Lights...in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation: November 2012

Milk, rather the lack of it and the roaring lion had a very big impact in my life. Both of these are referred to figuratively. Throughout our lives we encounter confusion, turmoil and hurt. And both might involve people, life things and spiritual matters. I, myself, am still enduring and standing after lots of confusion, turmoils and pain in life. Some of this stuff has actually matured me, therefore making me wiser (well I think so) than when I was, let's say, at age fourteen-fifteen.

Let's take a look at fourteen-fifteen year old girls back when I was growing up. Girls tended to start being noticed by boys a few years earlier. This in turn makes a young girl feel good and topics at sleepovers with your peer group girl friends were mostly about boys and things pertaining to changing bodies. Sleepovers were fun. But, at the same time, the boys are entering into the big scope of things. What was only talked about at sleepovers, will soon be a real thing. Enter boy-girl relationships. Girls soon find out that there are things that boys would like to do other than just kiss. Now unless a girl has been given proper instructions concerning such, the girl may or may not allow the boy to do things. My cousin always brings up the movie Riding in Cars with Boys whenever the early years comes up. Did you see that movie? She says, it just fits the time period in which we grew up.

Anyway, as a result, possibly due to lack of parental instruction or not heeding parental advice and finding oneself labeled bad, or too strong a freedom of will, hardheadedness or pheromones, many a girl left home early, got married young or just left school. Sometimes, we, the other kids didn't know what became of them. Or, we only heard rumors.

Also, during this time, in the very rural south, we were exposed to partying, drugs and the "dating" dilemma. What was okay in one circle of life we were taught were sins by our church (but church in turn never really defined for us what is a sin). On the TV news every night, we are watching a war, seeing hippies, flower power, free love and lots of talk about drugs. But, there was very little discussion about what was good or bad about any of these. Home life revolved pretty much around go to school, homework, eat, clean up the dishes, bathe, babysit your siblings, talk on the phone (about or with boys), listen to the radio or records and go to bed. Not much conversation from the grown ups about what we were seeing all around us. All this craziness in the late 60's and 70's really confused me. Mostly because I have always been too much of a thinker.

Again being from the south, Bible Belt you know, this put me in a big, old, sour pickle. I did not want to be bad, but at the same time, I am human too. I knew there was a devil and Satan and his place was hell. I knew that if I was not good I would go to hell. I did not want to go to hell.

Sometimes, I would find myself pondering if there were acceptable degree's of "not good" or was it black and white with no "if", "and" or "buts"? I knew there was a God, I believed in his son Jesus Christ and that God raised him from the dead. I confessed it. Dang, I'd been to church my whole life. I was even dunked in a stinky, cold, dirty pond. I thought God protected me from hell and bad stuff. What the heck?

The problem was, I now have learned, is that after being saved, I had lack of wisdom of how this all worked. At that time the preachers just kept preaching (more like yelling at us from a pulpit) about getting saved and not being a back-slider (what exactly is that?), but not about what to do now that I was saved. I did read my Sunday School lessons yet still something was missing. I just didn't get it = confused.

So how does all this fit into the roaring lion? In the last decade I have gained wisdom in the areas that could have helped me immensely when I was age fourteen - fifteen. You know that devil I mentioned? The Bible, in the book, 1st Peter 5:8 tells me: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: [...]. But wait a minute, I am saved, how can he? Aren't I on God's side, don't I have protection, I was dunked remember?

So why did God use a lion in the reference to our adversary the devil? Did you know that a lion's roar can be heard up to 5 miles away and a lion is a very large (up to 10 feet long) and is an intimidating beast? Wouldn't that freeze you in your steps or make you flee from what you know is right?

This is where I think as a young person I became most vulnerable to the world. I didn't have the proper knowledge of how to handle the new things that I was now seeing in the world. Why? Those who had lead me to be saved did not feed me the necessary nutrients or the milk to grow in knowledge of God and what was available to me. Not having this knowledge left me unequipped and allowed the lion to sneak up on me and almost devour me at age fifteen.

Okay, so what is the take home part for you the reader? People can go no further than they have been taught. This includes kids, newly saved individuals and old farts. After I learned that there was much more that was needed after you accept Jesus Christ as your salvation, I moved on, forgave those who were ignorant and found peace. I also have forgiven myself for being a kid and doing crazy things!

Here's a little drink of milk that still helps me now (click the links please):

God loves me and forgives me.
I have responsibilities that require me to take action and study God's word in order to learn what is truth versus what the world teaches me.
God and Jesus Christ (JC) are always with me, I am never alone. God dwells within me via JC.
JC was here so that the works of the devil might be destroyed! :) :)
I can forgive myself too, because God knows I am human and make mistakes.
I was given an awesome gift that was a mystery to those in the old testament. This gift strengthens me daily only if I use it.
No more doubt, worry or fear.

See you later,
Bev

P.S. If interested, I can help you find the cow that provided me the milk that finally made sense.

References
Blue Letter Bible. Available at:http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=1Pe&c=5&t=KJV

How do we brighten our lights and keep them ever shining?

(click the hyperlinks for the Bible verses)

We stay sharp, vigilant, and aware of the things around us. We do not for one second allow words, events, or attacks on our health to dim our focus or to cause us to allow doubt in our believing.

Peter displayed this type of believing when he believed that Jesus was who, he said he was, when he, Jesus, was walking on the turbulent water Mat 14:29. Peter believed it so much that he himself stepped out of the boat and walked on water, too. Can you imagine stepping out of a perfectly sound boat onto the surface of a lake, or a river, or the ocean and then expecting to walk on it as if it were the ground? Think about that!

Your believing should be like that. Total, trusting and knowing for a certainty that God is. Jesus taught his disciples and those who came to listen that God is and that he keeps his promises. We have to believe and act on this believing like Peter did. It takes action and not passive behavior on our part.

We cannot let our minds move away from the truth that we are loved, that we are protected and we are truly cared for 1Pe 5:6. When a thought that says otherwise enters, the means to overcome it is to think the opposite thought. Think that man's word has no authority over God's Mat 10:20 Jhn 8:44, God is bigger than any event that might be happening Jhn 10:10 and he is still in the healing business Act 28:8. After all, he created it all Jhn 1:1 Col 1:16. We just use his stuff. Nothing has been created since.

Peter also is an example of not staying focused. When Peter was walking on the sea, he let in fear (an uneasiness of mind, upon the thought of future evil likely to befall us) and he began sinking into the sea Mat 14:30. But, he had faith that Jesus could save him Luk 7:22 , and Peter called out to be saved Mat 14:31. Just like Peter, we too, sometimes may doubt and may need help. And just like Peter, our calls for help will be heard when we but open our mouth or pray to God through Jesus Christ Mat 21:22.

The story of Jesus and Peter walking on water is a remarkable event

Mat 14:24-33:
But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth [his] hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

Further ways to brighten and shine one's light

Read the bible daily in order to gain the knowledge and wisdom to discern the truth from the non-truth about God and teach the same to our children.
Listen to biblically accurate music also
Keep company with others that believe as we do
Share and teach what we know

References

Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2012. Available at: http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Mat&c=14&t=KJV&sstr=0#comm/24. Accessed on November 2, 2012.

Fear. 1828.mshaffer.com. Available at : http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/search/word,fear. Accessed on November 2, 2012.

Lights...in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation

Monday, November 19, 2012

Milk and the Roaring Lion

Further Reading

Saturday, November 3, 2012

How to brighten and shine one's light

How do we brighten our lights and keep them ever shining?

The story of Jesus and Peter walking on water is a remarkable event

References