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Monday, April 29, 2013

Mothers in the Bible

Eve - Mother of All the Living
Eve was the first woman and the first mother. Without a single role model or mentor, she paved the maternal way to become "Mother of All the Living." She and her mate Adam lived in Paradise, but they spoiled it by listening to Satan instead of God. Eve suffered terrible grief when her son Cain murdered his brother Abel, yet despite these tragedies, Eve went on to fulfill her part in God's plan of populating the Earth.

Sarah - Wife of Abraham
Sarah was one of the most important women in the Bible. She was the wife of Abraham, which made her the mother of the nation of Israel. Yet Sarah was barren. She conceived through a miracle in spite of her old age. Sarah was a good wife, a loyal helper and builder with Abraham. Her faith serves as a shining example for every person who has to wait on God to act.

Rebekah - Wife of Isaac
Rebekah, like her mother-in-law Sarah, was barren. When her husband Isaac prayed for her, God opened Rebekah's womb and she conceived and gave birth to twin sons, Esau and Jacob. During an age when women were typically submissive, Rebekah was quite assertive. At times Rebekah took matters into her own hands. Sometimes that worked out, but it also resulted in disastrous consequences.

Jochebed - Mother of Moses
Jochebed, the mother of Moses, is one of the underappreciated mothers in the Bible, yet she also showed tremendous faith in God. To avoid the mass slaughter of Hebrew boys, she set her baby adrift in the Nile River, hoping someone would find him and raise him. God so worked that her baby was found by Pharaoh's daughter. Jochebed even became her own son's nurse. God used Moses mightily, to free the Hebrew people from their 400 year bondage of slavery and take them to the promised land. Although little is written about Jochebed in the Bible, her story speaks powerfully to mothers of today.

Hannah - Mother of Samuel the Prophet
Hannah's story is one of the most touching in the entire Bible. Like several other mothers in the Bible, she knew what it meant to suffer long years of barrenness. In Hannah's case she was cruelly taunted by her husband's other wife. But Hannah never gave up on God. Finally her heartfelt prayers were answered. She gave birth to a son, Samuel, then did something entirely selfless to honor her promise to God. God favored Hannah with five more children, bringing great blessing to her life.

Bathsheba - Wife of David
Bathsheba was the object of King David's lust. David even arranged to have her husband Uriah the Hittite killed to get him out of the way. God was so displeased with David's actions that he struck dead the baby from that union. In spite of heartbreaking circumstances, Bathsheba remained loyal to David. Their next son, Solomon, was loved by God and grew up to become Israel's greatest king. From David's line would come Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World. And Bathsheba would have the distinguished honor of being one of only five women listed in Messiah's ancestry.

Elizabeth - Mother of John the Baptist
Barren in her old age, Elizabeth was another of the miracle mothers in the Bible. She conceived and gave birth to a son. She and her husband named him John, as an angel had instructed. Like Hannah before her, she dedicated her son to God, and like Hannah's son, he also became a great prophet, John the Baptist. Elizabeth's joy was complete when her relative Mary visited her, pregnant with the future Savior of the World.

Mary - Mother of Jesus
Mary was the most honored mother in the Bible, the human mother of Jesus, who saved the world from its sins. Although she was only a young, humble peasant, Mary accepted God's will for her life. She suffered enormous shame and pain, yet never doubted her Son for a moment. Mary stands as highly favored by God, a shining example of obedience and submission to the Father's will.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Necessary


Fear

The night before last I woke up from an awful dream in which I seemed to be fighting with something/someone. I woke up so fearful from the sinister feeling I had that I had to start speaking Jesus' name over and over out loud. I got up, and took three Bibles and opened them and placed them around me on the bed, then read a bit and went back to sleep with no problem. I sometimes just can't help but imagine if the veil was lifted for even a brief moment from our eyes we would all probably go crazy. To actually see what is going on in the spiritual realm would no doubt traumatize us to the extent where we would feel powerless. I found this article today and it touched on the subject of fear.

Fear. It is a primal feeling, yet it permeates every aspect of our lives. With nauseating power, we encounter fear where we least expect it and most despise it. We feel it in relationships. We’re nagged by fear in our careers. We sense its gnawing presence while driving on the interstate, when looking into the face of our child, or even when going to bed at night. Fear is everywhere. And fear is powerful.

Why we experience fear. 
There seems to be every reason to fear, especially in light of recent events. When is the next Boston tragedy going to happen? What will happen if North Korea launches a nuclear missile? Will I get caught in the crossfire of an urban gunfight? Will an explosion erupt nearby?
Fear is as familiar as breathing itself. It’s part of life. It’s part of being human. It’s part of existing. Is there any place on this planet that is exempt from the danger of natural disaster, the fury of depraved humans, or the terrifying uncertainties of our own future, our health, or our eternal destiny?
Fear grapples with questions as mundane as “does this water contain dangerous chemicals” to “what’s going to happen to my soul when I die?”
We experience fear for the same reason that we experience joy, grief, anger, or contentment. It is an emotion — a powerful, visceral emotion with profound physiological effects. Fear can control us.

Get the truth about fear. 
Because fear meddles with our emotions and confuses rational thought, we need a clear perspective on our fear. We need some source of truth and wisdom that comes from outside ourselves. Biology and psychology provide helpful information about fear, but the Bible speaks directly and unmistakably to the subject of fear.
Good Fear. Bad Fear.
The Bible’s information on fear is fascinating for one major reason. It tells us both to fear and not to fear. The reason for this paradox becomes clear once we understand a few of the passages on fear.
Bad Fear
When we encounter fear in the Bible, it is often in a negative context (1 John 4:18). Repeatedly, we read things like “fear not” (Isaiah 54:4), and “do not fear” (Revelation 2:10). Even in the face of danger, violence, persecution, and the like, God gently encourages us not to fear (1 Peter 3:6). The sense we get from just a cursory biblical survey of fear is that it is a negative emotion. Fear is somehow distasteful or unpleasant. We know this innately. When fear is present, we are not comfortable.
Good Fear
In other places, the Bible presents an altogether different view of fear. In fact, fear is equated with things like “honor” and “love” (1 Peter 2:17). What is going on here? Why does the Bible talk about fear in such a way? In Proverbs, “fear” is contrasted with “evil” (Proverbs 3:7). On one occasion when God was comforting Isaiah, he told him “do not fear.” But then in the next sentence, God told him, “let [God] be your fear, and let him be your dread” (Isaiah 8:13).
The difference between good fear and bad fear has to do with the object or cause of that fear. The vague and uncomfortable fear that we feel in the face of life’s circumstances can and should be replaced by fear of God — the awe and wonder at his majesty and holiness.
How to Fear the Right Way
God affirms the presence of fear in the human experience. And he tells us how to manage it. He himself is the solution (Psalm 34:9). Fear can’t be wiped away by some moral resolve or by building up steely nerves and stalwart bravery. Fear has its antdote in a person who commands an entirely different form of fear — godly fear. Fear is okay; we just need to direct our fears in the right way.
But how?
Let us dispense with the advice, however well meaning, to “face your fears,” “defy your fears,” “overcome fears,” or “be brave.” Those things are right, as long as they are placed within the right context. The real response to fear is God-directed fear. This is a kind of fear that we can manage, because of what it involves (2 Corinthians 7:1).
To fear God is to honor him. Fearing God means respecting who he is, acknowledging his character, and allowing ourselves to be overwhelmed in awe and even love (Psalm 118:4) Fear is to know God — in all his untamed, uncontrollable, infinite power — yet to accept it in humility. Fear is trust (Psalm 115:11).
Ordinary fear is raw, disturbing, vulnerable, exposed, tragic, and disturbing. It is anything but assuring. Fearing God, however, is a life-changing experience of goodness, comfort, assurance, warmth, security, and liberation. The contrast between the two fears couldn’t be more amazing, especially when you experience it.
In Psalm 27, David writes,
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

Fear — the right kind of fear — is healthy and right. It allows us to defy the controlling power of life’s circumstances.
There is a person who welcomes your fears. God is prepared to swallow every fear you bring him.
  • Do you fear about finances? Bring it to God. 
  • Are you afraid about your health? Take this fear to God.
  • Are you fearful that your children will “turn out alright?” Tell God about your fear.
  • Is your commute to work a fearful experience? God wants to own this fear.
  • Do national events or uncertainties bring you fear? God can take these fears.
  • Is there someone in your life whom you fear? Carry this fear with you into the presence of God. 
See what happens to your fear when God steps into the picture. Fearing God displaces every other kind of fear with an all-encompassing sense of his presence, power, and perfection.
Fearing God is the solution to fear itself.

Horses, What Horses...

Went to Keeneland this past Tuesday with a friend and we pretty much had the whole place to ourselves. lol This was my second visit and this time I didn't see one horse the whole time I was there other than on television. lol I did get to check out all the beautiful hats in the gift shop though.  Not a total waste. He He!





Ecclesiastes 4:9


Just Like Esther


I Believe


Isaiah 30:21


Serve


A Treasure


Having Faith


If


A Threefold Cord


If We Don't