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.

I love the following quote by Eleanor Roosevelt:

“You gain strength, courage, & confidence by experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.  You are able to say to yourself, “I lived through this horror; I can take the next thing that comes along….you must do the thing you think you cannot do”.

A lot of truth & wisdom in her words.

Years ago I took a course at Christian Word Ministries on the Tabernacle.  That little Tabernacle housed the Holies of Holies/Ark of the Covenant where once a year the High Priest would enter with blood from animal sacrifices for the people.  The blood had to be from unblemished animals. The plan of the tabernacle was given to Moses by God & he was directed to build the tabernacle according to the exact plan in heaven.  I spent a year studying how it was built & each piece of furniture it housed.  First, the gate, brazen alter & the tabernacle sacrifices, laver (basin), menorah (lamp stand), table of show bread, golden altar of incense, Holy of Holies & the veil, & the ark of the Covenant.  Each year the people would have to come & offer their sacrifice & each year the high priest would have to take the blood sacrifice as he made his way from each piece of furniture until he came to the the entry of the veil which behind was the Ark of the Covenant where the sacrifice of blood was offered.  And, each year the people waited in fear to see if God accepted their sacrifice.  I was intrigued with the Tabernacle & what it represented that I did a painting of it.  Jesus was the center of focus because He became our redeemer& the perfect sacrifice; then I painted all the pieces of furniture leading up to the Holy of Holies, I painted a white curtain around the tabernacle & tents surrounded it where the 12 tribes of Israel lived.  I was impressed to do an image of the Holy Spirit reaching out into world bidding all to come freely today – no sacrifice- because the blood of Jesus was our redemption & became our way back to God.  It was a big painting & I would do teachings on the Tabernacle from it.  However, when my life fell apart, in all the movings, the painting was lost.  The painting was gone – it was material – but the significance of the Tabernacle & what it represented stayed in my heart.  The Apostles & prophets of the New Covenant only had the Old Covenant as their Bible.  They were waiting for the Messiah to come & through prophets, signs, wonders, they heard the sound “He is Coming”.    Even in the Tabernacle they saw it, too,  pointed to His coming……& He did come just as the predictions in the Old Covenant said He would.  Mt 5:17. Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets.  No I came to accomplish their purpose.

” So near, so very near to God, more near I cannot be, for in the person of His Son, I am as near as He”. Andrew Murray

Ps 27:4:  one thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek……to gaze on the beauty of the Lord….

Quote:  “It is said that the camera does not lie.  Yet when you see a fine nature photo, you, can hardly believe that there is such beauty.  This surprise comes to us because we see so little when our minds are occupied with other thoughts.  We overlook the beauty & detail of the natural world around us.”  Paul Krebil

Prayer – “Oh light of God, shine in my world, illumine its beauty, brighten the faces & lives of others, make me aware of your presence & show me myself in a new way.”  Paul Krebil

I can’t say it better…..

Enthusiasm – “It is a word that is built deeply into the victorious spirit of humans.  Enthusiasm literally means “full of God”.  God will help you overcome all difficulties, all tragedies, all sorrows, all headaches, all defeats, & will give victory”.  Norman Vincent Peale.

Prayer makes the darken’d cloud withdraw; Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw; Gives exercise to faith & love; Brings every blessing from above.

Look up today, oh parched plant, & open thy leaves & flowers for a heavenly watering.

When I read, I will place my journal besides me, & when I come across something that makes my heart sing, I will jot it down in my journal.   Many times I have come back to these quotes to lift my spirits.  As you note, I share many in my “just a thoughts”.  Being full of God does help when darkness comes; prayer will move the hand of God; & opening your parched soul for a heavenly blessing is needed.  In the Antique world the saying “if it makes your heart sing” buy it…..whenever I read something in the Bible or a book, etc & my heart sings, I believe it is mine……sent from above as a heavenly watering for my soul.

Prayer of Jesus before going to the cross – John 17

John 17:20:  I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.  I pray they will all be one, as you are in me, Father, & I am in you.  And may they be in us that the world will believe you sent me.

Acts 5:38-39 – Beware of the counsel of Gamaliel: and now I say unto you, refrain from these men, & let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought.  But if it be of God, he cannot overthrow it lest happy ye found even to fight against God.

The two passages – one in John the other in Acts glowed when I read them.  The one in John, I was in Albuquerque, NM studying a new medium a friend told me about.  I brought my Bible as I knew the couple I was staying with would not have one, as they were my wonderful Jewish friends.  One night I was reading the book of John & when I came to John 17 – the above passage “glowed”- for all who believe in me through their message & when I was taking a course at Christian Word Ministries the one in Acts “glowed” if the message is from God, you will not be able to over throw it.  

The message of our Lord is still going on after all these many years & despite all who have tried to bring it to naught have not been able to stop it!  It will continue on & on because it is the word of God.

just a thought by coppi

Just a thought by coppi

Mt 8:25….(paraphrased). The disciples woke Him and said to Him, “teacher don’t you care if we drown.  Jesus was in the stern sleeping on a cushion.  He said to his disciples ” why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith”.

The above scripture became very meaningful to me years ago while living in Dallas, Tx..  I was facing a situation regarding a test I was to take the next day.  All symptoms diagnosed were frightening.  The night before the test, I picked up my Bible to see if I could find a promise of hope that would encourage me.   “Why are you afraid – I am with you – I will never forsake you – come to me with your burden, & leave it with me”.  These promises calmed my nerves as i meditated on them and finally I was able to surrender my fears into His hands.  Fast forward to the present, every time I face a fear in my life now, i remember that lonely time in my life when Jesus was all I had & true to his word —–He was with me, He did not forsake me.  He was more than enough…..there was no need to be afraid, I was not alone.

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 – Psalm 39:6

I used to think life was forever.  That there was loads of time.  That I could do  everything I wanted if I did it slowly. I don’t think that anymore.

Put aside your busyness today and spend time alone with Him.

As I read above scripture and different quotes, I have to remind myself what’s important in life.  Life is a gift.  Is it wrapped in busyness – rushing hither and yonder like moving shadows or to walk softly before the Lord that you may be able to hear His voice.  For me, I have to remind myself that I am not the ambassador of the world and i must depend on the Lord for His direction & guidance in my life.  And, to have that direction & guidance, I have to spend time with Him.  My friends in Texas used to call me the “hyper-thyroid-grasshopper” – hopping everywhere trying to accomplish everything before I died…..I use to think that but I don’t anymore!  Maybe because I see”gray” in my hair!!!  But what is important for me is. “Do justice – love mercy – & walk humbly with the Lord.

Just a thought by coppi

Embrace each day as a gift……….i used to think life was forever.  That there was loads of time.  That I could do everything I wanted if I did it all slowly.  I don’t think that anymore.

Life is a gift from God.  What we do with it is our choice.  God did not make us robots but we were created in his imagine with a free will.  The older I become, it seems the faster time flies by. And before I know it, this time on earth will be over.  Did I do everything I wanted to – probably not.  I truly believe God was after my heart – to know him and have a personal relationship with him, love people, and not”all”‘the things I thought he wanted me to accomplish.  I also believe he knows me and all my insecurities and the why I do/did things for acceptance, and approval of the world …..also his.  I remember Standish, my deceased husband, telling me what he wanted to hear the Lord say when he died..”Well done my good and faithful servant”..and, I am sure he heard those words when he met Jesus because he definitely was a servant of the Lord’s.  Come to think of it, I want to hear those words too.

“Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.”

Philippians 2:16-18 NLT

I was reading Philippians 2 this morning when the above scriptures pulled at my heart strings.  Saul, his name changed to Paul, when he met the Lord on his way to Damascus to persecute the Christians (Act 9:). After that encounter with the Lord, his life took a dramatic change.  Nothing matter more to him than spreading the gospel to the world and having lives changed to really know the joy of the Lord.  And, what excited and gave Paul that joy?  ” I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my life was not useless”.  His life was certainly not useless because his witness and writings have endured for generations and the test of time…..”your work Paul was not in vain”.

“Write injuries in sand, kindnesses in marble.” 

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” Matthew 7:24

If you are driven by fear, choose to be courageous. If you are filled with hate and prejudice, choose to be loving and kind.  (Norman Vincent Peale)

Chesed (חסד, also Romanized ẖesed) is a Hebrew word commonly translated as “loving-kindness,” “kindness” or “love.”

My deceased husband, Standish, used hesed many times.  He loved to say to me when I was “out-of-sorts” “hesed Coppi hesed …loving kindness is the way to be not angry”.  I think there are many passages in the Bible that reinforce his statement.  Example:  “Do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil” (Ephesians 4:26–27). To refuse to surrender our anger is to welcome the devil to wreak havoc in our hearts and relationships. It allows him to take new ground, and to extend his stay in any given situation”. (Marshall Segal)

I read the following this morning and it sums up the word kindness to me:

“Integrity’s everything – No matter how educated, talented, rich, or cool you believe you are,  how you treat people ultimately tells all”.  

“Write injuries in sand, kindnesses in marble” – let the wind and rain wash away the ‘uglies’ in your life and let forgiveness, love, and kindness be your solid rock on which you stand.