Tag Archives: Bible

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Change Me

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For years I tried to change others, or if I wasn’t consciously trying to change them, I was hoping and praying that they would. I have had some stubborn, selfish, and downright mean people in my life over the years. They needed to change, really!

However, my reasoning wasn’t the best. Rarely was my motivation for wanting them changed them-love motivated, usually it was for my benefit that I wanted them changed. See and https://authorjodiwoody.com/#508 That is pretty understandable coming from a child, but unacceptable from an adult. I learned a hard lesson: I can’t change people.

So am I saying we shouldn’t pray for change in others, or encourage and give advice to help them grow and develop Godly character? Not at all. We should do those things. What I am saying is that our motivation needs to always be love. Going even farther, our desire for change needs to start with us.

Matthew 7:3 (NASB), “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”

Matthew 23:24 (Holman Christian Standard Bible), “Blind guides! You strain out a gnat, yet gulp down a camel!”

Luke 18:9-14 (NIV), “And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. “The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

These scriptures were Jesus talking to and about the Pharisees. I don’t want to join that group, do you? They are some of the most stubborn, selfish, and downright mean people of all. I want to be like the humble man who wanted God’s mercy and grace!

God wants hearts changed. Not so it would make life easier for Him. He doesn’t think the way we do. It’s always for our benefit. He is always motivated by love.

Sitting in a church service and hearing a great message, but thinking, “I wish so-and-so were here, they really need to hear this,” is not acceptable. The message is always for us, (if you sit under a pastor who is in relationship with God, and hearing His voice.) Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how you can apply it to your own life. Then during our busy days, take the time to ask Him to show you any area in your life that need to be renewed. He won’t reveal it all in one day, we couldn’t handle it. He is a gentleman and will show you bits and pieces at a time. Then take action. If you don’t know how, not trying to be redundant here, but ask the Holy Spirit. He guides us into all truth. He helps conform us into the image of Jesus.

We aren’t trying to be someone else, just a “better me.” God knows who that is! He will help you become that better you.

Do you have some people in your life that need a spiritual make-over, or maybe even a complete over-haul? First, make sure they are really supposed to be in your life. (You are starting to get it now, if you’re not sure you…ask…). If they are, turn that magnifying glass on yourself instead of them. Stop looking at and for their faults and shortcomings. We take an honest look at ourselves, remembering it is a process and there is no condemnation now that we are saved, and allow God to change us. It isn’t a secret, magic formula, and will probably take some work, but it is worth it.

You will notice as you are changing that those other people don’t irritate you as much, can’t hurt you the way they used to, and you may even discover more things to love. Better yet, they may be motivated and inspired to work on their own lives.

Open yourself up to the Holy Spirit, to God’s love, and be changed!

You will like the new you!

Holy Spirit, I may be afraid for You to point out my faults, but I don’t want to be the same. So, show me and give me the strength and the scriptures to stand on, to be a better me.

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Is Your Heart Clean?

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Psalm 51:10,16-17 (KJB), “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me…You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”

David knew his heart wasn’t clean. He had just committed adultery with Bathsheba. When kings were going out to war, David stayed behind, just sending his men to fight. One night he sees a beautiful married woman bathing on her roof. After sending for her and conceiving a child, he tried to cover his track by calling her husband home to sleep with his own wife. Uriah, however, is more honorable than his king and refuses to sleep in comfort with his wife while his own men were still on the battlefield. David then digs himself in deeper and causes the unsuspecting husband to be placed in a dangerous place in battle and is in fact responsible for his death. Still, unrepentant, he marries the woman.

None of this was hidden from God who sends his prophet, Nathan, to prove it. I know, we all see David as such a wonderful person. God even said that David was a man after His own heart. So we hate to look at this part of his life. I say you can’t separate one from the other. God didn’t say that before the sin. In God’s eyes the sin was always there. David didn’t pull a fast one on God. He knew what was going to happen from way before time even was created. It is David’s reaction to the correction of God that makes him so special. Was he perfect? My lands, no! But that isn’t the question we need to ask. The right question is “did he repent.”

Let’s look at a few places in Psalms that show a repentant heart.

Psalms 32:1-2 (NIV), “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.”

3-7 (AMP), “When I kept silence [before I confessed], my bones wasted away through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand [of displeasure] was heavy upon me; my moisture was turned into the drought of summer. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord [continually unfolding the past till all is told]—then You [instantly] forgave me the guilt and iniquity of my sin. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! For this [forgiveness] let everyone who is godly pray—pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely when the great waters [of trial] overflow, they shall not reach [the spirit in] him. You are a hiding place for me; You, Lord, preserve me from trouble, You surround me with songs and shouts of deliverance. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!”

David is clear. When he tried to stay silent, keep his sin to himself, it was rough going. Consequently, when he acknowledged his sin, he tells us God forgave him instantly. He then goes on to tell everyone who is Godly to pray the same way, asking for forgiveness. We don’t have to get saved again. We don’t have to start all over again in our walk with God. We repent, turn from our wicked ways, and go on.

I want to point out that our confession of sin isn’t a way to get out of the consequences of sin. For example if you have stolen from your neighbor and spent the money, even though you confess, you may go to jail. David confessed, but one of the consequences of his sin is that the child conceived in adultery didn’t live. Now, God could have made Bathsheba barren, or taken the throne away from David, or any other thing that He saw fit. But, God, in is love and in accordance to the promises He already made to David, brings forth Solomon out of the union of David and Bathsheba, and God says He “loved Solomon very much.”

We have all messed up, in small ways and in huge ways. Don’t fret! Don’t try to hide it. If you try to cover your sin, you only get tangled up in the lies even more. Sir Walter Scott (Marmion, 1808), said, “Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive.” Just look at David, he tried everything to hide his sin and it just kept getting uglier. We live under a different covenant than David. Now we have the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin. If we have to wait for someone to come and tell us what we are doing is sin, which means we have ignored the Spirit until we quit hearing Him. Because God loves us, He won’t allow us to stay in sin. He’ll make sure we know what He thinks one way or another. Don’t ignore that tug when you are considering giving in to temptation to begin with! That will prevent a lot of grief. Nevertheless, if you do cave, be quick to repent. He is quick to forgive.

Psalm 86:5 (NIV), “You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all to call you.”
Let’s finish out Psalms 32.

Psalms 32:8-11 (AMP), “I [the Lord] will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. Be not like the horse or the mule, which lack understanding, which must have their mouths held firm with bit and bridle, or else they will not come with you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in, relies on, and confidently leans on the Lord shall be compassed about with mercy and with loving-kindness. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you [uncompromisingly] righteous [you who are upright and in right standing with Him]; shout for joy, all you upright in heart!”

Besides our forgiveness, what other good things come out of our confession of wrong doing? God will instruct us and teach us the right way and we will be surrounded with His mercy and love.

Is your heart clean? Is it broken and contrite?

If not, trust Him. Come clean! He is so ready to forgive and then He even forgets. Won’t you let Him?

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Sink or Swim?

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My daughter has a friend and that woman has three beautiful children. When her oldest boy was still a toddler they came to stay with my daughter. At naptime little Liam did not want to take a nap. His patient father was trying to get the little guy down while the girls visited. Here is the conversation that was related back to me after this incident.

Dad: “Would you like to take a nap on the couch or on the bed?”
Liam: “Outside.”
Dad: “We will go outside later; right now that is not an option. Would you like to take a nap in the bed or on the couch?”
Liam: “I choose…neither.” (Yep, he used those exact words.)

Now to the consternation of his Daddy, everyone else in the house thought this was hilarious. I thought it was very cute, especially such a little guy who uses such grown up terms. He is rather a smart boy.

What does that have to do with sinking or swimming?

At our Praise and Prayer service last night, God showed me a picture of a great ocean with people everywhere. There was a storm and the waves were rolling. Some of those people were treading water, barely keeping their chins up, and sometimes bobbing under for a few scary moments. Others had simply given up the fight and were allowing themselves to sink to the peaceful bottom, far away from the storm. Those didn’t make it.

I asked God what it meant and He showed me that the storm tossed waters represented this world we live in, one storm after another. The people represented both the lost and the saved. Those that were swimming were still trying to keep themselves alive. Those that were sinking had given up the fight and surrendered to this world. I thought of the obvious question, would I sink or swim. Immediately I thought, “swim.” But God said, “I have not called you to sink or to swim! I have called you to be a life preserver.” Like Liam, God wanted me to say “neither.” Ok, so Liam may have been a cute rebellious toddler, but our choice to neither sink nor swim doesn’t come from rebellion, but out of trust.

Of course God in His mercy showed it to me this way. Those who are treading water, waiting for someone to rescue them didn’t realize they had already been saved. There ought not to have been any Christians in that predicament as we should be quite aware of the fact that we have been saved already! The sinkers represented those saved and unsaved who just plain grew weary of the fight. Those who were saved had allowed the cares of this world to overtake them. (Our Senior Pastor, after I gave this word to the congregation, added to this by saying that those treading water also represented those who were trying to do it all in their own strength. Instead of the Grace of God, they were trying to do make it on their own merit and labor.)

Jesus walked on the water, during a storm. Peter had the faith to step out of the boat and as long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, he too walked on the water. That is what God has called us to do. Not bob around like a floating device, waiting for someone to grab a hold of us, but to live above the storm tossed waves, to walk on the water and pull them up and out of the storms. How do we do that? First of all we can’t choose sinking or swimming. We have to renew ourselves in the word, press into the loving arms of the Father, and allow Him to change us and use us. We don’t have to be perfect for him to use us; we just have to be willing. However, we can’t save those drowning if we are clinging to them in the water.

Those that are drowning have no regard for life, but their own. In great panic they tend to try to get themselves up out of the waves by crawling up and over their would be saviors. Ask anyone who has gone through lifeguard training. Sometimes they have to literally knock someone out to get them both to safety. So it is a must that we realize that we are not drowning. Jesus has already pulled called us to the surface, set us on our feet, and taught us how to say “peace” to the storms. Once we have accepted that, put our trust in Him, we stop trying to do it in our strength, by our work. It’s a different kind of surrender. Not the “I’ll just sink down where it is cold and calm, and let the fighting be over,” but it is a “I can’t do it on my own, I need Him.”

Then we can show others the way. Those who don’t know Him, need to be introduced. Those who do, but are still living under their own works, need to be shown how to be led by the Holy Spirit, how to enter into the rest of God, how to give up in a good way.

Romans 8:12-17 (The Message Bible), “So don’t you see that we don’t owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There’s nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go! This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him!”

So what will it be? Sink or swim?

I hope you, like little Liam, chose neither.

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Psalm Confession

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Psalms Confession – From Psalm 4:3, 37:4, 65:4, 66:9, 112:1-9, 116:1, and 145:14, 20

The Lord has set me apart for Himself. I belong to Him and no other. My heart is not divided, so He hears me when I call. Just like a parent is always tuned in to the call of his own child, even above the noise.

Because I delight in the Lord, He will give me the deep desires of my heart. Not only does He place Godly desires there through His promises and His Spirit, He wants me happy and fulfilled.

God causes me to come near Him. He causes my family to come near Him as well. He is my confidence and hope. I can trust Him with my whole heart.

Because He does not allow my foot to slip, I am secure. My Heavenly Father keeps me alive through every circumstance. In fact, He brings me out into a wealthy place. My Lord never rejects my prayers and He will not remove His mercy and loving-kindness from me, ever.

Because I fear and reverently honor Him and I delight in His unfailing word, I am blessed. Wealth and riches are in my home and I am righteous forever. Having wealth will not harm me, it is a merely a tool to provide for my family, to help others, and to further God’s Kingdom. During these dark days, His light dawns for me. Because I trust in His provision, I am generous and I lend to the poor. I do not fear bad news, my heart remains steadfast.

I love the Lord. He hears me, even in my cry for mercy. Because He always listens, I will call on Him as long as I live.

God picks me up when I fall and He constantly watches over me to perform His word in my life. Because I love Him, He preserves me until the end of my days.

Thank You Lord, for Your steadfast love, for your unending mercy, and for Your constant provision.

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Are You Surrendered?

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We no longer live under the law! We are free from the law! Isn’t that wonderful?

Romans 8:1-2 (NIV), “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”

John 8:36 (NIV), “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Now we can do whatever we want. Right?

People use that as an excuse to excuse just about anything. There is still sin. We still live in a fallen world. As a child of God I don’t have to pay the penalty of my sin, but does that mean I can really just do whatever I want. Paul answers this question for us.

I Corinthians 10:23 (Holman Christian Standard Bible), “Everything is permissible,” but not everything is helpful. “Everything is permissible,” but not everything builds up.”

What God calls sin, its still sin. Can I live with someone before I get married? Of course! Is that beneficial to my marriage? Absolutely not! I know we did it that backwards way. Can I live an alternate lifestyle? You bet. Will God bless that? Not a bit. There are some things God asked us not to do because He is Holy and He wants us to live Holy. Some things He has asked us to do, or not to do, because it is simply harmful to us or to others. Overdrinking, overeating, drug addiction, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and sexual immorality are all harmful practices.

Ok, so maybe you like some of those things that God says don’t do. What is my answer to that? If you love Him, really truly love Him, and you aren’t just doing lip service, you will want to please Him more than your flesh. Simply put: if you continue in sinful behavior, you are not in a true relationship with Him.

When we have surrendered our hearts to Jesus and let Him sit on the throne there, we change. Our way of thinking changes and our habits change. The more we read His word and spend quiet time with God, allowing Him to speak into our lives, the more we change. As we are being led by His Spirit, those ungodly desires just seem to fade away. I know from experience that it isn’t always easy, but it is best. God’s desire for us is a more wonderful, spectacular life than we could ever even dream about. Why would we want to keep doing things our own way and not surrender to His will?

What about all of those other people out there. They seem to do just fine living in the flesh and doing whatever they want. They blatantly live the opposite of the way God instructs us, and people applaud them for their honesty. How do we handle that?

We never accept sin. God doesn’t. However, He never stops loving them. We shouldn’t either. If I love them, do I have to ignore their sin? No! Just don’t beat them up, don’t beat them over the head with your Bible. Don’t call them names, ridicule, or belittle them. None of those things are loving. We need to make friends with people. We have to show them the love of God. The dividing line is if you start to behave more like them, than them behaving more like you. We can’t be everyone’s friend. It’s permissible or lawful, but not beneficial. Be honest, we have all had a friend at some point in our lives that used, abused, or influenced us in a bad way. Stay away from those people.

I Thessalonians 5:22 (Jubilee Bible 2000), “Separate yourselves from all appearance of evil.”

If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck. We are supposed to separate (some versions say “flee”, others say “abstain”) from all appearance of evil. Does it look like sin? Does it taste, feel, sound, or smell like sin? Stay away.

Paul also tells us in I Corinthians 15:33 (NIV), “Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” In verse 34 (NLT), “Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don’t know God at all.”

Paul likes to “tell it like it is.” I would probably be afraid of him, had I known him in person. Most of us are afraid of confrontation. We may be timid and too worried about what people think. However, Paul practiced what he preached.

Ephesians 4:15 (NLT), “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.”

So if you have surrendered your life to God, stay that way. Daily allow His Spirit to guide you. If you haven’t surrendered, please do. I promise, it is easier than kicking against the thorn. Just ask Paul. Are you friends with unbelievers? Be patient, live right in their sight, be generous and full of God’s love. Show them the father. Let God be your guide in when to cut the ties with an unrepentant friend and when to keep on working with them. He knows.

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Is He Watching?

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Psalm 33:18 (NIV), “But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,”

Genesis 28:15 (NIV), “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

That is pretty comforting that our Heavenly Father is watching over us. Especially the part about “until I have done what I promised!” But, is He watching us all in the same way? He loved everyone. There is not one person exempt from His unfailing love. In fact nothing can separate us from His love. (Romans 8:31-39). However, according to verse 18 in Psalms, His eyes are on those who hope in His love. What does that mean? Though God loves everyone, He especially watches over His children (those who have given themselves to Him.) Then going a step further, He is looking for those who fear Him, who trust Him, and those who expect Him to “do all that He promised.”

God can work in the lives of those who are trusting in Him!

Verses 20-22 go on to say, “We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.”

Notice it doesn’t say that we need to try and “make something happen.” It also does not say that our hope is in our own effort, or our job, or our family, our church, the government, or the lottery. Our hope is in Him! Nothing else can fulfill those promises that He made us. The bible is so full of promises, thousands, literally. Only He can perform them. Only He can finish what He has started.

Is it important to place our hope and trust in Him?

Psalms 33:20 in the KJV and also the NAS use the word “according” after love. His love is with us according to our hope and trust. Do you hope a little, trust even less? That’s how much His love is with us. Not because He loves us less, but because we won’t accept His love and blessings if we don’t trust Him. It’s not Him, it’s us that fails.

Finally, let’s look at the same scripture in the Amplified version.
“Let Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, in proportion to our waiting and hoping for You.”

That says it plain and simple.

He is watching over us! He so wants to bless us. His desire is for us to have an abundant life. For us to live out of His provision and not out of our own effort. Yes, we do have to work, and we should be diligent and honest in our labor, but don’t ever look at your own work as your source.
Trust Him! He is able.

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Don’t be a Fool

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Galatians 3:1-4 (NIV), “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?”

The Galatians had been let to Jesus by the Spirit of the Living God. They had accepted Jesus as crucified, their penalty paid. They had gloried in their new freedom from sin, begun a Church family, and behaved like all new believers. Then something terrible happened…

They went back to the confines of the law!

Paul calls them fools. Elsewhere in the scripture (Proverbs) it says, “A fool says in their heart that there is no God.” That sounds harsh, but let’s think about this for a minute. After having been set free from the law and sin, why would anyone want to go back? In my own experience it is because we believe the lie that God hasn’t done it, won’t do it, or can’t do it. Or even worse, the lie that says we don’t deserve it. So we try to manipulate, and work our way into His Grace. That is someone who doesn’t know God intimately. I’ve been there! I thought I knew Him, but when hit with something hard, I doubted and believed those lies. Of course He came through like He always did. It took me accepting what He had already done! How did I get to that point of acceptance? I allowed the Holy Spirit to lead and guide me into all truth. I listened to His voice and stop listening to the lie.

God isn’t withholding anything from us! That was the original lie that Satan told Adam and Eve in the Garden. After all this time, shouldn’t we recognize that lie for what it really is? I know God. Personally! I am in relationship with Him. Be guided by the Holy Spirit. Not by your flesh, not by your reasoning or intellect, and certainly not by any lie.

Don’t be a fool!

God loves you and He wants only good for you. He gave Jesus, why would he withhold anything else?