Another word

Well today I made it all the way to Ephesians 4:2 before I had to stop and look up a word. The word for today is "bearing".
  Here is the verse where it is used: "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."  What did bearing mean here.  After asking myself that question I did what I normally do in situations like this, went to Dictionary.com (my favorite website). The definition that stood out to me was "to suffer, endure, undergo". Next stop Strong's concordance.  Could not find that word in Ephesians because a different word was used in the King James Version so that meant I needed to find what word was used there.  KJV used the word "forbear"  which means "put up with, endure"


Bearing, in this verse, does not mean to help another person with their burden but to learn how to put up with an annoying person and to do it with love!  


I am sure we all know that person who just irritates us to no end. Guess what, we are to be patient with that person, putting up with them in love. Now as I read this, it does not mean we have to be best friends, do lunch or chat on the phone but it means love them, tolerate them, learn to work with them for purpose of promoting the Gospel. 


I know this is not easy or fun to do but if we are to be the body of Christ and we are to have unity this is something we have to work on.  Ephesians 4 talks about unity in the body and that unity is not for our purpose but for God's.  If we have unity that means we are willing to put aside our differences in order to do the job God has called us to do so that God's word is spread and the body becomes stronger.


Now on to Ephesians 5.  Wonder what word will pop up there.

A word.

I have just started reading Ephesians and I made it all the way to chapter 1 verse 8 before I had to stop and look up a word in the dictionary.

Ephesians 1:7-8 read, "In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding."  The word that caught my eye is the word "lavished". So off to the dictionary I went to find the real definition of that word.  I say real because I know what that word means but it must mean something more than I think.

Lavished: "to expend or give in great amounts or without limit".  This is a verb which means God is doing an action. That action being expended in great amounts without limit is: redemption, forgiveness, wisdom and understanding.  There is no limit on God. He will expend His love and forgiveness to us without end. Accept that no matter what you have done God can/will forgive and that there is NO limit on his love and forgiveness.

Ok time to get started on verse 9.

What to wear today

I have an interesting thought process. A thought will pop in my head and I will think about that and then a related rabbit trail will appear and I take that which leads me to another thought which of course I follow which again I will veer off on yet one more rabbit trail. Fortunately these rabbit trails do have something to do with the original thought.

So here was my original thought one Sunday morning. “What am I going to wear?” So as I began to ponder what life changing quetion the first rabbit trail popped up. Which was how amazing that “we” pull out our finest or our good stuff for church. I mean when Jesus was preaching I am sure the people did not run home first pull out their “good” stuff then go listen to him preach. No they just went. (this is still my rabbit trail thought). That lead to me thinking how people “dress” for church. Many people do wear their Sunday clothes because there is a need to look nice for church.

Well as I was thinking this the next rabbit trail curved and of course I took it. This desire to look nice on Sunday cannot hide what is inside of us. We can look wonderful on the outside and still be stinky on the inside. In Matthew 23:27 Jesus talks about the teachers of the law being “whitewashed” tombs. Looking good on the outside, where everyone can see, yet stinking and rotting on the inside. There is nothing we can do to clean ourselves up enough to make us look good to God. We can shower, put on LOTS of perfume or body spray but that won't make us clean.

It is Jesus who desires to clean us up from the inside no matter how “dirty” we are. He wants to wash away the stink and to make us look good on the inside, if we would let Him. John 3:5-8 tells of the time Jesus was going to wash the disciples feet and of course Peter was like Oh no you won't! But Jesus said if I don't you can't be part of me. In other words Jesus WANTS to clean the dirt so we can be together. Also there is no stink or dirt that is so bad that Jesus would not touch it. Remember He was washing the disciples feet and I know how feet can smell!

Let Jesus do the house cleaning inside. There is nothing so bad that He can't clean it.

Thus ends the rambling thoughts of one Sunday morning.

Out of the mouth comes....

As you probably remember I am doing a study on Psalm 51 and today looked at verse 15 " O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise."  A point made by the author was what comes out of our mouth matters.  She referenced Proverbs 4:23-24 " Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. 24 Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips."  (I would encourage everyone to read all of Psalm 51)

Wonderful words to not only live by but to practice.  The following is an exert from the study that I thought really made this point. 



"Several weeks ago, I read a very nice article about some well-known individuals in popular society. I thought this was a delightful story. When I finished, I scrolled down on my computer and I must tell you, I could not continue reading. The comments people had written were so vile, so caustic, so cruel – I found the verbiage horrid – something I can assure you I didn’t desire to fill my mind or heart with. People will say, “Well, we live in a new day of the internet where people can write ‘Anonymously’, so they just say anything they want.” Well, according to the Bible, “anonymous” trash is still trash. “Anonymous” words of cruelty are still cruel. “Anonymous” words of toxin still poison the heart. From the issues of our hearts, if not censored by heaven, boundaries are broken and what was once only a thought becomes words and turns into actions.

If you don’t believe me, ask David, for in the Bible, he makes it clear, as does his son Solomon, that what was once only a thought, can become expressed in words and then carried out in actions. The lustful “thoughts” of David toward Bathsheba, became “words” of order to Joab the king’s battle general, and the order turned into “action” when the opposing army murdered Uriah, on behalf of David, I might add! Thoughts. Words. Actions.

This is why David asked God to censor his words. And I asked myself, “What if I did the same?” What if every word you and I spoke, what if every word we wrote, had only one purpose – to praise our Father and to be grateful for all He does for us? Wouldn’t we live in a different world!"   Dorothy Valcàrcel

Pardon

Who knew the word of the day would come around so soon.  I was reading a devotional and the word "pardon" came up and you know what happens next, off to the dictionary.

Now I know what pardon means (well basically). You hear it every Thanksgiving when the lucky turkey gets pardoned.  Which in his case means he does not get cooked for dinner. But what does it mean for us?
Pardon: 

a release from the penalty of an offense; a remission of penalty, as by a governor.

the document by which such remission is declared.

forgiveness of a serious offense or offender

The devotional I have been reading is taking Psalm 51 apart verse by verse.  I would encourage everyone to read this because it is a wonderful Psalm. Here David is going before God with his sin, confessing it and looking to God for forgiveness, pardon, a new heart, a right spirit.  Before reading Psalm 51 I would strongly suggest reading 2 Samuel 11-12. 

Notice the cool thing about the word pardon.  It is a RELEASE from the penalty of an offense.  This means when we confess our sin and ask for forgiveness we are freed. We don't need to keep going back to God asking for His forgiveness over and over and we don't need to beat ourselves up because we made a mistake (sinned) we are freed from that sin and the penalty attached to it. This is what David is doing in Psalm 51 seeking God's forgiveness and accepting it. David knew he needed to be "pardoned" and he knew the only one who could do it was God.

I read the following quote the other day and thought it was great so wanted to share it (again).

“If He (God) hides the sin, or lesseneth it, He is faulty; if He leaves it still upon us, we die. He must then take our iniquity to Himself, make it His own, and so deliver us for thus having taken the sin upon Himself, as lawfully He may, and lovingly He doth, it followeth that we live if He lives; and who can desire more?”
John Bunyan

 Don't be afraid to go before God and confess. What He desires is to pardon (forgive) because He wants the relationship with you (us) restored.

 

Enable

I like words. In fact at times words can distract me. Like today during the sermon the pastor said the word "enable".  Now I cannot tell you what the sentence was that he used that word in because I  was distracted by the word itself.  So of course I had to make a note to look up the word when I got home and fortunately I was able to get back into the sermon.

As many know I work as a Christian counselor so when I hear the word "enable" I think negative.  Things like enabling someone in their addiction or behavior or whatever.  I have worked with clients who enable spouses or children or friends and it is never good.  Yet even though I do not remember the sentence the pastor used I do remember the word enable was used in a positive way. Now on to my favorite part of words: looking them up in the dictionary.

ENABLE:

1. to make able;  give power, means, competence, or ability to; authorize

2.to make possible or easy:

3. to make ready; equip

Amazing there does not seem to be anything negative about that word.  Look at the first meaning from the perspective of the Bible.  God gives us the ability to do His work. Competency does not come from us but from God. (1 Cor. 1:18, 1 Cor. 2:5). God enables us.

"Make ready; equip" Hebrews 13:20-21 talks about God equipping (enabling) us for everything. So when we say things like "I am just not equipped for this task" we are wrong because God HAS equipped us, or to use my word of the day, enabled us for everything.

  

So I encourage you all: Be enabled!

Look forward to sharing the next word that distracts me!