The other day, a friend called and was catching me up on their life. He told me he had been dating a pretty girl and asked if I would like to see a photo of her. I said, “Sure.” As I looked at her, he shared that they were no longer seeing each other, and he repeated the hurtful words she said to him. Then he asked me, “Does she look like a devil to you?” I wasn’t sure how to respond when it came to me. “I don’t see God in her.”
Have you ever studied the face of a convicted, ruthless serial killer? Their eyes usually seem so dark and lifeless. This girl didn’t appear to be a killer, but there seemed to be an absence of life and love. Knowing my friend’s past and where he usually meets women, let’s say, not at a church social, I know this young lady is searching for Truth, life, and love from God, but she doesn’t know that is where she will find what will satisfy her. She has past hurts and disappointments and is looking for what she thinks she needs from a man. It’s a sad story for many.
The weekend before I wrote this post, I heard from a writer friend who still lives in the town I moved from in Illinois. I would run into her at church and occasionally at a neighborhood grocery store. It always felt good to see her, and as I texted her, I realized why. Whenever I saw her, I felt peace and sensed the presence of God. In her face, you could see life and the love of God.
I know this inner peace and love of God is what drew people, strangers, to Jesus. And perhaps their curiosity about a man, the weather, and even demons obeyed. Not to mention his power over sickness and death. So, I have to ask, “What do people feel or see when they encounter you?” Are you loving and full of life and hope? Or are you all business or more concerned about your rights and getting your way? I hope they see God and, therefore, know where God is because, whether they realize it or not, they are looking for Him.
19-21 What actually took place is this: I tried keeping rules and working my head off to please God, and it didn’t work. So I quit being a “law man” so that I could be God’s man. Christ’s life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.
21 Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily. Gal. 2:20 (MSG)
I was watching the weather the other day. They were showing what was happening across the entire United States. There was one storm system on the East Coast that would be exiting during the day. I thought to myself, I wonder where storms go to die?
I mean, what happens to them after they leave America? Do they stay together and go to Iceland? Europe? Perhaps somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, they simply dissipate. I really do not know and have never enquired. I know things like land mass or warm ocean water can feed a storm.
What about the storms that come up in your life? Are there conditions that feed them? I mean, do certain things cause these storms to take place? Last year, and I will admit for selfish reasons, April and I made a decision and acted upon it. That single decision brewed a storm that we are okay from now but still paying for.
Once we realized what we had done, we humbled ourselves, repented, and cried out to God for help. His love and grace are indeed amazing. It’s as if He stood up and said, “Peace be still,” and showed us a path to exit from underneath the dark clouds, and the storm went off to die.
What are you facing in your life? Is it one of the scariest storms you have ever encountered? I live in Tornado Alley. Sometimes, we get storms that set off the sirens telling us to take cover. The part of those storms that makes the hair on the back of my head stand up is the sound of the wind. After the average storm passes, I check to see if there is any damage. I might find a limb and some leaves or trash, but no real damage.
What I am saying is there may be a lot of wind blowing in your life. Cry out to God to calm the storm. To keep you safe and to minimize any damage. Then trust Him. God is faithful, and He is good all the time. I have learned it doesn’t really matter where storms go to die. It’s reassuring to know they do!
He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. Ps. 107:29 (NIV)
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. 18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 19 The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; Ps. 34:17-19 (NIV)
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Cor. 4:8-9 (NIV)
God is good, a hiding place in tough times. He recognizes and welcomes anyone looking for help, no matter how desperate the trouble. Nahum 1:7 (MSG)
It turns out people can have a fear of anything. Most seem to have a fear of something. Me? Arachnophobia. A common one is the fear of spiders. It is so bad the other day I tried to kill a thick, black mark on the back of where some curtains were cut off! I suspect April suffers from Zuigerphobia. The fear of vacuum cleaners. Oh, Phobophobia is the fear of phobias.
A phobia of some things, like snakes, might keep you from getting hurt. Honestly, though, so does a healthy respect. You see, some fears can cause some people to seize up. The fear can definitely control their behavior. Fear is not of God, and God is love.
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18 (NIV)
The one fear some have that I want to focus on is the fear of the quiet. You can spot the people who suffer from this phobia because they are always in motion. They must be somewhere with others or have people at their home, but you will seldom find them alone.
They don’t want to be alone because that can lead to them having to think about the current situation they are dealing with and how they got there based on the good or bad decisions they have made. Usually, their current situation is not favorable. They find themselves lacking contentment or peace.
Unfortunately, when a person is alone, they tend to turn to mind-altering substances to assist them in leaving their life on the side for a while. If they are not careful, they will become addicted to the substance.
Knowing Jesus can be the cure for addictions, loneliness, and the fear of the quiet. He can help you turn your life around, heal you of your fears, and give you confidence, contentment, and peace to go with it. You’ve tried everything else to no avail. Try Jesus. If you don’t think you need him, then you probably have Redeemedphobia!
For fun, I am including a list of phobias. My favorite was: Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia: Fear of long words
Ablutophobia: Fear of bathing
Achluophobia: Fear of darkness
Acrophobia: Fear of heights
Aerophobia: Fear of flying
Algophobia: Fear of pain
Agoraphobia: Fear of open spaces or crowds
Aichmophobia: Fear of needles or pointed objects
Amaxophobia: Fear of riding in a car
Androphobia: Fear of men
Anemophobia: Fear of air
Anginophobia: Fear of angina or choking
Angrophobia: Fear of anger
Anthrophobia: Fear of flowers
Anthropophobia: Fear of people or society
Aphenphosmphobia: Fear of being touched
Arachibutyrophobia:Fear of peanut butter
Arachnophobia: Fear of spiders
Arithmophobia: Fear of numbers
Astraphobia: Fear of thunder and lightning
Astrophobia: Fear of outer space
Ataxophobia: Fear of disorder or untidiness
Atelophobia: Fear of imperfection
Atychiphobia: Fear of failure
Automatonophobia: Fear of human-like figures
Autophobia: Fear of being alone
Bacteriophobia: Fear of bacteria
Barophobia: Fear of gravity
Bathmophobia: Fear of stairs or steep slopes
Batrachophobia: Fear of amphibians
Belonephobia: Fear of pins and needles
Bibliophobia: Fear of books
Botanophobia: Fear of plants
Cacophobia: Fear of ugliness
Catagelophobia:Fear of being ridiculed
Catoptrophobia: Fear of mirrors
Chionophobia: Fear of snow
Chrometophobia: Fear of spending money
Chromophobia: Fear of colors
Chronomentrophobia: Fear of clocks
Chronophobia: Fear of time
Cibophobia: Fear of food
Claustrophobia: Fear of confined spaces
Climacophobia: Fear of climbing
Coulrophobia: Fear of clowns
Cyberphobia: Fear of computers
Cynophobia: Fear of dogs
Daemonophobia: Fear of demons
Decidophobia: Fear of making decisions
Dendrophobia: Fear of trees
Dentophobia: Fear of dentists
Domatophobia: Fear of houses
Dystychiphobia: Fear of accidents
Ecophobia:Fear of the home
Elurophobia: Fear of cats
Emetophobia: Fear of vomiting
Entomophobia: Fear of insects
Ephebiphobia: Fear of teenagers
Erotophobia: Fear of sex
Equinophobia: Fear of horses
Gamophobia: Fear of marriage
Genuphobia: Fear of knees
Glossophobia: Fear of speaking in public
Gynophobia: Fear of women
Haphephobia: Fear of touch
Heliophobia: Fear of the sun
Hemophobia: Fear of blood
Herpetophobia: Fear of reptiles
Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia: Fear of long words
Hydrophobia: Fear of water
Hypochondria: Fear of illness
Iatrophobia:Fear of doctors
Insectophobia:Fear of insects
Koinoniphobia: Fear of rooms
Koumpounophobia:Fear of buttons
Leukophobia: Fear of the color white
Lilapsophobia: Fear of tornadoes and hurricanes
Lockiophobia:Fear of childbirth
Mageirocophobia:Fear of cooking
Megalophobia: Fear of large things
Melanophobia: Fear of the color black
Microphobia: Fear of small things
Mysophobia: Fear of dirt and germs
Necrophobia:Fear of death or dead things
Noctiphobia: Fear of the night
Nomophobia: Fear of being without your mobile phone
While growing up, I had an aunt that had something for us to eat that I had never put in my mouth before, seemingly every time we went to her house! I think everyone did. I would try my best to resist, but her argument was logical. “How do you know you don’t like it if you have never tried it?” “Because it looks and smells disgusting!” I usually wanted to reply but didn’t. She would insist, “Just try it!”
Some scriptures in the Bible can be a little difficult to understand. I came across one many years ago:
O taste and see that the Lord is good Psa. 34:8a (KJV)
One Sunday morning, we were standing during the worship service. I looked down and noticed a cute infant in front of me. Then I witnessed the child put a set of keys in its mouth. He made a funny face and immediately took the keys out of his mouth. All of a sudden, Psalms 34:8 went through my mind. I got it. I understand now. Like a child puts things in their mouth to know if it is good or not, we can try God to see that He is good.
There is the fruit of the Spirit which is the same as that of God. Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This is also the nature of God. His character. You only know if the fruit is good or sour by putting it in your mouth, by tasting it. You can try God and see that He is good and that his nature is good.
It seems as if a lot of people are trying to deal with life and its issues by any other means than having a relationship with God. I was watching a movie recently where people were placing rocks on their abdomens believing and expecting these dead things to help them. Now that takes a lot of faith! I would rather try a living God that knows me and loves me. How do you know you don’t like God? Have you tried Him? Have you tried living according to the word of God? Couldn’t you use more love, joy, peace, etc., in your life?
Modern translations like “The Message” can help us understand certain scriptures. That is one of the values of them. Take Psalms 34:8, for instance:
Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see— how good God is.
Tis the season to be jolly. You know the rest of that line from the song, but are you? Are you jolly? Do you have “joy”? It’s the happiest time of the year. At least, it’s supposed to be. There could be many people for countless reasons that are not “joyful” right now. Financial hard times, relationship issues, living in a war zone, dealing with losing a loved one, etc. So if you can raise your hand, it’s okay, no one is looking around, and say, “Yeah, I don’t have “joy” right now,” then what do you do?
If you can be counted as one lacking joy right now, you can turn to God. Doing so is more than a cliché.
You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psa. 16:11 (MEV)
A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired. Prov. 17:22 (MSG)
“This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I’ve revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and he’ll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks! John 16:23-24 (MSG)
God knows what joy in our hearts does for us. A lack of joy can lead to depression, which doesn’t help anyone. You can go to God and tell him why you don’t have joy. Then you can ask him to help you with your lack of happiness and even ask him to change your situation. Reading God’s word can help you find hope and joy. The book of Psalms is full of hope from the Lord.
If you are one walking around with an abundance of joy, look around and be willing to share your joy with someone else. One thing that helps others is when you do something for them that is unexpected, or something is done for someone else anonymously.
May you find joy in your life. Not just in this season but the whole year through. And remember, you can have Jesus’ joy as your own.
I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. John 15:11 (NKJV)
I know there are several people who absolutely LOVE Christmas. If it was more socially accepted they would leave the tree and the decorations up all year and they would probably go as far as to leave the lights on the house, lit! I know one particular person who has been posting on Facebook a countdown of how many days till Christmas. I think she started it on January 1st.
One Christmas lover does leave ornaments out in various rooms around the house. I heard that one day a friend who wanted to play a joke removed one of the ornaments that were displayed in the guest bathroom. They hung on to it for a few weeks expecting to get a call that would be accompanied by an accusation. The call never came.
Apparently, when the missing ornament was discovered the one who seriously loves Christmas went on a rampage trying to find out what happened to it or who took it. I guess they got quite upset over the ordeal. One family member tried their best to find or order a replacement in order to restore peace in the home but learned the ornament was no longer being made.
It happens. A person’s “joy” can be taken, or even stolen if they let it. It doesn’t take much at times. What we should do is calmly evaluate the situation and realize “no one got hurt”, “it’s only a thing”, and recognize that though it may bother you or hurt it’s not the end of the world. That it was simply an item and not a person. It certainly isn’t worth hurting a relationship over!
My brothers, you will have many kinds of troubles. But when these things happen, you should be very happy (joyful). 3 You know that these things are testing your faith. And this will give you patience. James 1:2-3 (ICB) [The “joyful” in the parenthesis was inserted by me.]
The joy of the Lord is my strength. Neh. 8:10
The person who took the ornament eventually gave it back and though the Christmas lover laughed and said they were okay they ended the friendship. They lost more than an ornament for a time, they lost a friend. Sad end to the story especially when the ornament (pictured) shared “joy” and was an emblem of love and happiness expressed at Christmas.
Being in a relationship can be challenging at times for a variety of reasons. When married couples find that changing, or compromising is harder than they think it is worth it they many times end up in divorce court claiming, “Irreconcilable Differences”.
I had to look up what those two words mean.
Definition of Irreconcilable Differences
Noun
Differences of opinion or will that cannot be brought into harmony, or cannot be brought into an agreement through compromise.
A relationship that has become relentlessly hostile.
One could make the case that God and Satan declared, “Irreconcilable Differences”! That God and Satan have a relationship that has become relentlessly hostile! Although there is one definite distinction; God had the final say-so when it came to the final judgment of their case. When Satan insisted on being a “god”, in his own eyes, and having the angels worship him God said, “No way! There is only one true God and it is me, and He was not about to compromise.
To this day Satan is working day and night trying hard to appeal God’s final judgment. He is even trying to use people to win his case. He tells them lies, half-truths that convince them of things like there is no God, there is no punishment for sin, or that there is no eternity. In other words, as he told Eve in the Garden of Eden, “You will not surely die.” (Genesis 3:4) People believe him when he tells them, “There is more to life than what you currently have now, and you deserve more. You’ve earned it.”
It’s sad when they buy into his deception. If they are not set free with the Truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ then they will stand before God when they die and He will declare with them as well, “Irreconcilable Differences” and they will be forever divorced, separated from the presence of God, and that is called, “hell”!
Please, accept Jesus Christ into your life before it is too late. Ask for forgiveness of your sins, and wrongdoing. Read God’s word, “The Bible”. Learn about the love of God and come into harmony with Him. When all truth is revealed, and it will be, you will be glad you did.
I have lived in Oklahoma for at least half my life, but I learned something new the other day. “Circus Town” Back when circuses were popular, and traveled from town to town 22 different ones wintered in Hugo, Oklahoma. Hugo, came to be known as “Circus Town”.
I know what you are saying, “Now Mark, how in the world are you going to share a kingdom principle out of this?” Watch me.
In this town, the circus people became one. They married, they had families, children, and yes, they even died there. Others would be out on the road and when they died, they had asked to be buried in the “Circus Town” cemetery. From the three ring leaders, to the clowns, bearded ladies, and lion trainers they were family. They had a common interest in life, unity, and such as it was, they wanted to be buried together in their final resting place. The town’s cemetery is filled with unique tomb stones to say the least! As pictured above the markers typically mentioned what the person did in the circus.
Believers, those who follow Jesus Christ also have common interest and expect to be together, not in their final resting place, but in eternity with Jesus.
So I’m asking you, my friends, that you be joined together in perfect unity—with one heart, one passion, and united in one love. Walk together with one harmonious purpose and you will fill my heart with unbounded joy. Phi. 2:2 (TPT)
They say there are two sure things in life. You know what they are; death and taxes! But I propose one more; “standing before God”.
I remember telling my boss one time that as I had laid down to go to sleep I smelled a strong odor. I confessed to him that I was too tired to go check it out, or open a window. I had worked all weekend remodeling my house. I shared with him that as I closed my eyes I said, “Oh well. If the odor overcomes me, and I die in my sleep I am ready to stand before God and give account as to how I have lived my life.” My boss literally almost fell out of his chair!
I laughed at his response, and inquired, “What? Can you not say that?” His reply was sad, as he confessed he couldn’t. In that moment I must say, I felt an inner peace.
I have heard people say they will stand up to God and say to him what they will. I have this funny feeling they will not be able to stand at all. I have a feeling it may go a little like it did when God confronted Job:
1-2 God then confronted Job directly:
“Now what do you have to say for yourself? Are you going to haul me, the Mighty One, into court and press charges?”
3-5 Job answered:
“I’m speechless, in awe—words fail me. I should never have opened my mouth! I’ve talked too much, way too much. I’m ready to shut up and listen.” Job 40:1-5 (MSG)
I know I am guilty of saying too much to God now. Too many gripes and complaints and requesting his help. I want to practice simply being in his presence! I think if I just shut up and listen I will have answers to what I don’t know. Whether people want to acknowledge God and that Jesus Christ is Lord now or not is one thing, but for sure they will later.
If you choose to stand “for” God now, in this life, it will go better for you when you stand “before” God in the next.
