“X” – Blogging A to Z

April 28th, 2014 dsisler

During the month of April, I’ve chosen to blog through the alphabet. Each day I will use a letter to share a Name of the Lord that begins with that letter based on Proverbs 18:10 and the fact that there is strength in the Lord’s Name. I pray you’ll be blessed and that you’ll stop by often.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10 – NIV

 

Χριστός (Christos)

 

The late 70’s and early 80’s brought some exciting music to my world. Songwriters like Bill Tewson, Cam Floria, Jimmy and Carol Owens created musicals that touched the young people of my high school and college years. These songs have remained with me through the years.

 

In The Witness written by Jimmy and Carol Owens, Peter’s account of his encounters with Jesus were brought to life through music and lyric. In one of songs, Peter shares his great confession of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. While I cannot find the lyrics to this song anywhere on the internet, I did find a link. If you’d like to listen to “Life Giver/You Are the Christ” (The Witness Musical), by clicking here.

 

Peter’s confession is found in Matthew 16. During a teaching moment, Jesus asked His beloved disciples what was being said about Him. Jesus didn’t need to know what the people were saying, He knew. But Jesus wanted His disciples to come to a conclusion on their own.

 

After hearing what others said about Jesus, Jesus then asked, “But what about you? Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15 – NIV)

 

Peter made the statement that we’ve all come to cherish and love in answer to Jesus’ question. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16 – NIV) Peter knew in that moment who Jesus was and he believed.

 

When Peter said that Jesus was the Christ, what did he mean? The word Christ is translated from the Greek word Christos (Χριστός – there’s my x). Christos means “anointed one” and it refers to one being set apart for a specific purpose.

 

When Israel begged God for a king, God’s instructions were to anoint the chosen king. Each king was set apart to rule Israel by God’s guidelines.

 

By the time Jesus came into this world, Israel hadn’t had a king in a very long time. However, they were looking for the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One whom God would send to restore their nation. They were looking for an earthly king, so it’s no wonder many missed the Christ.

 

After Jesus’ ascension, the Church exploded with growth. The Good News spread throughout the lands and the disciples of Jesus were first called Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:26).

 

These early Christians were also persecuted for their beliefs and some had to go into hiding. Historians tell of church services held in catacombs and secret symbols or words. The symbol of the fish became important for the early Christian. Its meaning was even more important.

 

IchthusPerhaps you’ve heard the word Ichthus before. These were the first letters of each letter within the fish. They stood for “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior.” These Names of the Lord were life givers to the early Christians.

 

We as Christians today may not face the persecution of the early Church, but we do wear the Name of Jesus. Christian. I pray that we would not take His Name for granted and would proudly and boldly proclaim the Christ, just as Peter did long ago.

 

Yesterday in our worship services at Rocky, we baptized 47 people. Each of them made a statement of faith. Peter’s statement of faith. They were asked if they believed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Their response led to their immersion.

 

Maybe you haven’t recited this statement in a while. Perhaps you need to be reminded of who Jesus is and what He has done for you. If so, I ask you, who do you say that Jesus is? Let’s say it all together. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Break #4 – Blogging A to Z

April 27th, 2014 dsisler

Through the month of April, I am blogging through the alphabet. Each day of the month corresponds with a letter of the alphabet, but on Sunday’s, there is a reprieve from this structure. We are able to write anything we like.

 

So as usual, I will share a post from the past. One that I really enjoyed writing or one that I need to read on that particular day.

 

Have a beautiful Sunday!

 

National Gumdrop Day

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gumdrop

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gumdrop

I bet you didn’t know that there was such a thing! Well guess what? There is! It is always on February 15 and can you imagine the flavors and the colors that go along with that day? Personally, I don’t like gumdrops. I don’t care for the flavors. Which is a story in itself.

 

Over the past year, I’ve tried to lose weight…so I’ve changed how I comment on certain foods. In the past I’ve said, “I don’t like fruits and vegetables.” Now I say, “Fruits and vegetables are good.” I’m learning. But gumdrops are fake fruit. I still don’t like fake fruit, like Kool Aid, popsicles, etc. Now I can get back to gumdrops.

 

So on February 15, the colorful little drops of sugar should be prevalent wherever you are. I do love the colors of these confections. Bright and cheery. Bold and screaming, “Hey! Look at me! I’m a gumdrop!”

 

The flavors are vibrant as well. When you bite into one, that fake fruit flavor is there. I know most people love that flavor.

 

And of course, the texture is probably the most memorable thing. It is crunchy on the outside because of the sugar and the inside is firm jell. You know you are eating a gumdrop when you eat a gumdrop.

 

There’s even a song about gumdrops. “Goody, goody gumdrops. My heart is doing flip flops. See what love can do. I’m gonna shout it from the roof tops. Goody, goody gumdrops. With a girl like you.”[i] I’ll be singing that song for a while!

 

Regardless of whether you like gumdrops or not, they are fun. They can be used in crafts, cooking, and for snacking. They can be spiced or non-spiced. For some, they may get stuck in your teeth, for others, you might lose a tooth by eating a gumdrop.

 

I suspect you’re wondering what God has to teach us about gumdrops. Well here it is.

 

As a Christian, we may be bright and cheery and seek attention. We may be tough on the outside, but gooey on the inside. We may be spicy or plain. But regardless of what we are, we cannot be fake. We must be genuine.

 

So let’s look at Romans 12 to see how we are to live a genuine, Christ-like life.

 

Live sacrificially – Romans 12:1

Live humbly – Romans 12:3, 16

Live in unity – Romans 12:4-5

Live as gifted – Romans 12:6-8

Live lovingly – Romans 12:9-10

Live zealously – Romans 12:11

Live joyfully in hope – Romans 12:12

Live patiently in affliction – Romans 12:12

Live faithfully in prayer – Romans 12:12

Live generously – Romans 12:13

Live hospitably – Romans 12:13

Live harmoniously – Romans 12:16

Live fairly – Romans 12:17

Live peaceably – Romans 12:18

Live well – Romans 12:23

 

Now that is quite a list! As we fill our hearts with these words, we’re able to see how to live lives that are not fake. But we also know that without the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit, living this way would be improbable. No, impossible.

 

As we allow God’s Spirit to produce good fruit in our lives, the guidelines in Romans 12 become doable. Our desire to live in such a way grows within us. It becomes imperative that our lives are no longer considered fake, but genuine.

 

There is another verse in this chapter that will help us as well. Romans 12:2 (NIV) says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what god’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

 

You see, if we live as the world lives and think as the world thinks, we will be fake. Satan, the great deceiver, is the ruler of this world. There can be nothing genuine where he reigns.

 

But when we are transformed into what God wants us to be, we are able to be genuine. We are genuine because our God is genuine. Then when we are transformed, our minds will be renewed. Renewed for genuineness.

 

The next time you pick up a gumdrop, think of how God wants you to live. Not as a fake, or phony “Christian,” but as a genuine, living-life-to-the-full, Christ follower.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna


[i] Goody, Goody Gumdrops, 1910 Fruitgum Company, 1968

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“W” – Blogging A to Z

April 26th, 2014 dsisler

During the month of April, I’ve chosen to blog through the alphabet. Each day I will use a letter to share a Name of the Lord that begins with that letter based on Proverbs 18:10 and the fact that there is strength in the Lord’s Name. I pray you’ll be blessed and that you’ll stop by often.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10 – NIV

 

Word

 

There are many people in this world who have chosen to make studying words and their definitions an occupation. Etymology is the study of the history or origin of a word. Lexicography is the practice of compiling dictionaries.

 

Words are important to us. We want to know what they mean. We want to know their origin. We want to know how to use them and pronounce them properly.

 

There’s no better place to find difficult words to pronounce than the Bible. Historic names or places have caused more than a few people to stumble and be embarrassed by how they pronounced these names.

 

Here’s a quiz. How would you pronounce these names?

 

Berodachbaladan (2 Kings 20:12)

 

Tilgathpilneser (1 Chronicles 5:6)

 

Zaphnathpaaneah (Genesis 41:45)

 

Chushanrishathaim (Judges 3:8)

 

Mahershalalhashbaz (Isaiah 8:1)

 

I’ve heard my Dad pronounce this last name quite easily in the past, but it doesn’t come easily for me. Perhaps you feel the same.

 

I found this interesting set of questions that linguists ask about each word they study.

 

1 What does the word mean?
2 What words does it associate with?
3 What meanings does it associate with?
4 What grammatical functions does it associate with?
5 What positions in the text does the word favor?[i]

 

These might be difficult questions to answer for some words. I am thankful there are those who take the time find definitions of words and compile dictionaries. I’m thankful for those who look into the history of words. It makes everything I do easier.

 

While there are some difficult words in our world to understand, I must tell you there is one word that we can all pronounce. The word is Word.

 

John used Word as a name of Jesus in three passages of Scripture. Take a look at them.

 

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1 – NLT)

 

“There are three Who speak of this in heaven: the Father and the Word and the Holy Spirit. These three are one.” (1 John 5:7 – NLT)

 

“He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God.” (Revelation 19:13 – NLT)

 

Isn’t it interesting that John chose this word as a name for Jesus? As the Word, John was saying that Jesus revealed the will and nature to God to mankind. Jesus was God’s Word so that we might know God in a deeper and fuller way.  As we come to the Word, Jesus, we are able to recognize the Father. (John 14:9-10)

 

While mankind searches through historical documents trying to find historical meaning of words and how they relate to our lives, some have missed the Word. The real meaning of life can only be found in Jesus.

 

There is nothing wrong with the study of words. I’m a writer after all and that’s one reason I love this Name of Jesus. But when we overlook Jesus, we’ve overlooked the most significant single distinct meaningful element of speech.[ii]

 

I pray that you won’t overlook the Word today. I pray that you’ll take the time to speak to the Word. I pray that of all the words you speak today, that the Word will be the most precious. Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna


[i] http://www.onestopenglish.com/support/methodology/grammar-vocabulary-and-skills/whats-in-a-word/155130.article

 

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“V” – Blogging A to Z

April 25th, 2014 dsisler

During the month of April, I’ve chosen to blog through the alphabet. Each day I will use a letter to share a Name of the Lord that begins with that letter based on Proverbs 18:10 and the fact that there is strength in the Lord’s Name. I pray you’ll be blessed and that you’ll stop by often.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10 – NIV

 

Vine/Vinedresser

 

freedigitalphotos.net

freedigitalphotos.net

Without much effort, John 15:1-17 has become one of my favorite sections of Scriptures. I know nothing about vineyards. I don’t drink wine. I only drink grape juice as part of the Lord’s Supper. So why do you suppose this passage is so meaningful to me? Because I know the importance of being close to Jesus.

 

In this section of Scripture, Jesus refers to Himself as the Vine and to God as the Vinedresser. Jesus’ disciples understood exactly what He meant. There were vineyards around and they had been able to watch the vinedressers care for the vines.

 

But for me, who knows nothing of vineyards, vines, and vinedressers, how can these verses impact my life?

 

In John 15:1-17 (NIV), Jesus tells His disciples to remain in Him 11 times. That’s nearly once a verse. It tells me that Jesus knew we needed to hear that message.

 

How are we to remain in Him? Through Bible reading, Bible study, prayer, worship, fellowship with other believers, meditation upon God’s Word, Communion, living holy lives, and a couple more we’ll talk about in a moment.

 

Once our hearts have been cultivated by Jesus and His grace, we are only able to survive by remaining in Him. Just as a branch cannot survive without being connected to the vine, we must remain connected to Jesus to thrive.

 

If we are to do the work of the Lord, we must remain in Him. We must heed the words of Jesus He spoke in John 15:5b (NIV). “Apart from me you can do nothing.” If being with Jesus makes us effective for His kingdom, then that’s what we must do. Remain in Him.

 

We also find in John 15:1-17, Jesus repeats the word love eight times. The longer we remain with Jesus, the more we understand love. In this passage, Jesus reminds the disciples of His purpose with these words. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13 – NIV)

 

I recall singing a song in college ensemble that quoted these very verses. I sometimes have difficulty reading these words because I tend to sing them. I have searched and searched for this song on the internet and cannot find it. So sorry. It really is a great choral piece.

 

Jesus’ call for us to love runs deep through His message. Regardless of how we’ve been treated, we must love. It doesn’t matter who the person is, we must love. The situation is not to be considered, we must love. Why? Because Jesus loved us (me) enough to die for me.

 

But let me just say, we can’t do this on our own. That’s why we must remain in Jesus. He is able to help us love those who hurt us or who are unlovely. Remember, apart from Jesus we can do nothing.

 

Finally, John 15:1-17 calls us to bear fruit nine times. And not just bear fruit, but bear much fruit. The longer we remain in Jesus, the richer our fruit becomes. That must be our goal.

 

What fruit? Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) tells us, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” These are fruit Jesus calls us to bear.

 

And remember, God sent us His Spirit to help us with this transformation. But it takes effort on our part. We need to tend our own hearts to be open to the work of the Spirit.

 

I don’t believe I can move on until I point out that God, as the Vinedresser is inspecting our hearts. This section of Scripture tells us that if God doesn’t see growth, He begins the pruning process. If there is no fruit, God cuts off those branches. These are tough words, but God calls us to this for our own good. We must continue to grow and bear fruit. Always.

 

I’ve mentioned this book multiple times in my blog posts because it is one of my favorite books. Debbie Williams, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion praises God through the alphabet and in her chapter on the Vinedresser, this is what she says.

 

“Jesus didn’t just admire His vineyard from heaven; He was a tiller of the soil. Jesus walked with His disciples. He talked to them and planted His seed in their hearts. He spent time with them on His knees in prayer. He trained them to grow upward toward God. Jesus watered them with the flow of His Spirit. He nourished them with His teaching.”[i]

 

Dear friend, Jesus is available to do this same work with you. He desires to have this depth of relationship with you. If you have not allowed Jesus to till the soil of your heart, open up to His gentle touch. If you haven’t deepened your relationship with Jesus to this point, why not take that step to remain in Him on a regular basis.

 

Even though I know nothing about vineyards, I still can understand Jesus’ commands in these verses. Remain. Love. Bear fruit. What a beautiful vineyard!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna


[i] Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion, Debbie Williams, Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., New York, 2006, page 213.

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“U” – Blogging A to Z

April 24th, 2014 dsisler

During the month of April, I’ve chosen to blog through the alphabet. Each day I will use a letter to share a Name of the Lord that begins with that letter based on Proverbs 18:10 and the fact that there is strength in the Lord’s Name. I pray you’ll be blessed and that you’ll stop by often.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”

Proverbs 18:10 – NIV

 

Unchangeable One

 

DSC02214mI have arrived at the later portion of the alphabet. And in some ways, these are the most challenging. I searched and searched for a Name of the Lord that began with the letter U. I wasn’t having any success.

 

Then I found the Name, The Unchangeable One. I was pretty excited. I thought I had found my Name for the letter U. Well, let me tell you it wasn’t that simple.

 

While someone thought it was a good Name for God, I couldn’t find a single verse in Scripture that called God by that name. Oh, I found Scripture to support the idea, but not the name.

 

So today, I’m going to fudge a bit. Today I will share a characteristic of the Lord. The characteristic that makes God the Unchangeable One.

 

We live in a world of change. Fashions change from year to year. There seems to be a new food fad every week. Popular toys and games change to meet the youth of the time. Updates for computer software seem to come out every other week. There is even a new color every year.

 

And how many times have you heard that coffee is good for you and then the next week you hear it’s bad for you. The same can be said of coffee.

 

Things change in our world because mankind runs our world. We as human beings change our minds on what we like and dislike with such ease. And we as women have the one-liner, “it’s my prerogative to change my mind.”

 

Perhaps that’s why this one characteristic of God is so appealing. God is never changing. He is always the same. God is the one constant, steady in my life that I know I can trust, depend on, and give my life to.

 

God said this of Himself in Malachi 3:6 (NIV). “I the Lord do not change.” That’s a pretty straight forward message. God’s desire to have a relationship with mankind has not changed. He remained faithful to Israel in His pursuit of her however; Israel did not return the faithfulness. But God didn’t give up with Israel. When God had taken enough rejection, He pursued another group of people. Gentiles.

 

God’s desire didn’t change, but those He offered His grace to, did. God’s mercy didn’t change. God’s faithfulness didn’t change. 2 Timothy 2:13 (NIV) is a reminder that “if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” Mankind may change, but God cannot.

 

Because God is unchangeable, He won’t wake up in a bad mood. His attitude won’t change because of our behavior. His love is an unconditional love. James 1:17 (NIV) tells us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows.” Unlike shadows that move quickly over an object, God remains the same. We can count on it.

 

Not only is God unchangeable, but His purpose is unchangeable. Take a look at Hebrews 6:17-18 (NIV). “Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.”

 

God’s unchanging oath and His promise are our hope and encouragement. Knowing that God is the Unchangeable One allows us to go through our day with our confidence in Him. He will not change.

 

You know, even our earth is in a state of change. Stars fall from the sky on a regular basis. Mountain ranges are still growing. Jesus said that “heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24:35 – NIV) And we also see that there will be a new heaven and earth in Revelation 21:1.

 

Regardless of what is happening in our world, we can believe that Jesus’ words are for forever and they have never change. And we can be assured that not only is our God the Unchangeable God, He is also Eternal God. That will never change.

 

When life seems to be unsettled, know that the Unchangeable One is still there and in control. We can always hold to this biblical truth that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8 – NIV)

 

Jesus is still seeking and saving the lost. That will never change.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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  • "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-19

  • I am a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. I lived in the beautiful state of Colorado for 20 years where I found great inspiration for my novels and devotional writings. Currently living in Jacksonville, Florida.

  • I am passionate about helping women find their way to Jesus through Bible study, teaching, speaking, inspirational writing and creative Bible journaling.

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