THE LIGHTHOUSE...

This week we're looking a little more at our role as "lighthouses" for Jesus. Many of us have just lived through an earthquake and a hurricane. A clerk at the grocery store visited with me briefly, saying that there sure were a lot of people complaining, as they came through her line. She commented that it was refreshing for people to come through who didn't have some kind of a complaint. There's something about complaining that can just bring others down. Light? NOT!

We're spending some time, this week, looking at FORGIVENESS, especially how it relates to our transformed lives and being light to a dark world. Today, let's read through a few scriptures that Lori and I would like to share, beginning with this month's scripture memory focus:

Matthew 5

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

A little later in Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus addresses forgiveness in His Sermon on the Mount:

"For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

Scriptures that Lori shared with us on Monday, can be considered further before she addresses some transformational thoughts tomorrow about forgiveness.

Mark 11:25,26
"Whenever you stand praying, FORGIVE, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also FORGIVE you your transgressions. "But if you do not FORGIVE, neither will your Father who is in heaven FORGIVE your transgressions."

Matthew 18:21,22
Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I FORGIVE him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

~BLESSED~

THE LIGHTHOUSE... PRAISING GOD FOR FORGIVENESS...

I am so convinced that the storms of life are weathered when we "look up", "see the light", and choose to be grateful that we know the LIGHT OF THE WORLD and that He allows us to partner with Him as light of the world.

As this blog has addressed repeatedly this year - living out the Be-attitudes is to have the mind of Christ. It is that mind of Christ that is light and salt in a dark and tasteless world. There are a few threads that run through these attitudes.... one that I see is FORGIVENESS. I am thankful that I have been called to FORGIVE like Jesus, I have considered that:

• I must be poor in spirit to FORGIVE.


• I must have mourned over my own sin and the sins of a lost and dying world, to FORGIVE others.


• I must be willing to be meekly led by the Master to FORGIVE in His way as I live in His timing, not mine.


• I must hunger and thirst to FORGIVE because it is righteous.


• I must have mercy on the one whom I am FORGIVING.


• I must FORGIVE from a pure heart with pure motives.


• I must go in peace, as I FORGIVE.


• I must understand that even if I FORGIVE in all the above ways, I still may be persecuted.

Women who FORGIVE - shine! Thank You, Jesus for teaching us how it's done!

I'm grateful that Lori Hernandez is joining us this week with guest posts on the wonderful topic of FORGIVENESS. Here is Lori's second post of the week:

Yesterday I posed the question,

“Are there some things that are just

too awful for God to expect us to FORGIVE?”

I think the answer to that is a firm NO!

The only sin that is mentioned in scripture as being unforgivable

is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit,

as mentioned in Luke 10:12.

So how, then, can we move past

the anger,

disappointment,

and hurt

when someone acts against us with evil intent?

I think, first we need to look to God as our example as the One who FORGAVE first. Our Sunday morning class, has been reading the book, by Dr. Gary Chapman, Anger: Handling a Powerful Emotion in a Godly Way. Dr. Chapman says,

"God’s FORGIVENESS of us serves as the model of how we are to
FORGIVE others..."

PATTI'S NOTE: Today, join us in praising God for the way He FORGIVES! Join us again tomorrow for what scripture says about FORGIVENESS and then on Transforming Thursday for some profound thoughts from Lori about the transformative power of forgiveness.

~BLESSED~

THE LIGHTHOUSE...

SUNDAY IN THE SON

THE LIGHTHOUSE

lyrics as sung by ACAPPELLA

There's a Lighthouse on the hillside
That over looks life's sea
And when I'm tossed it sends out a light
That I might see
And the light that shines in darkness now
Will safely lead us o'er
If it wasn't for the Lighthouse
My ship would be no more

Chorus:
And I thank God for the Lighthouse
I owe my life to Him
For Jesus is the Lighthouse
And from the rocks of sin
He has shown a light around me
That I could clearly see
If it wasn't for the Lighthouse (tell me)
Where would this ship be?

Everybody that lives about us
Says tear that Lighthouse down
The big ships don't sail this way anymore
There's no use of it standing round
Then my mind goes back to that stormy night
When just in time I saw the light
Yes, the light from that old Lighthouse
That stands up there on the hill

Repeat Chorus

~BLESSED~

HE'S STILL WORKING ON ME... TO BE SALT AND LIGHT

TRANSFORMING THURSDAY

This post is almost identical to last Thursdays, because He's still working on me!

As a follower of Jesus Christ, I am to be like Him:


SALT of the earth

LIGHT of the world

SALT:

Alleviates, Attaches
Brightens, Bonds, Boils
Cleans, Converts
Deters, Detoxes, De-Ices, Deodorizes, Dissolves
Eases, Extinguishes, Exfoliates, Enhances, Eliminates
Flavors, Fills, Freshens
Gives, Gargles
Heals
Improves, Invigorates
Joins
Kills
Lengthens life
Melts
Neutralizes
Opens, Offends
Preserves, Purifies, Prevents, Polishes
Quells
Relieves, Repairs, Refreshes, Removes, Repels, Relaxes
S aves, Shines, Softens, Sets, Sweetens, Soothes, Satiates
Tames, Tests, Transforms
Unites, Upsets
Volumizes
Washes, Whips
eXaspperates, eXacerbates
Yellows, Yields
Zeroes

LIGHT:

A ttracts, Annoys
B rightens, Bonds
C ooks, Converts
D eters, Detoxes, De-Ices
E nhances
F unnels, Flickers, Foils
G ives, Grows
Heals
I lluminates, Improves, Invigorates
J oins, Jumbles
K ills
L engthens life, Leads
M elts
N avigates
O ffends
P urifies
Q ualifies
R elieves, Repairs, Refreshes, Repels, Relaxes
Shines, Saves, Shrinks, Shrivels, Soothes, Signals
T ransforms, Terrifies, Thaws, Travels, Transports
U nveils, Upsets
V erifies
W elcomes
eXasperates, eXacerbates
Y ellows
Z igs and Zags

Thank You, Jesus, for being patient with me!

~BLESSED~

HE'S STILL WORKING ON ME...TO BE LIGHT AND SALT...

Matthew 5:13-16

13 “You are the salt of the earth.

But if the salt loses its saltiness,

how can it be made salty again?
It is no longer good for anything,

except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.



14 “You are the light of the world.
A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Neither do people light a lamp
and put it under a bowl.

Instead they put it on its stand,

and it gives light to everyone in the house.



16 In the same way,
let your light shine before others,

that they may see your good deeds

and glorify your Father in heaven.

~BLESSED~

HE'S STILL WORKING ON ME... BY HIS SPIRIT....

This past week provided a fresh awakening for this tired soul. I am a deep believer in the transformational power of God's Holy Spirit in my life. One of the lists over on the right sidebar of this blog has been there a long time. It is the "short list" of what the Holy Spirit does in our lives. On Friday and Saturday Steve told me that God kept putting the Spirit in front of Him all week. People were asking questions about the Spirit in his Bible studies, he'd been handed a book about the Holy Spirit, he'd been asked to listen to a tape about the Holy Spirit, we attended a prayer and praise service at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Friday night that was Spirit-led / filled... Steve's lesson on Sunday morning was the first in a series on the Holy Spirit...

As I pondered how I am allowing the Holy Spirit to currently work in my own life, I was deeply aware of how God's Spirit had worked just in the last week. In fact, in order to be LIGHT OF THE WORLD and SALT OF THE EARTH, God's Spirit must be in the details.

The HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD... interceded for Transformed Mom, Kristy, last Tuesday morning when at an IEP meeting for her son with Pervasive Developmental Disorder, the school district made a dramatic 180 degrees turn to meet his needs that the family requested. I am grateful to have seen the process of trust, prayer, tears, frustration, persistence, prayers, endurance, patience, kindness, and victory.

The HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD... moves and inspires Transformed Mom Kelly to plan Bible classes for our 3rd and 4th graders in a way that is continuing to convict, empower, and transform her.

THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD... comforts and abides with our family as we go through great valleys with our daughter Jessica's chronic pain. This last two weeks Jessica's pain has been horrific due to the all time lows of barometric pressure here. With the barometric pressure higher today, God has sustained her with a positive attitude and a clear mind, as she is back to exercising this morning.

THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD... blesses me with times of refreshment, like this Sunday night when my hubby took me to Lancaster, PA to the American Music Theater. It was a time of much thought, inspiration, and Holy Spirit conviction as we listened to the Martins sing songs like this:

What about you? How can you finish one of these statements to show your gratitude for the work of God's Spirit in your life?

GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT indwells...

GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT blesses...

GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT helps...

GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT gives life...

GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT comforts...

GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT leads...

GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT empowers...

GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT bears witness...

GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT bears fruit...

GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT gifts...

GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT convicts...

GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT seals and pledges...

GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT fills...

GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT intercedes...

GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT fellowships...

GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT teaches...

GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT rejoices...

GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT abides...

GODS'S HOLY SPIRIT transforms...

“This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel:

‘Not by might nor by power,

but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.

~BLESSED~

HE'S STILL WORKING ON ME... THROUGH HIS SPIRIT...

MEDITATION MONDAY

I have had a very full, inspirational, and BLESSED weekend. It's quite possible that some of you have not. As God continues to work with us, in us, through us, and around us, life can still be hard, but God is still so good.

Friday evening Steve and I were in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center for a prayer and praise service. We gave praise and prayed to the ONE Who is able! He is able to be glorified by us through very difficult circumstances in our personal lives . He is able to change the city of Philadelphia, in spite of horrendous challenges/circumstances that permeate this "city of love and liberty". It was a time of great encouragement as we were led in thought by Jim Cymbala. He gave us "fresh wind and fresh fire" for the days ahead. He called us to be a "house of prayer" for this city, our nation, the lost and and especially for our children.

Saturday from 2:30 p.m. until midnight, I was involved in the wedding of a beautiful young couple. It was a great time of celebration for this young man in our church family who had lost his mother when he was very young. Matt and his sisters have been been taught by his father and paternal grandfather to love the LORD and live for Him. Saturday, Matt married Rachel whose older sister used these statements to describe this petite, home-schooled, LORD loving bride:

"The truth is, Rachel, that pound-for-pound you've got more grit and determination than anyone I know. Pound-for-pound you are the most loyal friend I could ever find. Pound-for-pound you stick to your convictions more than anyone else. Maybe when we were kids, you did need me to look after you. But since we've become, dare I say it? Adults? You've given me more reason to look up to you than to look out for you. I am so proud..."

Sunday morning, Steve's sermon challenged us to be people not only who were worshippers in TRUTH, but in SPIRIT.

John 4:24 says,

"God is spirit,

and His worshipers must worship

in the Spirit and in truth.”

The more we learn to keep step with the Spirit, worshipping Him with our lives, allowing Him to permeate our hearts, we will become an integral part of His plan. Steve shared that the more each of us are in tune with God's Spirit, God will use us to meet each others needs. He shared about a time when a young woman listened to the Holy Spirit to encourage him in a powerful way. You can read about it and hear Alexis Joi HERE.

Last night, Steve and I went to Lancaster, PA for an evening at the American Music Theatre. My spirit has been encouraged in multiple ways this weekend. It culminated by being inspired, challenged, and encouraged by THE MARTINS. After pausing the Playlist above, I encourage you to listen to one of my favorite songs of the evening HERE.

~BLESSED~