Then last year I read the second book which I had some questions about, but it inspired me to pray more so seemed worthwhile for others to read. I reread both of these books this year and they have sparked a deepening in my own prayer life.

Seven Secrets to Powerful Praying: How to Access God’s Wisdom & Miracles Every Day

By Jane Glenchur

A blurb by the author on the back of the book says: “Learning to partner with God is the heart of this book. In so doing, you, too, will develop an intimate relationship with the Lord and experience miraculous answers.” Jane Glenchur writes with wit and wisdom about her practice of praying about every decision no matter how mundane. 

At the beginning of the book she runs to a store to find a good stain remover for carpet in the midst of a household emergency. She kneels to see the stain removers, puts her hand on each one and prays, God, “Is this the one?” Miraculously on the fourth one she hears a voice (two women walking by) saying, “That is the best stain remover.” She bought it and it worked!

Throughout the book Glenchur spells out her prayers in virtually any and every household, family or personal situation and often “hears” God’s voice offering his wisdom. She says his “voice” is always gentle and calm. Over years of experience with this she developed a very deep and personal relationship with God and has experienced many miraculous answers.

Out of the blue one day she heard God saying “Your mother won’t die this year.” Her mother was 88 but healthy, so this puzzled her. Three months later her mother fell and broke her pelvis and her shoulder. Doctors were grim about her recovery and suggested calling a family meeting. She hung on to God’s words and said, “She’ll be OK.” And in a couple of months her mother had recovered and was able to go back to her home.

One of the seven secrets in the book is “Toss the pros and cons lists.” Instead of trying to mentally figure out the best course of action – making lists and poring over the alternatives – She now prays and waits for God’s answer. As a compulsive list maker this impressed me!

The book is divided into three parts: Part 1 Partnering with God, Part 2 Applying the Seven Secrets to Power Praying, and Part 3 Stepping Up to the Next Level

Part 3 includes excellent chapters to guide such as Unmasking Deception, Day to Day Decisions, Praying for the Impossible, Time Management and more.

Using her seven secrets will involve going all in with God, letting go of old ways and surrendering to his instructions. She gives simple steps to manage and to learn to hear God’s voice.

I have questions about some of this though it is hard to argue with her results. Also, in reading this book I was inspired and convicted about needing to spend more time with the Lord. I have been in prayer groups and conferences in which this kind of reliance on prayer lifted up God and glorified him. This is a book to be read and reread and to be put into practice.

Hearing God in Conversation: How to Recognize His Voice Everywhere

By Samuel C. Williamson

Samuel Williamson in his book Hearing God in Conversation affirms the primary importance of hearing from God via Scripture but goes on to encourage believers to cultivate an ear for hearing from God and having conversations with God in a variety of ways. His parents taught him how to hear God and he assumed everyone expected to hear from God directly.

This is an excellent book, true to the Word and also citing the fact that God wants a personal relationship with us. This means we can converse with him daily; we can dialog with God, not just share our thoughts but “hear” (in our minds) from him as well. The author’s convincing unfolding of this idea is inspiring. He weaves his own life stories thorough out as well as citing many biblical examples.

Chapter titles include: The First Time I Heard God’s Voice, Conversation is the Point, How to Recognize the Voice of God, What are Scriptures for?, Brainstorming with God, God Speaks in Our Detours, Hearing God in the Ordinary, God Shouts in His Silence and The God Who Guides and more. He also includes two excellent appendixes Answers to the Arguments and Questionable and Excessive Practices.

Williamson says that sometimes God will nudge us to make a phone call, sometimes we’ll hear a verbal message and sometimes we see a picture. He tells of his grandfather in 1915 seeing red capital letters which spelled the name of a province in China. He prayed and felt called to be a missionary. He lived in that very province for two decades and planted four China inland churches. Pg 31

Williamson notes that God guides us with his voice in conversation but he also carefully orchestrates our lives. There is much good information in this book that can teach us how to hear God in conversation and recognize and better know our mighty God.

“Happy are those who find wisdom, and those who get understanding.” Proverbs 3:13 NRSV

Blessings, Dottie

Seeking God in Silence

Silence is viewed as toxic in our culture. Noise saturates and over stimulates us. Television, cell phones, radio, and computers consume our time and distract our minds. We need silence to slow down and breathe. We need silence to relax our body and soul. We need silence to release our cares and concerns to God.

We must empty our minds and be still. Silence brings us in touch with inner longings and needs. Silence touches our deepest feelings; brings to mind our hurts, angers, frustrations and flaws. We would rather run away from these. Once we face these things and cry out to God we can abide in Him. If silence continues long enough we will face our sins and humble our hearts before God. Then we will sense the sweet presence of God in new ways.

We must be silent to sense His presence. There are spiritual broadcasts that are timeless and eternal but we must tune into these through silence. These broadcasts can easily be jammed. They are heard only in the silence. We need silence during worship to face our sins and sense the presence of God.

Scripture says:

·       “Be still and know that I am God.” (Ps 46:10 NIV)

·       “They who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isa. 40:31 ESV)

·       “My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken.” (Ps. 62:5-6 NASB)

To deepen your relationship with Christ, spend ten minutes or more in silence every day. Commit to taking time for this period of silence and stillness. The longer you do this the more meaningful this time will become.

Father I thank you for your peace in my heart and for your Word and your Spirit. I know your Spirit is in me. Help me rest in you – not wrestle and clench my teeth. Help me relax and yet do what needs to be done. Bless and guide this day. I read 1 Corinthians 13 in the Montgomery translation and it says: “Love knows how to be silent.” We can’t hear you unless we know how to be silent and most of us talk more than we listen. Help me be a better listener. Help me be still and know that you are God. Increase my love, trust, hope, patience and perseverance. Let all I do glorify you.”

“Love knows how to be silent; it is trustful hopeful, patient, enduring.” 

1 Corinthians 13:7-8

Blessings, Dottie

Two Ways Out of A Maze

 I go through times when I feel very confused about myself, about my life, and even about God. It’s as though I’m in a maze and I can’t find my way out. I wander back and forth, in and out, repetitiously looking for answers, looking for a path that will lead me out of the maze. 

           

One day I prayed about this and God showed me two ways to get out of my maze! He showed me that a maze has walls but no ceiling. Someone above me looking down on the maze can tell me how to get out. 


Well, guess what, there is Someone above me! I just have to listen to Him. 

           

God also told me if I jump very high I can jump over the wall of my maze. If I have “A-mazing Grace” I can jump over the wall.  


With God’s love in my heart I do have “A-mazing Grace” and jumping over that wall is fun.

                                                                                                                

Blessings, Dottie

DRIFTING APART

At the beginning of a marriage couples spend hours talking, laughing and enjoying each other.  But that gradually changes.  Life is busy, children take up time and attention and couples drift apart. Drifting apart usually happens very slowly. If it happened suddenly we would notice it more readily; we would react to the change, we would talk about it and work to stop the drift. 

Drift happens when we don’t have enough time together. Couples working different shifts have little time together and often find it difficult to stay connected. Some times drift begins with a disagreement that causes hurt and anger - so much hurt and anger that we shut down. We harden our hearts and become cold to the other person.         

           

Drift also happens when we stop talking about important things. We keep all conversation safe. We talk about the weather, sports, our routines. We talk in cliques. “I’m fine.  How are you?” We avoid controversy. We avoid our feelings. We don’t talk about our hopes or dreams. We never get beyond small talk. 

           

Before we know it the drifting apart becomes a cold war. In an extreme form drifting apart finds us eating meals separately. We pass messages through our children rather than talk to each other. We work late and find other ways to avoid each other. Drifting apart becomes quite serious.

           

To overcome any degree of drifting apart, do the following:

1.  Face issues that started the drifting apart process. If a major disagreement caused your drift you will need to talk about this. If it’s too difficult at first, each person can write out their thoughts about what happened. Later you can share what you’ve written but do so with respect.

           

2.  Face difficult issues by talking about them. Some of us “stuff” our feelings to keep the peace. We can’t connect unless we learn to be open with each other. .  Listen carefully to your partner to understand his or her point of view.  We’re all different and we often hurt each other unintentionally.

           

3.  Make a conscious effort to affirm each other. List all the positives about your relationship. List your partner’s positive traits. Share these with each other. 

           

4.  Make your marriage one of your highest priorities. List the things you enjoyed in the past but have stopped doing. Begin doing them again. Have fun together.                              

We drift away from God in the same way we drift away from our partner.  We’re too busy for prayer or Bible study or worship. We say a brief prayer on the run, telling God we’ll get back to him later. We skip Sunday worship because we’re tired. 

           

Do we really want to know God?  Drifting is serious business. I know, because I drifted far away from God for many years. God waits, wanting to hear from us every day. And he always takes us back.  We miss out on so much when we drift away from God. When we stay close and seek him we feel his presence, receive his guidance and live by his Spirit. We may even feel our hearts burn within us. Have you spent time with God today?

           

Work at the most important relationships. It will be worth it.

Love is Very Patient

Yes, I have blogged all through 1 Corinthians 13. In the process I found this story written about twenty years ago - a true story. I hope my readers enjoy it.

"I'm not a patient person, God," I prayed. "Where do you want me to park?" I was taking a bulk mailing to the downtown Post Office before my first appointment at 9:30 a.m. I circled the Post Office twice; then prayed as I went around the third time. There it appeared, smack in front of the Post Office, an empty parking space—to my relief and surprise! Dropping my nickel in the meter I quietly thanked God.

                   

At the bulk mailing window a clerk checked my form almost immediately. The price had gone up requiring extra postage. The clerk calculated the amount and told me to meet him at the front window.

                   

I walked around to the front window and groaned inwardly at the sight of a line. An elderly man slouched in front of one window. A middle aged woman, in the process of being helped, stood at the second window. A young woman waited behind the rope as required. I took my place behind the young woman. The clerks, while friendly and cheerful, were very slow. 

I thought again, patience is not one of my virtues. "Pray without ceasing" (I Thess. 5:17), my Bible verse for the week, popped into my mind. It seemed impossible to carry out. "I want to learn to stay continually in your presence, God. Help me feel your presence here in this post office," I prayed without much conviction.

Then I glanced at the wall behind the clerks and astonishment filled my heart. Three large posters of LOVE stamps filled the wall. I felt God's presence three times: God in three persons, LOVE, LOVE, and LOVE! Along with His LOVE I absorbed some of His patience. My turn came before I knew it. I had plenty of time to get to my 9:30 appointment.

"Love is very patient" (I Cor. 13:4) is my verse for next week.  I think I'll buy some LOVE stamps soon.  

Love Extravagantly

1 Corinthians 13:13 “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

The Message says:  “But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.”

Until perfection comes, until Completeness arrives, until Jesus returns we can focus on three things.

Faith: As Christians we have faith in God as revealed in Christ Jesus and in His Word. He has revealed his character as holy, eternal, gracious, loving, and trustworthy.

Hope: Our hope is in the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the one and only God who will reign forever, and ever.

Love: We love because he first loved us and revealed his love in Christ Jesus. He taught extravagant love in his death on the cross for us. We are commanded to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love others as we love ourselves. The greatest gift, the greatest way to live is to love extravagantly.

Lord, grow us in loving as you love – extravagantly.

Our Vision is Blurred

 Corinthians 13:11-12 “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

 

The Message says: “When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good. We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!”

Paul compares his understanding of things as a child with his maturity as a man. Then he notes our limitations. He compares our limited earth-bound, self-bound perspective as humans with how clearly we will see and understand God and know God in the life to come. Now our vision of God and of life is blurred, but when Perfection comes we will see, know and understand Him. We will see Him face-to-face just as clearly and fully as God sees and knows us.

Father God, this is sobering and exciting. We are so limited now. We need to remember this and be humble in all we say and do. We need to lean on You for guidance – since we’re living in a fog. In spite of our blurred vision we see our future through the mist.

The future is thrilling! We will see You and know You face to face!

Without Love - I Am Nothing

1 Corinthians 13:2 “If I have the gift of prophesy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have faith to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. NIV

The Message says: “If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, ‘Jump,’ and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing.”

This is sobering, Lord. If I speak your Word with power, – but I speak your Truth without love, I am nothing? I am useless? Even if I understand all mysteries and all knowledge – even if I know and understand more than Einstein knew or more than a top theologian knows – I am of no use without love. Even with faith—strong, powerful and amazing faith that moves mountains of unbelief – this is useless, without LOVE. You are LOVE with capital letters.

It’s clear—I am nothing without YOU! Help me live this today.

Blessings, Dottie