SelahV Today by hariette petersen

DO MEGA-SCREENS MAGNIFY OR MINIMIZE GOD'S WORD?

The literal truth to this question is certainly magnification.  From a tiny computer chip, the Scripture races through a beam of light and hits a gigantic screen or screens on any given Sunday of many churches throughout the land.  But I wonder.  Is the quest to have everyone visually see the words of God before them, in fact, minimalizing the affect the Bible's importance in their lives?

It's such a little thing, you might say.  What difference does it make--on the screen or from a Bible in their laps?

Bill the CycleGuy offered this comment in the stream of thought on this subject:  "I always thought that having Scripture on the screen was like eating off someone else's plate." [Added 8/1/08]

Maybe it makes no difference at all to some folks.  Surely not to me.  I have my Bible with me, too; I still refer to it as the Word is magnified in gigantic letters above the pastor's shoulders.  But I wonder...have you noticed folks don't carry Bibles as much anymore?  Do you miss the fluttering of pages in the pews as people search to find the passage the pastor is reading.  I wonder if this is good thing.  I wonder if in emphasizing convenience, does it de-emphasize the need to read from the Book itself?  What do you think?   selahV    

CANVAS, PAINT AND SOUL

She wanted to paint.  I set up the paints, the canvas, and gathered the brushes.  But HayJae wasn't satisfied.  "You paint, too, Grama."  So I did.  And this is the result.

I am not an artist.  I play with paint.  Phyllis Franklin paints.  From her heart flows the peace and contentment of God's place in her life.  Sometimes she is not satisfied with what she feels inside.  But onlookers who wander onto her blog landscape can clearly view the inner sanctum of her soul if they choose to take the time it takes to have a cup of tea. 

Take a moment and think about what picture we would see if we were to look inside your heart today.  selahV   

WHEN LIGHTNING BOLTS DIE BUT SHOCKS LIVE ON

I've known a few people who've survived electronic shocks from heavy voltage and were left with debilitating pain the rest of their lives.  I've known people who've lost loved ones as a result of electricity flowing through a stream of water and up a fenceline.  An irony in life is how controlled wattage can shock a flat-lined heart into vibrating life-flowing rhythm again.

A few weeks ago we learned of Dr. Tom Ascol who survived a direct hit from a lightning bolt.  At first he thought he was going to be alright.  Then residuals of that powerful surge which traveled through each fiber of his body surfaced with menacing strength.  He was left with tremendous upheavals in sight, sound, touch and momentum.

We cannot fathom in our wildest imaginings the power of lightning, nor the sovereign supremacy of God.  Yet the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is a God Who lives in perfect control of every circumstance and overrides any opposition presented.  In Christ we have a Priest who understands our every infirmity, has compassion on each and every trial, and empathizes with every suffering.  Knowing this we can approach the throne of grace with confidence and make intercession for the comfort, the peace and healing of brothers and sisters in Christ.  There's no better time than now to do so for Bro. Tom Ascol and his family.  Will you take a few moments to pray?  selahV

[To read his wife's updated narrative on his condition go here.]      

A FEW WORDS ABOUT CECIL SHERMAN'S OWN RECKONING

I first learned of Cecil Sherman when I read a post about a new book he'd written, By My Own Reckoning.

When I read Dr. Paige Patterson's review of the book, I had to have it. [Read WHY...}

I JUST CAN'T BE A MODERATE

Being moderate about most things in life is like drinking lukewarm water on a hot day.  It is living in the shadows of life--never in the light and one foot in the dark.  It stands for little and rejects less.  It condemns almost nothing and condones almost anything.  It is a will uncommitted and a body in suspension.  It is a mind un-made and heart satisfied with appetizers.

I don't do much in moderation.  I'm a full-steam ahead, let's get'er done kind of person.  When I eat chocolate, I want the whole bag of Hershey's kisses.  When I eat shrimp, I want a pound; forget the sides.  When I plan a party, I go overboard.  When I'm in charge of a drama production, I "take it to extremes", my husband attests.  I'm not as simple as I like to believe sometimes, yet I'm not as complex as some might assert when watching me live in tandem with the universe.  While I realize that black is not always black to folks and white is not always white...I find a great deal of difficulty with the gray areas of living life.

If I don't like something, I don't eat it, read it, do it, or toy with it.  If I don't believe in something, I don't approve of it, condone it or pretend I do.  If I believe in something, I don't hide it---I defend it, extol it and share it to the best of my ability.  I seek advice and respect wise counsel.  I ignore provocations and test interpretations.  I try not to waste time in negative pursuits with pessimistic partnerships--either in fellowship or conversation.

This creates a huge dilemma in life at times.  Sometimes I'm hot and sometimes I'm cold...but rarely is my thermostat set on 72 degrees.  I won't shop in some stores nor buy some products.  I can't subscribe to most magazines because of their advertising.  I'm eating at fewer and fewer restaurants because of the beverages they serve.  I won't go to movies because of positions that the actors take on moral issues.  I don't watch much TV.  I don't open all emails.  I don't read entire blog-posts and skip over some comments.  I can't shop for new clothing because it's immodest.  Life presents a crossroad at every step it seems.  Either or, nothing or all, this way or that.  Moderation just doesn't seem to have enough contrast. 

I know that while I am "in this world", I am "not of this world".  But some places are too dark to stand in their shadows and listen to the whispers of temptation.  Don't you think?  selahV

[© SelahV Today, 2008]      

            

HE MAKES A LOUSY CHAUViNIST ~and~ CAN THIS BE LOVE?

HE MAKES A LOUSY CHAUViNIST  How do I know? [READ ON...} at Masculine Matters.

CAN THIS BE LOVE?  At first she understood.  At first she knew he was there.  At first they shared memories and tender embraces.  [MORE...} dailyIMPACT by SelahV 7/29/08

[NOTE: COMMENTS CAN BE MADE AT THE END OF EACH POST...]

AN ENCOURAGING WORD AS OPPOSED TO DISCOURAGING

I wrote a post few days ago sharing the late Adrian Rogers' website.  It is uncanny to me how often his words speak right to my heart and touch me with encouragement and inspiration at the exact time I need to hear them.  I have to share what came in last night that I read this morning:

BE AN ENCOURAGER

"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Somebody has well said that discouragement is a dark room where the negatives of fear and failure are developed. There are some who are encouragers and others who are discouragers. Have you ever met a discourager? They're like a drink of water to a drowning man. They can brighten up a room by leaving it. They leave you drained and depressed. But an encourager leaves you full and refreshed. God has cornered the market on encouragement. All encouragement comes from God. You're never more like God than when you're encouraging people and never more like the devil than when you are discouraging people.

ACTION POINT:
Find a needy person and enrich him; a lonely person and include him; a misunderstood person and affirm him; an undiscovered person and develop him; a failing person and restore him."  LWF

So what exactly is an encourager?  According to my fingertip AOL dictionary, encourage means:  "1.) to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope as in hearten.  2.) to spur on or stimulate.  3.) to give help or patronage to, as in Foster.  Encourage means to fill with courage or strength of purpose.  Encourage suggests the raising of one's confidence especially by an external agency (i.e. The teacher's praise encouraged the students to greater efforts.)"

So, today my goal is to remain sensitive to God's leading to a needy and lonely person.  To include him.  To affirm a misunderstood person.  To seek to develop an undiscovered person and to restore a failing person.  As I consider the heartaches and broken moments of my life, I am so hungry to feed on the Word of God and gain the highest form of encouragement that I might be a comfort to others as I have been comforted. How about you?  selahV

[© SelahV Today, 2008] 

FORTY-THREE YEARS LATER

No one gave them much chance of success.  More educated, older and prominent people warned of impending difficulty and trials before them.  Fear of the unknown challenged their every decision.  History charted stormy seas to come.  Every year had its own set of unforeseen troubles.  Goals met, goals unmet.  Love gained, love lost.  Trust forged, trust broken.  Joys shared, joys spoiled.

In the past forty-three years, we've called ourselves husband and wife.  It was not a picnic every day but who has a picnic every day without having it rained out occasionally?  A rainbow did not follow every storm, but neither did a storm produce every rainbow.

We have endured more than most couples and less than others.  There were times when we saw the flaws in one another more than the perfections.  We've understood one another most of the time and when we didn't, we still loved one another.  We each revelled in the other's happiness and were never jealous of one another's individual abilities or talents.  We appreciated the best in one another, and forgave the worst.  I suppose that is why we've really lasted forty-three years.

I'm grateful for all the times I've been forgiven and experienced the unconditional love of my husband.  He's far more than I deserve and I am far less than he deserves.  Still....

Today I came to my computer.  Sitting before me was a white envelope with these words: "Loved you that day and every day."

There's a lot to be said for the words written inside a card.  Especially when the card is chosen by a husband who reads every card on a rack till he finds just the one to express his heart.  I'll spare you the mush and simply share how he signed it: "Love, your happy, happy husband."  Isn't that sweet?  I think so, and really?....after forty-three years of marriage, I have learned that to my husband, that's all that matters anyway.  selahV

[© SelahV Today, 2008]

   

I MAKE A LOUSY FEMINIST...

I hated working outside the home.  Literally hated it.  In all the positions I've ever held, (mostly in sales or sales management or marketing), I always had particulars in the jobs that I didn't like.  I never really aspired to be a manager or hold a big-deal position.  Just always kinda happened.  Never felt like I was looked down upon because I was a woman (only because I was a Christian).  In fact, the only people who seemed to treat me meanly were other women who worked and wanted my job.  Then there were the women who worked and were mad at me because I didn't work.  (Talk about feminism at its worst.  So much for a woman's right to choose.)  [FOR MORE...}

WHEN GOOD MEN DIE IN AMERICA...

THEY LEAVE AN INDELIBLE MESSAGE.  What the media doesn't say....

Their last words words witnessed about the love and saving power of Jesus.  The evil, unremorseful, messengers of Satan shot two fine Christian men without mercy.  Two robbers revelled in their depraved actions and netted two dollars, yes, that's $2, for their reward.  [read story here...}

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?  What would I do?  Could we forgive as easily as one man's wife with a two year-old-son and a one-year-old daughter?  The challenge in this story echoes in my mind and reverberates with my every heartbeat today.  Indeed, what would I do?  selahV

THOUGH TEMPTED AND TRIED

Though there are times I'm tempted and tried, I find myself coming back to You, Lord.  Though there are days when life is not kind and situations test the very fiber of my soul, I find myself longing for more of You, Lord.  Though death beckons loved ones and separation looms, I know my hope is in You, Lord.  Though waters seem deep and mountains seem high, I find myself carried on angels' wings to the throne of Your grace, Lord.  Though buffeted by satan's adversity and surrounded by temptations destruction, I surrender not to his evil designs on my life, but rest in the promises of You, Lord Jesus, my Savior and King.  My weakness is Your strength, my failure is Your victory.  To You alone, Lord, will I give my all and yield.  selahV

A MENTOR'S CHARACTER REVEALED

What do your words say about you?  What do your actions reveal about your character?  For me, each time I find myself feeling deeply frustrated or at wits end, I know it's time to sit back and reevaluate my walk with the Lord.  Not that we are some terrible person for losing our minds at times.  But character is revealed in a crisis.

My husband use to say, "The Christian you are today, is the Christian revealed when you meet with disaster or calamity tomorrow."

I have a friend who shared with me that she'd reconnected with some mentoring Christians she'd known years prior.  When she'd known them as a younger Christian, they had helped her to grow in the Lord so much.  She took their words and applied them to her walk.  She admired them for all they did as teachers and leaders in her former church.  For years later, many times, their teachings and character reminded her of the walk she must continue as a Christian.

But things have changed... [MORE...}    

daily IMPACT~~July 23, '08

BRACE YOURSELF...

"Character is the way we have grown to act with our hands and our feet, our eyes and our tongue, and the character we make always reveals the ruling disposition within."  Oswald Chambers, Our Brilliant Heritage, 1929

When my grandson, Ryan, broke his neck and back while riding on a motorcycle last year, he had to wear a brace for several weeks.  Prior to receiving the cumbersome brace, he could not move without extreme pain.  And had he moved without the brace, his chance of being paralyzed was a near certainty.  Ryan's accident was on a Friday afternoon and he was airlifted to Oklahoma City.  [more...}

WHEN PEOPLE ARE MERE SHADOWS

There are times when we can be so overwhelmed by what others think of us, we lose sight of what God thinks of us.  When our spirit is crushed by the actions of others, the betrayals, the misunderstandings, the irreconcilable differences, we fall prey to a kind of inward journey of heartache.  That is not what our Father in Heaven wants for us... [MORE...}

EVER THINK YOU NEED TO JUST GET AWAY?

Ever want to just bury your head in the sand and shut out the world?

Ever have someone criticize every action you take and judge every word you say (or write in blogland)--and every analogy you use is somehow meant to describe them or someone they know?  Ever have to distance yourself from them in every way possible to avoid being accused of attacking them?

Ever wonder if you wrote a post about pickles if that person would think you thought they were a sour-puss?  Ever wonder if you wrote about the authority of God that the person would think you were accusing them of having a God-complex?  Ever wonder if you should eliminate all words in your vocabulary down to the gurgles and garbles of a two-year-old in order to avoid receiving judgmental meanspirited emails?  Ever think you were being bullied and harrassed?

It happens.  It happens to people in the blogosphere every day.  I have a few friends this happened to.  Even at this writing, I have four different friends facing tremendous, needless and useless attacks. Many times they carried on long conversations back and forth and ended up accomplishing zilch.   I wonder, what would you do if this happened to you?  Do you wonder if you tried to communicate with them that you'd end up where you always have--no where?  Would you stop writing what you felt God is leading you to write?  Would you stop going where you normally go?  After repeated attempts at reconciling differences, prayer and years of patient endurance, what exactly would you do?

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008] 

SELAHV'S POST PICK TODAY (I'VE GOT TWO)

In grief situations.  In hospital rooms.  During a tragedy or even another's trial with life's circumstances.  We have all searched for words to say.  Sometimes nothing would be better than the "Empty Nothings" we utter.

I could write an entire post on this, but feel my blogging friend from Indiana, Bill the CycleGuy has covered it sufficiently for now.

Click on "EMPTY NOTHINGS" to see what I mean.  Of course, if you have plenty to say, then you may not find it worth your time.  I have posted it in my SelahV's PostPick's site that's listed in my sidebar if you want to find it later.  Or perhaps you'd like to see some of the other posts I've found that have given me pause.  I post there from time to time and will let you know when I have a new entry.

~~~~~~~~~~ON A LIGHTER NOTE....

For a bit of laughter or maybe just a grin or two, Steve Heartsill has written a humorous post entitled: PAGING DOCTOR SMITH.  Steve's blog, ALL TOES IN THE WATER, is a delightful site where I often find an interlude of fun and kibbutzing (is that how you spell it, Steve, I don't want to look it up?) among blogging friends.

THOUGHT

FOR THE

<MOMENT

FEMININE MATTERS~~TO DRINK OR NOT TO DRINK

DO I REALLY HAVE TO?  I suppose I do.  For so long I've been an avid opponent to imbibing but I am such a coffee hound that I never had much use for any other beverage.  Some will pray I'm reduced to nothing when I over indulge but many will join me, so misery will join misery in a song of sorts as we drown our sorrows each day.  While others drink in moderation, I'm afraid if I want to prove a point, I'm forced to drink till my kidneys meet my eyeballs.  [FOR MORE...}    

WOULD YOU PRAY FOR PAUL?

Every day I wake up with back pain.  I live with intermittent wrenching pain in my legs when I walk or stand or sit because of something that is wrong in my spine.  I have chronic fatigue; every action I take is a struggle and takes concentrated effort to make.  But that is nothing.

It's a picnic compared to the struggle in life that my friend, Paul, is enduring due to a stroke which resulted in multiple complications.  If you think of me and want to pray for me, will you save it and pray for Paul?  [READ MORE....}

        

HOW TO FOLLOW THE DEVIL WITHOUT EVEN TRYING

Constantly complain about your life.

Continually point out the flaws in others.

Harp about anything and everything that is wrong with other Christians.

Verbally share every problem you see in your church and all other churches.

Never say thank you.

If you are offended, get angry and hold a grudge.  Do not forgive.

Emphasize the failures of every ministry that have not shown immediate success.

Never ever say you are sorry or wrong about anything.

Don't sing during worship, but grumble about the music that is chosen for the services.  Gee, just stop going to church altogether, you're saved aren't you?

Always see the flipside of every positive.

Never do more than you absolutely have to.

If you see something good going on, don't tell anyone you saw it.

If you realize someone has a gift and is sharing it and bringing glory to God through it, don't magnify it by praising God for their abilities.

Never give God any credit for anything you accomplish yourself.

When people need your help, point them to someone else.

If someone helps you, do not let them know you appreciate them.

When the church needs volunteers, let someone else do it.

When you could be merciful or generous, don't be.

When other Christians denounce sin as sin, accuse them of being judgmental and stand up for tolerance.

Make sure you refer to God as "the man upstairs" and spiritual people as "holier-than-thou" self-righteous Pharisees.

Don't worry about doing things that give the appearance of evil.  People aren't interested in appearances anyway.  They only care about sincerity and purity.

And if these don't work, simply sit around all day and wonder why God is so good to others and not you.  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008] 

dailyIMPACT July 22, '08

DON'T YOU JUST LOVE BEING CORRECTED?

Maybe not.

Have you found, as I, that most folks hate to be corrected?  They don't like others telling them where they go wrong and what they should do.  When faced with a choice between what man wants to do and what God wants him to do, quite often a man will follow the dictates of his own desires.  He justifies a critical spirit.  He compromises a truth.  He sugar-coats a bitter heart and white-washes sinful acts.  [FOR MORE...}

A WORD OR TWO FROM ADRIAN ROGERS

I am signed up for Love Worth Finding devotionals, written by the late Adrian Rogers.  I find his words just as encouraging today as they were when he penned them.  Every nite about 1:00 a.m. I get an email from Adrian Rogers' website.  He shares a Bible passage then writes a short devotional thought to accompany it.  He doesn't go into a long interpretation or get into anything that requires a seminary degree to understand.  He writes in simple, everyday language and challenges, inspires and spurs you on to look at life with a chunk of God's Word to chew on throughout the day.  I like him.  Today I got the following in my inbox and thought you who do not know about his site would like to see what you're missing if you aren't signed up for his site:

"BIBLE MEDITATION:
"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" Isaiah 5:20

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
People can become so warped in their thinking that they don't know the difference between right and wrong. I was listening to the radio one morning, and they were talking about what scientists want to do with the tissue of aborted babies. They said that some women are thinking about having babies, aborting them, then selling the tissue for research. The scientific community is promoting this propaganda because of the good they say the research will have on the whole of humanity! But what about the whole of humanity that begins in the womb? People today will play enough tricks on their minds that they will literally approve evil with a good conscience."

Something worth thinking about, huh?  Woe unto any of us who buy into the lies of man.  selahV

WHEN UNDER CONDEMNATION

There are times in life when we are met with the condemnation of man.  We face criticism and every move we make is judged.  Sometimes the arrows of insult come from every direction, other times it comes at us head on.  There is a joy in that, my friends.  We must count it all joy when we are encompassed about with diverse trials, and difficulties.  Through them we will grow in faith and wisdom and knowledge and patience and endurance.  "...In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us." Romans 8:37

There's great victory in knowing that for all the hatred we receive from others, we find the love of God multiplied a hundred-fold.  For all the grief we may experience from the world, we have our comfort in Christ.  For all the chaos and disruption, we have the peace that passes all understanding.  Through all the adversary's persecution we have refuge in Christ our Advocate.

Nothing can defeat us.  "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38,39.

I pray for you today.  May you find God's grace sufficient to meet your needs and abound.  May you know the joy of His presence and receive consolation that Christ is at the right hand of God making intercession for you at this very moment.  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008] Felt this an appropriate reprint for the times as Christians are attacked on every front today and condemned for simply believing in Christ their Lord-- that His Word is truth. 

THE THORN IN MY FLESH FOR WHICH I AM GRATEFUL

Ever had something in your life that tears at your heart and you wish it would go away?  Ever feel the pain so deeply that you pray for God to remove it?  Ever had it removed only to find something of greater discomfort to enter your life?  Ever question why?

Paul had a thorn which remained in his life for which he endured through God's grace.  Evidently Paul had the propensity for boasting and knew it.  God had shown him some marvelous revelations that no one else had ever seen. (2 Cor. 12)  It would have been easy to boast of these things which no one else had experienced.  Paul understood that about himself. "And to keep me from being puffed up and too much elated by the exceeding greatness (pre-eminence) of these revelations, there was given me a thorn (a splinter) in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to rack and buffet and harass me, to keep me from being excessively exalted." 2 Corinthians 12:7.  Amplified.

We often live with things in our lives to remind us Who is in charge, Whose we are, to Whom we must seek for guidance and direction in our lives.  When we tend to be self-sufficient, God allows things to be introduced into our lives that teach us we are not sufficient.  The humble He exalts, the proud He humbles.  He gives us the unlovely to love.  He gives us the unforgiveable to forgive.  He gives us the unmerciful on which to return mercy.

Some folks think they know more than anyone else.  They must continually be correcting others and criticizing another's words and actions.  They can be the most annoying people in the world.  I have found that I can rejoice in having those people in my life.  I consider them the thorns God allows to keep me ever looking to Him for answers.  I'm ever-seeking His Truth in the midst of deceit, guile and manipulations of man.  Surrounding assaults, insults and accusations is God's grace for the moment, peace for the situation, and rest for the weary. 

"Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weaknesses and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ (the Messiah) may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me." 2 Corinthians 12:9b

No one knows for certain what "thorn" existed in Paul's life.  It's pure speculation.  But one thing is certain, He learned to glory in God's sufficiency to help him deal with it and endure.  Could we do less?  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]

 

NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY...

...you might just as well be talking to a person's hand.

Sometimes, the clear Word of God is not enough.  The Scripture's own vocabulary is not enough.  People have been trying to water down the power of God's Word for centuries.  They whitewash the commands as if they are invalid.  Eve ignored the very words of God in the garden and accepted the cunning twists of logic that the evil serpent used when she gave in to her own desires and willfully disobeyed God.  Jesus used the Word of God to rebuke Satan's clever, vain promises in the wilderness.

As the end draws closer and closer to the time when Jesus returns, we will see more and more sin called mistakes, addictions and indiscretions.  An affair is adultery, but acceptable.  Sex outside of marriage is fornication but promoted with safe sex.  Viewing pornography is licentious behavior but acceptable as free speech.  Gay folks, homosexuals are sodomites but protected because of sexual preference.  Verbal denouncing of God is blasphemy and acceptable because no one can prove He exists.  Children are being taught tolerance in school and that God has no place in the life of education, because government condones sin and condemns righteousness.   Folks are being sold a bill of goods that every bad behavior we exhibit or sinful action we take is because of something that occurred in our childhood.  No one wants to take responsibility for their own actions.

If the world has its way, and the devil gets his way, the world will soon make the word "sin" obsolete.  It will have no consequence nor require any reproof or rebuke from the Christian community.  The hypocrisy of Christians will be exempt from discussion and the discipline of the church will be unnecessary.  In the final anaylysis, preachers might just as well talk to the hands of their congregation because their ears will be unable to hear for the build up of lies from the world. 

Some Christians seem to think that just because they've been saved, justified and sanctified by the blood of the Lamb, that their sins are exempt from the corrective discipline of God.  I've asked this before, my friends, but it begs asking again, how does God correct you when you've gone astray?  By what means?  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]      

WHY DID I DO THAT?

Ever made an impulsive decision?  You buy a candybar at the checkout because it was simply "there".  You write an email to someone and hit "send" and wish you could take it back?  You buy a new lawnmower because you're tired of trying to start the old one and later find out all the old one needed was new sparkplugs?  You give your "fat-clothes" to Goodwill because you've lost three sizes and cannot for the life of you believe you'd ever be that fat again.  There are times in my life I make impulsive decisions.

But one area in which I try to be extremely conscious of what I am doing is in the arena of writing.  I pray about and seek the leading of God in all I do with my writing.  I think through the comments and when I post, I weigh whether or not my words can be construed as anything other than what I wrote.  I take it very seriously.

Mama use to say, "Think before you speak.  Walk before you leap."  Every now and then, that comes to my mind along with the principles I've learned as a Christian.

I do not write to demean others, to malign others, to pick apart others or to divide others.  I do not write to argue with others, or debate.  However, I do enjoy a discourse with others to "flesh-out" a thought and think about it.  I enjoy conversation.  I enjoy communication.  I do not enjoy dogmatic in-your-face, you-are-wrong on-all-counts exchanges.  I welcome friendly have-you-ever-thought-about-it-this-way dialogues.

Life is so much more pleasant that way, don't you think?

"Understand [this], my beloved brethren.  Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry.  For man's anger does not promote the righteousness God [wishes and requires]." James 1:19,20.

So many passages in the Holy Word to guide us as we converse with others.  So many ways we can communicate that help build each other up.  So many scriptures that point the way to reconciliation among one another in Christ.  Listen, hear, or read the heart of another's words.  Pray and let God give the discernment necessary to answer without offense or anger.  Without impulsive, from-the-flesh utterances.  This is my goal, how about you?  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008] 

      

HAS GOD SENT YOU TO THE CORNER LATELY? GOD'S PUNISHMENT VERSUS GOD'S WRATH

When my children misbehaved, they were corrected, disciplined and sometimes punished.  Punishment came when they directly disobeyed and knew they should have done something differently.  They knew the rules of the house and they rebelliously disregarded them and did what they wanted to do because they think it is okay to do them as long as they had a good reason.  Sometimes I warned them.  But when they did not heed the warning, they received punishment.

Punishment follows deliberate, willful disobedience.  God is our teacher in how to deal with willfully disobedient children.  He as our Heavenly father punishes and corrects and disciplines according to His love for us, not His wrath.  As Romans 5:9 clearly says: "Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God."  Therefore wrath is never the catalyst from which the Holy Lord God Almighty punishes His children.

He punishes His children, when they will not heed His correction and discipline: "For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes." Hebrews 12:6.

Some people view punishment as full of wrath.  Perhaps childhood experiences of punishment were so embroiled with anger that this is how they define that word.   Perhaps memories of punishment are filled with festering scars of retribution they endured.  If so, then they would do well to take a good look at the power of the blood of Jesus.  He can open the cancer within and heal those boils of heartache, bitterness and anger.  Punishment we receive at the hands of men, is not the punishment we receive with the sovereign hands of God.

Christians are given such verses in Scripture that do not at all contradict themselves.  Scripture interprets scripture.  God is not a Father who hangs on to past sins or disobedient actions of His children.  When we do something wrong His Spirit convicts us and corrects us and guides us back into His perfect way.  When we continue in disobedience without a hint of repentance in our souls, God takes stronger and stronger actions.  Some might view the ways God deals with His children as full of wrath and anger.  But that is simply not true.  God is a God of mercy, love and justice.  He metes out to His children what is necessary to sanctify them and use them according to His purpose.

When we think we are in the right, when we believe we are above reproach in any situation, when we find ourselves thinking we are better than another because the "other" has done something we find objectionable, that opens the door for corrective measures with our Lord.  He will not have us thinking we are better than someone else.  He will not give latitude for our pride.  He will not let His children misbehave and cause others to stumble without intervening in their lives.  He will do whatever is necessary to correct, discipline and punish until we are willing to be what He expects of us.

It may take a thorn, it may take a shipwreck, it may take humiliation, it may take shunning, it may take any form the Lord so desires.  But He acts out of love and nothing but love.  And God's love is beyond our comprehension.

Have you ever been sent to the corner by God?  How has God's corrective measures for a sin you've committed been manifested in your life?  Can you give an example of displinary action that has taken place?  If not in you, in another's life where you feel more comfortable sharing?  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]      

HOW IS A CHRISTIAN'S SIN WITHOUT CONDEMNATION?

Some say, "I'm forgiven, covered by God's grace so don't judge me or you'll be judged."  Just because you smell rotten fruit, doesn't make it rotten.  Just because another (or more than another) reproves you, doesn't mean you're wrong.  Thus no apology from me, no repentance--turning from the sin--no change in my attitude is necessary.  Just opps?  Are we accountable or not to our fellow brothers and sisters?  If so, why?  If not, why not?

Is it okay to go on our merry way when we have sinned?  Does God let us go our merry way without punishment, scourging and correction?

I THINK NOT. 

"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and seek my face and pray, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land." II Chron. 7:14.

Now we all know that is a sugarstick sermon on the first night of most any revival.  So it's bound to apply to the saved in the church or preachers would stop preaching it.  And since GOD Himself said they were His people, I'd say that is anyone who professes to be a Christian, right?  If not, pray tell where I am wrong?

Some folks think that sin is not something the Christian should be all that concerned about because once you are "IN" Christ, "there is no condemnation" to those who are.  We have already been made righteous, placed in Christ through the attoning blood-bought sacrifice of Calvary.  While I agree that there is no condemnation in the sense that our salvation is not in jeapordy there are ample scriptures that continually address the behaviour expected of a Christian.  And if a person knows what is right and does not do it, it is sin.  If he knows what is wrong and does it, it is sin.  If he leads others astray by his sin and disobedience, then it is wrong; it is sin.      

What does the Father in Heaven do with a child who sins?  I know what I think, what do you think?  selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]

NOTE:  SEE MORE on what God expects of us in my devotional series I've begun of Hebrews 12 at dailyIMPACTbySelahV]

WHAT I LEARNED IN CHILD BEHAVIOR CLASS THAT COULD APPLY TO BLOGGING

IF THEY DON'T WANT TO PLAY NICE IN YOUR HOUSE:

Reprove them.  (Be gracious and gentle, if tempted to be snide or snarky, remember Whose you are.)  If they do not heed your reproval...

Ignore them.  (Silence can be heard over the din of angry whining better than a raised voice.  It takes longer sometimes, but it gets their attention where futile rebuttals do not penetrate.)  If they persist in pushing and shoving, belligerent tones or disrespectful remarks...

Warn them.  (Tell them you do not want to take away their toys.)  If they continue to misbehave...

Take them aside.  (Privately try to reason with them.)  If they get livid and begin to rant and attack your other people in the room...

Put them in timeout.  (Tell them what you expect of them and how they must act in order to return to the playroom.)  If they get angry and begin to lose control...

Then take away their toys. (Ground them from the immediate fellowship of others till they are willing to change their attitudes, play nice, speak respectfully to others, and/or apologize.) If they leave kicking and screaming, remember it's better they leave than disrupt the peace in the family. 

Take time to pray for them and yourself before you leave the room.  (They may act like they don't hear, but the point is made that you are leaving them in the hands of the Father.  And if you pray with a heart yielded to God's sovereign will, they couldn't be in better hands.)

Life is much too short to put up with nonsense and bad manners.  Bickering and squabbling in your house causes discomfort and discord for everyone who lives at your house or comes to visit your home.  If we cannot play nice, we mustn't be allowed to play at all.  If we don't learn to behave in our homes, we won't behave in another's home.  And when we grow up, no one will want to be our friend, nor will anyone want to listen to a thing we have to say.  No one that matters anyway.  selahV

[NOTE: some of these same ideas could be applied to bloggers who visit your blogsite, too.]

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]

A ROAR IGNORED

Have you ever heard a lion roar?  I was at the zoo one time when one of those marvelous cats gave voice to his dominating presence.  His vibrating decibels literally shook the air.  There was no doubt he was there.  But I was across the park about a quarter mile when his fierce and mighty voice thundered in my ears.  I wasn't the least bit worried that the lion could do harm to me because, after all, I was at the zoo.  He was in a caged area somewhere.  Or so I thought. 

Peter cautions us: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8.

  One thing we might remember from this verse is that when the lion roars, we should not ignore it.  We may think we have nothing to fear.  We are safe.  But Peter warns us that satan is prowling about, he's stalking his prey, waiting for the opportune time to attack.  And though the lion's roar can be heard from miles around, when he is about to pounce, he is silent and gives no warning.

We must "be sober"--temperate, well-balanced.  This tells me that I must guard my own emotions.  To not do so opens the door of opportunity for satan to strike.  When my emotions control my actions, then my mind and heart are vulnerable to attack.  Satan and his demons play havoc with the prideful, resentful, bitter and angry heart.  They feed it.  They bolster it.  They pacify it.  They encourage it.

We must "be vigilant"--ever watching.  We cannot take for granted that we are safe and beyond the reach of satan's snares.  The lion is patient, slowly following, carefully stalking his prey.  And his greatest weapon is waiting for the opportune time, when his prey is least expecting.  His prey is at play, relaxed and grazing upon the feast of his fields.  Peter tells us we need to be prepared at any moment because the devil is always there.

We might ignore the roar of the lion, but we will feel the bite of his teeth when we drop our guard and let him gain entrance into our domain.  Satan wants to devour us.  He's not interested in just maiming, and crippling.  He doesn't want to simply take a chunk out of our witness.  He wants to destroy us, to leave us totally unable to move.  He wants to rip apart the arteries of our faith and leave us in a pool of bleeding weakness. He wants to tear out our spiritual eyes so we can no longer see the grace of our Lord in the turmoil of our lives.

"Withstand him; be firm in faith, knowing that the same sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood throughout the world." 1 Peter 5:9

Our brothers and sisters in Christ stand with us.  We are not alone.  We are blessed with the prayers of God's people.  The encouragement of their love, loyalty and friendship.  God has dominion and power over the evil prince of this world.  We have a King much mightier than any lion on this earth. "To Him be the dominion (power, authority, rule) forever and ever.  Amen" 1 Peter 5:11   selahV

[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]     

I'M SO GLAD I'M ME!

For some odd reason it just occurred to me how very glad I am me.  Now, I can't give you any particular reason.  It just popped into my head and filled my heart up with joy.  Isn't that incredible?

I kinda feel like this photo of my granddaughter, Brooklyn.

I really have not one single thing that has changed in my life.  Haven't inherited any money.  No new grandchildren being born.  No one sent me flowers.  No new words of affirmation pouring in.  And I have done absolutely nothing exciting today.  I've just been playing on the computer.  Chit-chatting with a friend via email, and posting 3 posts, now 4, with this one today. 

So all I can attribute it to is that God wanted to fill me up and grace me with His presence in such a way that all I could see or feel is good.  Despite the bad back.  Despite the chronic fatigue.  Despite a lot of trials and difficulties right now.  I wouldn't trade my life for anyone's.  I think that's rather wonderful!

How about you?  How are you feeling this very moment?  Are you glad you are you?  selahV