Do You Need To Change Your Dirt? – Alkalinity vs. Acidity- Part 1

Beautiful Atlantic Sky

As I was on a cruise a few days ago to Nassau, Bahamas, dirt and death came to my never resting mind while sailing over water of all places. I began to think about all the people whose remains are in the ocean for whatever reason and I prayed for them. I begin to think about water balancing the ship and just thought ‘wow’. Ok, so I think too much.  However, I am amazed at how the Holy Spirit makes me think deeply about things on another level. All I saw was water and cloud formations I’d ne’er seen before as we sailed across the Atlantic Ocean. I love watching the sky. It was beautiful and it felt beautiful. It was a feeling of serenity being close to God’s creations that he spoke forth “In the beginning.”  God is the best balancer and protector of all.

Seeing the ocean also brought to mind the parable of the sower in Luke 8 and Mark 4 (TYHS)  Dirt is something we hardly ever give much thought to (especially when out on the ocean)unless  you are interested in digging graves, disturbing ancient graves, in the field of agriculture/forestry, or organic gardening to say the least.

I would go far as to say that dirt is of our essence because Genesis 2:7(KJV) reads- And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Has anyone given much thought to how many weeds have been marketed as “healing” grasses lately?  How much dirt can be found in oceans?  or Is their really “light at the end of the tunnel?” Those are my off the path thoughts. 

 

Beautiful Cabin Porthole View Bahamas

 

As my travels were coming to an end, I thought about and realized many things that were very Holy Spirit inspired.  I’ll share three of them with you. I need to change my dirt, hence this blog. I have no fear or regrets when death presents itself. (For sure now, my children better not let others persuade them per my private pre-planned arrangements or else)  Lastly, for once, I need to focus on me. If you didn’t already know I’m a NATURALLY CERTIFIED caregiver, protector, and thinker for/about others. I even cry for those who start wars and I feel so sorry for the devil and his minions.

Now let us move on to definitions and other information about the A words before sailing any further. It’s back to the classroom science time kids.

 

 

 

 

Alkalinity – (n) – the quality or state of being alkaline

Alkaline- having the properties of or containing an alkali;

Alkali – (Agriculture): a soluble mineral salt or a mixture of soluble salts, present in some soils, especially in arid regions, and detrimental to the growing of most crops.

Acidity –  1. the quality or state of being acid. 2. sourness; tartness; bitterness

Acid – a sour-tasting material (usually in a solution) that dissolves metals and other materials; an acid is the opposite of a base and has a pH of 0 to 7. 

Brief rundown about pH     Reference Used

Simple Definition- pH is a logarithmic measure of hydrogen ion concentration, originally defined by Danish biochemist Søren Peter Lauritz Sørensen in 1909 [1].  pH = -log[H+]  where log is a base-10 logarithm and [H+] is the concentration of hydrogen ions in moles per liter of solution. According to the Compact Oxford English Dictionary, the “p” stands for the German word for “power”, potenz, so pH is an abbreviation for “power of hydrogen”

Theoretical Definition -pH has been more accurately defined as  pH = -log aH+  where aH+ is the hydrogen ion activity. In solutions that contain other ions, activity and concentration are not the same. The activity is an effective concentration of hydrogen ions, rather than the true concentration; it accounts for the fact that other ions surrounding the hydrogen ions will shield them and affect their ability to participate in chemical reactions. These other ions effectively change the hydrogen ion concentration in any process that involves H+.

More important NOTES to think about from this article I found : How to change your soil’s pH

• Below 7 is acid and above 7 is alkaline.

• The soil pH is important because it affects the availability of nutrients in the soil.

• Consequently, most horticultural plants grow best in soils with a pH between 6 (slightly acid) and 7.5 (slightly alkaline).

• The standard measurement of alkalinity and acidity is known as pH. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. A pH of 7 is neutral, which is neither acid nor alkaline.

  The Big Note- But before attempting to raise or lower your soil’s pH, you should first conduct a soil test to determine your current soil pH. 

 

Wayside and Rocky Soil

 

And now that brings us to the dirt port: Do you need to change your dirt?  If so, you will need to conduct a soil test. According to the parable, there were four types of dirt/soil: (1) wayside soil (2) rocky soil (3) thorn filled/ overcrowded soil, and (4) good soil. Jesus goes even further to explain how the seeds reacted to the soil upon which it had fallen. It is safe to conclude that the wayside, rocky, and thorn filled soil became full of acidity that changed its pH balance, which limited and/or killed growth activities.

This parable speaks on three things and its outcome; the Sower, the Seeds, and the Soils. Now, let me try to share my modern day understanding of what Jesus said about the first type of dirt. It’s all about hearing and seeing what you let into your heart and mind…alkalinity vs. acidity. It’s about a balance within the heart and mind. It’s about the tilling of your soul. Bottom line: “The sower soweth the word.” (Mark 4:14)

Wayside Soil

Have your spiritual pH fallen below 7?  Have you been trampled on repeatedly by many thus leaving you with a hardened heart even after being exposed to the word of God?  Have you become confused about your purpose in life due to stressors and or disabilities? Have you let some things just fall where they may; in turn allowing others access to come along and peck at the nutrients of your very being?  Have you had a negative change of heart about the word of God? If so, you have  quite possibly fallen to the wayside. Your level of alkalinity has given over to an all-time high acidic level. In other words, the devil has taken control of cultivating this soil.

Note – “The soil pH is important because it affects the availability of nutrients in the soil.”

 

A Soil Sample View–  As we know, nutrients are needed for all living things to survive and grow. This soil can represent ongoing stressors and or disability issues in a Believer’s/ Christian’s life that may harden one’s heart against the Word. It could represent people who have earnestly prayed  to God for answers and have yet to receive a reply. After all, we are all impatient humans. We grow tired of dealing with constant negatives and negative people. Negativity in many cases cause stress. It limits our ability to sow both physically and spiritually. Just take a look at the negative things sowing around the world.  

If a person believes he/she has no way of seeing the light of day, forget the light at the end of the tunnel; the stress and or disability in most cases will not allow the word of God to penetrate the heart unless therein exists a lit opening at the end of its tunnel. The devil dwells in dark tunnels which have no openings for light to penetrate its soil. He will come by the wayside and acidize the soils pH balance as he works to block penetration of the word (needed nutrient) of God.

Heartburn

However, beneath the hardness, somewhere there used to exist a spiritually balanced and penetrable soil that allowed the Word to provide its nutrients. Can you think about when, who, why, and what caused your dirt/soil to harden? Do you often feel abandoned by God? Do you get tired of church folk saying “everybody is going through something?” That saying has become a programmed church motto pretty much telling you to go away. Such a response is also lacking the compassion that Jesus had for all that came unto Him.

In essence, fellow Believers are telling you that they don’t have time for your issues when those five words fall out of their mouth and not their heart. (Ok, shoot me!) Are we not suppose to be there for one another, if only to hear? Did Jesus say to anyone that approached him with a problem?… “Everybody is going through something.”  No. In the Holy Bible, we will find many instances of which Jesus only told one individual to go away, or “get thee hence” and that was Satan and/or Satan’s indwelling in someone. This is why I believe that saying is about as wayside as one can get! It’s kind of like that overly used saying- “I get it.” I get tired of hearing it.

Before you know it, sermons will be given via text message while sitting in church. “Hallelujah” and “Amen” replies will be sent via text. It will be a pity for those who don’t own a cell phone. People have mastered a way of avoiding face to face and voice to ear communication with fellow Believers. It’s all wayside. Gasp! (Ok, so maybe I’m overthinking it with this scenario or maybe not?)

Nevertheless the cause for the hardening, there is still the opportunity to change your dirt.  Jesus taught his disciples that whatever seed falls upon this dirt will experience this: “Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.” (Luke 8: 12 )

Therefore beloved,  be encouraged to “believe and be saved.”  Let not your heart be troubled by the acidity within it. Ye that once believed in God, can believe in Him again so that ye believe also in Jesus. The right pH level of alkalinity that is detrimental to your growth in Him is in His word, not by the wayside. 

Stay tuned next week for part 2- Rocky Soil

 

 

 

 

Working and Confirming: What’s Unbelief Got To Do With It? – Mark 16:20

During the almost fifty five years I have been on this earth, I’ve not noticed the important information in this verse before. Isn’t the Holy Spirit a great person full of the knowledge of God? And not to mention that He shares that knowledge with us when we quiet ourselves and believe when He speaks to us.  Thank you for stopping in to read.

Mark 16:14- 20 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.  

What was unbelievable to me is that “the eleven” walked with Him for nearly three and a half years before His death and burial; they witnessed the miracles, and even performed miracles themselves; they were told beforehand about His resurrection from His lips, and was still found to be in unbelief when Jesus returned the first time.  Oops! That’s a heads-up warning sign for us about His second coming. (TYHS)  After His resurrection, for forty more days He walked the earth working and confirming the word with signs for all to believe. Although all of those people are dead, Jesus asked the Father to send the Holy Spirit to witness to us through His working and confirming. Lord, help our unbelief.

Question…Does the Holy Spirit work and confirms the word (task) with signs (actions) that follow when we have belief or when we have unbelief in God?

I’ve been wrestling with the Five Ws and one H since the beginning of February, so I wrote an article about it.  (Read my latest newsletter here for more details->  SheSpeaks4U)  It seems fitting to include the Five Ws and one H as an exercise in truth when we are dealing with occurrences of unbelief.  Who should I believe? What should I believe? When do I believe? Where do I find the truth to believe? Why do I need to believe? And the How can I believe?  Those were the questions the Holy Spirit also brought to my attention about unbelief as I read Mark 16 last eve.

Unbelief (skepticism) and hardness (resistance) of the heart appear to go hand in hand according to many bible verses. This grieves the Lord, especially after He has led us “through many dangers, toils, and snares.” What’s Unbelief Got To Do With It? Unbelief is the reason “the eleven” and the Israelites were “upbraided.” Let me share an example of these two things that go hand in hand that exists even today with the “partakers of Christ.”

In  Hebrews 2:1-4 we have been given a warning to pay attention.

We have also been given a warning against unbelief by the Holy Spirit in Hebrews 3:7-18. For “forty years” the Israelites yo-yoed up and down, back and forth between belief and unbelief.  Sin was crouching all around that desert. As I wrote that I had a LOL vision. Let me share it with you.  I saw sin in the form of a yo-yo string repeatedly going up and down from its spool labeled “Unbelief” in a desert. The string was cut from above by a hand holding a sword and poof, the desert became an oasis. Hmmm, now that was a message to me from the Holy Spirit.

Lo, I can testify from experience that unbelief can lead to sin crouching at the door. Disobedience to and rebellion against the Lord is just around the bend when unbelief yo-yo’s in and out of the heart. Amen. We all have and will experience yo-yo moments of unbelief. It is written. But God.  A remedy for those moments of unbelief is also written. It instructs us to “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” ~ (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Recall the story in Mark 9 told of the father who had a son with a dumb spirit since he was a child. Mark 9:17-26.  The father responded to Jesus’ inquiry with “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. It is evident that as a believer way back when and even now we experience unbelief with our mind and eyes along with a hardness of the heart. Because of these actions, more oft than not, we too must be upbraided (reprimanded or told off) by the Holy Spirit. It’s called conviction.  

Throughout the NT, we learn about the leadership and servanthood of Jesus. He worked and confirmed His works through believing in the Holy Father, teaching, rebuking, healing, shewing mercy, etc. His accomplishments can never be attributed through a working of unbelief.  Got it? His actions were in sync with His words and belief. Let me put it to you in a present day setting. 

Thar She Flows!

If you believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, don’t be up in the pulpit or on a stage preaching about the Lord when your actions and words show signs of unbelief in and disobedience to the Lord.  You will be upbraided by the Lord, even if it’s done via the Holy Spirit through another person. Don’t be in the pews and choir stands worshipping the Lord during the service, then afterwards display nasty attitudes, counterfeit smiles, and stares towards others while at the same time you experience an onset of the gossip-nitis plague. Those actions are in sync with the signs of unbelief.  Damnation is yo-yoing its way down to those “that believeth not.” You too, will be upbraided.

Let me close this by replying to the blog title…Working and Confirming: What’s Unbelief Got to Do With It? It has a lot more to do with it than we are willing to admit. “Let’s talk Gospel” as Noel, my WordPress brother in Christ would say.

• Unbelief leads us to wander off to the land of disobedience.  Per say, would you partake in something or be obedient to someone that you have no belief in? When we read the OT, we find many stories of the Israelites belief and unbelief as they wandered in the desert for 40 years. Their disobedience to the Lord is what caused the wandering.
• Disobedience stems from a hardened, i.e. “evil heart of unbelief.”  Such a heart leads to acts of sin that can cause a “departing from the living God.”
• Unbelief hinders a believer from moving forth to preach the gospel everywhere. It stalls the working and confirming of the word with signs following.  
• Unbelief resides in others who are against the Lord working and confirming the word with signs following to His believers. A great example of this is Satan’s indwelling of the prince of Persia. He delayed the angel’s attentiveness to Daniel’s “words” for twenty one days. Read the story here Daniel 10.
• Today’s immigration laws ain’t got nothing to do with it!  And they (believers) shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.  And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.~ (Luke 13:29-30) 

Lastly, here are two more questions for you to think about. How often does the Holy Spirit have to upbraid you because of your unbelief and hardness of heart? What is going on in your life right now that has caused you to have unbelief?

 

Easter is approaching, please listen to this:

 We Believe

 

I Love You

Love Covers A Multitude Of Sins

The Fining – Proverbs 17:3

Fining-noun -1.the process by which fused glass is freed of undissolved gases. 2. the process of clarifying or filtering a wine or spirit.

Key Verse: Proverbs 17:3 The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts.

Silvering is the chemical process of coating glass with a reflective substance.

Thought Point: Christians are the fused glass. What undissolved gases do we hold within our hearts?

While away healing, I was studying deeply about the Person and the Work of the Holy Spirit, the books of Psalms and Proverbs. I will be sharing some things that the Holy Spirit shared with me concerning verses I was led to meditate on from the books of Psalms and Proverbs.

I, like many have felt like Job, but without the friends. We never pull away from God, even though there are times we feel His Spirit wasn’t working with/in us. We stand firm in prayer shedding many tears and experience near breaking point bouts. Are we to break and not just reach the point? ( We’re in the Fining Pot.) If we tell others about our problems and about the deaths and a serious illness of loved ones, 99.999% of the time this sentiment will be spoken that have always bothered me… “Well, you know the bible says God never puts more on you than you can bear.” Really? Beloved, bear with me and grasp this knowledgeable discovery given to me on Oct 15^th at my 10:24pm study of Proverbs 17:3.

The saying is a falsehood floating around in pulpits, at funerals and at hospitals. Although it is spoken as a sentiment, quite a few believe it is a biblical saying and are very attentive to it. It is not a biblical saying per my lesson from the Holy Spirit of God. It is here that we find the true saying has been taken way out of Egypt (context). The sentiment should stop being used in association with the following verse: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (1Corinthians 10:13) This verse clearly speaks of temptations common to man; not about burdens…“God never puts…” can’t even come out of or close to this verse.

If you perhaps still have unbelief that this is an unbiblical sentiment, think about these things: (1) What burden(s) did “God put” on His one and only beloved Son that He could not bear; would you intentionally put burdens on your own child/children)? (2) Should you really say that to someone who lost someone to suicide, a sudden death, or the rape of a child because “God put” that burden there? (3) What burden was it that “God put” on Judas that he could not bear it so much so that he hung himself? (4) Could you bear the loss of your entire family in an auto accident and you as the driver lived; would that be a burden that “God put” on you?

Wisdom Point – God DELIVERS us from our burdens. Please read  2 Corinthians  Note verses 8-10

“For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;” (Think- Did God put  the “trouble” to come to them “in Asia?)

As the young people say “I’m not tryin’ to get up in your grille” or “tryin’ to raise your roof”…I am just sharing a truth about an often misrepresented saying. (this is the Fining) There is a need for us to pay close attention of things taking place in the spiritual realm. 1 Corinthians 10:1 warns us about being ignorant-“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;” (The Fining of “Our Fathers”) (Read verses 2-12)

The main question we should ask ourselves as Christians is – why are we so quick to say that it is God that is doing the “put?” In the scriptures presented does it state that “God put?” I know, I know, it’s a saying that has been passed down through generations and the scripture misunderstood. Even I have used it once and recall feeling very uncomfortable for saying it. I have had to go through near death experiences to grasp the truth about God’s word when spoken from others.

While in the presence of people going through the unbearable, I learned that there was strength in prayer, in quietness, in just being there, and in crying with some laughter. You know…The Fining of it all. It is indeed a process through which we (fused beings/glass) go through to be freed from undissolved issues (gases). In life it takes a highly heated process to dissolve things. Hallelujah Holy Spirit, Thank you for that shout out.

The Fining– Oh what a great silvering (reflection) process that in the end allows us to take a spot-on view of what is in our hearts. It allows us to see what God sees in our heart because  ..”the Lord trieth the hearts.”  IT’S NOT ABOUT THE BURDENS, IT’S ABOUT THE FINING AND GOD’S GRACE. That’s my belief and I’m sticking with it.

I LOVE YOU

LOVE COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SINS

Existential Nihilism and God’s Never Ending Story

I was reading a book and came across this word, nihilism; I don’t know everything, so I had to look it up. Isn’t that wisdom? Then my mind drifted off to a movie I watched ages ago- The NeverEnding Story, therefore incoming thoughts. (TYHS)

Movie Summary- The boy Bastian misses his mother, who has died, and is bullied at school by three bullies. One day, he is running away from the three boys and hides in a bookstore, where the owner shows him a book that he has never read called “The NeverEnding Story”. Bastian does not resist and shoplifts the book, leaving a note telling that he will return the book after he reads it. He goes to the school attic and anxiously reads the book that tells the story of the magic kingdom of Fantasia that is doomed to destruction, unless the boy Atreyu can save it. But he needs the help of an Earthling boy to avoid that The Nothing destroys his world.

 

Courtesy of Wiki, Webster, and Roget

Existential nihilism is the philosophical theory that life has no intrinsic meaning or value. With respect to the universe, existential nihilism posits that a single human or even the entire human species is insignificant, without purpose and unlikely to change in the totality of existence. According to the theory, each individual is an isolated being born into the universe, barred from knowing “why”, yet compelled to invent meaning. The inherent meaninglessness of life is largely explored in the philosophical school of existentialism, where one can potentially create his or her own subjective “meaning” or “purpose”. Of all types of nihilism, existential nihilism gets the most literary and philosophical attention.

The idea that meaning and values are without foundation is a form of nihilism and the existential response to that idea is noting that meaning is not “a matter of contemplative theory,” but instead, “a consequence of engagement and commitment.”

nihilism, n. 1. Nothingness; nihility. 2. The doctrine that nothing can be known; scepticism as to all knowledge and all reality. [1913 Webster]

Roget Thesaurus – inexistence, nonexistence, nonsubsistence, nonentity, nil, negativeness, nullity, nihility, nihilism, tabula rasa, blank, abeyance, absence, no such thing, nonbeing, nothingness, oblivion,

 

Wow! Then I thought about the words of King Solomon. Ecclesiastes 3

And then, I thought about the words of God. Hold on to your nose! With the help of the Holy Spirit, I am going to drown this “philosophical theory that life has no intrinsic (basic) meaning or value.”

In the Beginning- Gen 1:26-28

Intrinsic Meaning of Life Breakdown-

• Made in the image and likeness of God

• Have dominion over every living thing, the fish of the sea; fowl of the air; cattle; over all the earth; every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth

• Be fruitful, multiply, replenish and subdue the earth

Genesis 2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

John 3:16- For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life

Read (note verses 6-8) Hebrews 2

 

Now, as far as I know, neither humans, nor animals can live on any other planet without having supplied oxygen from earth. He/she/it cannot walk around, nor live in space without wearing protective clothing or head gear, right? There is no space sustenance available to those who travel out in space unless one purpose is to live off of dust, heat, and the cold. Any sustenance needed for them to live a certain period of time, comes from and is sent from earth. Did God say men have dominion in space? Now, swim back up and read Genesis 1:26-28; 2:7 again.

Back to the movie- It is my opinion that “The Nothing” in the movie was a strong force of wind destroying whatever was in its way. But here is what I found on Wikia: The Nothing

When watching the movie I wondered why they called the wind “The Nothing.” I suppose it was because it was unseen, only the damage it caused could be seen. What was “The Nothing’s purpose? I suppose it was to destroy a kingdom of its original existence. But then, it was only a movie. However, according to God’s word, this earthly kingdom is doomed to destruction. This earthly kingdom has fallen out of alignment with God’s original will and purpose for mankind.  (Reference- Book of Revelation and News Headlines)

Man exists because of God. We did not evolve from slime, monkeys, or troglodytes. I see an intrinsic meaning or value in those verses alone. If you do not understand or see, please ask the Holy Spirit for clarity. I admit, sometimes I do not understand why the Holy Spirit sends messages to me via certain words, until after I have spent time with Him. Last April, the words “In the beginning” tugged at my heart, so I had a tire cover made as a reminder of who I am to God. I am significant in His heart. He did not create things and people without a purpose. Even mankind creates gadgets and beliefs to suit their purpose.

 

 

True, some of us have to search deep to know what the human purpose is. My soul has innumerable worth to God- for when I die this fleshly death, my soul returns to Him for a reason. That’s no fantasy.

However, fantasy is indeed a never ending story which many live in atheism. For those who believe in and on the word of God know that “The idea that meaning and values are without foundation…” is a drowning ship.

Everything and everyone has a purpose and the foundation of that purpose is God.

In the beginning ….Genesis 1:1 ; Genesis 1:26-28 and John 1:1( Sink 1)

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.(John 14:6) (Sink 2)

According to God each individual is NOT “an isolated being born into the universe, barred from knowing “why”, yet compelled to invent meaning.” John 3:16 proves you are not insignificant.(Sink 3) Theory drowned! (TYHS)

 

 

I could go on, but will end it here. How and why do you get up every morning? Can you really imagine the world continuing as it is, knowing and believing God’s plan of salvation and eternal life for humankind? It really is a never ending story about God’s grace and mercy.

Faith Fruit Fact – Not Facts

Great Saturday afternoon to you beloved fruits! Let’s get it started!

The most important verse about what Faith is can be found in Hebrew 11:1. My intent is to share with you my deeper insight of what the Holy Spirit has shared with me when listening to a sermon on Galatians 5:22 -23 about the fruit of the Spirit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Most know that the fruit of the Spirit have many types of fruit, yet is not referred to in the bible as fruits of the Spirit. Although the sermon focused on love, my mind wandered towards the words faith and fruit and why the words are not used in a plural form. I prayed for a deeper understanding of this communication.  Most who know me, know that I have  a pet peeve about the lack of communication when it comes to relationships in Christ and getting “stuff” done. Sooo… I was led by the Holy Spirit to look up a few synonyms for the word fruit because I’ve never thought of this word as having synonyms. I am a very visual being, so let’s get visual about this to see the evidence of the not seen! 😛

Synonyms: pod, ovary, capsule, fruitlet, berry, produce, etc.

 

 

 

Pomegranate-A Fruit with Inner Significance

I’m roving somewhere with this…hold on to your reins. It’s going to be a heart opener and the sweetest fruit to those who feel deeply about knowing the intricacies of God. God does not hide everything from us. Most lack a spiritual understanding of simple words and actions in the bible. This is when the Holy Spirit hovers within, indwelling you with things not seen by others. I began to think about the word faith being used throughout many events in the bible….no synonyms needed here. Did you notice that each one of the synonyms is singular? What do these things have in common? They are one fruit or one thing that has many seeds or substances inside, yet remains as A Fruit, not fruits. (TYHS) The Lord Our God is ONE, yet most view Him as a Triune Being? The Lord our God is with us everywhere we go. Still roving with me?

Now let me share with you a breakdown of Hebrews 11:1- Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.(TYHS)

• Substance- the inner significance or central meaning of something written or said: syn.- ingredient, element, body, matter, stuff, material, crux

• Things – whatever is apprehended as having actual, distinct, and demonstrable existence; anything that is or may become an object of thought: syn.- belongings, possessions, effect, stuff, substance

• Hoped – to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence; to believe, desire, or trust: syn.-anticipated, yearned, expected, wished, trusted, wanted

• Evidence – that which tends to prove or disprove something; ground for belief; something that makes things plain or clear: syn.-proof, confirmation, indication, sign, data

• Not – is the general declarative form of “no” indicating a negation of a related statement which it usually precedes

• Seen – past participle of see; perceived with the eyes; looked at

• For(preposition)- a —used as a function word to indicate purpose; b —used as a function word to indicate an intended goal c —used as a function word to indicate the object or recipient of a perception, desire, or activity syn.- aimed at, on behalf of, being, as long as

• The- (definite article) used to indicate a person or thing that has already been mentioned or seen or is clearly understood from the situation

• Is- present 3d singular of be: be(verb/intransitive) —used to indicate the identity of a person or thing ;used to describe the qualities of a person or thing; used to indicate the condition of a person or thing –

Now wasn’t that stimulatingly deep? Sometimes we do not understand clearly the meaning of what is said because we let simple words like not, for, is, and the, fly unrefined over our heads. Admit it! Many of us study faith for the wrong reason. Many bypass its truth and do not exercise it daily in life. Wisdom Works!

Roving complete: Faith Fruit Fact- There is but ONE FAITH, ONE FRUIT- Jesus the Christ, our Lord and Savior. He is the Substance, He is the great Hope, He is the Evidence. He is the POD, the Ovary, the Capsule, the Fruitlet, the Berry, and the Sole Produce of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Remember The Shema.

The deeper insight is that we all need to understand what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is really about. Do you have a deeper understanding now? I do. (Hint- Galatians 5:22-23) Thank you Holy Spirit!   May you join me in giving all praise and glory to The Lord, our God, our Faith, and our Fruit.

Thou Unbelief – Our Compassionate God Understands

Mark 9:24- And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

As I was studying this verse this morning, trying me was to understand belief and unbelief in one sentence made by this man. I understand. (TYHS) Have you been there, to believe in something or someone, and still have unbelief? The fork in the road- it is where? Conflicting emotions? It happens a lot to all humans when faced with decisions, judgments, and tribulations. For example, we can be strong in faith, but like Peter when the eyes wander because of some wind passing over, we start sinking and start being “thou of little faith” water walkers. Peter’s unbelief- God understood.

I believe that as parents, the strongest and weakest time for belief and unbelief comes when dealing with our children, regardless of their age. Our beliefs are tested when things don’t happen. I also believe that at some point, the aggrieved child must have some belief. The son in this story must have believed. As bad and as long as that demon was inside, it could have kept the son from being near Jesus. His belief, however small it was, willed him to be in Jesus’ presence. (That’s just my behind the scenes thoughts)

So I was pondering and noticed that the man said a curse word- “if.” One that I’m sure we are all familiar with when it comes to many sit actions (situations) in our lives. A lot of times we try to just sit it out. Get this! Jesus used it as a bless word. “If” came after the father asked Jesus to “…have compassion on us and help us…” Being of a compassionate nature and being tuned into this father’s sorrow of what the disciples didn’t do- nothing- which helped the father’s belief turn into unbelief. This is what goes on in the church of the day, no sense of compassion neither for a fellow Christian nor for others who are aggrieved. I believe this is one reason why most Christian’s belief turn into unbelief. Then, the real belief – Jesus alone has to step in. Sorry, to say it, but that is the way it is. That’s the WORD.

One cannot preach about or speak on being compassionate and in the same voice, say that “everyone is going through something; it’s not just about you.” I heard that three times in one week as I was listening to various sermons, and immediately thought, how uncompassionate. Two things beloved- (1) Christians, people in general, who are going through something don’t need to hear such words, especially from the pulpit, nor from others in the church. (2) They KNOW that they are not the only ones going through something. This man knew others around him were “going through something.” Did Jesus talk down to this father? No, he used compassionate communication. Did Jesus group this father’s “something” into a group with others? No, he used a compassionate behavior. Using these two graces, compassionate communication and a compassionate behavior, Jesus helped this father’s “unbelief.”

Commission Break- Perhaps you need to attend one of my seminars on learning how to have both, compassionate communication and a compassionate behavior. 🙂

Lesson For Today

Don’t hang all your belief on what didn’t happen. Hang it on what will happen in Jesus name.

It happens to all… we question what we believe while in the same mind we believe what we question. Conflicting emotions, yep! I know that sounds confusing, but get this, let this sink in. A person could be dealing with something that has been going on for years. This man, who approached Jesus, had been dealing with something since the boy was a child, i.e. for years. If no one else is compassionate enough to understand what you are going through…Thou Unbelief- Our Compassionate God Understands

 

“This Kind….”

 

Let us take a look at both versions of this wonderful event. I was studying and pondering why one writer’s view was somewhat different BUT both writer’s list four things to do when dealing with “this kind.” I admit, if I had a child experiencing such, I’d probably end up being the lunatic. It is sort of something I went through and go through with my youngest son who is a cancer survivor. Ah ha!, that’s why the Holy Spirit led me to focus on this story.

However, there is something else I want you to take away with this story. The father of this son had to be a very strong man that believed in what Jesus could do. At the same time, in dealing with a son that have been cursed as a child, we can understand why the father cried out to Jesus in tears, “ help thou mine unbelief.” (TYHS) This man is me.

Parents are both weak and strong when it comes to life threatening circumstances concerning their child. I’ve learned that childhood cancer victims are no longer the child that you knew before all the cancer treatments. There are days when I, as a parent just look toward the heavens and quietly ask Lord why my child?, and He sends me a quiet message back that says “He’s breathing, many are not.” Some people believe that you should not question God. I believe that there is none other that can give you a truthful answer when you ask such a question-why? Let’s read!

Matthew 19: 14-21 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

 

Mark 9:16-29 -And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them? And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me. And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose. And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?

And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

 

What is “this kind” that Jesus speaks of?  Here are my thoughts and experiences – Today “this kind” come with smiles on their face in “yo face” foaming, gnashing, and pining away; eyes behind computer screens hunting for their next victim; manipulative voices behind telephones, television screens, and radios; finger pointing and writing in books; and ears pointedly waiting to hear gossip. I have been face to face with foul spirits, believe me, it is a draining experience. This is our world today- human relationships full of unbelief and varlets/scallywags with foul spirits. Even so- unbelief amongst one another as Children of God’s. Gasp!

 

Have a slice of Angel Food Cake here! No icing! The reason I labeled these things as “this kind” is because, no wheresoever is there a hint of Jesus in the lives of folks that have this kind of indwelling spirit. Some people who brag on having high IQ’s have a dumb spirit. Some people who claim to know everything because of what they hear have a deaf spirit. Some people who only see things through their own selfish eyes/ “I” have a blind spirit.

 

 

Wisdom Moment– The next time you come across people who are “this kind”, train the heart and mind to come clean. Jesus never coated his words with dirt appearing as icing even on a mud cake. Spit works wonders! As God’s Children, we must use this kind of approach with those bad spirits. It’s simple beloved- To get rid of “this kind”, we must do four things because we have been given authority over “this kind”:

• believe
• have compassion for the victim (note 2 self- compassion is like cancer to an indwelling bad spirit)TYHS!!!!!!
• pray
• fast

Sometimes we forget that we have to and need to believe. And in doing so we must, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.(Philippians 4:6-8) Let us close this out with a Hallelujah!  הַלְּלוּיָהּ ! Thank You Jesus!

It’s Open Season For Spiritual Highway Robbery -Ecclesiastes 6

Ecclesiastes 6 – Read Here

Take a moment to read over the verses with the Spirit of God as your interpreter.  Keep in mind the following words:

highway robbery (n) : the practice of charging a price that is very high and usually unfair for something; syns.- fleecing, gouging, extortion, overcharging

Life Is a Highway (Tom Cochrane)- Partial Lyrics

Life’s like a road that you travel on
When there’s one day here and the next day gone
Sometimes you bend, sometimes you stand
Sometimes you turn your back to the wind

There’s no load I can’t hold
Road so rough this I know
I’ll be there when the light comes in
Tell ’em we’re survivors

1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:

Solomon has given another deep insight on what is common among men. If we look deeper with a spiritual sense of things going on around us and in our lives, spiritual highway robbery is a good description. I’m going to take you even deeper. (TYHS) We are all on a spiritual highway. Some of us are content with driving like a raisin under the sun basking in our own glory. Some are  driving eagerly to get over the sun to bask in God’s glory. If most of us were to take a look back on the roads and paths we have driven, most of us would be able to pinpoint the times we have been robbed or robbed others spiritually under the sun.

As he mentioned there are “many things that increase vanity” which speaks volumes about where we place our priorities and stash our treasures along our highway.  Yes, we have this in common regardless of our race. Wherever these things are, there within lies an open season opportunity for a spiritual fleecing. Speaking of that, have any of you seen the old movie Open Season? It’s a neat movie. I’ve kept videos on hand for years for the grandkids visits since I don’t watch regular television programs. You may be able to watch it on youtube. Here is a summary of the movie.  Pay attention to the underlined words. 😛

Courtesy of sonypictures.com

In Sony Pictures Animation’s first feature film, the animated action adventure comedy Open Season, the odd are about to get even. Boog (Martin Lawrence), a domesticated grizzly bear with no survival skills, has his perfect world turned upside down when he meets Elliot (Ashton Kutcher) a scrawny, fast-talking mule deer. When Elliot convinces Boog to leave his cushy home in a park ranger’s garage to try a taste of the great outdoors, things quickly spiral out of control. Relocated to the forest with open season only three days away, Boog and Elliot must acclimate in a hurry. They must join forces to unite the woodland creatures and take the forest back!

When the grandkids and I finished watching the movie, we had the same thoughts.  Why do people feel the need to remove animals from their natural environment – cage and put them on display?  Why do zoo animals look sad? Why do some animals just lay there?  I often tell them that one day, God will put some of us back in our natural environment where there will be no need or want for neither animals nor humans to be caged.

Beloved, have you been spiritually robbed of your natural environment?  What high prices have you paid for the “wandering of the desire” to have this or that, to be here or there, to eat this or that, to build this or that? Thy Kingdom will come. Those who are worthy to live in the Kingdom of Heaven will be free indeed. Free to enjoy the riches, wealth, and honour that God gives and have no worries about a stranger in the midst to take it all away. Spiritual highway robbery will be passé.

 

Be encouraged my dear loves, that there is ONE who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun.(verse 12) There will be no more open seasons for spiritual highway robbery. All evil diseases will end and “That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.”(verse 10)  The key is for us all to become spiritually sober. (TYHS) Oh but Talkative One, how can we do this to avoid spiritual highway robbery?  One simple piece of advice here it is:

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God” during this Open Season For Spiritual Highway Robbery “and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)

I Love You

Highway Photo – Courtesy of Earthshots.org

Spiritual Poverty – Matthew 5:3

Spiritual Poverty – Matthew 5:3.

To Vow or Not To Vow? Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

The Answer- Deuteronomy 23:21-22-When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.

Promise– vow; to assure somebody that something will certainly happen or be done Vow-a solemn promise or assertion; specifically :   one by which a person is bound to an act, service, or condition

At some phase in our lives, every one of us have made and broken many promises. Promises that were broken, due to carelessness, forgetfulness, anger issues, and/or circumstances beyond our control are still promises…right? I also believe that most promises are broken because of a person’s heart condition and mistrust aka missed trust that evolved between parties. This post will not focus on vow/promises made to one another. Its focus will be on vows/promises made to God. Studying this I began to ponder…What is the value of a vow? What initiates a vow? Can mistrust exist between us and God?

Solomon tells us to fear God and keep our vows made to God. He has given us clear instructions on the matter of handling vows made to God. His writings are from his life experiences. And so, I must agree with Solomon, per my life experiences and in seeing the life experiences of others that we must (and I paraphrase):

• Tread lightly and prepare yourself to hear when you go to the house of God.
• Be seen and not heard until your heart is in alignment with God’s will.
• Pay as you vow. God does not have a pay as you go cell phone plan, nor a pay as you earn plan like Obama’s pay as you earn (PAYE) plan for student loans.
• Do not make vows to God when you KNOW you are not able to do so.
• “Don’t let your mouth overload your capabilities” per Dolly Parton and don’t make any excuses because “There is a lie in between a promise and many excuses.” ( Toba Beta)
• Fear God so that you are more likely to keep your word uttered from a rented heart. Did Pharaoh fear God?

 No pinky swearing is allowed between us and God.

I have received the answers to my questions above. I pray that you get an understanding of the verses presented.

1. What is the value of a vow? It depends on how much we fear God. (TYHS) Read Matthew 10:28-29.
2. What initiates a vow? It begins with God’s will and your acceptance to do His will. (TYHS) Read Exodus 23:20-33 and Exodus 24:1-8.
3. Can mistrust exist between us and God? Yes, when we do not believe in Him or His word. We cannot serve nor believe in two masters if our trust is in God. (TYHS) Read Matthew 6:24.

 

I just had a thought that some may be offended by the lyrics from the songs that come to mind while I am writing. If so, please accept my apology. Trust! The Lord works with me in mysterious ways and often it is through the words of songs I have heard of old. He leads me to see in a different sense with the focus being on Him. I am thankful to have been blessed with the gift of hearing, not listening, with a deeper sense of words spoken that most never pay attention to.

Songs are poetry turned into words with a beat. That belief could have come from my dad’s poetry writings… making us girls sing what he wrote and turned into music at a moment’s notice. I always had to voice my opinion about a song, because to me, the words didn’t make sense.

It was not a good thing to be yelled at and made to sing his musical notes when we didn’t even know how to read music. We did not know what that big cursive S, d’s and p’s were on five lines.  I guess that is why we were then forced into taking piano lessons.

It is so true, that most things we are taught to do as a child will drop off to the wayside for a time. As we grow older and older, the time comes back to haunt us. On that note, I’ll leave you with this poetry titled Promises, Promises from an old 90’s group-Naked Eyes:

Never had a doubt in the beginning

Never a doubt

Trusted you true in the beginning

I loved you right through

On and on we laughed like kids

At all the silly things we did

You made me promises, promises

Knowing I’d believe promises, promises

You knew you’d never keep

Second time around, I’m still believing

The words that you said

You said you’d always be here

And love forever still repeats in my head

You can’t finish what you start

If this is love it breaks my heart

We do break God’s heart when we do not fulfill a vow made to him. And let us not forget what Jesus said, “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”- Matthew 5:33-37