Just a thought by coppi

Just a thought by coppi – written in 2015

A light house does not blow fog horns but it only shines.  

When I read the above I thought of our walk as Christians.  Does our life reflect the light  of Jesus.  St Mark 4:21: and he said unto them, is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? And not to be set on a candlestick?  A candle beams its flickering light so we may find our way in the dark as does the Lighthouse.  As Christians we should let our light shine & walk in the light of Christ.  We need not blow fog horns but just shine & let the Holy Spirit beam through us.  Proverbs 20:27 The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord……i grew up in a very legalistic religion & if we did have a little light, it was totally blown out with dos & don’ts & lots of fear. 1 John 4:7: Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God….10: herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us & sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4 is filled with scriptures of love.  The pendulum swings both ways but should be in balance.  I guess my desire is not to be a fog horn but a flickering light for our Lord.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

 “With God life is an endless hope.  Without God life is a hopeless end”.  Bill Bright

Bring your deepest hopes before God trusting that His answers come in His perfect time and way.

Engage in conversation with God. Ask him how he feels about you. Come before him with anything that is weighing you down and lay your burdens at his feet. Rest in the peace that comes from his presence. (Greg Denison)

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been in closets, on my knees  by my bed, or in bed praying.  I believe in prayer, but my problem is I have a hard time leaving my requests with Jesus. I want immediate answers from Him.   I have had to wait years for some of my answers. And I am still waiting on some to be answered.  I have had to learn patience and trust in believing that His timing is perfect and that He will fulfill His promises in ways beyond my imagination.  Yes, I have had hardships in my walk with Jesus. It still hurts if I allow myself to return to that time of lifetime.  I have to throw them in my imaginary black-trash bags.  I want to live in the moment, because the moment is all have to live in.  Trust, pray, and believe even though sometimes my faith seems miles away.  There are three voices I hear;  Mine,  satan, and God’s.  I have to be careful with the one I heed. Maybe that is one of the reasons I spend so much time in the closet, and on my knees praying for His guidance and direction to stay in the moment with Him.  

Talk to God openly, trusting that He listens and cares deeply for you.

Charles Spurgeon particularly loved the scripture John 3:16 (“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”) since that encapsulates the vastness of God’s love, a central theme in his preaching; he also frequently referenced 1 John 4:19 (“We love him, because he first loved us”) highlighting the reciprocal nature of love with God. 

The story about Charles Spurgeon often recounted is that when a man on a ship was panicking during a storm at sea, Spurgeon said, “No, I will go pray because I believe and you don’t.” This highlights Spurgeon’s strong conviction in faith, even amidst a crisis.

Spurgeon believed the cross was the place where Christ was exalted and the message that could change the hearts of people enslaved to sin.

I have been reading about some of the men of faith in the past, who unwaveringly believed in Jesus Christ, the crucifixion and the risen resurrection of Jesus.  The faith of Charles Spurgeon is one of the most powerful examples in the belief in prayer.  He prayed, believed, listened, and knew Jesus would answer the prayers.  I read about these great men of faith, and I am in awe of their dedication to the cause of their faith in Christ and his death and resurrection.  I know that I can never muster up the power of their faith, but I believe in the Lord Jesus, who died and rose from the grave for my sins if I will repent of them and believe in him.  Comparison – no!  Belief- yes!

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“We are saved by grace through faith” is a Christian belief that God saves people through faith in Jesus Christ, not through their own efforts or works. This belief is based on the Bible verse Ephesians 2:8-9, which states, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast”. 

Jesus, may Your gift of compassion wiggle its way into my heart. (Lynne Hartke

“God enters by a private door into each individual.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson

My husband and I watched John Wesley’s life story on television last night, and we both gleaned “nuggets” from the story.  John Wesley had a hard time accepting that we are saved by grace and not works.  The turning point of his acceptance of grace is when he realizes the thief on the cross next to Jesus repented of his sins. The Bible verse about the “thief on the cross” is in Luke 23:39-43. This passage tells the story of a criminal crucified alongside Jesus who repents and asks Jesus to remember him when he enters his kingdom, to which Jesus replies that he will be with him in Paradise that day was accepted immediately into paradise when he died. John Wesley realizes that the thief on the cross would not have time to do anything (works) to enter Paradise.  He was accepted when he repented and asked Jesus to remember him when he enters his kingdom.  We are saved by grace not works – works will follow grace, because our love to please our Savior, who died for us without us doing anything to earn our salvation.  It’s a gift to us to receive through faith and repentance.  We are blessed to receive it freely, and not have to earn our salvation.

Just a thought by coppi

My father Billy Graham once said, “A prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian.” He also called prayer “the Christian’s greatest weapon.” I couldn’t agree more. The most important thing we can do is come to God and ask Him for help and direction. He’s the only hope for this world, and that’s why I pray in the mighty Name of Jesus Christ on this National Day of Prayer. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).  (Franklin Graham)

I re-read this today and once again it spoke to my heart. I have repeated this often:  “ I believe when we get to heaven, we will be sorry we did pray more” – I know I will.  My prayers are sometimes written by me on a piece of paper. It’s my greatest weapon against my up-and-down emotions.  I pour out my requests on that piece of paper, and then I tear it up and throw it in the trash and say “it’s yours now Jesus; I trust you to handle”.  I cannot tell you how many times those prayers have been answered – a great/good many of times.  I am so very greatful for the weapon of prayer. 

Just a thought by coppi

May we experience the freedom that comes with a true revelation of God’s unceasing love for us. 

God loves you with an unconditional love. To know God is to know love in its truest form, because he is love. Love isn’t just something he gives. It isn’t just something that he feels. It is who he is. God’s love for you is limitless and has the power to set you free from every wound, thought, sin, and broken relationship that causes you to live anything less than a joyful and content life. ( Craig Denison)

“The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy.” — Henri Nouwen

Enough said 

“Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.””

‭‭John‬ ‭4‬:‭42‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

It doesn’t matter what the minister said about Jesus being the Savior of the world nor what you read, even in the Bible, if you have not heard Him yourself and know He, Jesus, is the Savior of the world then consider your choice of knowing Him.  I grew up with a very angry God who was chasing me with a stick (the only stick Jesus has is the cross) and it has been a long journey finding the love of God.   I was stuck in fear of doing anything that could be wrong, and causing me to anger Him. I have a long list of scriptures that are written in the Bible on the love of God. The list is worn and tattered by me, and read by me over the years.  The most well-known scripture reference to a “two-edged sword” is found in Hebrews 4:12, which states: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”.  The “two-edged sword” represents the power of God’s word, which can penetrate deeply into a person’s life, exposing their thoughts and motives.“. I am a witness to this fact, and I know the power of God’s word, because my reading scriptures of the love of God propelled me out of fear into the love of God.  Long journey, but one I will never regret for traveling.

Just a thought by

“Leave the irreparable past in His hands, and step out into the irresistible future with Him.” – Oswald Chambers.

18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 

19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland”.  Isaiah 43:18-19

“I will make your crooked path straight” – I heard that expression very clearly when I awakened yesterday morning.   I  got out of bed, knelt beside the bed, and repeated what I heard, and said “I will to do thy will”.   I am not a theologian, nor am I without  “crooked paths”, I am just a sojourner following Jesus.  In these crooked paths there are lots of rocks and debris that cause pain , but the lush-green meadows quickly become an antibiotic for healing my wounds of anxiety.   

“Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God”.

For the LORD my God is living in me.    He is a Mighty God. He rejoices over me with gladness, He calms all my fears with his love, and He will rejoice over me with glad songs.   And, He will make my crooked paths crossable – He does things that way, and I trust him with my heart and soul. 

“He knew from the beginning of time we would develop hundreds of ways to run ourselves ragged, as my grandmother used to say about folks never stopping to enjoy their blessings”.

In his book The Promised Land, the Scottish minister John MacDuff made this profound statement: “when you can’t trace God’s hand, trust his heart”. Let us do the same.

I will reiterate again “enjoy the moment.  I think I am the one who needs to “stop”and smell the roses”.  I thought I learned to be still when I journey through my heartaches, but I think running is in my DNA.   I need to stop and focus this coming year on my commitment to be closer to God, and to enjoy the moment I am in.  It’s a good thought, a very good one, and I hope to be sure to follow it. 

The most prominent scripture regarding leaving the past behind is found in Isaiah 43:18, which says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”. 

Dwelling on the past is a way to destroy your moment in the now.  I have started a new way of putting my past behind me. I  create in my mind a picture of Jesus sitting on a brick wall holding a large open black bag, and every time a past thought pops up, I think of myself as taking it over to Jesus and dumping it into the bag.  I want to stay in the now and not be in the gone by days.  The only time we have is the moment, and that can change in a blink of an eye.   Change:  The act or instance of making or becoming different.  As I have said before, I don’t want things to change, especially now in my golden years, but it does.  Acceptance is the answer.  In alcohol anonymous, the saying is “GOD grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference.”  Alcohol Anonymous has been a great venue for change.  I don’t drink, but have gone with a friend , and sat through a few of their sessions, which I have enjoyed.  In fact I went through a process to get a certificate, so I could be able to help them.  Oh well, that was then, and I am in the “now”.  

“Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ‘It is written,’ he said to them, ”My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers’” (Matthew 21:12-13)
Anger?  I grew up afraid to speak out about anger. I was afraid of it. As a result I shut down my feelings and emotions. Emotions if not expressed will come out in other ways. I told my husband “always tell me how you feel, and I will do the same.  Let’s communicate with honesty and discuss our issues, and not stuff them”.  I had to learn to be angry. I went  a class in Dallas, Tx entitled “ A way out”.  In that class, I learned how to express anger. The teacher put boxing gloves on me, I had to punch that bag until I could feel the anger. It was a journey for me, but well worth the effort.  Please, don’t ask me to do something, and then if a better situation comes along, you will go in that direction. Be upfront with me. I can handle that, but I cannot handle not being told what you decided to do instead and then being left in the lurch and wondering.  I guess in my golden years, I want peace and happiness.  Maybe I should buy me a log cabin by a river, buy a fishing pole with a cork, and enjoy the solitude of being alone. It’s a thought, I think I like it. 
Just a thought by coppi