Appreciate Your Blessings

Who is wise, and who is foolish? Who is rich and who is poor? Who is healthy, who is sick? Who is happy, and who is sad? It’s not an easy question to answer. Everything is, of course, relative. More importantly, it all depends on our perspective.

Deuteronomy 11: 26 says, “See I give you this day a blessing and a curse.” How we see will determine what we see. Whether your life is a blessing or a curse can depend more on your own perspective than on the hard realities on the ground.

I think of the people of Ukraine today. Those who are still living there and those who managed to get out with one or two suitcases in which to pack up all their life’s possessions. Can we even begin to imagine the hardships they are enduring? What about our own grandparents or great grandparents who left to escape the holocaust on ships to the new world? Many of them came with not more than the shirts on their backs, and they had to start from scratch just to survive. In comparison our lives are a breeze. Even those who are suffering financial pressures are living in luxury compared to them.

There’s a Hebrew proverb that says. “the troubles of the many are half a comfort.” The idea is that although times may be tough, the fact that many others are going through similar difficulties somehow eases our pain.

When I think back to the story’s of my Hungarian grandmother telling me how difficult her life was and her time coming to America to escape the holocaust. I have to shed a tear. But them I remember she always happy, no matter what she went through, even the dirt floor houses and the fire pit in the middle, her husband and 5 children sleeping in one room to stay warm. She survived many things in her lifetime, but she always appreciated the small things.

If you have food in your fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and a place to sleep, you are richer that 75% of the world.

If you have money in the bank, your wallet, and some spare change, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the millions of people who will not survive this week

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the agony of imprisonment or torture, or the horrible pangs of starvation, you are luckier that 759 million people alive or suffering.

Many men and women have fought for what you have right now. Your freedom, to speak, and act in a certain way. Whether you hate them and this great American flag and Anthem. Someone fought so you could hate it.

If you read this message, you are more than 3 billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

We will all be far happier and realize how much we have to be grateful for, if we know how to see the blessing, rather than the curse. By developing perspective in life, we learn how to count our blessings. Only then do we realize how truly blessed we really are, and how truly happy we can be.

“See, I give you this day a blessing…“

The Cycle Of Teshuvah

Teshuvah, or Repentance

In Jewish tradition, repentance is called Teshuvah, a Hebrew word translated as “retuning.” One of the Hebrew words for sin is chet, which in Hebrew means “to go astray.” The idea of repentance in Jewish thought is a return to the path of righteousness.

Teshuvah can be done at any time, but the High Holiday season, and Yom Kippur especially, is considered an especially auspicious time for it. The process of repentance, is laid out in three stages:

  • Confession
  • Regret
  • And A Vow not to repeat the misdeed

The true penitent, is the one who finds himself with the opportunity to commit the same sin again yet declines to do so. Prayer, charity and fasting are also said to help one win forgiveness.

There are two categories of sin in Jewish thought:

1. Sins against God: infractions, such as breaking the Sabbath or eating non-kosher food.

2. Sins against other people: Acts such as theft or slander.

According to Jewish tradition, only sins against God can be atoned for through confession, regret and promising not to repeat the action. Sins against other can be atoned for once the wrong has been made right – restitution has been paid for a financial crime, for example, and forgiveness received from the victim.

In the Hebrew colander, the month of Elul begins this Sunday, August 28th and concludes on October 5th, the Day of Atonement (Yon Kippur). The 10 Days of Awe begin at sunset September 25th.

Scripture teaches that our prayers and aims come up as a memorial before God. As a remembrance for future blessings. Some of the greatest breakthroughs have occurred personally and as a nation during this season, Especially during the Days of Awe between The Feast of Trumpets and Atonement. This is the time in which the doors of heaven are opened for the decisions to be decreed for the following year – 5783.

Three Ways God Makes All Things New

New is always great. New sounds like potential an opportunity…Unless I think about it you much. Then it sounds like canes in the unknown.

Things become new every year. Every year I promise myself instead of fearing the unknown I will choose you hope in the known. So what is known about you? What do I do with it true that I can securely placed my hope in? I know this – that God is the author of new. And since He authors every good and perfect thing I can trust that every new situation will bring good and perfect thing. I can trust that every new situation will have some good in it. James 1:17 promises “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

New is one of God’s promises to us, and we know that all his promises are fulfilled in Jesus Christ (2 Coronavirus 1:20). As believers our hope ultimately rest in the promises that Christ will come back or us and one day make all things new (Revelation 21:5). But what about the here and now? What can I hang my hope – hat on today, tomorrow and every other day? Luckily, scripture is full of accounts that show us how God makes things new for his glory and for the good of his people. Lets look at a few of them and I hope that they bring:

He Restores

I love God more for his ability to restore. He restores us to a little right relationship with him through the gift of forgiveness and justification. He is able to restore earthly relationships. And He can even restore days and years that have been lost two of the effects of sin (Joel 2:25). That Has to be the greatest evidence of the extravagant nature of God’s mercy. Not only can He renew ally and redeem its future, but He can also redeem its past.

Our hope rests in the promise that Christ will come back for us one day and make all things new.

In scripture, we say God’s power of restoration countless times. When Jacob was finally reunited with his lost son Joseph, he described the grief-filled days of his life as “few and evil” (Genesis 47:9). But in his last days, through God’s mercy, Jacob was able to look back on his life and see that God had been a shepherd all along and that he had been redeemed from the evil that one’s marked is life (Genesis 48:115-16). In the account of Ruth, we see God take a family whose name face extinction and not only restore to them a secure future but knit them into his grand story of a redemption by placing them in Jesus’s family line.

In the New Testament, we see Jesus live a ministry of restoration. He restore sight to the blind, the ability to walk to the crippled, hearing to the deaf, and new clean skin to the deceased (Mark: 8:22-26; Matthew 9:2-8: Mark 7:31-37; Luke 5:12-25). In all of these accounts, Jesus didn’t just feel a condition. He restore life, security, and hope to broken people.

What has God been stored for you? Time? Relationships? What are you hoping for and Christ in your situations. God has restored my family, healed me of cancer, taking away my sin. And I have the satisfaction of knowing I will always be protected, he is always watching out for me.

He Renames

Names carried a lot of significance in scripture. Throughout the Bible, people are introduced to us by name and by meanings of their name. Eve Was “ The mother of all the living.” Isaac was “laughter.” And Samuel was “asked of God” (Genesis 3:20; 21:6; Samuel 1:20),

What’s even more significance is the renaming of people in scripture. When God gave someone a new name, it was always a sign of renewed purpose and a redeemed life. God change Abrams name to Abraham to signify His promise to make him a father of many (Genesis 17:5). He change the names of Hosea’s children from No mercy and Not My People to My loved One and My People to symbolize His love for Israel and His plan to redeem her from idolatry (Hosea 1:2). Simon became Peter, and Saul became Paul when they became Jesus‘s disciples ( Matthew 4:18; Acts 13:9). They receive new identity in Christ as a they forsook live in the flesh.

While me we may not actually receive new names when we become Christ followers, we certainly receive new identities. My name Kathrine is a great reminder to me that I’m a pioneering woman, highly focused and achievement oriented, my name is Hebrew means pure. Because of Christ sacrifice, I am walking why did Snow, pure and clean. I get to wake up and put it on God’s righteousness every day as if it was my own.

So as I look forward to new situations I can trust and hope in my identity in Christ. I know that, no matter how I fail, God tender mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). He made me worthy of my name and called me His in Christ.

If you are in Christ, you have been given a new name, a new identity. You are living according to your new name with renewed purpose in redemption.

He Resurrects

God make dead things alive again. Literally. He has power over death in every sense, and He demonstrated that to us when He raised Jesus from the grave. Scripture says that, as believers, we have the same power dwelling as in us. It’s what gives life who are dead souls (Romans 8:11).

I can’t get easily discouraged when I think about how many times I’ve failed and given into temptation… just in the last week. End it makes the idea of fighting this battle for another year of Seen overwhelming. But this truth, that I have the same power that raised Christ from the grace dwelling in me, gives me great hope. If I lay down my weak, flawed existence every day, I can trust that God will resurrect it with a new life and new grace.

Do you trust in God‘s power to resurrect? Are you living in the truth that God can bring new life to your soul every day? Or are you living as one defeated by shame and sin?

All Things New

As I begin every day, I’m committed to hope in God’s power you make things new. He restores lost time, bestows new identities, and creates new life. He offers renewed mercy to His own each day. He promises good plans for His people, plans that include a hopeful future (Jeremiah 29:11).

So rather than seeing the start of another day as a daunting task to be met or an unknown to be feared, my prayer is that I can trust God’s sovereignty over new. There will be new blessings, new trials, new failures, and a new victories, but His goodness will guard them all.

The Benefits Of Toxic Interactions

“Toxic” has become a buzz win the last few decades, and we are continually encouraged to rid ourselves and protect ourselves from toxic people, situations, and relationships. That may be good advice, but it isn’t always practical. Why? Because sometimes, it isn’t easy to leave your job or relationship, and people with e generational are all around us no matter how much positive energy we exude; they are part of the landscape. So unless we self-isolate, we’re going to get exposed to people with a certain amount of negative vibes, and yes toxicity.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who haven’t learned strategies for living a positive life, managing stress or up overcoming their past trauma (I should know I lived with these toxic behaviors for years), Sometimes, they don’t behave like nice people. We should avoid toxicity when possible, but when you happen to be in a negative environment with negative people, you can try and reap the benefits.

As with everything else seemly negative there are benefits to toxic interactions.

Here are some that you can consider:

1. Learning A Lesson

Ask yourself: “what can I learn from this? Some, it’s patience, sometimes compassion and sometimes it’s how to rectify the same quality in ourselves.

A Rabbi named Baal Shem Tov, speaks of how a fault we see in another should serve as a manner in which we should seek the same fault – perhaps in a more subtle guise in ourselves. Otherwise, we would not have perceived it in another.

Ask your what the reason is and how you can apply it. It’s the theater of life, and the Director is putting you in the show. Try to respond the way you would if toy had an audience watching you. And you usually do. Everyone watches to see how others deal with difficult people. If we learn from one another how to do this, we might have fewer difficulties.

2. Give Of Yourself.

Try to discover what you can teach/give the other person. Challenge yourself to find something you can share with the other person that will make them better or happier.

Difficult people are often expressing a surfeit of pain and bitterness. Try and sweeten their life a little bit by understanding their pain, where it comes from and what you can do about it.

3. Embrace Gratitude.

It’s important sometimes to be exposed to the negativity in the world in order to appreciate the value of good in our own lives. Thank God, our situation has not reached some points of toxicity, and that we are not that grouchy, dismal person. (A least thank God, I’m not like that anymore).

4. Create More Good In The World.

Another benefit is that although exposure to toxic people can be stressful, it acts as a stimulus to make you more positive almost in self-defense. It’s sort of like an oyster secreting more pearl over the irritant that had entered its shell.

You may find that you are trying to cancel out the other person’s negativity with your own positivity, generating more positivity. Some, you may even succeed in rubbing off on them.

A Rabbi named Menachen Mendak once said: The loftier the soul, the greater the challenges and darkness surrounding it, like the most valuable pearl which is set in the largest encasement.

5. Uncover The Good.

Sometimes, people are very negative because they’re projecting their own feeling of low self-worth out into the world. If you can find something good about the person and reflect it back to them, that will soothe and temper their irascibility.

You can always find something nice to say about a person if you play detective and look good and hard.

I was listening to a speaker, a few years back, He told of a time when he was in his office and a man, visited his office every day to try and stir up trouble with him. The speaker said it was so bad, he felt like leaving every time the man would enter. One day he decided to try a different approach toward him. He starting saying the man “ You are sure a nice dresser, you’re always dressed in nice clothing.” Every time he seen the man he would compliment him on his clothing. After a while the man wasn’t as annoying as he was before. The speaker actually got him a job at a Taylor shop in the town he lived.

6. Speak Creativity.

Although you can’t always take a pause from someone, you can often take a break from them. If you take the initiative to find strategies to spend less time with them, it may ease the situation. Like the speaker that found something good to say to the annoying man by finding him a job. It sometimes calls on us to be creative and sensitive, and take initiative. Think of it like a sort of a game,

7. Learn To Protect Your Boundaries And Shine Your Sunshine.

There is a very important service that toxic people perform for you. They teach you to understand your limitations and protect your borders. They reinforce the idea that we have to be kind to ourselves in order to help others. And once we give ourselves the self-love we need, we are more flexible about being able to give it to others, even difficult people.

So accept the fact that someone you know might bother you or bring you down. But having taken steps to protect yourself from their negative influence with kindness, you will then be able to open yourself up a little bit and give them some of your own light.

It might not work all the time, but we are called to be a light.

As a people, we are exhorted to be a light among the nations (Isaiah 42:6). As individuals, we can be a light to one another.

Resist The Devil, But How?

Whether as accuser, adversary, or destroyer, it is clear that the devil is the enemy.

Having been created by God as the chief among angelic beings, the devil would not abuse his station but instead tried to usurp God Almighty. The devils pride and covetousness were his undoing. God cast the devil out of heaven along with the rebellious angels who we now know as demons. The devil and his demons will spend eternity in the lake of fire prepared for them (Matthew 25:41). Ever since his rejection from the heavenly sphere, the devil has made it his purpose to destroy the works of God (John 10:10).

It is the primary purpose for the devil to steal, kill, and destroy everything good in the world, God’s people, and God’s creation, it is also of primary importance to point out that we can resist the devil by the power of God, not our own (Zechariah 4:6; John 15:5; 2 Corinthians 12:9), God has given His Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, to all who are trusting in Christ, for salvation (Romans 8:9). The same Spirit that enabled Jesus to successfully ward off the devil’s forty-day campaign in the desert has been given to believers (Mark 1:13). The first step of resisting the devil is submitting to God. We are made right with God through the sacrifice of Jesus, and then in our lives, we submit to Him by responding to the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. Additionally, God has not left us defenseless in our battle against that ancient evil dragon but has provided us with a complete set of armor (Ephesians 6:10-20). God has given us the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness of, gophel shoes, and the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit and prayer.

The truth of God’s Word, the sword of the Spirit, acts as both a defensive and offensive weapon. God’s truth protects us from the devil’s lies and is used to proclaim the truth of the gospel. Our loins are to be girded with truth, meaning that the truth of God provides stability and core support. A “belt” is also a place where flowing tunics could be gathered up to enable feet to move freely. God’s truth gives us not only structure and support but freedom to not be entangled (John 8: 31-33; Hebrew 12:1-2). It is because of God’s truth that we know we are made righteous in Christ, and through His truth that we live out this righteousness in practice. The righteousness that comes through faith in Christ acts as a breastplate and the shield to protect us from the devil’s assaults on our hearts (Romans 3:22; Philippians 1:11). The gospel shoes give us peace, which helps enable us to stand firm and also acts as our protector. The helmet of salvation secures our minds 1 Corinthians 2:16 says that “we have the mind of Christ.” Romans 12:2 tells us to “be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” The helmet of salvation assures us that we are eternally saved by God. And it also functions as words of ongoing salvation to deliver us from the power of sin. When our minds are secure in Christ, we can better resist the devil. And often forgotten weapons in the battle against the devil is prayer. It’s some of the most crucial moments in the life of Christ. He prepared himself through prayer (Matthew 26:36-46; Hebrews 5:7).

All of these spiritual weapons are wielded by believers In the power of the Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ. God has provided everything we need to defend ourselves against the cunning and devious acts up he who disguises him so as an angel of light (2 Peter 1:3; 2 Corinthians 11:14). It is by faith in Christ and the power in the Holy Spirit that we overcome both the world and the devil (John 5:4-5). We resist the devil when, when like Christ we resist temptation. Resist the devil by refusing to worship anyone or anything other than God (Matthew 4:8-19). We resist the devil by living on the very word of God and not merely on bread (Matthew 4:2-4).

Finally, why Mr. devil for you when we resist him in this manner? Simply put, the devil mostly when we kissed him with a spiritual weapons because he who lives in us (Jesus Christ) is greater than the devil (1John 4:4). Just like a demon scour and shriek in the frightful care before the presence of Christ, the devil must flee from us when we resist him because he Christ dwells in us (Matthew 8:29; Romans 8:19; Colossians 1:27). Christ to triumphed over the Devils attacks an accusation by defeating the powers of sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). When the devil accuses a question of sin and guilt, the Christian care appeal to the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13; Hebrews 9:26). When the devil attacks a Christian with doubts about God‘s promises and goodness, the question can counter with a sword of the Spirit. God has thoroughly equipped the believer of Christ to resist the devil and caused him to flee.

Hearing The Still Small Voice Of God

7 Keys

Will God speak to me and if so, how will I know it’s His voice I am hearing?

John 10:27 says, “His sheep hear and know His voice.” God longs to speak to us all.

Here are 7 keys to hearing God’s voice:

Be Aware

We need to be aware that God still speaks today. In 1 Samuel 3 we read “the word was rare in those days” and when God called Samuel’s name, neither he not Eli the priest knew it was God. But God was persistent until He made a connection with Samuel. It is within that connection that God communicated with him, but Samuel first had to respond to the voice of God. It is the same with us; we must be aware of God’s invitation for connection, so we can respond to it.

Just like Samuel, we can respond in faith and ask; “God is that You? If so I am listening.

So, Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘ Speak, Lord, for your servant Is listening.’ So Samuel went and lay down I his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as the other times, Samuel! Samuel! Then Samuel said, “Speak For your servant is listening” ( 1 Samuel 3:9-10).

I personally don’t recall God calling my name, I was still so lost when I began going to church, I would go and here the message and then hurry and leave so I wouldn’t have to talk to anyone. After about 6 months I decided to get baptized after talking to the Pastor. I chose to give my life to Jesus without knowing very much. And after the baptism I still didn’t know very much. But I wanted to learn. I began talking to God as I would an ordinary person. All I knew was I had to break down a huge wall that I had built around myself before I could expect anyone to enter my heart.

Be Discerning

We need to be aware that not all things we hear or receive are from God. There are many voices crying for our attention at any given time, but the three big one are, God, Satan, and ourselves. I was so used to hearing Satan tear me down, I had let him intimidate me for a very long time. Along with all the other derogatory things I told myself.

John 10:7, says “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” We can learn to discern whose voice is speaking to us. But, we must be patient and quiet and listen to that still small voice.

1 John 4, says, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirit ps to see if they are from God. God will never tell you something, that is not in His word (the Bible). If it not in His word it wasn’t from God.

I was so paranoid that God wasn’t going to forgive me and accept me. I spent all day apologizing to Him for every sin I had done in my entire life. I was in a grocery store parking lot the first time God spoke to me. It was a hot June day. I heard him say “Kathy, Kathy, I have forgiven you.” I immediately started crying. From that time one I knew that 100% God was true.

Be Expectant

God is speaking all the time.we just need to learn to discern His voice from all the others to if you will tune into His frequency. We should expect that God wants to speak to us and be eager to hear from Him when He does. We need to believe and expect God will speak to us just as He did with individuals throughout the Scriptures. It’s not a once in a lifetime conversation, it’s a daily ongoing one.

He says, “Call to Me and I will answer you. And I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know” ( Jeremiah 33:3).

Be Available

Yes, God is speaking all the time, but we are often too busy to notice. We need to make ourselves available to hear from God. This means being intentional to set aside time for Him to speak to us. Part of being available is also being ready and willing to respond when God speaks to us. God longs to move His people in obedience.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

Be In The Word

When God speaks to you, it will never be contrary to the word of God not contradict His character or nature. In order to know these things about God, we need to know what the Bible says about who He is and what His character is, If we are in the Word and know what it says about God, then we can confidently discern we are hearing from God.

“Every Scripture has been written by the Ho,y Spirit, the breath of God. It will empower you by its instruction and correction, giving you the strength to take the right direction and lead you deeper into the path of godliness. Then you will be God’s servant, fully mature and perfectly prepared to fulfill any assignment God gives you” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Be In Relationship

God designed us for a relationship with Him and with others. Relationships by design includes two-way conversations. Just ad Adam and Eve walked and talked with God in the Garden, it is His desire to have the same kind of relationship with us today. God wants to communicate with us on a daily basis. He wants an ongoing conversation that continues throughput the day, week, months, and years. We are called friends of God.

“No longer do I call you servants for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15).

Be Humble

God doesn’t speak to the specific people, He speaks to us all. We must recognize that hearing God speak is a normal part of our lives as a Christ follower. But we also must not allow pride to sneak into our hearts as we begin to hear from Him. Staying in humility positions us to fully receive and respond to the messages God may share with us.

“For the Lord takes delight in His pay; He crowns the humble with victory“ (Psalm 149:4).