I’ve been watching another movie specifically about the life of Saul, the disciple also known as Paul in the bible. The movie demonstrates who Paul was before he became a disciple and decided to follow Jesus Christ. It shows how Christ changed his life from that of a blood-thirsty murderer and persecutor of those who followed Jesus, to someone who became devoted to spreading and sharing the gospel after he, himself, was converted.
Paul had a vision and was struck blind on the road to Damascus. Everything changed for him from that day forward. He knew then that this man known as Jesus Christ was real. Jesus asked Paul, why Paul was persecuting Him. I can only imagine the shock and awe of that moment! In the bible, Paul is telling the story of that moment to King Agrippa:
“I used to think that I had to do a lot of things to oppose the one named Jesus of Nazareth. That is what I did in Jerusalem. By the authority I received from the chief priests, I locked many Christians in prison. I voted to have them killed every time a vote was taken. I even went to each synagogue, punished believers, and forced them to curse [the name of Jesus]. In my furious rage against them, I hunted them down in cities outside [Jerusalem].
“I was carrying out these activities when I went to the city of Damascus. I had the power and authority of the chief priests. Your Majesty, at noon, while I was traveling, I saw a light that was brighter than the sun. The light came from the sky and shined around me and those who were with me. All of us fell to the ground, and I heard a voice asking me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me? It’s hard for [a mortal like] you to resist God.’ “
I asked, ‘Who are you, sir?’ “The Lord answered, ‘I am Jesus, the one you’re persecuting. Stand up! I have appeared to you for a reason. I’m appointing you to be a servant and witness of what you have seen and of what I will show you. I will rescue you from the Jewish people and from the non-Jewish people to whom I am sending you. You will open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan’s control to God’s. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and a share among God’s people who are made holy by believing in me.’
“At that point I did not disobey the vision I saw from heaven, King Agrippa. Instead, I spread the message that I first told to the [Jewish] people in Damascus and Jerusalem and throughout the whole country of Judea. I spread the same message to non-Jewish people. Both groups were expected to change the way they thought and acted and to turn to God. I told them to do things that prove they had changed their lives.” – Acts 26: 9-20
Look at Paul! He was as wicked as they come. Think about the many saints of God Paul tormented and had killed. Why did God choose this individual out of all people to become someone infamous who would minister to others and eventually die a martyr for Christ?
Paul was a devout Jew, who loved Jehova, but wasn’t a loving, gentle person. He wasn’t humble or Christ-like by any means. If Jesus could change and convert somebody like Paul, imagine what Jesus can do in our lives. Imagine how He can change us so that we are the best we can be!
Paul was made a Christian by Divine power; by a revelation of Christ both to him and in him; when in the full career of his sin. He was made a minister by Divine authority: the same Jesus who appeared to him in that glorious light, ordered him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. A world that sits in darkness must be enlightened; those must be brought to know the things that belong to their everlasting peace, who are yet ignorant of them. A world that lies in wickedness must be sanctified and reformed; it is not enough for them to have their eyes opened, they must have their hearts renewed; not enough to be turned from darkness to light, but they must be turned from the power of Satan unto God. All who are turned from sin to God, are not only pardoned, but have a grant of a rich inheritance. The forgiveness of sins makes way for this. None can be happy who are not holy; and to be saints in heaven we must be first saints on earth. We are made holy, and saved by faith in Christ; by which we rely upon Christ as the Lord our Righteousness, and give up ourselves to him as the Lord our Ruler; by this we receive the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and eternal life. The cross of Christ was a stumbling-block to the Jews, and they were in a rage at Paul’s preaching the fulfilling of the Old Testament predictions. Christ should be the first that should rise from the dead; the Head or principal One. Also, it was foretold by the prophets, that the Gentiles should be brought to the knowledge of God by the Messiah; and what in this could the Jews justly be displeased at? Thus the true convert can give a reason of his hope, and a good account of the change manifest in him. Yet for going about and calling on men thus to repent and to be converted, vast numbers have been blamed and persecuted. [Acts 26:12-23 ] (Source)
http://bible.cc/acts/26-14.htm
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Posted in bible, Christianity, God, Hope, Jesus, life, people, religion | Tags: Belief, conversion, God, inspiration, Jesus Christ, Paul, Salvation, the bible, the gospel
(Photo credit: Jennuine Captures)
And when they tell you that you’re crazy,
You’ve got to try to settle down,
You got to turn yourself around,
Life is more than just good times, and parties,
You got the moon in new york city,
You’ve got the whole world in your hands,
Too many cards from disneyland,
Saying that I was sorry, come one day,
But if, I ever have to chose, love is my decision,
With you I just can’t lose, stay here by my side,
Love is my decision, forever you and I,
I’ll tell you this,
If you should ever go away, I’ll know,
That I could never live a single day without you,
You are the one that lights my world up,
The one that money just can’t buy,
And now I promise I will try,
Maybe even a family together,
But if, I ever have to chose, love is my decision,
With you I just can’t lose, stay here by my side,
Love is my decision, forever you and I,
If, I ever have to chose,
If I ever have to chose,
(if, I ever have to chose, love is my decision),
Forever let me hear in my heart,
(stay, always by my side, love is my decision),
Forever let me live my heart,
(if, I ever have to chose, love is my decision),
I’m never going to let you down,
(stay, always by my side, love is my decision),
Forever let me hear my heart,
(if, I ever have to chose, love is my decision,
Stay, always by my side, love is my decision).
Posted in life, Love, Music, people, relationships, video | Tags: Chris De Burgh, love, Love is my Decision, music, relationships, romance, video
I’m dealing with a thorn in the flesh that increasingly frustrates me and makes me feel worn down, beaten, and overwhelmed. I’ve fought it again and again, without much success. I don’t recall having this trouble to this extent in younger years.
“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” -2 Cor. 12:7-10
My thorn is cursing/bad language/aka: cussing.
I don’t know why I have such a hard time getting a hold on this. It seems to become an issue when I’m pushed past my endurance/patience. I can feel my blood pressure beginning to rise. I know when I’m in danger of losing it and engaging in this ugly talk. Immediately, I began calming thoughts to myself, prayer, and try to focus on the fruits of the spirit — specifically self control. Sometimes these things help, but sometimes they absolutely do not. Sometimes I just plain fail miserably. The guilt is overwhelming each time that I fail.
I’m bothered by this in particular because of the following bible passage:
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. – Luke 6:45
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:6
This kind of filthy talk is no longer acceptable in my life. At one time, I didn’t care what anyone thought about how I speak and didn’t believe God particularly cared either. A few years ago, though, I decided to live according to how the bible tells me to live. Now, I am committed to living a life for God, for Jesus Christ, and completely belong to my Lord and Savior. I want little more than to do His will in every aspect of my life. I don’t want to be hampered by some bad habit that doesn’t seem to want to cease. I wonder if other Christians have trouble with this, and if so, why is this so hard for me to stop doing?
And the headlines read: “Hillary lashes out!”
“Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, loses cool!” etc., etc., etc.,…….
How utterly unsurprising. Her detractors are lucky she didn’t bite a chunk out of their carcasses.
It wasn’t enough for them to actually accuse Hillary Clinton of faking illness, when she had a blood clot near the brain! At that time, there was no apology offered, no shame in bearing false witness against one’s neighbor.
Fox News was continuous in its overt attacks on Hillary Clinton, insisting that she was dodging testimony over the tough questions related to Benghazi. They encouraged countless people listening to their lies to jump on their ugly bandwagon. When they all got egg splattered over their proverbial faces and the public found out about the blood clot, we remembered what Fox News put out here.
I also remember the word press bloggers who falsely accused Hillary Clinton of faking illness to avoid being questioned; there was no apology coming forth from them either! Their meal should have been a large serving of crow along with repentance for their lies, but no, there was only silence from the Peanut Gallery.
Today, we watched Hillary Clinton hold her own against hyperbole-babbling Republican’s like Rand Paul, and others who publicly got their hits in like sharks in a feeding frenzy, trying to tear off flesh and bone from their prey.
Hillary became emotional over one of the more absurd questions she was pestered with. It’s a sound bite at this point, thanks to the media, and what a sound bite it is!
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) assailed Clinton for failing to read diplomatic cables requesting more security at the consulate, claiming that it was a fireable offense. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) suggested that administration officials had deliberately misled the American people by initially claiming that the attack had started as a spontaneous riot. As Johnson repeatedly pressed her on why she hadn’t discovered the cause of the attack sooner, an exasperated Clinton pounded the table and said, “With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans. What difference, at this point, does it make?”
The dust-up clearly cheered her fans, and Clinton will leave office with her popularity at sky-high levels, despite a months-long campaign by the GOP to link her to Benghazi. (The low point was reached when prominent conservatives went so far as to claim that she had faked a serious illness to avoid testifying before Congress.) (Source)
Hillary Clinton should be the next president of the United States of America, in my opinion. If she doesn’t run for office in 2016, I will be extremely disappointed. This is her time. She is one tough cookie and would make a fine first woman president. God is blessing Hillary.
No one will run over that woman or take advantage of her. For me, anything Clinton is a good thing. I loved the Bill Clinton presidency and I know I will appreciate a nation with Hillary Clinton at the helm. I was very proud of Hillary today as she took on her accusers and stood strong despite the intent of her oppressors. What a gal she is! 2016 Hillary Clinton! Bring it!
Posted in Christianity, Current Events, God, government, News, people, Politics, religion | Tags: Benghazi, Benghazi Hearings, Hillary, Hillary Clinton, Peanut Gallery, Republicans, United States
Self-control (fruit of the Spirit) (Photo credit: Joybot)
deliverance lives (Photo credit: idropkid)
Umm….. not to be rude, but when aren’t they? Frankly, it’s becoming a little embarrassing, isn’t it?
I think it’s giving us Christians a bad reputation. Some of us are beginning to look unreasonable and bitter as a body. Let’s stop with the tantrums and the pouting and just grow up, shall we?
Barack Obama is our president for the next four years. So… moving forward…..how about the power of positive thinking, maybe? Let’s give the man a chance to run the country, shall we? 😉
Fruit of the spirit, GOP folks! Strive for the fruits of the spirit. We are to exhibit them in our daily lives, including our politics! lol. Sour grapes are not the kind of fruit I was thinking of either. What kind of fruit are you putting out here for the world to see? I have to check myself on a daily basis. I often find that my own fruit needs examination.
It’s a process, and it takes a lot of effort to learn how not to be angry. Is it really worth the rise in blood pressure? Why be angry when we can be happy and joyful in the Lord instead? Trust God and allow Him and President Obama to run the country. We can pray, vote, write our leaders, inform ourselves, and even run for public office; that’s about all we are capable of doing. Just don’t lose your joy along the journey!!
Fruit of the Spirit (Photo credit: Martin LaBar (going on hiatus))
Posted in behavior, bible, Christianity, Current Events, God, government, life, News, people, Politics, religion, religious right | Tags: angry, Barack Obama, Frustration, GOP, Republican Party, Sour-grapes, United States
Anxiety (Photo credit: Rima Xaros)
This is to follow up on the post about fear and admit that yes, I have been having fear of late about a lot of things; I’ve been having anxiety too. Why?
Well, personally there are always daily struggles as a single mom. Financially it’s all a bit of a juggling act and one becomes tired sometimes and begins to drop some of the balls; I’m used to that, though — that’s not really it.
I read something that pretty much overwhelmed me. Here it is.
English: Novus Ordo Seculorum (1 US$) Illuminati conspiracy in the U.S.A. Česky: Novus Ordo Seculorum (1 US$) Spiknutí Iluminátů v USA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Now after I read that, and explored some more posts on that site, I felt like I might actually hyperventilate if I read anymore. I was like… “What the heck are we supposed to do? How can we win? If the elite really are in control and are running everything, and both political parties truly are part of the new world order, we’re all just basically *$%# out of luck…” Then I just sat here at my desk and kind of looked up at the ceiling, (like I always do when I’m talking to God), and murmured, “so what now? I’m at a complete loss, God.”
I was left with a really uneasy feeling that can only be explained as serious anxiety. A few minutes later though, I heard this quiet, still voice in my mind that said, “No, you can’t win this because it’s not your fight to win; it’s mine. You’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing so just keep doing it. It will all work out and be fine. Stop worrying. It won’t do you any good.”
Well…
I think that was God; at least I’m hoping it was. It made a lot of sense, at any rate. I mean what the heck can I or anyone else do if the freaking Illuminati is in control of everything? And if the antichrist is coming to power, well, we all already knew this was going to happen because the bible said it would, so why sweat it? I’m certainly not going to go out and stock up on rounds of ammo, more food, more supplies, and more guns and weapons so I can fight the Illuminati or even the antichrist. That would be just crazy! When does it all stop? These doomsday preppers are ate up with fear, panic, and their entire lives are about preparing for doomsday.
What does the bible say about doing that anyway? Remember this passage?
“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.” – Matthew 26:52
Well, that doesn’t sound so thrilling.
Anxiety – Stress … Time management vital for finals — cancel your Netflix subscription (7:45 PM, Nov. 28, 2012) …item 2b.. Muddy Waters – After The Rain – Full Album (1969) … (Photo credit: marsmet481)
The bible has already told us what’s coming. I’m not sure why we should stress and panic when it’s already a fact and we’re not able to control or change these foretold events anyway. I’m tired of allowing things like this to bother and worry me silly. There is absolutely nothing I can do about any of it.
So yeah, I’m ready to relax into the loving arms of God and allow Him to handle these worldly concerns. I’ll just do the next right thing, and trust God in the interim.
When I was in my twenties, perhaps fighting the Illuminati or the antichrist might have been appealing. It might have been something that stoked the adventurer in me, but that no longer appeals to me. I’m more of a homebody that’s dug in, rooted down, and usually just pretty laid back. I don’t want to change that aspect of myself and be agitated and in fear all of the time.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” –Philippians 4:6-7
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”- 1 Peter 5:6-7
“Then Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?’” – Luke 12:22-26
“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” – Psalm 42:5
I am learning along this journey from watching other Christians who are at ease, despite the fear and worry surrounding all of us; these individuals are filled with love, not violence or the love of a secular battle. I am watching Christians who are quietly contemplative, who fight their battles on their knees. These are bible & prayer warriors who love the Lord and fight against evil in the spirit. I think I want to be more like them as a Christian.
Posted in bible, Christianity, God, government, life, people, Politics, religion | Tags: Anxiety, Fear, God, Illuminati, New World Order, Worry
What does the bible tell us about fear?
“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” – Isaiah 41:10
“In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” –Psalm 56:11
“When I am afraid, I will trust in you.” – Psalm 56:3
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:7
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
There are so many things to fear these days. No matter which direction we turn, it’s clear that we are powerless over many of the fears we meet; nevertheless, we worry ourselves sick with stress over a multitude of troubles.
Faith in God appears to be the answer to our fears. Faith develops through hearing the word of God.
“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” – Romans 10:17
When we’re afraid, we need to sit down with our bibles and read carefully. We should also spend time in prayer, communing with our blessed Father in Heaven. These actions develop faith and trust in God. As our faith grows, our fears diminish and we learn trust. We may not be able to control the outcome of many things these days that are occurring around us, but God can and will. We can trust Him. God will turn everything that happens for our eventual good. Knowing this, we can turn to God for comfort and relax into His loving arms. He has promised us that He is with us, no matter what may come our way.
Your God Is Here (Photo credit: sutton_steven)
WP is a special Christian who pours out her heart to God in a powerful way in that it touches my heart all the way down into my soul. This loving, gentle woman gives me much hope as a Christian — that I may one day be as devout as she is, with the Holy Spirit in action in every area of my life, as He is within her. WP is Christ-like and I sense and feel the presence of Jesus Christ within her even across all the many miles that separate us. Read her postings and grow closer and more intimate with Jesus Christ; she’s absolutely plugged in and connected.
Posted in bible, Christianity, God, inspiration, Jesus, life, people, Prayer, religion, religion and spirituality | Tags: Body of Christ, comfort, communion with God, Father, God's love, Holy Spirit, Jesus, perfection through suffering, Prayer, suffering, unity
This is a predominantly spiritual blog of random thoughts as they occur to me and I have time to write them down.
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life of a female bible warrior 
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