Happy New Year!

Random Little TidBits - December 2016

This issue out a bit early, calling the month, and the year done.  This year as been awesome, blessing filled, enlightenment after enlightenment, and blessing after blessing.  I'm going to spend the rest of the year away from the computer, and with family.  Love you guys! Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and see you in 20 17.

TidBit #1

Twisted Scripture Romans 16:16

The Churches of Christ (COC) sect takes its name from this verse. Some claim that any true church will also have the correct scriptural name. Christ said, "I will build My church" (Mt 16:18). The COC argues that since it is Christ's church, it should be called the Church of Christ. Different verses, however, point to other descriptors, such as "church of God" (1 Co 10:32; Gl 1:13) and "assembly of the firstborn" (Heb 12:23). Nowhere does God's Word prescribe that a legitimate church should haave a specific name.

The Apologetics Study Bible HCSB

TidBit #2

I hate shopping. And I stand by my theory that WalMart is satan's residence.

I did manage to accomplish my trip there today (Dec 9) and still show My Jesus to others by allowing a lady who failed to pay for all of her stuff and couldn't get out the door to come back and cut in front of me to pay for her big item.

Knowing I have to go back tonight and again tomorrow I decided I needed my high dollar Sweet Bay Mudslide Mocha fix. I go to pull in line and from the other direction comes this little red car 1/3 the size of my Avalanche to cut in front of me. She apparently needed coffee bad. But did stop at the last second and thought better of her actions. I could easily have kept her from going but showed her My Jesus instead.

She apparently needed her coffee more than I needed my Mocha. Then I find out she paid for mine too. Thank you so much for doing that. For showing me that the little things I think I'm doing for others aren't going un-noticed.

Jesus, thank you for working on me and in me, and showing through me!!!!

TidBit #3

Even though the group study for this one was postponed, I went ahead and went through it.  

I find it fascinating going through the Bible this way.  And learn something new each day!

TidBit #4

"Framing addiction as chronic disease does not remove the moral choices involved, but gives us a broader framework for understanding them."

"Just Say No to Shame" by Timothy King

TidBit #5

Rubies Book Club went through this book and we finished Mid-December.  Loved looking in depth to the Woman at the Well, Michal, Rahab, Jezebel, the Sinful Woman... ten women in all, we took one - two per week, and discussed in detail.  I have to say I quite often disagreed with the authors opinion of some of the women, but found her very thought provoking, and am very interested in reading some more of her Bad Girl books.

TidBit #6

I borrowed this one from a friend.  The staff at our church read this one apparently as a group, and it came highly recommended.  I must agree with the whole book.  We all too often clutter our lives, our space, and our minds with nonsense, and this book gives you practical steps to uncluttering it all.  If you have trouble going to sleep at night, cause you can't turn it off...  this one is for you!

TidBit #7

This is my first Lucado study.  I've read a couple of his books, but never a study.  This one is very good.  I was a bit disappointed that the book contained most of the same stories that the on-line videos contained.  It was advertised as having unique information.  All in all, it was a great study.  

TidBit #8

I started this series about a year ago.  Stopped in the middle, and restarted again this month.  I think that God has a time for everything, and my time for this study was now.  I have drawn my own circles and know that I will pray them daily.  

TidBit #9

May my children and grandchildren choose life and blessing. Let them love You Lord, and obey Your voice, and cling to You as I do. For You are their life and the length of their days. Deut 30:19-20

 

TidBit #10

We did Series I in Sunday school.  I love George's writtings, even though they are written in Scottish dialect, and translated to Old English, and presented to us in that format.  A little difficult to read, but well worth the time you are investing!

TidBit #11

I found this book very interesting.  A whole lot of information.  Useful information.  However, it had a quite boring layout.  I found myself rereading a couple of passages numerous times.  I probably shouldn't say boring, but more appropriately unfamiliar information.  I decided about halfway through it that if I were Jewish most of this would make sense.  The majority of the book is geared I suspect to the Messianic Jew.  And how to apply the New Testament to their culture and traditions.  Seeing how this is information that I am trying to learn.  None too successfully, it was not information for me, per se.

An excellent source of data though.  And an appendix at the back that listed some other really great sources of Jewish Roots that I have not encountered before.

I will be keeping this one near my desk for quick access when researching.

TidBit #12

For those of you that are familiar with last issues Mockingbird story.  Just want to show you guys that He followed me into WalMart.  Or God used this one to say hi to me whilst in the pit of satans realm.  Regardless, it made my day, and made me feel loved by Him even more. 

Meme Corner

Random Little TidBits - November 2016

TidBit #1

I read this book at the beginning of the month, and quite frankly am wishing that I had commented on it at the time.  I am at a loss on this one.  It came in one of my FaithBoxes and I read it.  But apparently didn't get much out of it.  It's about being a good leader, and I am recalling it had some good stuff in it, but if you have been a good leader for a while, this might be a little elementary for you.  

TidBit #2

"As the spiritual seed of Abraham, we are called to be far more intentional about building a heritage of faith into our children."

Beth Moore ~ Believing God

TidBit #3

Dave Meyer ~ Speaking From The Heart

Saw this live, and it's just as powerful on video as it was in that arena!

"What we do not challenge in the beginning we lose our freedom to keep in the end" #DaveMeyer

My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. – Hosea 4:6 NIV

TidBit #4

How to Gird Up Your Loins

TidBit #5

 Judges 13: V6 - "A man of God came to me and his countenance was like the countenance of an Angel of God" V20 "the Angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the alter, then Manoah knew".

Why do we have to "SEE" in order to "KNOW"? John 20:29 "Y'shua said to him, "Because you have seen Me have you believed? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." That's the definition of faith. Yet if we are not constantly reminded of HIS presence we start to doubt. 

Father, help me to "know that I know that I know" always, even when you are silent and testing me!

TidBit #6

Judges 20:41

"And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed, for they saw that evil had come upon them"

The men of Benjamin had been so convinced that they were fighting for what was right against the Children of Israel, that many went to their deaths in combat. Only to have their eyes opened after the fact that what they stood for was wrong.

How many of us in the world today, are fighting on the wrong side?

How many are listening to Satan's lies?

Please read your Bible, and talk to God!

TidBit #7

I spent the last year in this devotional.  Thinking it would stuffy stuff from Rev. Graham, but it wasn't. This gem contained some really good stuff.  

TidBit #8

This book also came in FaithBox and is about Enneagrams.  It's a really good resource if you are into that sort of thing.  

TidBit #9

Let me tell you a story.  I lived in Horatio for 6 years, at this time in my life I smoked.  I would sit on my front porch smoking cigarettes, reading a book, and I would get a visit from a mockingbird almost every day.  I loved this visit.  He would land on the shephards hook in my flower bed or on the basketball goal and would sing to me for a few minutes before flying off.  

He was the thing I would miss the most about Horatio. We moved to Helena, Arkansas so that I could take a teaching job.  I was still a smoker.  And would sit on my front porch.  There were two holly bushes in the front yard.  A mockingbird built a nest in one of the bushes, and sang to me.  I joked that my Horatio bird followed me. 

Not even there a year, we moved to Fort Smith.  Almost a year later, I quit smoking.  Don't spend much time outside being still, so I've missed my Mockingbird.  

We converted our dining room into my office.  There is a patio window that I sometimes leave open, with the screen pulled shut.  I sometimes have hummingbirds glare at me through the screen, especially when their feeder is empty.  I've had a bird or two fly in for a visit and right back out.  

This past Saturday, after not being in my office for almost a week.  I walked around the corner to enter the room, and sitting on this computer was a mockingbird.  He must have come in the back door the day before with one of the kids or the dogs.  But sitting pretty as you please on my computer HE was!  I slid the door open and out HE went.  Ok maybe he didn't go out quite that easy, but he did make it back outside.  

Thank you Father, for saying hi to me.  And letting me know that YOU are still with me!

 

TidBit #10

Class

According to dictionary dot com there are 29 definitions of the word class. NO wonder the English language is the hardest language to learn.

I’ve pulled out definitions #12, #14, #16, #26, and #29 for further review:

12. excellence; exceptional merit:

14. Informal. elegance, grace, or dignity, as in dress and behavior:

16. Informal. the best or among the best of its kind:

26. Informal. of high quality, integrity, status, or style:

Verb phrases
29. to improve the quality, tone, or status of; add elegance, dignity, style, etc., to:

It saddens me today, looking at the members of my generation and those younger than me, that the word class seems to no longer be something we understand, nor care about.

Rioting in the streets shows an absolute lack of class. (Notice I said rioting, not assembling. Assembling is ok, and protected). Throwing a temper tantrum in order to “get your way” not protected and shows an absolute lack of class.

Looting your neighbors and destroying their property, shows an absolute lack of class.

Violence of any kind, shows an absolute lack of class.

Name calling, hair pulling, defecating in the streets (yes I am stuck on that one) shows an absolute lack of class.

I am so sorry your parents didn’t bust your ass when you were growing up and teach you about class. It’s time you figured it out on your own, and start acting with some!

Dignity and integrity, to me stand out in the definitions above. I’d like to see these characteristics come back to America!

TidBit #11

Seven Cardinal or Deadly Sins

• Lust:  Matthew 5:28
• Gluttony:  Proverbs 23:21
• Greed:  Ephesians 4:19
• Laziness:  Proverbs 15:19
• Wrath:  Proverbs 15:1
• Envy:  1 Peter 2:1-2
• Pride:  Proverbs 16:18

TidBit #12

Romans 3:31

"Do we then cancel the law through faith? Absolutely not! On the contrary, we uphold the law"

For all my friends, that probably aren't friends anymore. If you grew up with "Replacement Theology" being ingrained into your psyche... please spend some time in Romans. It's very illuminating.

Replacement Theology, to the best I have found, originated with Marcion, who was later deemed a heretic for this concept. However, before he was squashed, the concept grabbed hold with a lot of people, and has as of yet not been corrected.

Satan is very good at twisting and perverting the truth! And many many many people are still being taught "RT" today! And it saddens me that so many people don't know the Word today, so they can refute the lies. Please get in your Bible and learn God's Word for yourself.

TidBit #13

Monday, November 14, I struggled with a question from my Bad Girls of the Bible book.  Why was Jericho destroyed?  I could not ascertain a satisfactory answer from myself, or the other ladies in book club.  

I asked God numerous times throughout the week for the answer to this question, to no avail. 

Until Friday.  On my drive to Tulsa, I was finally able to get quiet enough to hear HIM.  "I destroyed Jericho in order to show MY children the fullness of my glory and to show the world the completeness of MY promises."

Thank you, Father, for aanswering and for reminding me - that sometimes I need that quiet time to hear your half of the conversation!

TidBit #14

I do love Ms. Moore.  BUT... she does love to kill us with homework.  :D

I started this study, before the Entrusted study.  It is a lot of homework on this one, and doing it at the same time as the other, which had even more homework was really hard.  I won't be doing another Moore study for a while.  

That being said...  I got a lot out of this study.

1.  God is who He says He is.  

2.  God can do what He says He can do.  

3.  I am who God says I am. 

4.  I can do all things through Christ. 

5.  God's Word is alive and active in me. 

I loved learning those 5 statements, and plan to carry those forth after the study!

Ms. Moore, you did an EXCELLENT job on this one!

TidBit #15

I have, as most of you know, for a long time, had a problem with the line in the Apostle's Creed that stated that Y'shua descended into Hell.  I guess my problem lies mostly with the definition of Hell. 

Some versions say Sheol, Hades, Hell when talking about what happens after the first death.  And this is where Christ "went" according to the Apostle's Creed.  There are some very vague references in the New Testament, but I certainly don't glean from the NT all that others do.  

I found The Gospel of Nicodemus: Christ's Descent into Hell.  It very neatly ties up the questions I have on a lot of subjects.  Christ's descent into Hell.  What He did while He was there.  The dead that walked Jerusalem after the Resurrection.  What did Pilate do after the Resurrection.  

Just a lot of questions I had, tied up all to neatly with answers.  Author unknown.  And apparently did not surface until the 3rd or 4th century.  So if it's really the Gospel of Nicodemus as given to Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimethea, and Gamaliel, as well as Annas and Caiphas, then why did it not appear until the 3rd or 4th centuries.  There's just a lot suspect in this one, especially the complete neatness of answering the lingering questions.

Hell: A Final Word - I found to be wonderfully written, and right in line with my thinking.  I have yet to find any confirmation in the Bible of Hell being a place of eternal torment.  And this book, goes from Genesis to Revelation exploring the definitions presented of Hell, and what happens to us, if we were to go there.  

Fudge also explains quite in depth, the lengths that our current church goes to to maintain the image of a place of eternal torment, rather than a final (second) death, and eternal destruction.