Barbara's Banter

From God comes…

From God comes intercession. Intercession can mean to help, to intervene, to request, or to pray for others.  

The Holy Spirit intercedes for us during our times of weakness. (Romans 8:26-27) When we don’t know the words to say during a prayer, the Spirit intercedes for us. The Spirit feels what we are going through. When we don’t know what to pray or how to express ourselves with words, the Spirit searches our hearts and intercedes for us.

Jesus made intercession for us by dying on the cross. (Isaiah 53:12) This intercession does not mean He was protecting us from a harsh God. Sin comes with a penalty and Jesus paid that penalty for us. He gave His life to pay our penalty for sin. He intervened or interceded for us. This intercession continues today—not only through His death but through His resurrected life. (Hebrews 7:25)

Intercession can also mean to pray on behalf of others. Prophets of old did this all the time. (Jeremiah 27:18) The Bible is full of examples of praying for others. Abraham prayed for God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah. (Genesis 18) Moses prayed for the children of Israel. (Exodus 32:11-14) Stephen prayed for those who persecuted him. (Acts 7:59-60) The churches prayed for Peter while he was in prison. (Acts 12:5-17)

As children of God, we should be interceding for others through prayer, as well. (1 Timothy 2:1) These intercessions are not begging and pleading for what we want done in a person’s life, but asking God for His will to be made manifest. God knows every circumstance. He knows what is best. However, we are the ones who must come before God on their behalf. Let’s face it! If we don’t pray for certain loved ones or others we meet, who will? Who will lift them up to God?

From God comes intercession through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. They intercede for us. As God’s love is manifest more and more in our lives, we will be interceding for others.    

*****

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes…

From God comes refuge.

Refuge means to provide safety and protection from danger and distress. Many scriptures refer to God as a rock, a strong tower, our strength, and our refuge. (Psalm 18:2) God is our refuge. He’s our safe place to go when this world gets us down. Sometimes we forget that and try to muddle through on our own.

In the Old Testament, God instructed the Israelites to set apart six cities as “cities of refuge,” places where people could flee if they unintentionally killed someone—an accidental death. (Deuteronomy 19) These cities were easily accessible and open to everyone. The gates were never locked. People could be protected from those seeking vengeance. 

Moses was the first to use the concept of God being a refuge for all His people. (Deuteronomy 33:27) King David said God was his stronghold and refuge. (2 Samuel 22:2). Psalm 46:1 reminds us that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in our time of trouble. Therefore, we will not fear…” Psalm 91:4 lets us know we can take refuge “under God’s wings.”

Spiritually speaking, we all need somewhere to flee when we get off track, inadvertently harm others, and make mistakes. We need a place to cast our cares during dire circumstances. (1 Peter 5:7) A place to find rest when we are tired or weary. (Matthew 11:28) A place to find solace when we are fodder for the rumor mill or falsely accused. A place to find comfort when we feel hurt or misunderstood. We have such a place. We can flee towards God’s mercy and grace.

From God comes refuge. When life gets us down, there is no need to muddle through on our own. We can run to God’s loving arms. God is our refuge. 

*****

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes…

From God comes truth.

What is truth? This question has been explored for centuries. When Jesus was brought before Pilate, He told Pilate that He had come to “bear witness to the truth.” Pilate asked, “What is truth?” (John 18:35-38) Pilot did not wait for Jesus’s reply, but he did admit to the Jews that he could find no fault in Christ. Sometimes people don’t want to hear the truth.

Many study epistemology, a philosophical area that explores various explanations of truth. However, contrary to what most people think, truth is not public opinion, personal feelings, popular vote, scientific agreement, or a jury’s consensus. Truth is not relative. It is not subjective. People who have “their own truth” have no clue what truth really is.

Believe it or not, truth is what God says it is. God is Ruler, Creator, and Sustainer of all we see. Truth comes from the mind of God. Only He can tell us what truth is because God cannot lie. (Hebrews 6:18) Everything about God cries out TRUTH! His Word is truth. (John 17:17) He is the God of truth. (Psalm 31:5) The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. (John 14:18) Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6)

Is truth important? I think so. There is power in truth. It can give us wisdom to deal with daily situations. (Psalm 51:6) It can set us free from the bondage of sin. (John 8:32) It is part of the armor of God to help us battle enemies. (Ephesians 6:14) It can transform our lives. (Psalm 25:5) The benefits of truth are endless. 

Those desiring this truth can only get it by knowing God and abiding in His word. Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)

If we want genuine truth, there is only one way to get it—from the source. We must immerse ourselves in a relationship with God and study His word because from God comes truth.

*****

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes…

From God comes a relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

From the beginning, God created us to be relational beings. God created man and then made him a companion because it was not good for man to be alone. (Genesis 1:26; Genesis 2:8) So we have this innate desire to connect with others. We want people to understand us, empathize with us, share our joy, feel our pain, and so on.

God is relational as well. This is modeled for us through the Trinitarian relationship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is further exemplified in the grace filled gesture of making salvation available for all mankind so we, too, can enter into that relationship. 

God longs for a relationship with us, but He will not force it on us. He will beckon or encourage us to come to Him. He will make Himself available. He will love us. He will stand at the door and knock, but He won’t come in and fellowship with us unless He is invited. (Revelation 3:20) He initiates, but we must respond on our own.

Think of the privilege it is to interact with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is always ready and willing to connect with us. We connect through communication, which is a give and take process. We talk and He listens. He talks and we listen.

God is always interested in what we do and listens to what we say. When we talk to God we can tell Him how we feel from the heart. Sometimes we might be angry or frightened. Sometimes we might be elated and joyful. Sometimes we are anxious and worried. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by God’s goodness and full of praise. We talk to God just like we would talk to our most intimate friend—from the heart and often.

How does God talk to us? God spoke to Moses through a burning bush, but I wouldn’t wait for that to happen today. If we ask God to interact with us, He will probably do it through our daily routines.  Maybe it will be through a Bible scripture, a sunset, a child’s smile, a co-worker’s off handed comment, a friend’s concern, a quote we read in a book, or various circumstances. It may come in the form of comfort, wisdom, or even correction. We are all different, so God will interact with us in ways that will resonate with each of us.  

However, to truly benefit from this relationship with God, we must be receptive. So our thoughts need to be on Him throughout the day. As we draw near to God, He draws near to us. (James 4:8) That’s what relationship is all about.

*****

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

From God comes…

From God comes every good and perfect gift. (James 1:17) Is there a difference between a good gift and a perfect gift? I think so. I’ve heard it said that a good gift is temporary, but a perfect gift is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18 seems to agree. It tells us that what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. Therefore, we are encouraged to fix our eyes on what is unseen.  

However, even though good gifts may be temporary, they are given to us by God to enjoy. This would include the gift of a New Year. So I wish you Happy New Year and remind you that this New Year is a gift from God with endless possibilities.

Each year I try to come up with a different blog theme. This can be quite a challenge. There are always many ideas swirling in my mind and a myriad of possible directions to go. Psalm 3:8 seemed to resonate with me. It says, “From the Lord comes deliverance.” I thought about how many wonderful gifts we have that come from God.

God is gracious, kind, and generous. The very nature of God is full of giving. God gave us the breath of life. (Genesis 2:7) God gave us the indescribable gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 9:15) Through Christ, we can be given the gift of eternal life. (John 3:16)

God’s love for us has no bounds—and because of this great love He blesses us with good gifts. Every blessing we have comes from God. In fact, James 1:16 admonishes us not to be deceived into thinking these good gifts come from any other source but God.

So this year my theme will be: From God comes… Let’s explore some of the wonderful gifts from God. Perhaps a meaningful New Year’s resolution would be to NOT take them for granted.

*****

“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”

~James 1:17 (NLT)

The Abundant Life: Riches money can’t buy…

Those living the abundant life face a New Year with a focus on what is most important.  

As one year closes and another begins, an abundant life will reflect on what’s passed and look forward to what is ahead. A year gone by is usually filled with good and bad. We can learn from the bad and move on. But let’s not forget to think about the good things that happened. In fact, the Bible encourages us to think about “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable… If anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)

The abundant life does not know what challenges the New Year will hold, but they know they can make it through if they stay focused on God.

Proverbs 4:25-27 (NIV) tells us, “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” To go one step further, we need to be looking to God. Only He has the power to save us. (Isaiah 45:22) We need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. (Hebrews 12:2) We lose power, hope, and purpose when we don’t focus on the right things.

We will all face turmoil and trials in life. However, we can’t afford to let problems block our focus. Think of this biblical example from 2 Chronicles 20…

Jehoshaphat’s kingdom of Judah was being threatened by the armies of many nations like Ammon and Moab who joined together to annihilate Judah. These huge armies were strong and surrounded Judah. There seemed to be no chance of survival. So people from every town came together to seek help from the Lord. The men, their wives, and children stood in the courtyard of the temple and Jehoshaphat prayed a heartfelt prayer extolling God’s greatness and acknowledging Judah’s lack of power to withstand the inevitable attack. It ended with, “For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12)

They kept their eyes and focus on God, and He indeed miraculously delivered them. (2 Chronicles 20:12-24)

When life gets overwhelming or hard decisions need to be made or the enemy is attacking, those living the abundant life resolve to stay focused. With Jesus in their lives, they are never alone or forsaken. (Hebrews 13:5-6) They don’t know what the New Year will hold, but they do know they can face anything if they stay focused on God!   

*****

“…I have come that they may have life and that they

may have it more abundantly.” ~John 10:10 (KJV)

The Abundant Life: Riches money can’t buy…

Those living the abundant life make room for Jesus—especially at this time of year.

One of my favorite Christmas cartoons is of two men looking at a humble Mary. She’s pregnant with the Christ child and riding on a donkey being led by Joseph. The caption reads, “Just another couple of homeless people. Try to ignore them.” In a way that sums up how many people view Christ at Christmastime. They go through the Christmas holidays trying to ignore Christ, the very reason for the season. Never realizing that without Christ, there is no Christmas.

The story of Jesus’s birth is not just a story. It really happened. In those days, a decree when out from Caesar that all should be taxed. So everyone went to be taxed to his own city. Joseph and a very pregnant Mary went to Bethlehem. While there Mary gave birth to Jesus “… and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:1-7)

Not much has changed. Today households worldwide celebrate the birth of Christ but there is no room for Christ in their homes, either. No room in their “inns” for Jesus Christ.

Years ago I read a Chicken Soup story called Trouble in the Inn. It was about a Christmas pageant performed by some second graders. Ralph was to be the innkeeper. Ralph had been held back a year or so and was big, awkward, slow-moving, and slow- thinking. Ralph wasn’t thrilled about his assignment. He wanted to be a shepherd but he finally agreed to play the part of the innkeeper. Rehearsal went okay and the much-anticipated night of the performance came.

When Joseph and Mary arrived at the innkeeper’s door, Ralph was reluctant to say his lines but as Joseph kept asking to come in, Ralph rose to the occasion. “Look elsewhere!” he said. “The inn is full! There is no room for you. Begone!”

As Mary and Joseph turned to leave, Ralph’s eyes filled with tears. “Please, don’t go,” he said. Pause. Dead silence. Then Ralph smiled and spoke. “You can have my room!” That was quite possibly the best Christmas pageant those people ever saw.

The abundant life makes room for Jesus at Christmastime. When Jesus knocks, the abundant life says, “Come on in. Glad to see ya! You can have my room. Thank you for bringing salvation to us. Help us celebrate your birth.”

*****

“…I have come that they may have life and that they

may have it more abundantly.” ~John 10:10 (KJV)

The Abundant Life: Riches money can’t buy…

Those living the abundant life follow the biblical instructions that tell us to always be ready to respectfully give an answer to those who ask for the hope that is within us. (1 Peter 3:15 KJV) That answer is Jesus! However, how that answer is given requires some finesse.  

Some preachers use 1 Peter 3:15 as an exhortation to study our Bibles so we’ll know the answers to biblical trivia questions. Others think it means we need to be intentionally leading people to Christ. Both concepts may have some merit.

However, knowing how many cubits were used to build an ark may not really be helpful to others. Also, I’m not sure it’s our job to actually lead people to Christ. Jesus said no one can come to Him unless He draws them to Him. (John 6:44) The abundant life does not feel compelled to force-feed Jesus to others all the time, whether they are interested or not.

Perhaps one intent of this passage is that when others see Christians go through trials they are amazed at how well they handle them, no matter what comes their way. The reason for this is hope. Christian hope has a positive, encouraging energy that others can’t quite understand. This hope is attractive to a hurting world. This hope gives a peace that passes understanding even in the worst situations. (Philippians 4:7) It’s natural that others would be curious and ask where that hope comes from. The answer is simple. It comes from Jesus.

Jesus is the answer to all the problems in this world. When people have questions, Jesus is the answer—and we shouldn’t be afraid to share personal examples in our lives to show this if someone asks. Is someone sick? Jesus is the healer and great physician. Is someone seeking knowledge? Jesus is the great teacher. Is someone weary? Jesus gives us rest and comfort. Is someone worried? Jesus gives us peace. Does someone think nobody cares? Jesus cares and because He cares, so should we. Does someone feel like a loser? The world may think we are losers but Jesus does not. His life in ours makes us winners regardless of circumstances.

Those living the abundant life know they have assured promises through their relationship with Jesus. Others can have this assurance as well. What we experience on earth is only temporary. Trials can’t be compared to what lies ahead or who lives in us. (Romans 8:18) Jesus is the hope that lives in us!

The abundant life knows that if people have questions, Jesus is the answer. 

*****

“…I have come that they may have life and that they

may have it more abundantly.” ~John 10:10 (KJV)

The Abundant Life: Riches money can’t buy…

Today’s world is adept at making us feel insignificant and worthless. Those living the abundant life know it isn’t true. What we do matters!

The Bible is full of examples of one person changing the course of history. Daniel was instrumental in influencing King Nebuchadnezzar. Esther saved her people from destruction by risking her life to go before the king. While it is true most of us won’t be changing the course of governments, global warming, social reform, or much of anything else on a grand scale, we do affect the lives of each and every person we meet. What we do makes a difference!

Rahab the harlot had three handicaps in the eyes of any self-respecting Israelite. She was a Gentile which was considered pagan. She was a woman in a time when women had no rights. She was a prostitute which was the lowest form of a woman. Yet she is listed among the faithful in Hebrews. (Hebrews 11:31)

When the Israelite spies entered her city of Jericho she risked her life to hide them. Not only did she hide them but she sent the soldiers looking for them on a wild goose chase. Then she helped the spies escape. (Joshua 2) The Bible doesn’t really tell us why she did this. Perhaps she had heard the stories of how the Israelite God had delivered his people time and time again. She obviously believed that such a God existed.

In return for her kindness, she asked the spies to spare not only her life, but the lives of her family when they attacked. (Joshua 2:12-13) When Joshua and the Israelites attacked Jericho and the walls came tumbling down, the Israelites attacked and killed everything that breathed in the city—everything except Rahab and her family. (Joshua 6:22-27)

Rahab was only one person, yet because of her actions not only was she spared but her whole family as well. Her family did nothing to deserve deliverance. However, what she did affected their lives greatly. It made the difference between life and death.

Those living the abundant life are well aware that they make a difference in the lives of those around them. Communities will notice if they stand up for what is right. Spouses can come to Christ if they live the gospel. (1 Peter 3:1) Children will learn by their example how to love, be compassionate, and show kindness or how to hate and think only of themselves. The abundant life knows that we are all significant and what we do significantly affects those around us.

*****

“…I have come that they may have life and that they

may have it more abundantly.” ~John 10:10 (KJV)

The Abundant Life: Riches money can’t buy…

Those living the abundant life still have a sense of awe and wonderment.

Children have a keen sense of awe and wonderment. A colorful flower, a vibrant sunset, a twinkling firefly, a crescent moon—all fill the young eye with sparkle and delight. I used to marvel when my three-year-old granddaughter would gather rocks of all shapes and sizes. To me, they appeared to be nothing more than ugly hunks of gray hues. In her eyes, each one possessed some hidden form of fascination.  

Sometimes when we age, our world can seem smaller. Those vibrant, twinkling colors are still there, but we become so used to seeing them that in our eyes, they look dull and gray.

This can be analogous to the Christian journey. When we first discover Christ we are filled with awe and wonderment. How can it be that one would care for us so much that he would give His life for us, offer us salvation, extend us grace, and give us victory over death through His resurrection? All this Christ did while we were yet sinners. We are amazed at such sacrifice, such benevolence—such love! 

After a while, we can grow accustomed to this. We can drift hither and yon. Instead of praising God for our blessings, we might blame Him for our trials. God has not changed. Christ is still the one who extends His mercy, but sometimes we change. We stop participating in a relationship with God through prayer, meditation, Bible study, and communing with like believers. Our senses become dulled. We lose that awe and wonderment we experienced when we first realized God’s love for us.

Perhaps that’s what happened to the church at Ephesus. (Revelation 2:1-5) They started out strong with an infectious love of God. Yet something must have happened along their Christian journey to dull their senses. Maybe this happened slowly, over time. Perhaps they gradually stopped praying, thinking about God, and studying the scriptures. Or perhaps it all became just a ritualistic routine without much meaning. Whatever the cause, the Bible says they lost the love they first had for God and were encouraged to find it again.

Losing this awe and wonder of God and His creation can affect our lives. For when we view God and His creation through dulled senses, we will not see the glory that surrounds us. The world becomes a dreary place.

Those living the abundant life will ask God to help them remember how they felt when they first knew Him. They will ask to know Him more. They realize that the more they know God, the more they will be able to see what surrounds them through His eyes. Then they can stand in awe and wonder of it all!

*****

“…I have come that they may have life and that they

may have it more abundantly.” ~John 10:10 (KJV)