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

Napoleon Bonaparte is quoted as having said, “Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself founded empires; but what foundation did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded an empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him.” (First 15 – Oct 19, 2017)

1 Cor 13:13 – Three things will last forever…Faith, hope, and love…and the greatest of these is love.

Agape love (Devine-love) is the love Jesus has for mankind. There are three kinds of love in the Bible – Eros: is a Greek term which actually means desire & longing; Philos: is a unique kind of love like one you have for a companion or pal; and Agape love: is Devine-love. Love is indeed a very powerful word but I dare to say it cannot be conjured up but somehow, someway has to come from a deep intense feeling within. I think most of us look for love – not an empty word slung about, but a word that comes from deep within. Myself, since I was reared in a very legalistic religion, I was always in search for the love of God not a God who was chasing me with a stick. (The only stick God has is the cross). I wanted a grace-filled love. One that I didn’t have to earn. It took me a long time to find the love of God but it was worth the search. Now, I say “Isn’t that the same kind of love we look for in life….one that we don’t have to earn but that we are loved because of who we are.

Ezekiel 35:10 – whereas the Lord was there

Jehovah Shammah: “The Lord is there”

“How often Satan shoots his arrows against our faith, but our faith defiles the power of hell’s fiery darts; they are not only turned aside, but they are quenched upon its shield, for “the Lord is there”…”

Sometimes when life gave me lemons & i wondered how do I make lemonade out of this situation, I would utter “Lord are you there”.  Today, as I read different happenings in the Old Testament when the saints were facing the “ites” of war & all seemed hopeless, Jehovah Shammah showed up & was there.  The “ites” of life come, they discourage us, try to destroy us, make us want to give up and the list goes on & on.  And, yes, sometimes I do have questions as to the “whys” but when it is all said and done, I come back to the one true source for me “Lord you are there”.

I read the following today by Roberta Rogers – as I read I thought of a friend who lost her son tragically & will be buried today:

“But in the losses & worries, we began to find treasures…..the greatest of them were people, both known & unknown to us, who would pray us all the way through to calmer waters….thank you, Lord, for the living strength of prayer & the love that sustains us in times of crisis, I think of_______who desperately needs your touch right now.

Just a thought

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.

Just a thought by coppi

Just a thought by coppi – written in 2015.  I am in remission & have been since 2015.

Is 41:10 – fear not, for I am with you.  Do not be dismayed.  I am your God.  I will strengthen you; I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness 

Proverbs 3:5 – trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Once again, I am faced with the big “C”.  In my blood work there appeared an area that my oncologist did not like.  Friday, I had to go for a Pet Scan to check all areas of my body where this “crawling ugly” might be.  Wednesday I will get the results of test.  My prayer is that all will be well, but in the meantime, my doctor put me back on Revlimid (chemo pill).  I so dreaded taking it, but i renewed my mind with gratefulness &  thankfulness –  that there is something out there to help fight “ugliness”.  The powerful scriptures, I have hidden in my heart, & Revlimid, I am now endowed with both the great physician medicine & meds that He gave man the wisdom & knowledge to create.

“I know the Lord is always with me.  He is helping me.  God’s mighty power supports me. (Acts 2:24).  

just a thought by coppi

Sent from my iPad

“Look up into the heavens. Who created all the stars? He brings them out like an army, one after another, calling each by its name. Because of his great power and incomparable strength, not a single one is missing. O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights?”

Isaiah 40:26-27 NLT

Phil 4:19 – “But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”.

When your body is out of sorts as mine was this week, the devil is apt to attack your mind with all kinds of “whining” thoughts.  “Coppi, do you realize you are all alone.  No one really cares about you.  No one will ever want to take care of you, etc, etc”.  My usual combat gear was evidently packed away as I let all his darts get to me, and I became very sad.  I think it was Tuesday night; I got up to go to the bathroom and as I got to the door, a love I can’t explain engulfed me and I heard “Haven’t I always protected you”.  It happened so fast and was over so quickly, but I knew something happened, because joy moved sadness from me.  I wish I could say I had these soft winds of love happen to me a lot,  but I cannot.  I have had probably three in my lifetime.  But, I can say though, each one is embedded in my heart ❤️.

Just a thought by coppi

“We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1:8-10‬ ‭NLT‬

‬Commit to surrendering everything to him today. Hand over control of your plans, relationships, finances, and emotions to the one who will guide you daily into the abundant life he died to give you.  (Craig Denison 7/23/19)

Surrender is hard to do, because fear will raise its ugly head and remind me “God is invisible and you are trusting a shadow –  will He truly guide you – is He really wanting the abundant life for you – on and on negative thoughts flood my mind like bees surrounding a bee hive.  Then I think of the quote I have put to memory “Those who trust in God will be radiant with joy”.  Trust and go back over your life and remember all the “uglies” that God carried you through.  The devil is a tormentor, and he loves to use his time on earth to torment people with negative thoughts and defeat.  Romans 12:2 – says “Do not conform to the pattern of this word, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.” I am sure the Apostle Paul faced the devil’s evils; he had to learn this truth.  Paul, I thank you for all of the writings on your journey so we sojourners could glean our way through your help.  Thank you.

“If prayer stands as the place where God and human beings meet, then I must learn about prayer. Most of my struggles in the Christian life circle around the same two themes: why God doesn’t act the way we want God to, and why I don’t act the way God wants me to. Prayer is the precise point where those themes converge.” — Philip Yancey

I have said this before, but I will say it again – “I think when i get to heaven, I will be sorry I did not pray more.”

Just a thought by coppi

“Let nothing disturb you; let nothing frighten you. Everything passes except God; God alone is sufficient.”—Saint Theresa

Many times when I made a “goof” or was experiencing a horrific trial that I was worrying or badgering myself about, I was reminded of a saying a friend would say to me – “Coppi, what will it matter one-hundred years from now.” When I read the above saying by Saint Theresa I was reminded of that quote.  I was in St  Augustine , Fl, this past weekend and I visited The World Golf Museum.  It featured lots and lots of memories of golfers and their past history to view and read about.  All past history.  Yes, everything does pass away except God. God alone is sufficient as Saint Theresa said and when I think back over my life and the things I thought would kill me at that time they are now just a faded memory.  Crazy but it’s true.

Just a thought by coppi

And Hosea says, “I will be delighted to answer your question if you will first answer a question of mine. How can a holy God like this love such a harlotrous people like us?”

The first thing about the nature of God’s relationship with us is that God gives to us a love that we do not deserve. We do not merit it. But not only is the love of God unmerited, it is also a love that grows and is sustained by relationship. The longer we walk with God, the more we understand how much of a gift this love is. (Ravi Zacharias 8-8-19)

Who would ever think that the God of Israel would tell one of his prophets to marry a prostitute but He did – He told Hosea “to go marry a prostitute”. Why? Hosea’s marriage to Gomer, a prostitute, was a example of Israel’s turning from God and worshiping idols. Even when Gomer went back into her lifestyle of prostitution. God told Hosea to go buy her back, which he did. Hosea took a lot of criticism from the the Israelites as to his decision to continue his love for Gomer. However, when they were criticizing him, he came back with “I will be delighted to answer your question if you will first answer a question of mine. How can a holy God like this love such a harlotrous people like us?” Our God is a God of love, and is relentless in gathering us under his wings of protection as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings for protection against the storms of life. It is the same way with us, God loves us. And, as Ravi Zacharias states it “God gives us a love that we do not deserve. We do not merit it. But not only is the love of God unmerited, it is also a love that grows and is sustained by relationship. The longer we walk with God, the more we understand how much of a gift this love is.” Relationship, not religious activity, is what God wants. Spending time with him and allowing him to be your constant companion. And, you will find how much this gift of love is.