If God Had a Cell Phone

Many years ago, a dear friend of mine introduced me to her father who gave me this verse to think on 
Jeremiah 33:3, ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know’ (NIV). This would later lead me to contemplate on what God's cell phone number could be using two words, Cry & Call. There are a number of scriptures that refer to crying out to God or calling on his name.

Psalm 145:18-19,
"The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.
¹⁹ He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;  he also hears their cry and saves them." (ESV)
Psalm 57:2 
"I cry out to God Most High,  to God who fulfills his purpose for me." (ESV)
Psalm 3:4
"I call out to the Lord,and he answers me from his holy mountain." (NIV)
Psalm 18:3,6
"I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I am saved from my enemies."
"In my distress I called upon the Lord;
    to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
    and my cry to him reached his ears." (ESV)

When you use numbers from the phone to replace the letters you get 279-2255.  Mind you, this is not a for real number but just something to consider to help you to remember that when you cry or call out to Him in truth He fulfills the desire of those who fear Him and will answer their cries.
Proverbs 1:20 -30 gives good reason why God does not answer when people cry out to Him.
What great and unsearchable things has God revealed to you when you call to Him?

My disclaimer: I know that every believer's relationship to God is different and unique. You may not have the same experiences and that is okay. I am sharing because I want to bring Him the glory for what He is doing in me and impart to you what I have learned from His word.

Put on the New Self Part 3

Off with the Old and On with The New

Colossians 3:8-10, "But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator."

In verse 8, look at the contraction here. It is a turning point. You were once living in sin BUT now you must put them all away. Your action is required. There is no and, if, or but about it. The rest of the verse lists those things that one is to put away. 

In verse 9, we are told that we are not to lie to one another because we have put off the old self with its practices. 2 Corinthians 5:16b-17 reads, "Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." We are made new in Christ therefore we must put away the old habits. 

In verse 10, we are to put on the new self which is being renewed in the knowledge after the image of its creator. In Romans 12:2, we are told not to conform to the ways of this world but  be transformed by the renewal of our minds in order to know His perfect and pleasing will. God does this through the power of His word. Renewal in the Greek means to replace thought process in error. God's word replaces that error in us. This is what makes us different from the world and what should draw others to Christ as they see that difference in us.

On Monday, we will look at the characteristics of the the new self in verses 11-17. Tomorrow I will share with you God's cell number.

What efforts are you making to replace the thought process in error in order to put off the old self and embrace the new self?

My disclaimer: I know that every believer's relationship to God is different and unique. You may not have the same experiences and that is okay. I am sharing because I want to bring Him the glory for what He is doing in me and impart to you what I have learned from His word.

Treasure Thursday: My Peanut Butter Puddle with a Poodle Story

Something funny happened while I was in Las Vegas visiting family. My brother  & I went to lunch at Layer's Bakery where they have a peanut butter puddle cookie. I wrote this little story based on our experience there. For you see, I very much like Dr. Seuss.

Peanut Butter Puddle With a Poodle Story

While I was in Las Vegas my brother, Mike, and I went to Layer's Bakery and there I saw a peanut butter puddle cookie. I thought to myself wouldn't it be nice to eat a peanut butter puddle with a poodle. 

As we were leaving we stepped out onto the patio, where there was a gentleman eating his hot dog with his beautiful black standard poodle. I kid you not! I said to the gentleman, "You should go in and get yourself a peanut butter puddle to eat with your poodle." He looked at me as if I was crazy and that was okay because I did not care for I was not from there.

 So if you are ever in Henderson, Nevada, and have the opportunity to go to Layer's Bakery, be sure to take your poodle with you and get yourself a peanut butter puddle to eat with you poodle while standing in a puddle. The End.

I do so hope that I made you smile for this was something that only God could  have orchestrated for He knows how much I like to read Dr. Seuss. I so much enjoyed that day I spent with my brother for we both got silly. God loves us with an everlasting love and if we stop and look we kind find His love even in the smallest of things like a peanut butter puddle and a poodle.

Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God is in your midst,
    a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
    he will quiet you by his love;he will exult over you with loud singing."

Put on the New Self Part 2

We pick up from Monday's posting. We are focusing on Colossians chapter 3. On Monday we covered verses 1-4. Today's passage is verse 5-7. 
"Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. ⁶ On account of these the wrath of God is coming. ⁷ In these you too once walked, when you were living in them," (ESV).

You might ask, how does one put to death that which is earthly in us?  Good question! Here we will use scripture to interpret scripture. Romans 6:13a reads, "Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness." God gives us the power to put to death that which is earthly in us through study of His word, prayer, and the power of the Holy Spirit. We are to choose not to sin. The earthly things that are to be put to death are listed in the second half of verse 5 above. Ephesians 5:3 tells us that sexual impurity and all impurity or covetousness must not even be mentioned among us as is proper among the saints. Covetousness is referred to as idolatry (Eph. 5:5). Idolatry is the worship of an idol or a physical object as a representation of a god. So when one covets what someone else has, one is putting that desire before God in one's life. As followers of Christ, we are called to live differently so that when others look at us they will want what we have. 

Back to the question at hand, as a follower of Christ, I am to strive to put God first and forsake the sins which once entangled me. The wrath of God is coming against these sins and in verse 7 above I am reminded that I, too, once walked in these before Jesus came into my life. 1 Corinthians 10:13 reads, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." Therefore, as  followers of Christ, we have a way to avoid the temptation to sin and God will provide that way out. Where it gets challenging is our own free will. One has to ask one' self, "Will I choose my own path or will I choose to follow God's and make the right decision?" One has to be willing to accept the consequences of that choice.

Will you choose to follow your own will or God's perfect and pleasing will?


My disclaimer: I know that every believer's relationship to God is different and unique. You may not have the same experiences and that is okay. I am sharing because I want to bring Him the glory for what He is doing in me and impart to you what I have learned from His word.

Sharing My Story with You Part 1

Today, I thought that I would tell you a little about me. I was born in Fort Worth, Texas on a Wednesday in the fall of 1965 in the early morning hours. I am the oldest of my mother’s children of which there were 4. I moved around a lot growing up. I believed in the Lord Jesus as my Lord and Savior when I was 12 at a church revival on Romans 10:13, “Whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved,” (KJV). I have had a love for God’s Word since I can remember. I remember doing Dial a Prayer studies about the age of 10 and Radically Active Discipleship in my 20’s. I have attended different Bible studies ever since including Bible Study Fellowship for 7 years and currently attending Community Bible Study.

It has not been an easy road but without my faith I hate to think of where I would be right now. My parents divorced when I was 10 and Mom remarried. We continued to move around quite a bit. I have experienced great losses; deaths of a young brother when I was 12, an uncle when I was 14 and a spouse while pregnant and overseas when I was 25. These are just a few of the valleys in my life but God was there with me all the way. Next Tuesday I will share some of the many blessings in my life.

Where in your life do you look back and see only one set of footprints when Jesus carried you?

My disclaimer: I know that every believer's relationship to God is different and unique. You may not have the same experiences and that is okay. I am sharing because I want to bring Him the glory for what He is doing in me.

Putt on the New Self Part 1

Grace and Peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
This week, I will be mining Colossians chapter 3:1-17. Let's begin with verses 1-4,"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³ For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (ESV).

There is a lot here. First, take a look at the 'If then' I think of this the same way I do the 'therefore.' It implies a connection with what came before this chapter. Looking back at chapter 2 it is verses 5 -7 that grab my focus. Colossians 2:5-6, "For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."  Paul is expressing to the Colossians his feelings for them as they persevere in faith and to know that they are rooted and built up in Christ. This is what brings us to the 'If then.' Being rooted and established in our faith in Christ, we are to seek things that above and set our minds on higher things for our lives are hidden in Christ with God. Hidden means kept out of sight; concealed. Set means put, lay, or stand (something) in a specified place or position.

In other words, we are to put, lay, or stand our minds on things that are above (higher things, Isaiah 55:8-9) because we are concealed in Christ with God. Christ is our life. In Him we move and have our being (Acts 17:28). It takes discipline to set our minds on things above but we have the help of the Holy Spirit to become disciplined disciples of Jesus. In doing so all things will grow strangely dim and through our trials we will prevail for greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.

What do you need to do to set your mind on things above and not on earthly things? What things are your setting your mind on?

My disclaimer: I know that every believer's relationship to God is different and unique. You may not have the same experiences and that is okay. I am sharing because I want to bring Him the glory for what He is doing in me.