Holy Week - Strength in Scripture

Holy Week –Strength in Scripture 

Every day I wake seeking strength from the Word. A reason to go on.

Ex. 15:2 “The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.”

Deut. 33:25 “Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.”

Most days I feel like a copper penny. No longer in service, tossed away and unneeded. 

Josh 14:11 “As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.”

It’s lonely fighting a war alone. It’s hard being ‘the strong one’ while everyone around you is weak. It’s challenging to want to continue for naught.

1 Sam 2:4 “The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.”

2 Sam 22:33 “God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.”

What other purpose is there to life if I don't have God and heaven to aspire to?

Job 6:11 “What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?”

Job 39:11 “Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him?”

Pss. 118:1 “I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
[2] The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
[32] It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
[39] For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.”

My tears are for continued strength that only He can rain down on me. If people look back on my life and wonder WHERE I got my strength from, I get it from HIM and only Him because I’m a solid rock surrounded by a pool of jell-o. 

Pss. 52:7 “Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.”

They are weak, while He is strong.

Pss. 71:18 “Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.”

Pss. 73:26 “My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.”

Pss 118:14 “The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.”

Pss.144:1 “Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:”

And I write…

Prov. 24:5 “A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.”
[10] If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

Isa. 22:21 “And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.”

Isa. 35:3 “Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.”

I try to relay a message but only open ears can hear what I’m saying. 

Hab. 3:19 “The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.”

Mark 12:30 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”

People think it is so hard to follow the Lord. All He wants is your love. Isn’t that all that you want, is to be loved? 

Luke 22:32 “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren”.

Where I go, you cannot go but know I am in the arms of the Lord. That is the only thing I’ve ever wanted in life… and in death. 

Rom 5:6 “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

2 Cor. 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

The Struggle Is Real

2 Cor. 5:17 KJV “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

The Struggle is Real

I know a lot of people who think that because you’ve accepted Christ that life will be full of luxurious bubble bath days and happiness. Some know and understand the truth, some are learning, some want what they want and want it NOW! 

Just like the above scripture, there is a simplified version from the AMP explained for us, you know someone else did all of the work and all you have to do is read it to understand the bible better.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (AMP) “Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].” 

I’m not normally offended when I read scripture but that verse in my morning email struck a nerve with me. I’ll assume that AMP is an amplified bible, (total assumption) and maybe people like having someone else decipher and dissect every scriptural word of the bible for them so they don’t have to do the work for themselves. I totally understand what 2 Tim. 2:15 is saying and don’t need fifty versions of the bible to tell me. Don’t we all wish life was so simple for us, let’s have others dissect our life for us, tell us right from wrong so we don’t make any mistakes? I have cancer, here ya go, take it away from me. Make my job in doing all of the hard work in healing simple for me, please! I can read and learn the protocols in healing but no one is going to do the work for me, but ME!

We think that being a Christian that there will be no struggles, no hard days, that all our days will be filled with knowing, understanding and doing the right thing. I’m here to tell you, nothing in life is simple, not reading the Bible, not being a Christian and certainly not going a Natural path to healing when conventional treatment is out there to make an illness easier for us.

I’m also here to tell you that the struggle is real! Life is hard, being a Christian is hard work, reading the bible is a (fun for me) chore! Nothing in life ever comes easy. If you’ve had an easy life, raising kids or pets, if being an adult has been a walk in the park for you, well then praise be to God, you’re one in a zillion! Yes, I said zillion because no one has an easy road to walk in life! 

Being a Christian doesn’t make the road easy, and it’s not always paved; sometimes there’s gravel on the road and we walk along in our bare feet. Our journey as a Christian is as tough as the non-christian we just have a friend walking along with us at all times. Now some people allow Jesus to walk way up ahead so He can prepare us for what we’re about to go through. Sometimes people allow Jesus to sit on the side of the road to watch us stumble and fall. Others don’t believe there is a Jesus and only allows a god to be sunshine on their bubbly well-lit path. 

See what I’m saying? The struggle is real for each and every one of us, in reading, believing and walking. I myself, and I like to think many others, has the Spirit of the Lord WITHIN us. This way we don’t have to look outside to see where He’s at, at any given moment. If we feel weak, we know He’s our strength to hold us up. If we feel disillusioned, He restores our sight so we see. If we have trouble understanding the Word, He fills us with the knowledge to understand every intricate word.

2 Tim. 2:15 King James Bible “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

There are literally thousands of interpretations, languages, renditions of the bible but in all honesty, there is only ONE Word! With the Word, we have internal and external struggles but all struggles none-the-less. Our internal struggles wrestle with the new life we’ve been given in Christ. We wonder when He’s just going to simplify everything for us, after all, we’ve allowed him on our path, right? Wrong! He’s not there to SIMPLIFY your life! He’s there to fill your life with meaning, purpose and most of all, strength. The task is that you yourself have to do the work but you're never alone!

Ezek. 37:1 “The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,”

Our external struggles come when we wrestle with the flesh, the mind on other things not of God. Free-will demands we choose from good and evil, there is no in between. We struggle with understanding the Word and is probably the reason we seek out a simplified version of the bible so we’re sure that we are understanding correctly. 

Ezek. 36:27 “And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”

Can everyone and anyone understand the bible completely with so many renditions out there? With thousands of years passing the story around, do you believe it is possible that some words got lost along the way? I believe God to be the One and Only word and He places on your heart the understanding so no simplification is necessary. What is the purpose of discernment if we have the Word simplified in many variations? Shouldn’t we FEEL the Word in us and no reason for simplicity?

I could be totally wrong, (as often I am) but I believe over dissection of His Word loses the luster of the meaning SPIRIT-FILLED, for ME. The struggle becomes a battle of differences in opinions and again, lost is the Spirit that was intended in having the Word documented by so many people.

Some people want me to blame God for this disease I carry while others want to blame evil, darkness, and negativity while I myself blame no one except my life choices! The lusts of my free will ran rampant and I lost the battle. No, wait, I haven’t lost the battle, the struggle is still on, day after agonizing day, night after aching night, the struggle is REAL! 

Pss.119:50 KJV “This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.”

I don’t want the Word simplified and I don’t want this journey made easy for me, it is what it is, upon me and the path I chose. Good or bad, right or wrong, simple or hard, this journey each of us is on is never easy and can never be simplified. The path can only be embraced for what it is, a completion of our journey home. Remember, He never walks in front, beside, or behind, He always remains within!  You are spirit-filled from the moment of rebirth in His name! 

All praise and Glory to God

Pss. 119:92-93 KJV “Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction. I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me.”

Simplified - “I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life” (Psalm 119:93)

Eyes On Christ

Matt. 21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Have you ever woke in the morning and went right to the news of the prior day or morning? Well, the first thing I do is read my morning meditation and that usually means an email from Bible Gateway or an encouraging word from Max Lucado. Then I read a bible verse that wraps around me like a warm blanket and cradles me in the Word of God.

Prayer is also in my morning ritual so that my days start out with my eyes on Christ.

This weeks sermon was about our focus and how we’re very easily led away from Christ wrapping ourselves up in the news and what’s going on out there in the world. If you wake up and think God is leading you to read about the turmoil of killings, wars, hate, mistrust, you are sadly mistaken. You see, we wake up and satan is already there waiting to greet you with all the bad things he’s had a hand in on the prior day or even the very day you awaken feeling refreshed thinking you have a handle on things.

When we place our focus on all the negative things in the world, we have been led right into the hands of satan and he is all the more happier to steer you away from God and Christ. We tend to place our focus on the rights and wrongs of the world, voice our opinion and walk a fine line of the double-edged sword. I do believe it says in the Bible that we cannot serve two masters, so when your focus is swayed from Christ, you are allowing satan to hold your hand and walk you through your day. Toss in a little Christ here and there to appease your mind.

With this being Holy Week, my eyes are very strongly on Christ and yes just as he was tempted by satan, I see all around me people filling their world with him. Christ comes second and that is just the way the world is now-a-days.

My week started off with my man being very sick. It started with a sore throat but by Monday morning he could hardly speak or breathe. His asthma was hitting him hard and yes it’s a place he’s been in quite a few times in his life so we pretty much know what to do when an episode hits. I made chicken noodle soup in hopes it would give him some relief, it did momentarily but by Wednesday we were at the doctors.

Tuesday night I decided to watch The Passion of Christ. Yes I had seen it a few years back and yes it had an impact on our Christian lives and yes, I knew it would impact me yet again. The movie is an extremely powerful movie that makes you think what Jesus was sacrificing on the cross. He became the sacrificial Lamb. He sacrificed Himself so we could be forgiven of our sin.

As I watched the movie it made me think of the ways that satan tries to distract us from God, wandering here and there, watching us suffer with a smile on his face and readily offering us an outlet to our pain.

The movie also made me think of the atheists who don’t understand Christians. They think we believe in a mythical creature in the sky and only believe because of some words written in a book by men. I think if they watched that movie, with an open mind, they would understand why we are so devoted to that man on the cross.

Have you ever heard or witnessed a man running into a burning building to save a life? We hold that man up as a hero, and praise him and honor him. That is exactly what Jesus did for thousands (now billions) of people. He was led into the arms of torture and flaming fire, all for blasphemy of saying He was the Son of God.

While atheists will celebrate Easter with a drink in their hand and food in their face, they won’t even realize that it is because of Jesus that they are allowed to live and breathe in the sweet air of springtime. They will laugh and scoff just like the men who beat Jesus nearly to death only to hang Him on a cross dripping with blood.

After Jesus took His last breath, the soldiers looked up and realized He WAS the Messiah. Guilt filled their heads and even the chief priests wondered what they had done and as you can see with the upheaval in the Middle East nowadays, they are paying dearly for killing an innocent man who lived over 2000 years ago.

So you might say it is a myth. You might like denying Christ. You might even find sanctuary in the arms of satan who is all too eager to carry you away from anything that resembles Jesus. But know in your heart, for this legend to be alive, living and breathing 2000 years later, don’t you feel some kind of truth in His words?

If God wanted the Bible to be backed by scientific data, He could have very well had the elite scientists of the day write His words but instead He chose men, sinners, nobodies to write the truth of His moral compass He gave to us. The Bible was not meant to be scientifically dissected but as you try and scientifically find the answers, you are falling into the trap satan has set for you, to take your eyes off of Christ and the living testimony of real people who had no ulterior motive in bringing God’s word to you lasting thousands of years.

Scientists seek to prove and disprove, satan leads to distract, life goes on as if nothing has changed except the minds of humans. The sermon on our focus was right, the more we’re led away from Christ by exterior means, the more the world becomes consumed by satan. At the end of the day when I sleep a peaceful nights rest I do so knowing that my day was consumed with God. Persecute me as you will, I sleep easier at night knowing Jesus shed His blood for me.

May the Light and Love of God go with you in each and every day. Keep your eyes on Christ. ~ Amen

Matt. 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

A Conscious Decision

Picture by Elaine DeBaucher

Matt. 15:17-18 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

On a daily basis I wake and find that I have to make a conscious decision of doing right instead of wrong, being good instead of bad, listen without jumping in and breaking the train of thought that goes into making a conscious decision.

Here lately I’ve been feeling like I’m browsing the streets at Mardis Gras. I’m wandering around people I’ve known for years but only from a virtual standpoint and they are wearing lavish masks. They are wearing make up, their hair is adorned in barrettes and baubles and beads are slung around their necks and the smile, they carry an eerie smile.

Why is it an eerie smile? Because when the mask is lowered, the windows are opened and you glance at their eyes, the doorway to the soul, and you glimpse the true them that they were hiding.

What I’m saying is that some people think of the Mardi Gras as a lifetime event carrying the mask with them wherever they go. That is all many people get a chance to see. They like what they see, the cloaked character is then happy being disguised this way because he/she is liked and almost worshiped.

We’re a people who accept the masks, make light of it and clings to whatever is spewed forth from the mask, never doubting the wearer. But I myself oftentimes see under the mask and all that is hidden and sometimes it scares me immensely because I too at one time was fooled by the mask wearers. Under the mask isn’t so pretty.

As a Christian, we make the conscious decision to not lie, cheat, steal or hide behind a mask. There are some who call themselves Christians and make a conscious decision to lie, cheat, steal and hide behind the mask, they’re happy there; in that place of fooling the onlookers. People are deluded and that makes the mask wearer happy. Then there are non-Christians who could care less what conscious decisions they make.

Recently I made the conscious decision to get back into writing. Not on my blog necessarily but writing and honing a craft that has been trying to elude me. I made the conscious decision to focus on the wrong things like facebook and whatnot and now it’s time for me to slap myself upside the head and regroup.

It’s not as if I have an amazing following or anything, nobody follows a non-mask wearer. They’re looking for fun, beads, excitement and a parade of activity. Me, I just spit out the truth; I don’t hide no matter how ugly the truth is to look at. Pride will be the death of many.

We live in a country that has a bountiful stock of food. How is it that a parent is proud when their child comes home happy with a kill of squirrel, deer or rabbit? How are people reveling in committing illegal acts? No matter how big or small, killing is killing, illegal is illegal; there’s no way to sugarcoat a conscious decision to make you feel better about yourself.

I have to go and reflect on what this world is coming to and what people accept as the norm. I have REAL issues to sort through and no longer will my blog be a place for my exposure of me. Just after two weeks of The Personal Essay course I’ve learned the difference between personal and private essay writing.

I am making a conscious decision to focus on my family, my faith and ME. Have an abundant Christmas full of love and beauty and may the Light of the Lord be with you all. Godspeed!

1 Kings 8:61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.

The Seed

Matt. 13: 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

The Seed

Word has come that I am missed

I sense the wonders rising.

Where did you go, what’s happening?

Are questions not surprising.

I need a break from all the chaos;

the crazy thoughts in my head.

I turn to Him the One who counts

My Lord, my living Bread.

I’m still here and searching

for all my soul might need.

He answers me in whispers;

my spirit’s a living seed.

I’m told that I’m a beacon

that people look to see.

The Word flowing from my lips;

the Light shining forth from me.

He’s cleansing me from inside

strengthening my ways.

Allowing me to filter

fallacy through the haze.

The Lord has lightened my burden;

for those all wanting to know.

He’s laid on my heart what to say

The message that I must show.

Job 4:4 Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.

Joni's Muse

“Some people choose to spread the darkness in hopes to shed light. Only in spreading Light can darkness be shed!” ~ joni

I feel like I’ve gone and dived into the reflecting pool. It is full of shimmering light, reflections from the Son.

Years ago I started this blog with every intention of helping me become a better writer and helping any writer become educated in the craft. I had felt that this is what God wanted me to do. He gave me the gift, so I felt it necessary to honor Him by helping writers by writing.

Boy was I ever wrong. Recently I’ve had a few God slap moments where God was trying to tell me something, but as a sinner and being human, I was misinterpreting. In hindsight, I apparently have been misinterpreting for years.

As we were driving to church yesterday, I had made a comment about my musically inclined friends. I said, As much as I love music and instruments I wonder why God never gave me the gift of playing an instrument?

*Whack* Slapped upside the head moment booming loud and clear He said, “I gave you the gift of poetry! Poetry IS the instrument you play to the SOUL!”

Rows and rows of harvested corn were fluttering passed my eyes and thoughts of the recent weeks came flooding my mind. What caused me to want to change this blog? What deep within me calling nearly forcibly had me change the entire years of work?

The past few weeks since the change over, I can look at a word or two and be inspired to write a poem. Not just any poem mind you, these poems have a rhythmic flow to them and when I read them I’m stirred inside as if singing praise songs to the Lord.

Also note that when I see words of hate or the bashing of something, it stirs in me hurt and angst! I’ve written many poems on pain and the angst I feel toward my fellow human beings, but seeing people hate this and hate that: “I’m against the Muslims”, “I hate this about the world!”, “I hate the president this and that and the other thing.”

Prov. 10: 29 The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

Do they not realize something? God is the Creator. He created all this to see how we humans would respond! We preach the gospel one minute, then the very next minute spew hatred? Is that not dividing your faith? Turn the other cheek does not mean, turn it to which YOU choose to turn. We must turn the other cheek to all this chaos going on in the world. Be aware of it yes, but hate it? Isn’t that like hating God’s plan for this world and everything He has already planned?

Isa. 47: 11 Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know

That is where my quote came from: “Some people choose to spread the darkness in hopes to shed light. Only in spreading Light can darkness be shed!” ~ joni

People feel as though they are shedding light on dark matters, but they are really doing satan’s work and spreading the darkness even further into the psyche. They are hampering God’s plan. God’s plan, evident to ANY and ALL true Christians is this, LOVE! Spread love! Plain and simple but complicated to the blind.

I don’t like that hundreds die because of raging storms. I don’t like that a tsunami can wipe out an entire country and disable it. I don’t like that leaders feel they own the human race but is that going to cause me to spread the darkness with them? I don’t think so.

I think that God gave me a talent, a musical poetic talent. When I think to send my poetry to a publisher, I’m met with the fact that poetry, especially rhyming poetry, is a dying craft. Like a tsunami to the writing world, poetry is being led out to sea.

Heb. 10: 5  Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

God has made it abundantly clear that my gift is to touch people, change people, and help them to find comfort in a darkened world. (The new me), Through poetry and my muse, I am living and am awakened to God’s plan for my life. My soul has been changed these past couple of weeks and through the grace of God, I will share and do what God had intended for me from the very beginning. Your life will be severely altered when it is His will you follow and not your own self-guided self. (The old me)

A dear friend wrote: “ (Joni) I love everything you write. Most times it seems as if God is leading you with a message for me too or a mentoring tip, or something meant for me -- I know your writing is from your heart and God's, but He uses it to touch others too.” ~Tiggs

Amen!