Before answering the question that appears under the picture, please know that your answer must reference a scripture that can be found in God’s Holy Bible.
DEFINITION: “Discipline”: To make a concerted effort to teach/train a person to obey instructions and certain behaviors that if not followed could lead to various levels of punishment to the person in an effort to correct their misbehavior.
“What do you wish? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?” (1 Corin. 4:21)
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; and your rod and your staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instructions of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4)
“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he/she is old he/she will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
To respond to this blog you might feel like I've posed to you some "trick" questions to consider. Well, I have. Pretend you are the child in the picture. What is she thinking as she listens to both voices. Has she been trained in the Holy Scriptures enough to apply reasoning and truth. Does she have a good relationship with her parents and Sunday School training.
Yes, I'm asking you to set the ending to this blog. Put your message in the Comment chat block below. Or if you wish, just click the 'like' button.
As I have shared with you in previous blog post, the Lord and the Holy Spirit keep up a constant conversation with me each and every day. And I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy the challenges they place in my Spirit. So good night and please stay in touch with God.
My Prayer:
Sweet Jesus, You and You alone know how often I struggle to fall asleep because there are so many unfinished things on my mind that worry me. Please make me to be at peace so that I can fall asleep without a care because I know that you guarantee my safety. Amen and Amen!
Who woulda thought it! Yes, our God is all-knowing and all-powerful. “But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says: “God is opposed to the proud and those who oppose him, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)
And not only does that cause God to smile, it also causes God to laugh.
For example, re-examine the story found in 1st Samuel 5:1-5. There you will find the incident where God’s chosen people, the Israelites, were using the Ark of the Covenant as a good-luck charm as they went into battle with the Philistines. Not only did the Israelites lose the battle, they also lost the Ark of the Covenant. The Philistines placed the Ark in their temple along side Dagon their idol god.
The next morning when the Philistines went into their temple to worship Dagon for their victory over the Israelites they found their god Dagon flat on his face. They re-erected him, but the following morning they found Dagon’s hands and feet completely cut off. God found humor in what he had done as recorded in Psalm 59:7-8: “See what they spew from their mouths—they spew out words from their lips, and they say, “Who can hear us?” But you, O Lord, laugh at them; you scoff at all those nations.
The Ark of God vs Dagon, the Philistine’s god.
NOW FOR A LITTLE HUMORTO TIE THE STORY TO EVERY DAY LIFE.
A middle-aged woman has a heart attack and is taken to the hospital. While on the operating table she has a near death experience. During that experience she sees God and asks if this is it. God says no and explains that she has another 30 years to live.
Upon her recovery she decides to just stay in the hospital and have a face lift, liposuction, breast augmentation, tummy tuck, etc. She even has someone come in and change her hair color. She figures since she's got another 30 years she might as well make the most of it.
She walks out of the hospital after the last operation and is struck and killed by an ambulance speeding by. She arrives in front of God and complains; "I thought you said I had another 30 years!"
God replies, "I didn't recognize you."
Moral of the story:
Does your appearance reflect your true life style? Or are you just pretending with God! Using him as a good luck charm as the Israelites (God's people) and the Philistines (God's enemy) did?
What do you know about cars? For one thing, did you know how inefficient they are? I had to laugh out loud when I learned that cars take up a huge amount of space on this earth but get driven around mostly empty. Government statistics have shown that the private car in the United States carries only 1.6 people in them per trip!
Okay, I know what you are thinking…What does the above trivia piece of information have to do with having a conversation with God using Scripture?
Well, I’m so glad you asked.
Today, as I was traveling up the highway, heading to the Half Price Book store, to purchase a book by Linda Page entitled Healthy Healing, I decided to turn on my car CD player. A highly popular gospel tune by Hezekiah Walker entitled “Every Praise” blasted out from the speakers and immediately the beat caused me to sway with the rhythm and to pat the steering wheel as I drove down the street.
Upon reaching Half Price Books’ parking lot, I could hardly bring myself to turn off the music. The testimony in song was such a blessing to my soul. Finally, I exited my vehicle and while still softly humming the melody of the tune, entered the Book Store. I found my book, retrieved it from the shelf and approached the checkout line.
A few customers were in front of me, so I took this opportunity to turn aside to examine some for sale items on a shelf while at the same time still humming “Every Praise”. Then a strange thing happened. I felt something pressuring against my back. I turned to face the customer that was ahead of me in the checkout line. Immediately, I apologized for bumping into her, but she corrected me and said she purposely leaned backward to hear what I was humming because it sounded so soothing and gave her such joy to embrace my happiness in this troubling world.
(I immediately thought….Lord, you are doing it again. Just like last week. You have opened another door to present Yourself to me and to others.) The next thing I knew, we were both giving God praises and thanking Him for his ever presence in our lives.
(*) NOTE: Incognito – Having One’s true identity concealed.
NOW, I’ll ask you a second time...What radio station is permanently set on your car?
CLICK THE RED SONG TITLE BELOW…SKIP THE COMMERCIAL…AND BE BLESSED IN SONG.
Did you know that many people believe that the Holy Bible is a Book to be read only when you have fallen on hard times or facing death. So, that is why this week’s blog is written to remind and encourage those who believe that the Holy Bible is also a Book to be read by the living, to hold fast to God’s unchanging hand. So let’s explore one of the main reasons why non-Bible reading individuals shun God’s Holy Word.
What I am about to write may sound harsh, but please read Chapter 15 in the Book of John (Holy Bible NT). Jesus is explaining to His disciples that after He goes away (ascends to heaven), they must think of Him as the vine and the disciples as the branches. Therefore, the disciples must remain connected to the vine (the source of spiritual vitality) regardless of life’s circumstances. In other words, for strength, the disciples must hold on to their relationship with Jesus; with other believers, and also with the hostile world of non-believers.
And we, too, must do likewise. Below are some helpful hints to assist you in becoming more than conquerers when you approach your fellow man who may also be a Christian as well as a non-Bible reading individual. Remind that person that…
Naked:
When you see your fellow man through the eyes of Jesus, you don’t see him as being a sinner, or being a publican, or being a drunkard, or being dirty, etc., etc., etc. You don’t see his nakedness (that which is not godly). Your assignment is to clothe him with what he can become. You gently clothe him with the knowledge that through his faith in embracing a few spiritual things, the Holy Spirit will super naturally draw him closer to receiving Jesus Christ and His message to the world. Because with God, all things are possible. God’s Son paid it all! And all to HIM we owe!
Naked, and you clothed me….
Now, some people are naked in their sins and don’t want to be clothed. They don’t want to serve God and don’t want you to serve Him either. They don’t love their fellowman and criticize you for loving.
When the world is laughing at you and flaunting their nakedness…skating on thin ice with banana peels as bumpers…just know…John 15:20-22… ‘if they have persecuted Me, they will persecute you‘. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but they have no cloak for their sin.
So now, here is the question that God wants to ask you…Click the Red song title below.
What I am about to say may surprise you… but according to Google, while 66% of Americans say they are Christians, only 20% of them believe in the written word…The Holy Bible! So, I ask you, as a follower of Christ Jesus, are you also counted among the 20% who apologize for not embracing God’s holy word as to how the Beginning came about in Chapter 1 of Genesis.
In other words, please pounder this question…”Are you shooting the wounded or healing the sick?”
STOP, young man, in the name of love. And, you, young lady…don’t take your foot off yet.
Always remember that before witnessing to others, whisper a little prayer toward heaven and ask the Holy Spirit to give you the message that would be pleasing to God. Perhaps you may want to memorize what the Bible says about ‘offenses’ against others: “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. (Matt. 18:5, 6). And again, Scripture says, “If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. (Matt. 18:8)
It’s easy for a Believer in God to publish the fact that the God they serve is a loving God and would not visit such a harsh punishment on one of his followers. But what a person forgets is that God is a just god and the faith he requires is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. And God has made us so many other promises, too, and has forgiven mankind’s act of disobedience while in the Garden of Eden, that if mankind does not have faith enough to believe in his Son Jesus Christ, then, all is lost.
So, when witnessing to others why not exercise your faith and err on the side of caution. Only speak the truth concerning heavenly things. Trust in Christ and avoid taking risks concerning things you do not understand. Trust in the Lord and the power of His might. And lean on His understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. Amen and Amen!
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“To me, art begets art. Painting feeds the eye just as poetry feeds the ear, which is to say that both feed the soul.” —Susan Vreeland
Hello, my dedicated readers. For this week’s blog I thought I would present you with an original poem of mine. Actually, I have a file cabinet full of my poems which were written at various stages of my life. I am pleased to say that my Lord and Savior gifted me with talents that require me to use the mighty pen and paper, a typewriter, tablet or a computer. I commune with the Lord with all three.
Dear Heavenly Father: Thank You so very, very much for the gift that You, and only by Your grace, have given me. Please Dear Jesus, help me to identify these gifts and to use them only for Your glory. Amen.
(The following original poem was written by me and posted on WordPress on January 14, 2022.)
When Women Worship By S. L. Fowler
“W” When Women Worship They hold their heads up high… They Walk in confidence… Because their Jesus is nigh. When Women Worship They feel Worthy and are convinced… That they are in the Lord’s presence… And protected by His defense. “O” When Women Worship They Open up their hearts… They pour Out undying love… On the least Of them and the lost They look for Opportunities To bless their fellowman… To Offer encouragement… And to instill Order wherever they can. “M” When Women Worship They Manage to forgive… They try not to Mention Malice… They Mask their hearts from within. They take advantage of each Moment To Muster sacrificial love… To shower it upon their Mentors… In order to please the Man above. “E” When Women Worship Their very presence Electrifies… Every audience they Entertain… Causing their Enemies to take wings and fly. They are Especially hard on ole Slew Foot Causing the last Enemy to flee… For he would rather Evaporate… Then to take a knee. “N” When Women Worship They Nurture God’s flock… They Neither loose hope Nor the sight of glory… Why? Because they pray a lot. Women Neutralize opposition By memorizing God’s Nomenclatures… And reciting them back to the people… While including all of his creation; mammals and human nature.
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There are so many incidents recorded in the Holy Bible where God makes a way out of no plausible way. I use the adjective ‘plausible’ because certainly there are other ways and means to accomplish the same thing. However, when God makes an occasion happen, it’s spontaneous, sure and complete. When we do likewise (that is make something happen) we agonize over it for days or maybe weeks. And most of the time, our methods don’t work out for us.
Let us use the four chapters in the Bible about the story of Jonah, the prophet, as our example. As the Holy Spirit would have it, as I re-read the story of Jonah, I received a whole new perspective about his character and his intentions. The Holy Spirit illuminated in my heart that Jonah had ulterior motives for disobeying the Lord.
Jonah was a stubborn, selfish, son-of-a gun, with a very small mind. Now please give me a chance to explain. Most readers of this Old Testament story miss this. First, ask yourself why is the Book of Jonah even included in the Bible. After all, most commentaries assessments of Jonah’s intentions say he was a “wrong-way prophet” with a flawed character. (You’ll find this description written in the introduction pages of the Book of Jonah in the Bible.)
In other words, the true examples the reader is suppose to glen from this Bible Book is not to BECOME like Jonah with his selfish, stubborn and unforgiving ways; but rather to repent of your selfish heart and allow God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to work out a soul’s salvation for all peoples.
God told Jonah to “Get up and go” to a Gentile-god-forsaken nation called Nineveh. Jonah did not want to go and preach (God/salvation) to that nation. Furthermore, Jonah thought they were unworthy for God’s saving grace(*). For Jonah said in verse 2:8, “Those who cling to worthless idols forsake faithful love, but as for me, I will sacrifice(**) to You [God] with a voice of thanksgiving.
What Jonah did not realize was the fact that God knew Jonah’s mind-set, and Jonah’s unforgiving spirit that he had towards the disobedient Ninevites.
(*) NOTE: God’s grace is extended to all who confess Christ as their personal Savior and Redeemer.
(**) NOTE: It is not enough for Believers just to sacrifice, we must believe with everlasting faith.
Please refresh your memory of Chapters 2 and 3 in the middle of the Bible story about Jonah. You will learn about his encounter with the Great Fish and how and why Jonah eventually went to Nineveh. But it is the 4th Chapter that really is a little confusing and a precious surprise to most readers.
As you know, Jonah eventually goes to Nineveh. After Jonah preaches to the city of Nineveh all those residents do repent and are forgiven by God. They start to worship God and receive his blessings and this action greatly displeases Jonah and he becomes furious. He pouts and accuses God of ‘using’ him to do something that God was going to do anyway. [Like save a nation.] Jonah says to God, I knew that You are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to become angry, rich in faithful love, and One who relents from sending disaster. (Excerpts from Chapter 4)
Jonah left Nineveh and went and sat high on a hill looking down on the city until the sun rays became too hot for him.
So, Jonah built himself a wooden shelter but it wasn’t good enough to keep the heat from scorching him. To prove a divine point, God caused a plant to miraculously grow and it protected Jonah until the next mourning. Then God caused the plant to wilt and die. Now, Jonah was furious because as the hot sun beat down on his head, it almost made him faint. And Jonah declare he wanted to die.
THE MORAL OF THE STORY OF JONAH:
The Holy Spirit lets Jonah know that He was aware of Jonah’s reluctance to carry out God’s ordained instructions from the get-go. And he, Jonah, was the prophet especially chosen to carry out this assignment due to his non-repentant heart to include a non-repentant gentile nation (all non-Jewish peoples) to receive Salvation!
And the solidifying evidence in the narrative of the Book of Jonah is the description of Jonah spending 3 Days in the belly of the Great Fish. Just like our Precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ spent 3 Days in the grave to pay for the sins of the world. HE IS RISEN! Amen and Amen.
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Good morning world! I have a question for you. Would you believe that once upon a time, I was a child. I thought as a child. I played as a child. And I said my prayers as a child. It seems like all of my life, I have been talking with God, Jesus and the angels. Bomb-barding heaven with endless questions.
I can still remember the lyrics of an original song my big sister and I composed when we were about 10 and 12 years old. We were sitting on our back porch with our arms above and behind our heads…looking up at the evening sun going down while softly harmonizing to the tune, ‘Jesus Loves Me, This I know‘. One of us said, “Let’s make up our own song”…I believe it was my big sister’s idea.
Since the distant stars had begun to make their appearance in the sky, I asked my sister a question. (Now, she was the brainy one and the disciplinarian one who ruled over 4 siblings when our parents were away.) I asked her, “What makes the stars so high?”
“I don’t know”, my sister said. But she was thinking silently and within a few minutes she said out loud: ‘Tell me, oh pretty sky. What makes the stars so high.” I soon interrupted her with more inquisitive questions here and there about nature. When the lyrics were finished we added a melody to the newly composed poem. Finally, we jumped up and ran inside the house to share and sing it for our family.
“TELL ME OH PRETTY SKY”
By MSM and SLM
“Tell me oh pretty sky, What makes the stars so high? What makes the rivers and What makes the streams? What makes the flowers and grass so green?
If I knew all of that I’d be so happy and gay. God knows it all. He’s the One who knows. Tell me oh pretty sky.
SCENE NO. 2
When and if you decide to ask God questions, always remember that God is holy and that God is sovereign. Ask in faith and without doubting. Do not demand but in humility seek God’s wisdom. And that includes prayerfully reading God’s word daily. You’d be surprised just how many answers are in those pages in plain view.
Later in my adult life I continued serving in many different Christian Churches. Once as I was preparing to teach an adult Sunday School lesson, the thesis scripture was “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist.” Isaiah 44:22
As I paused to meditate on those words, the Holy Spirit began to speak to me in response to my inquiry through song. He said, My child, one reason why I set the clouds up above your back porch that starry night all those many years ago was to remind you that I will not forget you. And I have swept away your offenses like a cloud. And as for why I made the morning mist, that was just to remind you that like the mist, your sins disappear from before Me long before high noon.
Hallelujah! At last I had confirmation to all those questions in that song. The ‘what’ turned out to be the ‘Who”. For indeed the Lord declares in a still small voice…
“I am the Lord who has made all the things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by Myself.”
Isaiah 44:24b
Soon after I finished composing Scene No 2 of this week’s blog, I searched Youtube and ran across the perfect video/song for my subject matter. It’s entitled, “Why“. However, the divine and blessed part is that it was written, composed and sung by a talented multi-award-winning young Christian man who is on fire for the Lord. You will love the way he gives godly reasons as to why and the manner in which you should respectfully question the Almighty. (It may take you 2 repeated listening sessions to get the godly message.)
To replay the song entitled ” Why” Click on the semi-circle arrow in the lower left-hand corner of the screen. The screen will return to the song’s beginning.
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Before going any further, I want you to do something. Make an evaluation. Take one minute to block everything else from your mind and whisper out loud how this picture makes you feel.
I AM THE VINE…YOU ARE THE BRANCHES
I’ll go first. My first impression was…wow, somebody has not watered this plant. But after I glanced back up at the title I exclaimed, OOPS! That somebody is me. It was my responsibility to water and to cultivate the plant. (The plant is my Body)
I am the vine, the Holy Spirit whispered in my ear and you, Ms, Blogger, are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me.
Those 2 balls of fruit look like they are going to drop off that vine any minute. I thought, maybe, just maybe that is why Jesus cursed the fig tree in Matthew 21:18-22 and Mark 11:12-14. Jesus was hungry and the fig tree had no fruit on it. (Bible scholars say the absence of fruit represents slothful Judahites who were not serving, believing nor following Jesus Christ. Jesus was extremely weary of the peoples’ conduct and He reacted.)
Put your thinking caps back on people. That’s what I did. So the first action I took was to turn off my television and get my Bible and Sunday School book out. I also called a few friends who were under the weather. One of them displayed anger towards me, but I bit my bottom lip and just let her rave and roar until she realized how silently I received her scolding. I could see, feel and hear the love in her voice and thanked God for our friendship over these many years. All was forgiven.
Since God is our source, why not hold on to what He is offering…salvation through his Son, Christ Jesus. For without Him, we can do nothing. We must remain in Him. God’s statues teaches us how to live and Jesus, through the Holy Spirit teaches us how to produce crops. Don’t forget we come from good soil from the Garden of Eden.
So truly, we are to respect the Son of God. And when we fall short, just pick yourself up, brush yourself off and remember to say a little prayer for me and someone else. Because He is everything to us.
Get ready to pat your foot, smile and be happy. Click “the red title below, “Everything to Me”.
When is it your time to use God’s strength? Do you not know that God is sovereign over all of your circumstances. So why not humble yourself, repent, and follow God’s leading. That was the conversation I had with myself and the Holy Spirit this week. My life had been going so well with me during these past few months that I found myself leaning more and more on my own understanding instead of God’s.
Shame, shame on me! I know better. I know how the enemy worms his way into a person’s thoughts and decision-making and before you realize it…you are on a slippery slop to the Abyss. So, when I came to myself, I began to call on the Holy Spirit to forgive me and to keep my feet planted on solid ground. So, after I sent out my clarion call, this was heaven’s response:
Yes, if you have enough scriptures inside of you they will begin to flood your mind and heart and you will recognize which is the Holy Spirit’s voice and which is the enemy’s voice. God surfaced into my mind the epithet he had planted in my heart so many years ago: “Wisdom is the principal thing: Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.” Proverbs 4:7
So, that is the basic subject matter I want to plant into your hearts for this week’s blog. Has the Holy Spirit planted an epithet into your heart. In other words, what will be written on your tombstone. What life-direction bible verse (message) has the Holy Spirit planted into your psychic! May I suggest that while the blood is still running warm in your veins that you prayerfully seek this information. What ever the message (verse) given, it will surely direct and keep your feet planted squarely on solid ground.
Heaven Is For Real
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Conversations With God Using Scripture 