KEEP ON KEEPING ON

Dunrobin Castle, Scotland

Christian life is one of progressive spiritual awareness.

 

What in your life needs God’s help ? 

Prayer and planning are powerful tools that help us. We ask for God to guide us as we heal, strengthen, and restore. Maybe we need to release something or someone to His care. Movement forward takes a willingness on our part.

Change what is in your ability to change. Invite God to help you and to go through it with you. Healing of hurts or whatever the issue when addressed through God’s loving intervention prevents you from being filled with resentful bitterness and keeps you from remaining in a wounded state.

I think it’s much like carrying a burden that weighs you down but is unseen by others. Most don’t know what wounds you bear, but God does. He knows your internal suffering and your worries and fears.

One of the nice thing about a relationship with God is He knows us through and through. He knows our concerns and what we bear. When God goes before us He enters the battle to help us overcome and to set us free.

 

The battle belongs to the Lord.

We may not like the imagery but for me it is like a fortress that protects a castle. God is our protector and helper. God never leaves us or forsakes us. We may not be aware of His presence all the time but that’s intentional. He wants us to grow strong in our faith.

We learn to trust through our faith, not by our sight. I’ve had some scary situations where I was in need and I called on God. I was all alone and afraid. I made it out okay. He got me through the difficulty by providing what I needed at just the right time. It was in answer to my prayers.

Deep growth comes according to God’s timetable and our willingness to deal with our struggles. I wouldn’t want you to think it’s easy to move forward for it’s not. Healing and change come in layers. I encourage you to trust God in every situation. Call on Him and He will be found.

Keep moving forward and never stop.
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Photo by Colin Horn, Unsplash

THE GIFT OF HOPE

HOPE
We can struggle in ways that unglue our usual ways of doing life during the hurting times. Hope is what we cling to.
Hope can dim, too, if life is hard enough. Yet it is hope that we look for; hope for better days ahead; hope for new beginnings; and hope in hope.

HOPE IS
Hope is present in a word of comfort, a hug, a smile, a colorful card, a kind word, a pat on the arm, a gift, lunch together. These are a few ways we encourage each other.
What may seem like a small thing when given from the heart and received in kind that has the unique capacity to rekindle hope and decrease despair.

HOPE ENCOURAGES
I have been the recipient of 'gifts of hope' on many occasions when I desperately needed them. The givers had no idea how much they helped and encouraged me.
We say "thank you" by turning around and giving a 'gift of hope' to someone else who is struggling, hurting, and in need of it.

Pay it forward.

ARISE FROM THE ASHES

YES, YOU CAN ARISE

because God can

IN DEEP WOUNDS, whether of betrayal or loss, Father God reaches us and asks of us, “Will you give it to me? Will you stop burying it? Will you let me have it?” 

When we give him our sorrow, our anger, our unforgiveness, and our deepest secrets, he is able to begin a soft and slow restoring of peace to our inward self—our soul. In the safety of God’s love, his care, we face the ugliest of demons that reside behind a closed heart. The power of the ugly stuff, with its subtle but real influence over us, is then weakened. 

Essentially, God says to us: My child, I love you. Be free. Come to me. Don’t blame me. There are things you do not understand. This world is cursed—it is doomed—but I have life and I offer life to you. My love can transform the darkest soul. I, alone, can redeem the pain, the loss, and make you anew. I paint a new picture dispelling the darkness of your soul with light and shades of color in beautiful layers of joy. 

Thank you, dear God. Father God, I love you. Amen.

THE MEETING PLACE: Moments with God at Lookout Point  -N.L. Brumbaugh

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For more, visit my author site at nlbrumbaugh.com.
Have a blessed day.

From Bleak to Blessed, The Interconnectedness of God to You

Despairing

My dear silent friend,

I see you everywhere. Angry, silent, insolent, elusive, in control, out of control, in-your-face attitudes. You're withdrawn, unhappy, ill-defined, pretenders, players, users, addicted to self-wants, soul sabotagers, relationship skuttlers, with blank realities, without character, wearing amoral masks that hide those not-so-good choices--and I weep. The emptiness, oh the pain of it all. Shall I go on?

Empty, bored, depressed, suicidal, frustrated; lives that lack meaning, definition, purpose, love, understanding, and hope. Am I too harsh? Possibly. Even two or three of these woes is two or three too many.

These need not define the conversation. What if  we could really see what is going on behind the scenes? What if you could see why there is a reason to hope. The spiritual world is alive, active, and productive. A lot is happening all around us all the time. Let's think about that for a moment. God is at work. But where? Everywhere.

What if?

WHAT IF
What if, for every rainbow--you could see the God who made it,
What if, for every sorrow--you could see the the God who heals it,
What if, for every mistake--you could see the God who forgives it,
What if, for every misstep--you could see the God who uses it for his glory?

What if, for every fear--you could see the God who upholds you,
What if, for every misery--you could see the God who helps you,
What if, for every temptation--you could see the God who delivers you,
What if, for every pain--you could see the God who ministers to you?

What if, for every failure--you could see the God who redeems it,
What if, for every frustration--you could see the God who calms you,
What if, for every disappointment--you could see the God who leverages it,
What if, for every curse--you could see the God who rejects it?

What if, for every problem--you could see the God who solves it,
What if, for every joy--you could see the God who celebrates it,
What if, for every kindness--you could see the God who loves it,
What if, for every obedience--you could see the God who honors it?

What if, for every gift--you could see the God who appreciates it,
 What if, for every sacrifice--you could see the God who approves it,
What if, for every prayer--you could see the God who blesses it,
What if, for every miracle--you could see the God who enabled it?

What if, for every praise--you could see the God who accepts it,
What if, for every life--you could see the God who made it.
What if, for every tune--you could see the God who plays it,
What if, for every wonder--you could see the God who created it?

What if, for every language--you could see the God who designed it,
What if, for every thought--you could see the God who hears it,
What if, for every action--you could see the God who beholds it,
What if, for every grace--you could see the God who initiates it?

Then, I believe, if we could see all the inter-workings going on behind the scenes and within the myriad of complexities that make up our lives, and if we could see how God is involved in every aspect of living on planet earth, then, I believe, there would be less angst, less boredom with life, less unhappiness and doom. I believe there would be greater purpose, centered liveliness, happiness, with  a stronger sense of selves at one with the universe and in full awareness of the divine touch of the hand of God in it all.

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For more, visit my author site at nlbrumbaugh.com.
Have a blessed day.

The 'Quick Fix' Problem: Intervention no. 6

 The Quick-Fix Doesn't Always Take

Finding God in the Daily

 Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.

 Psalm 37:5  ESV

You can't do better unless you have a vision for what 'better' looks like. I discovered that we in the church are confused about our 'why.' That's what this intervention series is about.

SOME THINGS IN THE CHURCH seemed strange to me once I started paying attention without rose-colored glasses on. Sisters and brothers were falling away from faith. Why couldn’t they sustain their belief? The church thought they were rebellious. But were they? Looking back now, I realize some of these individuals, especially the ones that questioned, were not understood very well. There was more to it than was obvious at first blush.

People were seen as either in the camp or outside the camp. There was little gray area or room to debate areas of struggle. The many issues of questionable or wrong behaviors were lumped together and labeled as sinful behavior. Some were, but some were not. The common solution offered in most cases was to repent and get right with God. 

Somewhat like after the prodigal’s return, when a person did get right with God, there would be a return to the church, God, and God’s ways, as set forth by the church and based on biblical principles. It was assumed the prodigal would experience spiritual victory with a return to righteous, spiritual living. Such, was the logical conclusion. 

Though logical, it didn't always work out that way. People still struggled. Although the pattern for the faithful life was formulated with good intentions and valued for addressing truth as it relates to scripture, it had one major flaw. Better said, it had one glaring, missing component, a major lack within its parameters for living a victorious Christian life. The teaching didn't go far enough.

Some have stumbled upon the missing element, like I did. Others have found it as they drew closer and closer to the all knowing Source. Some continue on as they have have been taught, equating salvation, prayer, bible reading, bible study, and obedience as the express parts that make up the whole of Christian living. Yet, there still is that glaring defect. One only has to look around to notice a serious conundrum. The problem is, the formula doesn't work for everyone.

Too many stop short of going further still, because
     a) they aren't interested,
          b) they don't know it's possible, and
               c) they don't know how to get there.

That's the case I'm building here, day after day, post after post.

You will learn
      1. What the problem looks like in the Christian community.
          2. How to deal with it by using an evergreen solution.
               3. The joy and healing the solution produces in individuals,
                    communities, and globally.

That is what this is about. An intervention is curative. It uncovers why past practices don't work for everyone and it helps change it up. Your better spiritual life is not about doing things right or being a good person. It is about developing a personal relationship with God that is life-giving, healing, health building, gracious, intimate, and real.

More tomorrow.

Dearest Father. Thank you for giving us this message of hope. Amen

To God be the Glory

A Message of life.
Daily Inspiration 44

Defending Faith -- Inspiration 15

Do I Make Myself Clear?

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone 

who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. 

1 Peter 3:15 NIV

TWITTER, FACEBOOK and a vast network of social media outlets provide places for people to share, talk about, explain, give argument, or vent their personal opinions, feelings, and beliefs. Political, social, and religious views can be cause for some to spew sharp criticisms and to levy ugly attacks when in disagreement with others' views. The tit for tat becomes unpleasant when opposite opinions are discounted and rebuked as absurd, using harsh, condemning, and foul language. Hateful. Parameters would help. Free expression needs civility and respectful exchange. Should the spiritual person defend their faith? Scripture defends itself quite adequately. It states truth explicitly, forthrightly, without any unjust attack. Christians are to answer the reason for the hope that is within them. Christ Himself acknowledged who He was as in stated factual information. He let His words and actions speak for themselves. His parables, expressions, and miracles were offered to make people think, to help them see the big picture, to answer spiritual questions, to point them to God, and to draw their attention to truth. Christ was direct. His words penetrated beneath layers of confusion and wrong-minded thinking. Today, the expressions of faith on social media should be likewise: truth-filled, gospel-filled, love-filled, words of life. Defend the faith on social media, if you will. But do it God's way. When you do, be prepared to take some heat. Represent Christ in the way He represented Himself, with truth, love, and honest care and compassion for all who would listen.

Father God, how we need You in times like these. Help us to portray You as You would want us to. May our words speak life to those who need You. Amen

To God be the Glory

The Light --Inspiration 2

The Light of the World is Jesus.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." --John 8:12 NIV

JESUS PROMISES His light to the world. In Him is no darkness at all. In fact, He shines His brightest when in the darkness. He exposes sin, unrighteousness, and evil. He makes wise the simple. Jesus Christ purifies those who trust in Him with their stuff. Jesus is the redemptive mystery in Whom we embrace. His love reaches around the world, to all people, countries, and nations. Jesus' grace is free and sufficient for all who believe. He cares about you, your family, your past, present, and future. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." He is the light of life.

Father in Heaven, we are honored to partake of the blessings you've given to the world. Thank you for Your dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Light of the world and our light. Amen.

To God be the Glory