thoughts – The Jesus Chick

Posted in Life Inspiration

His Wonderful Word!

Written by talk2shari Published May 30, 2015 Discussion Leave a Comment

Hebrews 4:12

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.

The Air I Breathe

It wasn’t long after salvation that I realized the Word of God was as vital to my spiritual growth as air was to breathing. If I was going to understand God, I needed to read His Word. As I began to read it, something else happened; I realized it was alive! That’s what the word quick means – Alive! The very breath of God breathed into my life and as He did a passage would come off of the page and take root in my heart. Something I had just experienced in real time would be written in historical time on those pages just like my experience. It was amazing… I was hooked!

I later learned that the Living Word of God would become my counselor, friend and confidant. When it seemed the whole world had walked out on me, God never left my side; speaking peace to my soul day in and day out. If I was living in a manner that did not please God, His Word became brought conviction into my heart and the peace would be gone until sin had departed. It was never any wonder to me why Satan has used every method possible to destroy it in futility. He can no more destroy the Word of God as he could destroy God, for they are one in the same.

The Awe I Believe

Powerful! Oh my goodness. Just by speaking His Word deliverance can come. By uttering nothing, God can answer the unspoken cry knowing just what’s needed. I’m in awe at the prayers that I have had answered. From the serious cries in the darkest times of my life, to the silliest prayer of asking for a parking spot close the mall ~ God has answered. God’s not in to formality. A prayer is a conversation between you and the best friend you’ll ever know. Have there been occasions where my prayer was not answered as I had desired, oh yes. But not one time has God’s answer been wrong, but my request on more than one occasion was not as it should have been.

I’ve asked in pure selfishness that God leave people on earth that needed to go be with Him. I’ve asked Him to pull someone from a fire that needed it for purification and the end result would have been disastrous. I’ve also prayed for innocent people to be delivered from ugly circumstances and they were not… and I cried in frustration. But I still believe that when I get to Heaven I’ll stand in awe of why it was so.

The Armament I Brandish

From nothing of my own I have been given the Words of God to share and encourage others. A task that I’m more than a little uncomfortable with knowing that the weight of my words can serve to discourage as well as encourage if I’m not tuned in to God’s plan. Praise Him that He is the discerner of my own heart and that even when I fall short, He fills in the gaps because I’m a willing vessel. I pray that the words I write are forever His. And I pray that they bless your soul.

Thank you for the past responses and the use of your words to encourage my soul in return. I’m grateful. I don’t need them to be “puffed up” in pride but they sure come in handy on the days I’m discouraged to feed my soul with your goodness.

I hope this morning finds you blessed!

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Posted in Church attendance, Life Inspiration

Being the Captor not the Captive

Written by talk2shari Published November 9, 2014November 9, 2014 Discussion Leave a Comment

From the time our eyes first fly open in the morning we’re in a battle with the enemy, or at least I am. My mind starts rolling with to do lists, my iPhone buzzes with received messages, social media is calling my name and the covers are oh so warm… let’s wait a while… and Izidora the Chihuahua agrees that under the covers is a better place to be. Why move?

I love places of comfort! The church is that to me (meaning my home church building). I love walking into the vestibule where it feels like I’ve just arrived at the home of my best friend; I guess technically I have. Be it a Sunday Service or when I’ve forgotten my computer cord in my classroom and have to go back and fetch it at 9:30 at night, I feel at home. My thoughts are much easier focused on the things of God when I’m in that place, not so when I walk out the door. So many things are vying for my attention and my thoughts are not always godly. As a matter of fact sometimes they scare even me. Why do such thoughts and images pop into our minds? I won’t share them with you for fear you’d know how warped I am… but perhaps you have your own warped mind to deal with. A Word from God for me this morning:

2 Corinthians 10:5

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

The Captive

I usually have a flee mentality when I get into one of those scary thought moments. I just want to get my mind as far away from that idea as possible by getting into another area of thinking. You know the mode…. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts! But sure enough it won’t be long until those thoughts catch back up to me and I’m in the same boat causing me to wonder if somewhere deep down in the recesses of my mind an evil Shari is waiting to come out. Crazy right? Please tell me I’m not alone.

Satan. He loves exalting himself and having control. Being that I was not raised in a Friday the 13^th movie world and I still close my eyes on the commercial for a horror movie I know that these images and ideas have to be fabricated in some other realm for the purpose of getting my eyes off Jesus and causing fear and anxiety with in me. In that condition I’m of little use to God. So how do I become the captor not the captive?

The Captor

To “cast down” is to utterly destroy those imaginations and things that try to get between you and the mind of God. So how can you destroy a thought that you have no control over?

2 Corinthians 10:6

And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Obedience to the Savior trumps Satan every time! Satan may be able to cause those crazy thoughts to enter our mind, but within us is the Holy Spirit! Rather than fleeing, stand your ground. The Holy Spirit stands ready for us to call upon Him and rescue us out of Satan’s little shop of horrors. SPEAK JESUS! You’re not alone. Don’t just shake that thought off and go on with life, it needs to be taken captive. Take the thought and destroy it through the Word of God by dismantling it one word, one image at a time. Is it true to who you are? No. Is it honest? No, it’s a lie out of the pits of Hell. Is it just, unprejudiced? No, it’s fabricated by Satan. Is it lovely, a good report, worthy of Praise? No? So envision the Holy Spirit locking that up behind bars and refocus your mind on Christ!

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things

My mind needed rescued this morning. The Holy Spirit… my Hero!

Posted in Uncategorized

The “Stuff” Good and Bad Days are made of

Written by talk2shari Published October 16, 2013October 16, 2013 Discussion Leave a Comment

I discovered a new phrase this morning as I clicked onto the homepage of www.biblegateway.com to read scripture. In one of their articles was the phrase “thought leaders.” It was a reference to people they’d interviewed for an article. Their thought lead my thought down this path this morning; who’s thoughts are we leading and how? Attitudes are formed in the bowels of mankind; you can take that however you’d like but the Bible speaks often of bowels in relationship to the heart. In the Song of Solomon 5:4 Solomon wrote “My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him” in reference to his loves delight in his return home. It’s not the most romantic of words in our culture but it speaks of the queasiness you feel when you love someone that much. We flower it up by saying we get “butterflies in our stomach.” And the same queasiness or uneasiness in our soul can be stirred up in strife or anger. It is then nausea and it’s often spewed forth in vile words that are meant to produce nausea in the life of someone else. It’s the “stuff” good and bad attitudes are made of.

David wrote in Psalm 94:11, “The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.” Most of our thoughts are self-centered in some form or another. Even our grandest, most unselfish ideas have at their core the idea that it will work to our favor somehow. It’s the nature of man. We most often think that we are superior to those around us in way and in deed. When someone belittles us or speaks unkind we don’t usually think “Oh, that’s okay, I did that to so and so last week.” No, we usually think, “Who do you think you are?” Those thoughts and actions turn our thoughts and actions into a negative state, and by that we are now “Thought leaders.” We have set the tone for the day. We’re far more powerful than we comprehend.

By the same token a kind word or deed can create a positive spin to a conversation and everyone leaves with their bowels refreshed. When’s the last time you said that in a conversation? Paul said it to Philemon in his letter in Philemon 1:7 ~ “For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee.” Again, it’s a cultural thing, but it’s so fitting; because in the pit of our stomach is where those emotions reveal themselves.

So what should we do about our thoughts? After all many of them are controlled by circumstances we’re not in control of. A little self-examination goes a long way. David said in Psalm 119:59 ~ “I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.” The Word of God is a thought changer. We have to go into every day understanding that we are one bad situation away from vain ideas. One negative comment either to us or from us that ruins an entire day. But the Word of God can change all that. If we have started our day reading and contemplating what thus saith the Lord we’ve put goodness into our heart, and if we dwell on His thoughts, our thoughts can be pushed aside. And if we’re confronted by a “Negative Nellie,” we can thwart Satan’s plan, and his bad day intentions will have gone awry!

Praise God the Lord doesn’t think like we do. Psalm 92:5 ~ O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep. Our shallow thoughts cannot compare. How much greater to think on His thoughts than ours and to lead those around us down His path.