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.

Just a thought by coppi

We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.  We heap up wealth not knowing who will spend it.  And so, Lord where do I put my hope?  My only hope is in you. Psalms 39:6-7 NLT

“Hear my prayer, O Lord! Listen to my cries for help! Don’t ignore my tears. For I am your guest— a traveler passing through, as my ancestors were before me.”

Psalms 39:12 NLT

As time drifts by at a high speed and life as i knew it is only a shadow of days gone by, I realize I am just a traveler passing through, as my ancestors were before me.  When I look back on my life, of course I regret some of the things I did and would like another chance to redo some of my regretful decisions and actions.  But no that part of my life is over and now I am traveling on the latter part of life.  But Hallelujah i don’t have to carry all the hurts, uglies, etc of my past because of Jesus.  I find forgiveness and hope in Him.  This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Cor 5:7 NLT.  Jesus let my life make a difference and may your light in me not be a shadow but a beam of love, brightness and hope to another sojourner passing through.

“Worrying causes us to be “all over the place,” but seldom at home. One way to express the spiritual crisis of our time is to say that most of us have an address but cannot be found there”.

I have worried about many things in my life that never happened. But, at that time, that worry was parked in my emotions causing me angst and fear.  Worrying is feeling uneasy or being overly concerned about a situation or problem. With excessive worrying, your mind and body go into overdrive as you constantly focus on “what might happen.” In the midst of excessive worrying, you may suffer with high anxiety — even panic.  I remember back to the day when everything was swirling around me under the umbrella of “what happened” – my emotions were all over the place.  I could not breath; someone gave me a paper bag to breath in, but even that paper bag was no help.  I said take me to ER please.  My body was in overdrive.  Even to this very day thinking back to that time in my life causes unnecessary worry.  “Awful” things do happen in life, and it does cause my/your life to be crumbled in worry.  Anguish· apprehension · concern · doubt · fear · headache · misery · misgiving · pain · problem · uncertainty comes forth in my emotions until acceptance occurs and I turn  all over to Jesus in prayer, for consolation ; solace · cheer ; encouragement  and expectance.  It’s not easy to calm worry, not for me, but in life, you are thrown lemons and other times it’s not lemons, it’s just a worry that might never happen. In both cases, go to your address, pray, wait and God will find you.  He will carry you through it.  Find faith and trust in Him.

Just a thought by coppi

Years ago while living in Dallas, Tx, I used to volunteer to work at the VA hospital as an undercover person with the Chaplain there.  My job was to hand out Bibles to veterans and to encourage them by sharing the love of Jesus. I learned so much from them.  When one is looking death in the face, and life here on earth probably is over, it’s amazing how our desires change.  I walked by a room where a young man was on a Stryker circle bed.  His face was pointed to the floor.  In order to talk to him I had to practically sit on the floor. His story was interesting. He was from Arkansas.  He had a very beautiful sister who wanted to leave farm life and move to the bright lights of the city, Dallas.  There she got mixed up with the Mofia and her life was cut short by them.  Word got back to him which caused anger to flow from his very being.  He decided he would go to Dallas and kill the people who killed his sister. He found out where they were staying, and made his plan to go there.  When he reached the door to where they lived, his anger and blood pressure reached a level of danger and he had a stroke, and next thing he knew he was in the VA Hospital.  I would visit him each time I was volunteering at the hospital.  Finally, he said to me “if this Jesus, who is love will heal me”, I will follow him.”  I didn’t see him for awhile and wondered what happened to him.  I was out there, the VA hospital, and saw him leaving.  He was walking using a cane. He waved at me.  His smile told me all was well with him.  I wondered what happened to him.  He was a very handsome and young man,  and had a long life ahead of him.  I saw many ones at the VA hospital and when I volunteered for this job I prayed to Jesus “I will go and carry your love and hope to one’s that needed it, but when I left the hospital, I want to be able to leave all the sorrow I witnessed there and not carry it with me”.   

Life is tough, and the burdens it hands you can be so hard to bear. But you don’t need to carry them alone. Read the promises of God …

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22). God is glad to carry your burdens and give you the daily strength you need.”

“Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6). It’s not God’s will that you should be crushed down with excessive burdens; let Him free you today.”

And, this is what I did – I prayed for them – and then I left them in the hands of Jesus.  I still do this today when I am asked to pray for people.  I do pray, but I am not the healer – only the prayer warrior casting the request into the Mighty One who has promised He would carry them. 

Just a thought by coppi

Years ago while living in Dallas, Tx, I used to volunteer to work at the VA hospital as an undercover person with the Chaplain there.  My job was to hand out Bibles to veterans and to encourage them by sharing the love of Jesus. I learned so much from them.  When one is looking death in the face, and life here on earth probably is over, it’s amazing how our desires change.  I walked by a room where a young man was on a Stryker circle bed.  His face was pointed to the floor.  In order to talk to him I had to practically sit on the floor. His story was interesting. He was from Arkansas.  He had a very beautiful sister who wanted to leave farm life and move to the bright lights of the city, Dallas.  There she got mixed up with the Mofia and her life was cut short by them.  Word got back to him which caused anger to flow from his very being.  He decided he would go to Dallas and kill the people who killed his sister. He found out where they were staying, and made his plan to go there.  When he reached the door to where they lived, his anger and blood pressure reached a level of danger and he had a stroke, and next thing he knew he was in the VA Hospital.  I would visit him each time I was volunteering at the hospital.  Finally, he said to me “if this Jesus, who is love will heal me”, I will follow him.”  I didn’t see him for awhile and wondered what happened to him.  I was out there, the VA hospital, and saw him leaving.  He was walking using a cane. He waved at me.  His smile told me all was well with him.  I wondered what happened to him.  He was a very handsome and young man,  and had a long life ahead of him.  I saw many ones at the VA hospital and when I volunteered for this job I prayed to Jesus “I will go and carry your love and hope to one’s that needed it, but when I left the hospital, I want to be able to leave all the sorrow I witnessed there and not carry it with me”.   

Life is tough, and the burdens it hands you can be so hard to bear. But you don’t need to carry them alone. Read the promises of God …

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22). God is glad to carry your burdens and give you the daily strength you need.”

“Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6). It’s not God’s will that you should be crushed down with excessive burdens; let Him free you today.”

And, this is what I did – I prayed for them – and then I left them in the hands of Jesus.  I still do this today when I am asked to pray for people.  I do pray, but I am not the healer – only the prayer warrior casting the request into the Mighty One who has promised He would carry them. 

Just a thought by coppi

“Do not be afraid, have no fear,” is the voice we most need to hear. This voice was heard by Zechariah when Gabriel, the angel of the Lord, appeared to him in the temple and told him that his wife, Elizabeth, would bear a son; this voice was heard by Mary when the same angel entered her house in Nazareth and announced that she would conceive, bear a child, and name him Jesus; this voice was also heard by the women who came to the tomb and saw that the stone was rolled away. “Do not be afraid, do not be afraid, do not be afraid.” The voice uttering these words sounds all through history as the voice of God’s messengers, be they angels or saints. It is the voice that announces a whole new way of being, a being in the house of love, the house of the Lord. . . . The house of love is not simply a place in the afterlife, a place in heaven beyond this world. Jesus offers us this house right in the midst of our anxious world”.  Henri Nouwen 

I read this today, and it spoke to my heart.  Through the centuries of time, darkness, and fear would peep its ugly head into the lives of saints and people of all ages.  “Do not Fear” and “Do not be be Afraid” are the words we/they needed to hear.  And the beautiful part of Henry Nouwen’s  message is we can have that love and peace now  –   it’s not simply a place in the afterlife, we have it now, right here in this anxious world.  Do not be afraid, Do not be afraid, Do not be afraid-the message from his messengers, sent from God, to you in time of need.  

Just a thought from Coppi

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV

“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

Ephesians 2:7-8 KJV

My prayer this morning after reading about the sacrifice of Jesus was as follows:

“Dear Jesus, when I read about God sending you, his Son, to die for me it overwhelmed me.  I cannot grasp in my finite mind just how that can be done. I know from reading the Bible it was always the sacrificing of something, sheep, doves, etc for sins before they, the followers of the law, sins were atoned for, and it was foretold many times in the Old Testament that the perfect sacrifice was coming, You, because the blood of animals and turtle doves could never take away our sins.  Finally. you were sent to finalize the promise before the foundation of time, you, Jesus, would be the perfect sacrifice.  Amazing and very hard for me to understand and accept what you offered in your sacrifice…forgiveness of my many sins, healing, plenty, love and grace.  What a gift.  Help me to  grab the significance of this gift.  Give me understanding and wisdom of the truths in the Bible.”

It was a simple prayer but from my heart.  

roverbs 26:20 says, “For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.”

Proverbs 15:4 says, “A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”

Matthew 15:11″It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” 

James 3:2. Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.”

Here’s the point: Satan will seldom tempt us to do something we know is as deadly as a rattlesnake’s bite. But he will tempt us every day to choose sins we think we can commit without consequences.

We can confess our sins after we commit them and claim his forgiving grace (1 John 1:9; Psalm 51:7). However, the damage done to others and the world by our sins remains.  (Dr James Denison)

Dr Denison was talking about how Satan gets to us.  He does not come as a rattlesnake because we would recognize him but comes as a cream puff that is tasty and yummy but the sugar content in a cream puff is very harmful to our health.  A whisperer causes quarreling and grief.  I don’t know if you have come under the effect of gossip that was not truthful; I have several times in my life. It hurts and there is not much you can do but stay the course, because if you try to defend yourself it only makes matters worse.  What works for me is reading scriptures of “waiting on the Lord”.  He will fight our battle for us if we stay calm and wait.  It’s not easy but it does work.  Psalm 27:14. “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord”.

Just a thought by coppi

Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “ Lord, I am coming.””

Psalms 27:7-8 NLT

“Come and talk with me”.  “Lord, I am coming”.  I love visiting and talking with my friends.  It always blesses me to do so.  As I was reading my meditations this morning I came across Ps 27:7-8 and I realize the Lord also wants us to come and spend time with Him. What I do is close my eyes and imagine Jesus and I sitting across from each other at a table.  Of course in my anxious spirit I start by asking him to answer all my prayers – “Be merciful and answer me”!  But I hear in my heart “come and talk with me”.  Talking goes both ways…..I need to listen also.  What I heard this morning was “I heard you, trust me”.

Just a thought by coppi

Just a thought by coppi

Scripture“And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”ISAIAH 58:1

“Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply. “Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes.”

‭‭The people of Isaiah’s day had the same problem as the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. They trusted in empty ritual, apart from the spiritual reality. Real fasting – fasting that is partnered with real repentance, and isn’t only about image – has great power before God (Matthew 17:21). But God sees through the hypocrisy of empty religious ritual, including fasting.  It isn’t that Isaiah or the LORD are down on fasting. They are down on any empty religious ritual. The answer isn’t to stop fasting, but to get right with God and make your fasting more than superficial.   Those who serve God with sincere hearts and actions enjoy a health and life of the soul that is impossible for the superficial follower of God to know.(Quote from Enduring Word)

Our God does not like any part of hypocrisy.  I have pondered why, because God knows our hearts and all He asks is that when we come before Him is to be truthful without deceit.  If you desire to be a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes, I guess you better leave all deceit, etc behind and come before God with honesty and truthfulness; then He will listen and start you on the path of restoration of walls and homes. 

Just a thought by coppi

“Pray the largest prayers. You cannot think a prayer so large that God, in answering it, will not wish you had made it larger. Pray not for crutches but for wings.” – Phillip Brooks

”“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,“

‭‭John‬ ‭17‬:‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

”I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.“

‭‭John‬ ‭17‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The power of your name. Very powerful statement. I know there were times in my life that the only prayer I could utter was “Jesus””.  “It is the memory and recollection of the entire life of Jesus. The short name of Jesus is meant to represent the entirety of the life and ministry of Jesus — all that he did, all that he said, all that he experienced. To gather, to pray, in the name of Jesus is to re-member the entire life of Jesus.”  I remember years ago in our little country church we were asked to quote scriptures. My brother, Leonard, who was just a lad, was there, and when it came to his time he said “Jesus Wept”. (John 11:35l. Reveals He truly is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Hebrews 4:15). His tears are a reminder that He loves sinners and cares for every soul?  The name of Jesus covers a vast supply of love for us.  He cares, he heals, he comforts, he will never leave us, he weeps with us; the list goes on and on. So, when you are in deep sorrows and are trying to pray and the words are not coming say the name of “Jesus”.  It’s a powerful prayer – and He hears you. 

Even before God became man, it’s clear throughout the Old Testament that God feels sorrow, even weeps for the crushing blows of His people. Psalm 34:18 promises us that “the Lord is close to the brokenhearted”.

Just a thought by coppi.