Posted in Christian Service, Church attendance, Faith, Leadership, Life Inspiration, Life's Failures, Uncategorized

The Handwriting is on the Wall


Titus 1:1 KJV
Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;

Acknowledging the Truth. Boy o boy, does that preach in my life right now. Our church is currently in the depth of a Bible Study that has those of us who are there thinking “Wow, why didn’t I see that before?” When I say depth… it’s cutting to the very core of us creating a desire to be and do more for the Lord Jesus. Titus 1:1 is the verse the Pastor has us focusing on for 2022 and it speaks not only to the problems in the world but the problems in the church. But praise God it speaks to the solution!

I have to be very careful with my spiritual high-hatted-ness which can get out of hand very fast. You know… that tendency to be a “self righteous saint in the sanctuary sitting in the seat of servitude.”

I’m Shari the super saint which is actually not even a figure of my imagination. I don’t ever feel that way, but I can think that way when I look at empty church houses and a world so off kilter spiritually. Thinking to myself, “Why cannot even the church see the truth of the times we’re living in?” I expect at any time there to be a hand on wall writing those words once again “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.”

Daniel 5:25-28 KJV
[25] And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. [26] This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE ; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. [27] TEKEL ; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. [28] PERES ; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

Written in scripture in all caps. In todays theory of texting someone, all caps quite often is a form of yelling. I think it was in Daniel’s day too. Look at God’s message to Belshazzar leading up to the yelling.

Daniel 5:18-24 KJV
[18] O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: [19] And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. [20] But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: [21] And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. [22] And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; [23] But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: [24] Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.

He had been born into royalty, gifted a life of exclusivity and goodness and yet found no need for God. Would to God I would see this in my own life when I fail to understand who I am in Christ and what a blessing it is to be born where I am born. Then I go back to Paul’s verse in Titus 1:1 and think of the man Paul who born as Saul, into the royal priesthood of the Jewish Religion, who knew the law above all men and murdered the children of God. Religion is not relationship. Knowing is not necessarily understanding. I know God… I am saved! But I do not always understand Him. Saul knew much, but Paul knew more. Because Paul humbled himself and became a willing vessel of the Lord to be used in a way that 2,000 years later has us in awe of the power of God in the life of one man, who was “just” a man.

God can choose (the elect) to use us in any way He so chooses. According to “our” faith. What kind of faith is that? And do we acknowledge the truth. I think for my self I acknowledge the truth when it’s convenient and not too painful. America is a form of Belshazzar. Our nation is prideful and have forgotten the price our forefathers paid for a nation to be free of religious tyranny.

And so when I take off my pious hat and look at myself I see that God is not in His proper place. The truth of the matter is God should be in every single aspect of my life. Every breath I take should be with the acknowledgment that He gave me that privilege to have it. God is for certain on the throne, but He is also in my heart and He desires to talk to me about everything. Not just church. That is a truth that hit me like a brick this morning at 3:27 a.m.

Posted in Christian Service, Faith, Leadership, Life Inspiration

The God Connection

I love the Word of God. In the many forms of which He has provided it, I can’t say that I love one more than the other. Spoken, read, Holy Spirit lead… words. I just love them when they are connected to God. Words are often a trigger for my mind to go off like a gunshot whirling through space and time. I get excited about where I’m going to land. Like last night, when Doug Rowe taught at Victory Baptist Church. He is a co-teacher and friend through the church and teen ministry, and last night was his first opportunity to teach in the adult realm of the church. He did not disappoint. He is a deep thinker spiritually. But the word that I kept getting hung up on as he taught last night was the word “sound.”

I love sounds too! In the form of music, preaching, worship… sounds connected to God. There’s a pattern of joy in my words this morning. The God connection. It’s an awesome thing.

Sound, the Noun

The word “sound” can be a noun, a verb or an adjective. As can the Name, Proper noun of God. The Verb of I Am and the Adjective of Holy. I love this thought this morning! God is most certainly all encompassing in life. Especially through words. 

According to Merriam-Webster, sound is a noun when it is a particular auditory impression. Such as a tone. The sensation perceived by the sense of hearing. It’s that joy that I spoke of earlier. What a privilege to be able to hear sounds. Lose your hearing for even a second, and you can understand how blessed we are to have it. Imagine never hearing the sound of baby giggles. Wouldn’t that be a sad world. The aging process often dulls hearing, but praise God there are sounds through the Spirit that can never by dulled if we’re in tune with God, because they’re not auditory, but rather internals sounds. Oh my stars… I just wrote myself happy!!! I need a shirt that says that… 

Sound, the Verb

To “cause” a sound. I love that Merriam-Webster’s definition said “as a trumpet.” Glory!!! There will be a trumpet sound one day when the arch angel is given the order by God to call His children home. I am so ready, but so many of the people I love are not. And so I pray as the song says “Wait a little longer please Jesus, a few more days to get our loved ones in.” 

When sound is a verb it’s because it’s an action. And every action should create a re-action. The sound of the Word of God should cause us, you and I, to take actions in our lives. I’ve really felt that I’ve let the Lord down lately because I’ve not been as faithful to reading and studying the word of God lately. Going to work is a new norm for an old body and I haven’t quite got in the groove of things yet. My 4:30 a.m. wake ups seem little more than house cleaning alarms and I’m failing miserable at that too.  So this morning has been a blessing to get in the word of God and hear the sound of God’s voice in my Spirit.

Sound, the Adjective

I believe it is what the world desires more than anything and it can only be found in God. A sound mind. 

Merriam-Webster describes the adjective version of sound as stable, secure, reliable… is that not what we all desire for our lives? It’s the reason I use Merriam-Webster as my source for definitions. Because I have yet to find any other version of the dictionary that is biblically sound for describing what a word means. It’s why I use the King James Version of the Bible. All others have too much interjection by man. We have to be cautious of where our sources of information come from. Our lives must be backed up by the word of God, every part of it. Who we are. (Proper Noun) How we act (verb)  and how the world sees us (adjective) 

2 Timothy 1:7

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

A sound mind describes that feeling of “all” being right with the world. The feeling you can only have knowing that Christ has “all” this world in His control. And He will bring us through whatever the world throws at us. 

2 Timothy 1:13

Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou has heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ.

From the version of Bible that you use, to even the version of dictionary; the sound word of God is what stabilizes our lives in the wonky world we live in. That is where we find the sound doctrine of 2 Timothy 4:3

For The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

Have you ever seen a time in life when people want coddled and sugar coated words to make their lives easy? They do not want the truth, because it convicts, and conveys the message that causes them to know their world is not right; because Christ is not the center of it. 

So my prayer for you and I today is that we will hear the sound of God through the Spirit, and have the sound mind we need for this world, so that if the trumpet sounds today, we’ll be ready!!!! Stay Connected! God bless ya! And Thank you Doug Rowe for being a faithful man of God and sharing what the Lord laid on your heart.

Posted in Bible Journaling, Grace, Life Inspiration, salvation

Washed in Mercy

wash

Titus 3:5

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

We are blessed to live in a nation where clean water is readily available to most, and it is for certain something that we take for granted. I was in the Philippines to sing at a conference about 11 years ago and my first shower in a home in the Philippines, which did have running water, but to shower there was a plastic cup that hung on the wall from a cold water only tap. You realize how very spoiled you are. It’s that spoiling that causes us to miss the blessings of salvation.

I want stuff. And the Lord says “You have stuff, you need Me.” I need more of the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. This morning I was whining to the Lord about wanting something for my husband. He works so hard, he asks for so little. So when something comes up that he’d like, it hurts me that it’s not within his grasp. And while the Lord didn’t mind that I was whining for someone else for a change, it brought me back to that spigot in the wall, and a pipe sticking up out of the floor that was the toilet, and how blessed I was to be there. Because there in that city where many of the people had nothing materialistic in comparison to me, they had what I longed for and it cost nothing… the Presence of God.

While salvation was instantaneous upon the confession of Jesus Christ as Lord, my relationship with God is dependent on the time I spend in His Word and in His presence. As a friend once said “The Word of God is a spiritual warsh cloth.”

“Warsh” is the word “wash” spelled as he pronounced it. That’s an important piece of his story because he was raised poor and when he became wealthy, he didn’t forget where he came from. He glorified God and kept his humility.

When Paul wrote to Titus in chapter 3 he reminded him not to “get above his raisin.” Not to forget where he came from. The presence of God in our life, through the preaching and reading of His word is a cleansing. As I read the word this morning I was not only reminded that I can live better, but I was reminded of the fact that I can’t live good enough when it comes to obtaining the presence of God in my life. That only comes by and through His grace and mercy. I can’t earn stuff with God and I cannot earn His unmerited favor.

Praise God for that regeneration (the spiritual change) within me that gave me a new life, a new hope, and leaves my soul as clean as newborn baby in the eyes of God. Oh… I struggle. I fall and fail and muddy myself with the world around me. But He is faithful to scrub me back up!  Hallelujah!