The Implanted Word

Perhaps you've heard other Christians say, “The Bible is important, but it’s not all there is to a relationship with God.” A relationship with God? A relationship as in He/me, me/He? Yes! It’s certainly true that our relationship with God cannot be limited exclusively to mere book knowledge, even if that book is the Bible. It’s imperative that we take what we read in the Scriptures and make those words the foundation and blueprint of an active life in Christ (Gal. 2:20; Gal. 5:24; Gal. 6:14).

The Bible itself says it is the “implanted word” that is able to save our souls (James 1:21). IMPLANTED! Did you get that? To implant is to insert or fix into a person's body. To implant God's Word is not merely the “read and understood Word.” How many people occasionally read their Bibles, perhaps memorize some favorite verses, tell others they can identify with certain scriptures when hearing them quoted by someone else, and then believe as long as they have read, know or recognize some scriptures it's all that is needed to have a relationship with God? Is that you or someone you know?

You see, the doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in the inspired Scriptures are intended to complete us as servants of God, and equip us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Discipleship is not merely an educational exercise — it is the process of allowing God’s word to transform us into the likeness of Christ (Romans 12:2; Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18). Transformation is a process that continues throughout a lifetime as we change from glory to glory. Glory to glory is not moving from one state of euphoria to another. It is not going from one state of being lost in the spirit to the other. To go from glory to glory - to be ever-increasing in glory - is to continually be changed into what you were created to be. It is infinitely more than studying as though for an academic exam — it is being recreated into a “new man who is renewed in knowledge” by means of the instruction and direction of God’s word (Colossians 3:10).

Consider the words of David as recorded in 2 Samuel 22:31: "As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust Him." We’ve all learned many valuable things from our parents, teachers, and other persons of positive influence, but would we say of any of them that everything they taught was perfect? However, when we follow God’s Word — unlike the frail, self-serving words of humankind — we can be one hundred percent certain that what He says is true. We can trust Him. We can count on His Word as being 100% foolproof. Regarding the unchanging character of God, Moses wrote in Numbers 23:19: "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. He has said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" Moses continues in Deuteronomy 32:4: "He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He."
God’s Word has been proven: “The words of the LORD are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times” (Psalm 12:6). No one who ever relied on God’s word in humble faith and right understanding has ever been disappointed by it. While it’s true that many have suffered from unreal expectations and false interpretations, the true Word of God has been honestly tested time after time and has never been found wanting (lacking). The Bible has withstood every onslaught of skeptics and infidels who have died long ago — but the Bible still remains: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:35). BY NO MEANS! That's very specific.


As those who inhabit this planet we can choose to place our confidence in many things — our own feelings, which change from moment to moment; the theories, religions, beliefs, philosophies, and ideas of other people who are as prone to error as we are; or we can choose God’s perfect and proven Word, delivered through His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2). Our Lord Himself said: “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). It shouldn’t take a great deal of thought nor a higher degree of education to determine which way is wisest and best. To have a "relationship" with Jesus Christ requires more than skimming through the pages of the Bible. It’s imperative that we take what we read in the Scriptures and make those words the foundation and blueprint of an active life in Christ through thought, meditating on His Word, spending time with Him in prayer, and acting in obedience to what we learn as He reveals it to us in a slow unfolding manner. And when we do there is a lasting peace the world cannot give.

Until next time,
-Pat-

Monsters Under The Bed

As a child, how many of you thought there was a bone-chilling monster under your bed? That one hideous creature, who, with tentacle fingers was just waiting for you to hang your leg over the side so he could grab and pull you into the abyss? If it wasn't THAT monster, then it was the clown in the closet, right? In reality, as adults now, we know there wasn't anything under our bed or in our closet that was going to get us. At the time, FEAR ITSELF was the monster! It was fear that crippled us. It was fear that kept us trapped under the bedsheets and as a result, made us afraid to move. It was fear that skewed reality and made actual truth non-existent in our own minds. Fear is an emotional response to situations we don't think we can control that will do us harm.
Here are examples of fear we experience:
1. "I'm afraid to stand up and give a speech" (Emotional response: I'm scared. People might laugh).
2. "I'm afraid to commit to marriage" (Emotional response: I'm scared. We might become a divorce statistic someday).
3. "I fear Christianity is just not for me" (Emotional response I fear I'm not good enough. My sins are too bad).

Fear is a crippling force and so is anxiety. Anxiety is the emotional response we have when we try to control the uncontrollable. Here are examples of anxiety:
1. "I'm a nervous wreck because I don't think he loves me anymore."
2. "I'm so worried it's going to rain on our wedding day." "
3. "I can't sleep when my daughter is out with that boy!"

Anxiety is the gap between what we expect things to be like and the way things are. Read that again and let that sink in. The wider the gap, the greater the anxiety; and the greater the anxiety, the harder and more desperately we will search for a "savior" from it. If we are truthful with ourselves, we sometimes disbelieve that God can work things out so we step out of faith and try to solve our problems and worries with other things or idols. Unfortunately, things and idols don't really solve the problem, they just temporarily numb the fear. And that's as good as it gets! When believers don't take God at His word or His promises there is no true cure for anxiety - there are only distractions, delusions, or drugs of choice utilized like a bag of tricks that helps us sleep at night.


Jesus didn't have to say this, but He did: "Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:34 ESV). The bottom line is, if we dissect the monster of FEAR and ANXIETY, it's practically atheism. Why would I say that? Because our unwillingness to believe that God 'can' and God 'cares' causes us to behave as if God doesn't exist at all! Or, if He does, we need to convince or bribe Him to pay attention and help us because otherwise He would be unwilling or we would go unnoticed. Who hasn't tried to bribe God at some time in their life? I certainly have in my past. ('God if you do this for me I'll never miss another Sunday service' -- 'God if you get me through this I'll never drink again' -- 'God, if you'll just let me have this one thing I'll tell all my friends you're real'). This may be the way of the Gentiles, hypocrites, maybe even people that need to control things, but it should never be characteristic of those who are citizens of the Kingdom of God. Jesus did not merely suggest we not be anxious. No, He gave a command! BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING. His command is clear. DO NOT BE ANXIOUS is not a suggestion. However, the words, "You might want to reconsider" or "You should probably think twice about that" ARE suggestions. When we believe that God can and God cares - even when in the midst of injustice, pain, loss, doubt, or any other kind of scary monster that paralyzes us, we don't have to be overwhelmed with fear or anxiety. We can actually experience His peace. You might be thinking how could a child who truly believes there are monsters under his bed have any kind of peace? I'll answer that with this example: Have you noticed how a child is calmed when dad walks into the room and assures the chid there is no monster under the bed because dad already drove them out of the room before the child's bedtime ever came around? God said in Isaiah 41:10, "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." This Word is true in the storm or out of the storm! That's God's promise of peace to you. "My peace I give unto you, not as the world gives, give I unto you" (John 14:27) And He said, "Greater is He that is in Me than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4) That's a Father, who by His Word, has the power to destroy the monsters in your life. And we have His Word, THE BIBLE! His Words are our weapon against fear, doubt, or anxiety.


God's Word is able to guard our hearts against future fear, anxiety, doubt, indecision, nervousness, uncertainty, alarm, panic distress, etc. When we BELIEVE that God can and that He cares, we are reminded of the reality of the peace He promised which already belongs to us because we belong to Him! His promises are able to calm our hearts and allow us to make stable, faith-based decisions instead of fear-based ones. I have experienced this peace and can describe it for you like this. A child can be afraid of the dark, but as soon as daddy enters the room and sits with him, promising he won't let anything happen to that child because daddy is stronger than the monster, something happens. The child falls back to sleep with dad right there. Believing God 'CAN' produces that same feeling of protection and assurance! Your fears and doubts just melt away. God's assurance is also similar to a wife struggling with something that has brought her to her wit's end. Her husband steps in and assures her everything will be okay because he'll fix it, he'll take care of it. SHE BELIEVES HIM BECAUSE SHE TRUSTS HE'S TOLD HER THE TRUTH. She then begins to relax because her husband has reassured her he's got it. It's the same when you truly trust God. It's the peace of God's promises and assurance. It's the calm of knowing since God has done the greater thing of giving us His Son Jesus, that He will also take care of the lesser things because we belong to Him. How wonderful! When we believe that God can and that God cares it gives us the perspective we need on life to be able to live peacefully in His provision - whatever it may be. "You will keep in perfect peace the mind who is stayed on Thee" (Isaiah 26:3 NKJV).


Believing God's Word has given you the power over every monster in your life, and it's the peace that sets you free to walk into any circumstance and know you are loved and protected! That's why we can rejoice in Him always - not because our lives are perfect, but because He cares for us because we belong to Him. We can ask Him for anything we need and trust that He knows what is best for us and will give it to us at just the right time no matter what that is including confidence in the midst of travail. We don't have to get His attention, we don't have to bribe Him, we don't have to convince Him that we are worthy of Him answering our prayers. We can simply walk through life in His perfect peace because we believe that He is Who He claims to be and will do as He promised. We are children of The King (Galatians 3:26, Romans 8: 17-19). We are blessed with adoption, inheritance, salvation, enlightenment, fellowship, renewal, knowledge, citizenship, reconciliation, sanctification, holiness, faith, righteousness, anointing, peace, forgiveness, a sound mind, every good work, power over darkness, etc. The only enemy is fear and we have to make the conscious choice every single day not to buy into its schemes and plans. Finally, every emotion is powerful. Some say fear stands out from all the rest because it is the only one that holds us back. As a believer, I believe fear is no more powerful than any other emotion. Why? It is the power YOU GIVE IT that makes it strong. Think about that! (Psalm 23:4, Isaiah 41:13, Exodus 14:13, Deuteronomy 31:6, 2 Timothy 1:7, Psalm 27:1, Hebrews 13:6, John 14:27). As a Christian, You have always had the power within you to overcome fear!

Until next time,
-Pat-

"Colonoscopies and Spiritual Cleansing"

Before my employment as an office manager for a psychiatrist, I had both medical training, schooling, and employment in the field of gastroenterology. That simply means I worked in a branch of the medical field that deals with healing disorders of the esophagus, stomach, colon, and rectum. As such, I participated in the procedure rooms and observed some rather unpleasant things. If you think preparing for a colonoscopy is unpleasant, you should try viewing one. Before a colonoscopy, the patient is sedated. When I had one years ago, I was administered a medication before the procedure called versed. Versed is a "conscious sedation" meant to relax and block pain. During a routine colonoscopy the physician looks for abnormalities such as polyps (growths) on the walls of the colon that can become cancerous if left untreated. Colonoscopies are considered preventative care. There are all kinds of tests and preventative care for our physical bodies, but are there preventative cares for our spiritual health? Is there a procedure that would delve into our spirits to pick out unnoticeable issues that, if left alone, would grow into deadly problems in the years ahead? Is there some kind of spiritual surgery that could excise a "root of bitterness" or uncontrolled anger, lust or pride before it "springs up causing trouble and defiling many" (Hebrews 12: 15).

Good news. The answer is yes! There is a spiritual procedure I like to call a spiritoscopy (pronounced spirit-os'-copee). I simply refer to it as God's Word! Hebrews 4:12-13 says, "The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the dividing of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." That's some scalpel! When we submit ourselves in obedience to the Word of God, whether by reading it, through a minister who preaches it, or by others who teach it - that living and active Word cuts into us, laying our thoughts bare, exposing us and convicting us if something isn't right such as a root of bitterness, uncontrolled anger, lust, pride, etc. I allow myself a "spiritoscopy" often by going to the Word and asking God to show me if there is "any grievous way in me" (Psalm 139:24). I desire His piercing work so that any offense against Him may be excised from me through prayer and forgiveness. The Word of God not only heals but can be used as preventative care. In a spiritual sense God frequently uses "nurses and assistants" (if you will) to wield His "scope" searching the thoughts and intents of our hearts. These "preventative care assistants" are those in the Church body around you as teachers, preachers and evangelists who show you the Word, share the Word, preach the Word, teach the Word then used to convict and correct the deadly things that can spring up to trouble and defile you (Hebrews 12: 15).


Paul tells us, "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3: 12-13). I find it interesting that God's Word describes sin as something that hardens the heart putting us in grave spiritual danger. Why? Because in the physical sense a real tumor is generally harmless until it hardens into a hard mass which then puts us in grave physical danger. Did you notice in the scripture I just mentioned that the warning from Paul is plural? His message is to all of us (brethren). All of us are to take care of our spirits. We are to search ourselves, making sure there is no spiritual growth such as an evil unbelieving heart or grievous root growing in any of us. We are to help each other see what we cannot see for ourselves. We are to help, guide, and assist to excise those issues when they arise and do so without a judgment. At the same time we are to exhort, encourage, comfort, and stand alongside one another so that we can help each other to grow in faith. In this way, sin won't deceive us or harden our hearts against God and against one another. This is why I write these blogs. I want us to learn, grow, mature, and change through what we learn from Gods Word! I want our lamps to be burning and filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit, shinning brightly when Jesus returns. Each blog is intended to be like a spiritual screening, where you can exam yourselves to determine if you need to schedule an appointment for prayer and get yourself under the Great Physicians' hand so that His Word can heal and restore you to spiritual health. When was your last spiritoscopy? It isn't always pleasant, sometimes it's even bothersome to hear you have a sin issue, but spiritoscopies can help protect a neglected soul from a deadly spiritual illness that can metastasize. Which by the way is much worse than any disorder of the physical body! Just as colon disease is treatable if caught in a timely manner, all spiritual illness is correctable if dealt with early and not allowed to take root. If you let it go, if you continue to neglect to apply the Word of God, your sin, as a disease, will dig so deep you become entangled in all it's roots causing you to slowly fall away from your original faith. Don't let that happen! Exam yourself daily. Purge out any weakness or any sin by calling on our Great Physician to cleanse, heal, forgive and restore you. And He will!
Until next time,
-Pat-

Don't Waste Your Breath

When God created man out of the dust of the earth, He created a living, breathing being capable of thinking, feeling, dreaming, loving, and living forever (Genesis 2:7; Genesis 37:5; Genesis 29:18; 1 Corinthians 15:35-53).
It’s also important to note that when God breathed into Adam, He gave more than the breath of life — He gave him an important reason to live, and that is to worship and praise Him. As David declared in his psalm:

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6).

This means that we waste our breath when we use it for something that doesn’t honor the Lord in whom “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Our life is a gift from God, but not just our whole life, but every single instance, every breath we take. There is absolutely nothing we could do to make us take one more breath if God did not allow it. Think about that for a second! That breath you just took – and the one you are taking now – is only possible because God is letting you breathe! That’s right, it is not your right to breath, you cannot demand God to let you breath one breath longer, it just isn’t up to you. So what are you doing with that breath God is giving you right now? Are you using that breath to swear? To lie or gossip about others? Are you using it to do anything negative against a person when you should be trying to lift them up? If we adopt the mindset that as Christians we are Holy and set apart from the rest of the world and that every breath we take is meant to bring honor to God - meaning with every single breath we should be loving God and our neighbors- if we truly believed that, then how different would our actions be?

Although we cannot blow life into a handful of dirt as God did, we can use our breath to speak words of encouragement to the discouraged, help the sick (Matthew 25:36), and console those who grieve (John 11:14-19). Case in point. Recently I had a health setback where I was forced to be bedridden due to a painful nerve condition. Not only was I incapacitated and discouraged because of unbearable pain, but my spirit was lamenting being unable to sit up and fulfill my calling in writing blogs. Through my anguish, I was blessed to have friends who stepped up and continually used their breath to pray for me. Others sent cards, text's and emails of encouragement. Those little acts of love helped me through my ordeal. Through their prayers of inspiration and motivation, they were honoring God by walking in love, "Walk in love, as Christ also loved us, and has given Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor" (Ephesians 5:2).

With our breath, we should be bringing glory to God by our actions, our words, and our attitude. If not, then we need to pray that we will start to live out the faith that we proclaim, that God would work through us in some way every moment of our day. When we use our breath to honor our Creator with the unique combination of talents, abilities, and opportunities that He has given us, we will never be wasting it. You never know how one kind word will be the one breath that lifts another person out of despair and brings honor to your Creator. John 15:12, "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." AND "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves" – Philippians 2:3

Until next time,
-Pat-