Tag: Bible

God’s Confirming Word

As I read Psalm 147, I was reminded of how God confirms his Word through his Word and many other verses came to mind. I looked up these confirming verses and have linked them to this passage. You may see the verses by clicking on their links, then transfer back to this passage with the back button on your browser. (My words are in parentheses.)
Psalm 147

Praise the Lord!

How good to sing praises to our God!

How delightful and how fitting!

(True Worship! John 4:23-24)

2 The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem

and bringing the exiles back to Jerusalem.

(Into communion and relationship with Him. Revelations 21:3)

3 He heals the brokenhearted

(the disillusioned, the disappointed, those who hurt)

and bandages their wounds.

(Every trouble that befalls us. Romans 5:3-5)

4 He counts the stars

(And knows His people! John10:14)

and calls them (me) all by name.

5 How great is our Lord! His power is absolute!

His understanding is beyond comprehension!

(Ephesians 3:19)

6 The Lord supports the humble,

(Those with childlike trust and a sense of awe. Matthew 18:4)

but he brings the wicked down into the dust.

(Those who are rebellious. 1 John 3:9-11) 

7 Sing out your thanks to the Lord;

sing praises to our God with a harp.

(Colossians 3:15-17)

8 He covers the heavens with clouds,

provides rain for the earth,

and makes the grass grow in mountain pastures.

(He provides literal rain. James 5:16-18)

9 He gives food to the wild animals

and feeds the young ravens when they cry.

(So, don’t worry! Matthew 6:31-33)

10 He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse

or in human might.

(Doing things on our own does not impress God. Philippians 2:13-15)

11 No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him,

those who put their hope in his unfailing love.

(Those who allow God to lead them. 1 John 4:18)

12 Glorify the Lord, O Jerusalem!

Praise your God, O Zion!

13 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates

(He protects us. Psalm 91)

and blessed your children within your walls.

(He Loves us. Romans 8:38-39)

14 He sends peace across your nation

(His peace which we can’t explain. Philippians 4:7)

and satisfies your hunger with the finest wheat.

(There are Rewards for following God. Ephesians 3:6)

15 He sends his orders to the world—

how swiftly his word flies!

(If God is for us, who can stand against us? Romans 8:31)

16 He sends the snow like white wool;

he scatters frost upon the ground like ashes.

17 He hurls the hail like stones.

Who can stand against his freezing cold?

(God controls the weather.)

18 Then, at his command, it all melts.

He sends his winds, and the ice thaws.

(When Jesus woke up… the storm stopped and all was calm. Luke 8:24)

19 He has revealed his words to Jacob,

his decrees and regulations to Israel.

(He reveals His word to us by His Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:10-12)

20 He has not done this for any other nation;

they do not know his regulations.

(We understand when we follow Him. John 14:21)

Praise the Lord!

Wedding Bliss

My fiance and I have shared our story to anyone who will read or listen. I will share my version.

I used to write a political blog through a publication which I enjoyed. I made many friends through the years and have kept loosely associated with some of them. My moniker was ‘Str8_talk.’ (Not associated w/McCain!) One of the other bloggers I met was Jonathan Alligood, known as ‘Good Al.’ I occasionally read his posts. I had gone through a very anguished  relationship and I wasn’t looking to marry again or date anyone. At first I was adamant that I wouldn’t marry again but later I said “God will have to show me if I am to marry again, then I will know it is meant to be.”

I was writing from Kansas City, MO when I first encountered Jonathan through blogging. We found out that each of us were on Facebook, so we connected in that venue just before I moved in with my daughter in VA. I was looking to converse with someone who shared similar beliefs to mine. We shared what we both learned or believed in our faith in God’s Word and we had some very lengthy discussions on the Bible. We agreed on just about everything and we grew in the Lord together.

Fast forward to my son-in-love’s transfer to North Carolina, which is Jonathan’s home state. Jonathan had shared with me about a church in a suburb of Jacksonville, NC. I really enjoyed what he said about their beliefs and it felt right in my spirit (the spirit that I received through my salvation). I told him I would visit there because I would be looking for a home church.

And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. Ephesians 1:13 (NLT)

The day I walked into Kingdom Life Fellowship (then known as Praise Tabernacle) I knew I had a church home. It was good, the worship and the message were phenomenal and I knew I had found rest for my soul. I am not a bystander though and I plugged in wherever I could. I worked a couple of times through the food bank and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting those people. If it weren’t for the generosity of my daughter I might have been one of ‘those people.’ I also helped with other areas, and served two days in the soup kitchen. I want to share the joy and peace God has given me. I love people of all types, isn’t that what we are encouraged to do?

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. Isaiah 61:1

I met another guy through a different ministry who asked me “What are you looking for in a man?” I told him “I am Not looking for a man, I am in a relationship with God and it is the most important relationship in my life.” I have continued to seek God first in my life. I wasn’t looking for a relationship or someone to marry. I just wanted to know God more; if and when I was meant to be involved with someone God would show me.

In December, I met Jonathan face to face. In the past, he had been at our church to hear teachings and the theatrical performances by the drama team. He came to see a play that our drama team put on which I was privileged to be a part. The next day he came over and visited for a few hours. By this time we were good friends and we shared more of the Lord. We knew each other better than friends we’ve had for most of our lives because we had a strong spiritual connection.

In January, I attended a seminar at his church three hours away with another friend from my church. This was not to see him but to continue on my spiritual journey and learn more about God. There were two sessions on Saturday and one on Sunday morning. During the praise and worship portion of the service, I felt like God told me “Jonathan will be your husband.” It was quite a shocking revelation but I had said all along that God would show me who, when, and IF I was to marry. I said “Okay God, you will have to show him as well, then I will know it is from you.” I didn’t change in the way I acted towards Jonathan but God was working on my heart in how I viewed him, moving from friend to eventual partner in life and ministry. I continued to be his friend, knowing that if God was in it, He would work on his heart as well.

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 

Obviously, if you know us or looked at the title, you know that God did start revealing to Jonathan that I might be the woman for his life. In April I mentioned to Jonathan that I wanted to go somewhere and shoot some photography. I asked his advice on the state parks since NC is his home state. He told me he might not be available on that Saturday and I asked him why he said this. I hadn’t been hinting for him to go, I just wanted his perspective as a native Carolinian. He said he needed to get out and he would like to go. We spent the day together at Raven Rock State Park hiking the beautiful trails with the dogwood in peak bloom. That evening we went to an authentic Italian restaurant where the song playing when we walked in was “I Can Only Imagine.” This seemed to set the tone for the day. 

        

After dinner, we went back to the park for more hiking. We ended up getting caught in a thunderstorm together and walked back in utter darkness except for the occasional lightning strikes and light from the small flashlight which I had grabbed before we set out on our second hike. We managed to get back to our cars by making all the right turns.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

We have had many dates since April and feel very blessed to be in each other’s lives! On July 23rd, Jonathan proposed to me at my church. We will be getting married on August 20th! We look forward to a shared ministry together.

You may read Jonathan’s version of our story here: 

Good Al is Getting Married to Kimberly


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Priests, Pundits, and Pilate

Turning from the Truth

I want to examine Jesus’ accusers at the time of his crucifixion and what led to it. There was offense given and taken. There was accusation and those who knew what was true and turned from it. There was intention and perception. It is the responses in several people I want to consider.

You may look up the passages by clicking the following scripture links: Luke 22 & Luke 23; Mark 14 & Mark 15; and John 18 & John 19 (The Message).

The priests and the pundits were the first to take offense to what Jesus was teaching. They were so caught up that their authority or what they were professing was being challenged, they sought a way to kill Jesus. They would rather stick to their way of doing things under the law than to walk in a new covenant which would have given them a far better life. Isn’t this how people are today? Many of us will just accept laws or what someone else teaches instead of seeking out the best answer for ourselves through the Holy Spirit. We could be walking in the fulness of God in all aspects of our life, but instead we accept ‘status quo.’ The Holy Spirit is the best counselor or guide for All areas of our lives. Why don’t we go to him before we make any decision, not just spiritual ones?

The priests and pundits were so intent on carrying on the way things had always been, they would not accept Jesus’ teaching or position in their lives. They perceived Jesus as a threat to their system. What changes are we unwilling to make because it isn’t how things have always been, what we are comfortable with, or accustomed to? They started to accuse Jesus of claiming to be the Messiah. They were so spiritually blind they decided he was blaspheming God. Their first accusation held some weight based on what they professed, IF he weren’t the Messiah. The accusation wasn’t strong enough to stand up to the people though, so they started adding exaggerations to justify themselves. They fed off the indignation of each other. The group of them felt emboldened because they had others to go along with them. How do we get more power when we find someone to agree with us, even when we’re wrong?

The priests and pundits couldn’t see the proof right before their eyes. These were people who were leaders in the church, teaching others how to live their lives according to the law, yet they couldn’t see the fulfillment of the very prophecies they taught. How often do we have the truth before us and ignore it? They were hesitant to kill Jesus because they knew the people would be angry, so they sought out people who would go along with their deluded plans. God used their human hearts to carry out his plan. They taught the law but didn’t follow their spiritual side. They used Judas to locate Jesus. They used Pilate to try to convict him and made accusations that Jesus was starting riots when he traveled around teaching and healing people. Pilate sent him to another jurisdiction so he wouldn’t have to deal with the reaction of the people. He was a very wise politician – wise in keeping the blame from himself. Was he innocent though? How do we pass the buck when a hard decision is before us, do we choose an easy way out?

Herod eventually passed the buck back to Pilate, but he was excited to meet Jesus. He had heard of the miracles which had been performed by Jesus and he wanted to be entertained. When Jesus didn’t cooperate, Herod was offended. Jesus would not entertain him, he wouldn’t even answer his questions. Herod starting hurling accusations at Jesus along with the priests and pundits. Herod didn’t even know firsthand but he was willing to go along with the crowd because his authority to make Jesus speak or perform fell short. Herod used his own misguided authority to have his underlings join him in mocking Jesus. They even dressed him in a royal robe and called him names. Herod’s perception was to go along with the crowd. His intention was to put Jesus in his place but he was afraid to convict him. Do we get excited to be entertained? How often do rulers fear the reaction of the crowd and make a decision based on popularity? How often do we? Herod ruled from hearsay, not a firsthand account. He was guilty of not investigating the charges. He was guilty of listening to gossip. He was guilty of seeking entertainment and not the truth. He was guilty of esteeming himself higher than God.

Jesus was once again before Pilate who had listened to the charges and found Jesus was not guilty. He dismissed the charges, saying he couldn’t verify anything Jesus was accused of doing. Pilate knew he had an innocent man before him. “That day Herod and Pilate became thick as thieves. Always before they had kept their distance.” Luke 23:12 Pilate had a choice to make, he could have released Jesus. He wanted to release Jesus but the crowd who obviously gossiped among themselves had decided to listen to the leaders of the day, the priests and pundits. They followed along blindly with them and asked to have Jesus murdered. Again, Pilate had a choice and decided not to make the decision but gave Jesus to the crowd to be killed. He was guilty of pride, he was guilty of not doing the right thing. Pilate washed his hands because of his guilt but it didn’t remove his irresponsibility or guilt. Pilate followed after corruption. How do we stand up when the choice is tough to do the right thing? Do we go against what we know is truth to appease the desires of others? Pilate’s intention was to free Jesus but he changed his mind due to pressure. Pilate went against his own knowledge to give in to the popular decision. Pilate’s perception was that he had to hand Jesus over to keep his own followers content. Pilate was guilty by association.

Prayer: Father help me to follow after truth, not what makes me comfortable. Help me to make decisions based on your will for my life and not go along with the intent of other’s. Help me to perceive what is noble and correct. Help me to respond to everyone I come in contact with with your Word and stand for what is accurate. Help me not to be offended when others accuse me falsely. I commit my way to you Father. Amen