Category: Scriptures For Biblical Maturity

God Is An Awesome God…Deferred Help Concerning Sordid Things, Part 2

On By SonjaIn Growing In The Lord, Prayers For Healing, Prayers For Understanding, Scriptures For Biblical MaturityLeave a comment

I hope your 2025 yearend holidays and your 2026 New Year’s Celebration were fulfilling!

Also, here’s hoping you will start your day with some joyful and smooth Holiday music. Just click the scene below, sit back and enjoy! After being filled with ecstasy, click it off and return to reading the Part 2.

Last week, on Friday, December 26, 2025, I printed Part 1 of this saga and sent it along your way by mode of WordPress. To refresh your memory, scale down to the bottom of this blog page to the word “Related” and click the title for Part 1. 

TITLE:  Buried Sordid Memories Exhumed (Continued from Part 1)

The first few lessons were conducted on our street.  Mr. Wilson would allow me to drive about five blocks up to the elementary school's parking lot, turn around and drive back, passing my house for another ten blocks in the opposite direction.  All the while, Mr. Wilson would instruct me on the proper driving habits I was to employ:  lower your left arm straight out the window when making a left turn; raise your arm at the elbow when making a right turn; and hang your arm straight down when slowing down or stopping.  Mr. Wilson would always show me how to maneuver my feet on the break, clutch and gas peddle as I operated the stick-shift throttle.  His way of 'showing me' was to place his hands on my knee and apply pressure.

When I would make a mistake such as to cause the car to vibrate because the clutch was not applied properly or to stall out due to the fact that I gunned it, Mr. Wilson never raised his voice to reprimand me.  He just placed his hands on my knee and applied pressure.

In time I learned how to synchronize all the pedals and was actually driving pretty good.  One Sunday afternoon, Mr. Wilson suggested that I continue driving past the elementary school and proceed up the hill towards the baseball park.  This route proved to be somewhat of a challenge for me because of the twists and turns in the steep road.  Fear overtook me and my grip on the steering wheel displayed white knuckles and my upper teeth bit down over my lip with extreme force. My body was rigid and my breathing laborious as I leaned towards the windshield struggling to take each curve as smoothly as I could.

As the road leveled off I sighed with relief and began to relax as I attempted to transfer my right foot from the clutch pedal to the gas pedal.  But I couldn't!  Something was holding my leg in place.  For a half second, I took my eyes off the road and looked down at my knee.  To my surprise, my dress was up around my waist and Mr Wilson's hand was on the inside of my right thigh.  I screamed bloody murder!!

I raised both my hands off the steering wheel and desperately tried to jump out of my side of a moving car.  Mr. Wilson was yelling some words of apology and struggling to get control of the steering wheel with one hand and pulling me back into the moving car with the other.

Somehow, between the two of us, we were able to bring the vehicle under control and I veered off the road and onto the entrance curb of the baseball field.  (Of all the Sunday afternoons, the playing field was empty of any activity.)  I looked over at Mr Wilson and he was crying real tears.  He started talking real fast saying something about being sorry and that all he was trying to do was to help me apply the right amount of pressure to the pedals so as not to burn up his new car.  His display of emotions caused me to believe him at the time.  And immediately I thought that perhaps I had over-reacted and imagined something that did not actually happen.  I adjusted my skirt and we both composed ourselves as we sat in deafening silence.

Finally, I asked Mr. Wilson to drive us home but he insisted that I remain behind the wheel, back the car up and proceed home.  As I drove, he continuously complimented me on my newly acquired driving skills and compared me and my accomplishments with his unassuming and timid wife.  He built up my confidence real good and I began to feel special.  But the payoff was he offered to let me use his car when I went to the DMV office to take my driving test.  He reasoned that I would be more familiar with his car than my dad's car because I had learned on the Chevrolet.  Honestly, I wanted nothing more to do with Mr. Wilson, but what would my parents think if I refused his generous offer.

When I arrived at my front door, I resolved to go into the house with a big smile on my face.  I had already convinced myself that this incident had never taken place.  That nothing had happened out of the ordinary.  Who would have believed me anyway?  (Back in the day, if a neighbor caught another neighbor's child misbehaving, the neighbor had the consent of the parents to discipline that child.)

So my secret remained buried all of these years until now.  Thank you, Ms. Opal, for helping to remove that skeleton from the closet of a frightened teenage girl.








The Holy Spirit Is Upon Me And Has Given Me Peace





The Bible absolutely has something to say about how to overcome past hurts and sordid memories. In 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 you will find the answer. Read it and weep! God sent his Son, Christ Jesus, to take away all miseries and sorrows from everyone who proclaims the Name of his Son and walks in His light. With the aide of the Holy Spirit it only takes one (person) to teach one (another).





There are no ‘big’ sins and ‘little’ sins. And there is nothing you (personally) can do to draw you closer to God.  Jesus PAID it all.   And it is all to Him you and I owe.  The only thing we have to do is to cover ourselves with His pure sinless blood. Remember, even if a wrongful act took the life of someone you knew or loved, if that person was already blood-stained(*) when they died, that is, covered with the blood of Jesus, The Father will welcome them home.





So, now you know.  Start seeing your life through God’s transformation eyes.  Remove your cataracts in both eyes.  Cast your hope on things eternal, on godly thoughts offering freedom from shame and identity tied to past sins.  This process hinges on steadfastness and intentionally dwelling on God’s truth and not on the enemies of darkness and finding freedom from past lies that shaped you, not just the sin all by itself.





(*) NOTE:  Died as a believer in Christ Jesus.





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God Asked Me A Rhetorical Question:  “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?”

						

				On  By SonjaIn Prayers For Spiritual Growth, Prayers For Understanding, Scriptures For Biblical Maturity4 Comments			

					


		

			

It took me only a second to realize that what I had just received was a ‘face-time’ text message from the Holy Spirit.  Oh, my goodness, I thought.  It’s time for me to prepare myself to enter into my office prayer room and begin to concentrate and pray about what my weekly blog topic will be.  





The first thought that entered my mind was that…oh, yeah, this Sunday is Mother’s Day.  Just maybe my daughter and her family will call to say they would like to attend church with me.  But immediately, doubt creeped in.  So, I took a second look at the question.  Aha! God’s question was a rhetorical one.  I smiled then whispered, Lord God, we both know the answer to that question…it can only be your Son, Jesus the Christ!






To Past, Present and Future Mothers Everywhere “Happy Mother’s Day“








The Holy Spirit affirmed my answer to the divine question, but went on to proclaim that there is much more to the question, my child, much much more.





When our Lord and Savior comes to break bread at someone’s home, it is really at His expense.  That is, He has eternal life-giving information for you.  Actually, he is wearing two hats.  He is hungry for a relationship with you and He is bearing gifts.  





Although a guest in your home, Jesus arrives with the authority of a High Priest and a Counselor and can offer blessings not only over the food but also provide divine solutions to unanswered prayers.





Jesus also comes bearing good news.







So, If there is anything you want to ask Jesus, now is the time.  “Yes, there is something I want to know.  Why is this earthly world performing as though it’s going to Hell in a hand basket?  What is God trying to tell us.”  





God is NOT TRYING to tell us something.  He has come to dine with you to SPECIFICALLY REMIND you that this century is living under a New and Better Covenant. The earthly priests, clergymen, iman leaders, and all other religious leaders will no longer totally govern the populous.  History has shown that they have disappointed God and the people have failed to pay the price or repent.  





Also, God will never again deliver his unilateral covenant instructions on paper nor chiseled out on stones.  God will also no longer use mere men to enlighten the populous.  God will personally engage his Son Jesus Christ and/or the Holy Spirit to deliver his New bilateral Covenant by expressed way of carving it on the lining of the people’s hearts.  (Blood must be shared.)  However, before the New Covenant was delivered to the people, a Great Price had to be paid. Unlike when the Old Covenant was delivered ‘freely’ to the people; unsigned by the Maker, unsealed by the recipients and delivered by the mouth of a prophet or chosen messenger.





This New Covenant called for a personal auditable ‘Return Receipt Requested‘ from the recipients with a declared notation that Jesus Christ is Lord!





Scripture Lesson:  “By coming up with a new plan, a new covenant between God and his people, God put the old plan on the shelf.  And there it stays gathering dusts.  Hebrews 8:13 The Messenger Bible





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God Has Unique Ways of Extrapolating Obedience – Part Two

						

				On  By SonjaIn Scriptures For Biblical Maturity2 Comments			

					


		

			


One day God told Jonah to deliver a “good news” message to the people in a big city called Nineveh.






Jonah was an Israelite and his people had a lot of enemies.  He did not want to go to Nineveh to deliver a “good news” message.  Jonah did not want to do this because Nineveh was an enemy of his people.  Jonah decided not to obey God but to sail to another city called Joppa where he thought God could not find him.  Jonah foolishly forgot that God was Ruler and Maker over all the universe.  So, he purchased a ticket, got on the boat and immediately went down below where he could lie down and stay out of everyone’s sight.





God was not pleased with Jonah and decided to shake him up.  Since God had made the wind and the rain and the sea, He called them together and commanded them to become a great and frightening storm.  So the wind started to howl, the sea started to roar and the ship started to rock and roll.





Everyone on the ship became afraid and thought they would all die from drowning.  They immediately began throwing cargo overboard to lighten the load, but that did not do any good.  Everybody except Jonah was praying for safety to the god they believed in.  Jonah was in the bottom of the ship fast asleep.  The captain of the ship awoke him, and after questioning him determined that it was Jonah’s God Who was angry and He was judging them.  After much debate it was decided to throw Jonah overboard in order to calm the raging sea and to please God.






After much debate it was decided to throw Jonah overboard.






Under these circumstances Jonah should have drowned but God showed him mercy and performed a miracle.  He caused an extra large fish to perform like a submarine.  The fish swallowed up Jonah and carried him to the bottom of the sea.  Miraculously, Jonah lived in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights.  He couldn’t see, eat, move or do anything other than pray to God and to tell Him how sorry he was for disobeying Him.  After Jonah finished praying and asking God to forgive him, the fish vomited Jonah up onto dray land.






Jonah eventually went o Nineveh and stated preaching to the people.






Eventually Jonah was obedient and went to Nineveh.  There he started preaching throughout the city like God told him to do.  It took Jonah three days to walk from one end of town to the other telling the people that if they didn’t stop fighting their neighbors and killing innocent people God would destroy their city in forty days.  Jonah’s preaching was so effective that all the people, as well as the king, listened and obeyed him.  These people who were once mighty warriors were filled with the Holy Spirit and began crying out to God like little babies.  They not only stopped fighting but celebrated with a party where everybody was invited, including the animals.  What made this party special was that no food or drinks were served.  They just offered up prayer and praise to Jonah’s God…the God of all the heavens and the earth.





When Jonah saw that God had forgiven the people of Nineveh and had spared their city, Jonah was extremely angry.  Jonah knew that his God was kind and merciful and good and he did not want to share his God with those foreign people.  He wanted his God to punish them.  Jonah did not understand how God rules everywhere in the universe at the same time.





(Part Three to be continued next week…)





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God Declares That Our Circumstances Are To Be Enhanced For The Better By Him

						

				On  By SonjaIn Godly Living and Maturing, Prayers For Spiritual Growth, Scriptures For Biblical MaturityLeave a comment			

					


		

			






This week’s blog invites you to do something.  Count your blessings extended to others and name them one by one.  Can you define your interactions and life’s experiences with God in a positive way as they relate to your walk with him?   In other words, have you walked by faith and not by sight since your conversion?





David the Good Shepherd, I King of Israel and Psalmist reflects in the Old Testament Book of Psalm 37:25; “I once was young and now I am old, yet, I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread”.





Man is not God, so obviously mankind does not look at life’s experiences (through a positive lenses) the way God does.  Loosey-goosey (relaxed or indifferent) is more like it.  Or maybe mankind looks at life with less hope and doable expectations.  Consider the following explanation of a fictitious woman’s life experiences as she reflects on her multiple marriages:





“Two women saw each other for the first time since graduating from high school.   One asked the other, ‘You were always so organized in school.  Did you manage to live a well-planned life?’





“Yes,” said her friend.’  “My first marriage was to a millionaire; my second marriage was to an actor; my third marriage was to a preacher; and now I’m married to an undertaker.”





Her friend asked, ‘What does the circumstances of those marriages have to do with a well-planned life?’  The woman quipped, “One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go!”





So, now you can see by that marriage illustration, that a human being’s outlook on life’s circumstances is most often gloom and doom.  Whereas God desires for all our life expectations to be based on the scripture recorded in Philippians 4:13:  “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”





So, the lesson learned is this:  Since none of us can confess that we have lived a sinless life and from birth we bore the imparted truth that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious standard, and all need to be made right with God by his grace, which is a Free gift (*).  It is God’s foregone conclusion that we all need to be made free from sin (both omission and co-mission) through the blood, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus.





Following is how God demonstrated that our Circumstances are his enhances…Easter Happened! 





Suggested brazen genteel activities an adult could perform for others to show God that they understand:





    

  • Dress in a white sheet from head to toe.  Place a long handle garden tool (i.e., rake, hoe, shovel, broom) across the shoulders.  Stagger around the neighborhood block followed by other family members throwing small rocks, sticks and stones at him.  Still others could just be yelling and shouting insults and accusations at him.  (i.e., ‘Save yourself!’)
    • 




  • Family members parade around the neighborhood banging on metal pots and pans with metal spoons shouting, ‘Hallelujah, He is risen!’  ‘Hosannah in the highest!’
    • 




  • Distribute Easter cards to your family and friends.
    • 




  • Order carry out lunches (i.e., Pizzas or donuts) for your neighborhood weekly church staff workers, or public-school office workers, or hospital doctor’s appointment personnel.  Be sure to call ahead to advice them of the luncheon treat.
    • 




  • Purchase plastic colorful Easter eggs and fill with wrapped candy.  Place egg in neighbor’s mailboxes or on their front porch.
    • 






The 2nd Chapter Of Acts – The Easter Song (1974) – YouTube





YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com › watch  










(*) NOTE:  GIFT OF SALVATION:  CHRIST’S DYING ON THE CROSS, HIS BURIAL  AND ACENDENCE  ON THE 3RD DAY!





My prayer for you:





“Dear Lord Jesus, we all want to break with our old, sinful habits and from now on live the life of a new person, who will be more like You every day.  Please help us from now on to radiate Your glory and sensitivity towards others.  For we still fall short when we measure ourselves against Your standards.  Pretty please help us to recognize the wrong things in our lives and to let go of them in the Name of Jesus.  Amen and Amen!”





Scripture Lesson:  “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” (Colossians 3:9-10).





Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME! 


			
					

	




			
				


			

		

			
God Says Lift Your Eyes And Open Your Ears, My Child

						

				On  By SonjaIn Godly Living and Maturing, How To Witness To Others, Scriptures For Biblical Maturity9 Comments			

					


		

			

Once in a while, we all must stop…in the Name of Love…before we break our hearts!  And Whose Name is Love?  My Bible tells me that God is LOVE!  Personified and Glorified!





So, let’s all get in the habit of finding hope, resolutions, confidence, encouragement, determination, victories, celebrations, and optimism.   And the only way to do that is to live by and practice the holy principals recorded throughout the biblical scriptures recorded in God’s Word. 







Walt Disney said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.!”





The Holy Bible says: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”  Jeremiah 29:11-12





I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.  Psalms 4:8









Judge Judy Sheindlin said, “Don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining.”  





The Holy Bible says:  “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”  1 Corinthians 2:14









Benjamin Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”





The Holy Bible says:  “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”  John 14:3









Pastor Robert H. Schuller said, “Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.”





The Holy Bible says:  “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.”                    1 Corinthians 10:13









Christopher Reeves said, “Don’t give up.  Don’t lose hope.  Don’t sell out.”





The Holy Bible says:  “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.”  Psalm 127:4









Poet Khali Gibran wrote:  “Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the  attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.”





The Holy Bible says:  “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”  2 Timothy 3:1-5







Who do you trust…and who do you serve…God or man?





4:26NOW PLAYING





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Scripture Lesson:  “I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”  Psalm 121:1-4 NIV





Click http://www.tgifmasterminds.com every Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME!