My Dance Tuesday, May 15 2018 

Faith and God and memory and Scripture , , , , , jessicamaymoore 2:33 pm

The Scripture for today can be found in the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 3 verse 4:

4 A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.

I think that everybody gets down sometimes and the slightest thing makes them cry.

They say that crying is good for you. If nothing else it cleans your sinuses.

When David was seized by the Philistines in Gath he prayed to God:

“You have taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Your bottle.
Are they not in Your book?”

Yesterday, I received an email from my oldest sister that changed my life. She has no idea about this. She had written a few days earlier asking me to find out the information about where our mother had been buried. I am guessing she wanted to visit her grave on Mother’s Day or perhaps for the upcoming Memorial Day. Yesterday, she sent me an email showing that she had researched it herself and forwarded the information to me. I decided to print it out and keep it for future reference. Since I live over a thousand miles from there, I wouldn’t be able to go this year but maybe in the future. When it printed there were two pages. When the second page came out of it, the only words on the page were, “Trust in God.”

Why those three words affected me so profoundly, I may never know. But they did. And as I stood there, I felt the peace of the Spirit of God flow over me. I began to hear music. And it was so sweet and gentle. I just began dancing. I wasn’t worried about where my feet were going or what steps I was taking.

It was then and there that I realized, I’ve lived my whole life never hearing the music. As I was dancing verse after verse came to me: Ephesians 5:18-20

18 And do not get drunk with wine, [a]for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to [b]one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to [c]God, even the Father;

Romans 8:38-39

38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 19:20 30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

He gave up His Spirit to us! It is in us. We have it now! There is no waiting. There is nothing left we can do to add to our salvation. It was done at the cross.

He wants us to dance in the Spirit and praise Him with music.

 

 

 

 

My Priorities Friday, May 4 2018 

Faith and God and memory and Scripture , , , , , , , , , , , jessicamaymoore 2:59 pm

Have you ever wondered how many millions of times The Lord’s Prayer has been prayed? It came upon me just this morning as I was finishing up today’s bible study and prayer time.

Has God ever answered that prayer? I was specifically thinking of that request: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.” Oh how I wished in my quiet hour that prayer could be answered.

Then, I had to ask myself, “am I praying with expectation of an answer?” Perhaps, I should be living it out myself. I had to evaluate my priorities. What should be my number one priority in this earthly life? Thinking it through the verse Ephesians 5:5 came to mind: “5 For this you know with certainty, that no [e]immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”

And also the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:36-40:

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and [a]foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

And also 1 Peter 1:16 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Christians are called to be saints. Saints are holy.

Some will argue and say, “How can any man be holy?” or “Aren’t you just trying to return everybody to works instead of grace?”

Be careful that you are not being deceived by partial truth. Christianity is a process. It is made up of steps. We are first washed, justified, regenerated, separated, sanctified, made holy, and made perfect.

How do you respond to these scriptures? Are you uncomfortable? Or are you in agreement? How can you test yourself? Look to 1 John 3:3 : 3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.