Tag: discernment

Posted in Christian, Life Inspiration, Praise, Purpose, Word of God

Praise God the Spirit Lives in Me!

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on Praise God the Spirit Lives in Me!

When I say “I am of the opinion.” I most certainly have an opinion. A strong one. But God forbid that it doesn’t line up with His. This is my struggle. While I pray I’m always open to His leading to get me on track, I am more than aware of my human nature and the probability that I could be wrong. So doubt is an easy emotion for someone to prey on. My issues with opinion concerns are generally over things that I am very passionate about, and when someone strikes against my opinion in a way that makes me feel less than intelligent because I have my very strong opinion, my struggle goes deeper.

Knowing what I know about spiritual struggles, I’ll go to the only One who can set me straight. The Word and the Spirit of God.

The Protector of my Mind

Ephesians 6:17 KJVS
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

As a young girl I had a vivid imagination as one might imagine. One of the story lines that I continually fabricated in my mind was that of being a young girl of stature. One with “people.” Advisors and protectors that surrounded me because people wanted to know what I had to say. That probably seems strange for a young girl to think in that way, but as I have previously noted on the Jesus Chick site, my hopes and aspirations as a young girl was to be a speaker. Not a singer, or a person of fame, but a person who people wanted to listen to because I had something to say. God allowed that vision to come true in a different way, not one of stature in this world, but one of a notable position in Heaven.

When salvation came, and the Holy Spirit began living in me and through me, I had a confidence and a wisdom that was never in the fabric of my make up until then. I continued to struggle with the difference between confidence and arrogance. I loathed arrogance. It was that attitude from others that made me feel less, and I determined in my heart that if I was ever allowed to be “somebody” in the Kingdom of God, I’d never make anyone feel less. No where in the scripture is an attribute of God arrogance, confidence, yes.

As years turned into decades my experience with the Word of God and the Spirit of God was a familiar friend. Wisdom came from His Word, Understanding came from the Spirit. Clarity of subject matters came from His Word, guidance, purpose and the ability to discern and teach the Word of God came from the Spirit. That Sword helped me fight the battles I had from worldly attacks on my mind, and they were many.

The Piercer of my Soul and Spirit

Hebrews 4:12 KJVS
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

My youngest daughter calls me often asking for advice, telling me that I am her moral compass. She too has a passion that sometimes gets her in trouble. Mostly her mouth. I can advise her because she didn’t get it from anyone strange and I have more practice. But the Word and the Spirit are my go to’s. As I faced this current battle, I cried out to God asking for His wisdom. Asking Him to shield me from the flesh that had tears in my eyes and a clinched fist. Spiritual fights are every bit as real as the physical.

I knew the intent of my heart was not prove someone wrong and me right. I wanted only to know the truth. I wanted the doubt gone that had cast a shadow over the Spirit in my life, accusing me of a mind’s lie, not the Holy Spirit’s speaking. I was angry for God. And I felt the Word of God piercing my soul and Spirit. “You know it’s Me Shari.”

John 10:27 KJVS
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

In John’s scripture, he tells of the religious Jews desiring to stone Jesus. They accused Him of blaspheme because He dare say He was God. They did not believe He was God and thought only they knew the truth. That is arrogance at its finest.

The Property of God

Romans 8:9 KJVS
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Just as the anger and tears welled up on me today, the peace of God has just overwhelmed my soul in this brief study. The Word is an unchanging guide that backs up what the Spirit reveals to me. The Spirit speaks just as the Word does. If others have not experienced the Spirit in the same manner as I have, that is between them and God, I judge no one on their relationship with God.

1 Corinthians 2:11 KJVS
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

Only I can know what I feel. And only God knows what He reveals to any man or how He works through any man.

I sat in a completely full 2,000 seat theatre in Lancaster, Pennsylvania this week watching “Moses.” A live theatre performance. I was in full judgement mode in a comedic way inside my mind, trying to determine what denomination I believed some of the people to be by the way they dressed, spoke and acted. I sat with my bestie Gloria on one side and to the other side was a woman I believed to be Apostolic because her hair was up and she wore a skirt. To the other side of Gloria was a man that could have been a member of any church, just your average Joe. Behind us was a group of gossiping, complaining, judgmental women that clearly enjoyed their time of sharing the failures of their family, another from any church USA. In front of us was a family that I’m not sure they even went to church because they made no mention of it, and were enjoying their family outing. In front of them was a woman that caused me to remember a sermon that Walter Truss preached at Victory Baptist about a Pentecostal woman in his previous church, for which the Bishop called out because her bosoms were falling out. I said all that to say this. I know nothing about how the Spirit dealt with any one of them as they watched the story of Moses play out. But I know how the Spirit dealt with me. I am chosen. I am that voice for God that I longed to be as a child. He is my Protector, my Piercer, and I am His Property. No man knows what the Spirit does in me, but I sure do.

Questions or comments? Find me on Facebook, message me at (304)377-6036 or talk2shari@gmail.com.

Posted in Life Inspiration, Uncategorized, Word of God

It’s Spiritually Discerning

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on It’s Spiritually Discerning

I will not say it has been an easy transition to News Publisher. Staying focused on spiritual things is difficult when my focus is on the things of world much of the time. Listening to other news sources, listening to my community, listening to heartaches and struggles, it’s a bit overwhelming at times. 

So, with that being said, as I sat in church yesterday and the Spirit was just pouring the blessings down upon me as I listened to the Word of God being taught and preached, I thought about conversations I’d had with God recently. They were random to say the least. I have an ongoing daily conversation with the Lord that is filled with apologies for my failures, goofy prayers over food like “please Lord, let something in this candy bar be nutritious for my body,” and “God, Lucky Charms has 9 essential vitamins and minerals in it, so surely eating it twice a day and sometimes three for meals isn’t bad, and please don’t let the marshmallows kill me.” This is not my finest hour as a child of God or a writer. But it’s what’s on my heart today. 

I wonder if the Apostle Paul had a Lucky Charms kind of day when he was making tents? I’m doubting it. Listen to the wisdom in his words to the Corinthians: 

1 Corinthians 2:12-14 

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. ¶ Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The Apostle Paul was God’s News Reporter. He was tasked with the job of listening to the world and discovering their issues, then listening to God for the wisdom of life, and then relaying that message in a manner that could be applied by the people. And that became the Good News that we are gifted today by the Holy Spirit of God through His Bible. 

So the reason I speak about the transition to publisher as not being easy, is because I have a rough time shutting out the world and allowing the Spirit to speak to me. I really don’t understand how the unsaved keep their sanity when I struggle with it as a child of God who has my very own 24 hour a day Counselor, Keeper and Friend.

Freely Given Facts

I promised myself and God that when I began www.Ridgeviewnews.com, I would publish only the truth. If it was opinion I would label it as such and I would stand accountable to God for it all. Paul’s words reminded me that the Spirit that is in me is not of this world, and the things that I have been “freely given,” are not received by those who don’t know Christ. There is a discernment that is accessible to every child of God that when we receive information, the Holy Spirit will alert us with what we need to do with that information. But our conversations with God have to be about more than candy bars and lucky charms. 

Right now I have a very serious issue with a family member in another country. I have a hard time following news about this country and caring what happens to it’s people. And then I hear the Spirit of God say “look at this group of people in that country. They belong to me, and they care.” And that causes me to care. 

I get frustrated with the people in my community because it seems there are many who have their heads stuck in the sand and have no idea of what’s going on around us, and the Spirit reminds me that “Satan is after them, and he has many of them on a line and hook destined for Hell unless a child of God reminds them that they need Christ.” And then God reminds me of the blessed place I’m in that teaches and preaches the gospel and it’s a fact that I am privileged to hear. That wisdom prevents me from falling to the worlds devices. Yes I get side tracked on Lucky Charms and candy bars but the gift that Christ left us of His Holy Spirit is such an amazing valuable possession. It prevents me from falling to the wiles of the Devil that would have me going out into the world unprepared for the wickedness that would destroy the peace in my heart. Another fact that we have as children of God. Peace. And that my friend with the craziness going on in this is worth more than anything this world has to offer.  Satan cannot touch it unless we allow him to. Glory! Thank You Jesus for the Spirit of God that keeps me sane! 

Posted in Evangelism, Faith, Fear

How to Survive Today

Written by talk2shari Published Discussion Leave a Comment on How to Survive Today

I could feel the panic in her request this morning on Facebook. A mother’s plea for prayer for her child as the new school year finally began. It was genuine. Not the passive plea as many do, who almost think of God as a Jeanie in a bottle. The unseen enemy of this nation right now isn’t only the coronavirus. As a matter of fact, that’s the lesser of the worries for our children. People are not even aware of most of the enemies that threaten our children every day. 

Satan has managed to either close the church or diminish attendance to less than half in most churches across the land. And yet few people have stopped shopping. The virus isn’t allowed at a riot, but it thrives on a meeting of the righteous. Give me a break. Am I concerned about our children starting school? Yes, but not because of the virus, but because of what the virus and the unrest in America have unleashed. Now is not the time to be fearful and unknowledgeable about the world we live in. 

It’s easy to get sucked into the wormhole of fear that media creates. I’ve worn that t-shirt more than once. The only way that I have found to live outside of fear is stay in the word of God and believe in His sovereignty over my life. I believe in washing your hands and staying out of spittin’ distance of folks. Other than that, I’ll leave the rest to God. 

Don’t Tire in Telling

Hebrews 5:11-14 KJVS

[11] Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 

I can feel the frustration of the writer of Hebrews when he says they are “dual of hearing.” Because our nation is the same. The Nation (as a whole) has turned a deaf ear to the gospel as if it’s powerless, when in reality it is a universal power for all who read and listen. It will give us the guidance we need to face Covid-19, to disprove the slanderous lies of the media and not cower to the wicked powers that would have us living in fear. The wicked know that a fearful world is not one that can convince anyone that their opinion is worth having. If we live in fear and say nothing, we’ve said plenty on behalf of the enemy. 

Don’t grow weary of telling the world about the greatness of our Lord and then power in His word.

Don’t Tire in Teaching

[12] For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. [13] For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

The world needs to see real, godly leadership. 

I have been chomping at the bits to get back in the classroom to teach. I missed it! The time that I spend preparing for Wednesday Biblical Studies Classes and Sunday School Classes gave me purpose and drive for the gospel. When that part of church ceased, part of my drive went with it. I could easily see how people can turn back into babies in need of being coddled. It’s much easier to let others do the work. 

But the more we study the word, and teach other’s about Christ, the more wisdom we receive from Heaven. The world needs to see godly leaders who are able to discern the difference between right and wrong thinking and provide the evidence of it through the word of God. It’s like building a wall around a city and taking care of our community. But when the world sees Christians living in as much fear as the lost, it undermines and tears down the walls that have been build by leaders going before us. 

Don’t Tire of the Truth

That’s what discernment is, discovering the truth…

 [14] But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Staying in the word of God in every medium available (listening, reading, teaching), builds strength just as exercising the muscles. It’s building the muscles of your mind so that when you are faced with right or wrong, truth or lie, deception or reality, the Spirit of God will reveal what you need to know. That’s survival in this day and age. 

I do not know how people who are not in church, and not in the word of God and in relationship with Christ survive day to day in this world. I would be in a fetal position in the bed were it not for Jesus Christ Who gives me the strength, energy and wisdom to fight against the principalities of the air that are stirring up our world with a big stick. 

It’s why I understand that momma’s fear for her child. But with God, we have the ability to discern the truths of this world that will help us live in peace until finally God says, “enough.” And calls us home. Until then, survive! And encourage others to do the same.

Don’t grow weary in well doing church!!!! I love you. God loves you more!