Ever have someone promise you something then not follow through? Like the boy who said he would call but never did? Or the secret someone said they would keep and they didn't.
I was raised in a foster home. I had a great foster mom and good life with her but like most kids in that situation, I wanted to be with my 'real' mom at times. My real mom was not able to take care of me for various reasons. She would visit me a few times a year. When she came she would always promise me that she would send me various things. I would wait patiently for the bike that never came. Or the camera that never came. Or, the dress I wanted...........They never came. So I know all about promises NOT kept.
I was an adult before I realized that my mom could not get me those things. But she only saw me a few times a year and she wanted me to be happy those few times so she made those promises to make me happy while she was there. I forgave her for the pain those promises caused me.
I learned never to make promises to my kids that I could not keep.
God makes promises too.
Hebrew 6: 18-20
16For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
17Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
18That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
19Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;
20Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
God does not lie. Any promise he makes, you can bank on. He sent His son to die for our sins and promiesed life everlasting if we accept him as our savior. If we are skeptical about that, god knows it. He knows we are human and as humans, we make such mistakes.
Whan I get that way, I find a place of solitude and think about it and pray on it. Hee understands.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
How many of us know that the bible talked about taking care of our environment along time ago. God Created this earth and he left it in our care. What He created was beautiful and expected it to stay that way.
For a long time we have remained quiet about the environment but I think things are slowly changing. I believe more and more Christians are starting to take note of what is going on and realizing they have to do their share in taking care of this planet he created for us. For many years the church leaders and scientists seemed far apart on this issue but lately they are coming closer to an agreement that something has to be done and many Christians are getting involved in doing what we feel God has always wanted us to do.
We are in stewardship over this planet. Several versus pertain to that thought.
Genesis 1:28
28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
We are to care for the earth and take care of the animals in it.
Ps. 8:6-8
6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen—
Even the beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the air,
And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.
What an honor God bestows upon us when he wants us to take care of the things he has created for us. We should be grateful to God for giving us this honor.
For a long time we have remained quiet about the environment but I think things are slowly changing. I believe more and more Christians are starting to take note of what is going on and realizing they have to do their share in taking care of this planet he created for us. For many years the church leaders and scientists seemed far apart on this issue but lately they are coming closer to an agreement that something has to be done and many Christians are getting involved in doing what we feel God has always wanted us to do.
We are in stewardship over this planet. Several versus pertain to that thought.
Genesis 1:28
28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
We are to care for the earth and take care of the animals in it.
Ps. 8:6-8
6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen—
Even the beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the air,
And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.
What an honor God bestows upon us when he wants us to take care of the things he has created for us. We should be grateful to God for giving us this honor.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
2 Samuel
While in church this morning, the pastor mentioned Hannah and how she prayed for a child. Her husband had one to his other wife Peniannah but Hannah was barren. She wanted a child so bad she went to church and asked God to give her a male child..11 Then she made a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”
12 And it happened, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli watched her mouth. 13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard.
Think about it. She wanted that child so bad she was willing to do most anything to have him, even give him over to God once he was old enough, which means he may have been a very young child when she gave him to Eli to raise.
How many of us could do that? Could you just hand one of your children over to someeone else and tell them to raise it? Especially one that you wanted as much as Hannah wanted her son, Samuel. It did not even occur to me to make such a vow when I found out I would not have a child unless I adopted. But she made a vow to God that is what she would do if he blessed her with a child of her own so She knew that this is what God wanted her do do. The child would be loved and grow into a godly man.
When her child was born and he was old enough to be given to Eli, I know Hannah's heart must have been heavy. But was she angry at God? this is her Prayer
And Hannah prayed and said:
“My heart rejoices in the LORD;
My horn[a] is exalted in the LORD.
I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
2 “No one is holy like the LORD,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.
3 “Talk no more so very proudly;
Let no arrogance come from your mouth,
For the LORD is the God of knowledge;
And by Him actions are weighed.
4 “The bows of the mighty men are broken,
And those who stumbled are girded with strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
And the hungry have ceased to hunger.
Even the barren has borne seven,
And she who has many children has become feeble.
6 “The LORD kills and makes alive;
He brings down to the grave and brings up.
7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
He brings low and lifts up.
8 He raises the poor from the dust
And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,
To set them among princes
And make them inherit the throne of glory.
“For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s,
And He has set the world upon them.
9 He will guard the feet of His saints,
But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.
“For by strength no man shall prevail.
10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces;
From heaven He will thunder against them.
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth.
“He will give strength to His king,
And exalt the horn of His anointed.”
Hannah calls the Lord, Holy, Stong, Faithful and uplifting. He asked alot of her but she loved him and continued to worship him no matter what. No matter what, she knows God will take care of her and her son. He will help them overcome whatever happens in their lives.
How many times when we pray to we forget to thank god for the things he has given us. Even the small things. We ask, and ask and ask but so often we do not give thanks to the God we expect so much from. Would that all of us be more like Hannah.
12 And it happened, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli watched her mouth. 13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard.
Think about it. She wanted that child so bad she was willing to do most anything to have him, even give him over to God once he was old enough, which means he may have been a very young child when she gave him to Eli to raise.
How many of us could do that? Could you just hand one of your children over to someeone else and tell them to raise it? Especially one that you wanted as much as Hannah wanted her son, Samuel. It did not even occur to me to make such a vow when I found out I would not have a child unless I adopted. But she made a vow to God that is what she would do if he blessed her with a child of her own so She knew that this is what God wanted her do do. The child would be loved and grow into a godly man.
When her child was born and he was old enough to be given to Eli, I know Hannah's heart must have been heavy. But was she angry at God? this is her Prayer
And Hannah prayed and said:
“My heart rejoices in the LORD;
My horn[a] is exalted in the LORD.
I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
2 “No one is holy like the LORD,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.
3 “Talk no more so very proudly;
Let no arrogance come from your mouth,
For the LORD is the God of knowledge;
And by Him actions are weighed.
4 “The bows of the mighty men are broken,
And those who stumbled are girded with strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
And the hungry have ceased to hunger.
Even the barren has borne seven,
And she who has many children has become feeble.
6 “The LORD kills and makes alive;
He brings down to the grave and brings up.
7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
He brings low and lifts up.
8 He raises the poor from the dust
And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,
To set them among princes
And make them inherit the throne of glory.
“For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s,
And He has set the world upon them.
9 He will guard the feet of His saints,
But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.
“For by strength no man shall prevail.
10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces;
From heaven He will thunder against them.
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth.
“He will give strength to His king,
And exalt the horn of His anointed.”
Hannah calls the Lord, Holy, Stong, Faithful and uplifting. He asked alot of her but she loved him and continued to worship him no matter what. No matter what, she knows God will take care of her and her son. He will help them overcome whatever happens in their lives.
How many times when we pray to we forget to thank god for the things he has given us. Even the small things. We ask, and ask and ask but so often we do not give thanks to the God we expect so much from. Would that all of us be more like Hannah.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Which one is best
Not long ago I got into a discussion with some people about which version of the bible is best. I prefer the kj version while some prefer the Niv or other version. My daughter reads the NIV because it is hard for her to understand the kj version. I told on man this and he spoke up and said if she really wanted to she could understand that version of the bible and read it, not the watered down version. I knew then that he never dealt with someone who was learning disabled. I tried hard to make him understand that she could not know what some of the verses were saying to her. She tried to read the kj version and just could not and gave up on trying til I got her the new one.
I love the King James version. I love the language and how it just seems to flow for me. But even the King James version is watered down from the bibles that were used before that.
I can handle the NIV but other versions seem like fairy tales to me. I have several versions in my home but most I have only glanced thru once or twic. I like to go to yard sales and buy the bibles here. I have quite a few. I do it mainly cause people write in them and give their thoughts on various verses. I like reading their notes and wondering what kind of women they were. Most of them are women. I could have a thousand bibles in my home of all different verses but if I do not pick up one and read it and follow the ten commandments and what jesus says, and give my soul to him, they won't do me a bit of good.
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