The Patterns Of Life

Are you a pentagon, square or round? Which side of you do you see?

The pentagon, the five-sided shape.  There can be many sides to a person. One side can be the spiritual side, two can be the sunny-side, three the serious side, four the funny side, five the sad side?

Which side of you do you lean heavily on?  Are you a square, so serious that no one dare try to make you laugh? In contrast are you the jokester that no one can take seriously? Are you hiding from everyone the real side of you that tells the Jesus side of you?

I believe Jesus had a fun side. He turned the water into wine at a celebration. That would make anyone laugh.. He had a joyous occasion of telling the young man to pick up his cot and walk because his faith had made him whole. Yet, he became enraged when the people were using the temple as a disreputable business place.

Jesus had a sunny-side when the Lord came down on him and said, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well, pleased.” Jesus had “childish” side that loves little children as much as he loves adults.

Which side of a building will you lean toward? Are you well rounded or five pointed? Are you as round as you are tall? Do you stand tall at the mention of Jesus? Can you be joyous as well as sad?

Which side of you will you be showing when Jesus comes again? Let’s hope we will be joyous and spiritual at the sight of Jesus. Let’s hope we are healing someone with joy in place of sadness.

 PATTERN: ROMANS 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…. HEBREWS 8:5 …this is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” 2TIMOTHY 1:13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.

POEMS JANUARY/JOY OF LIVING

Throughout Eternity

His voice rings out

Through eternity

In His presence I will be.

A sheep I am to thee,

I follow Him indeed.

He is ever mindful of my need.

In His presence may I ever be,

Throughout eternity.

By Lanell Stuart

January 2014

 Trust

The Lord lifts the burden,

That we carry deep inside

He proves to us each day

His caring, careful ways.

His life will touch you

And turn your burden

Into stubble and hay

Just trust in His loving way.

By Lanell Stuart

Lost Pens

Looking for writing pens—I think I’ve spent one-eighth of my life looking for pens. It can’t be just any pen—it has to be the one that my daughter gave me, or the one I wrote my favorite poem with.

Other “stuff” too. You’ve done it before—you were sure you put that favorite blouse from last winter in that drawer in the guest room. Lo and behold—it’s not there now!

How many of us “look” for that special gift for that certain someone who has asked you to enjoy their birthday with. Nothing will do until you find the “perfect” gift.

What are you constantly looking for? That verse of scripture you were sure you knew? That story in the Bible that you thought was so familiar that you forgot the exact words?

How exciting to find those scriptures and recall the “true” story. Our memories elude us sometimes into thinking we actually know something, only to find through the years the story has faded or become twisted.

That’s why we read and re-read the Bible: to search for the truth for today. When we find the lesson for today’s verse we live in freedom. Like finding the object we are looking for. Eureka! We exclaim.

It was right where the Lord wanted us to find it at the right time in our life. It fits our life situation at present.

My friend when you find God’s word for your life today you have found a treasure far out-weighing any object you may find. You find he peace and tranquility that only come from diligent seeking.

Well, I found in my pen-caddy today about 20 pens. They all returned to their “home” somehow after months of wondering where they were. I simply forgot about that one pen and began collecting the pens I found throughout the day.

By Lanell Stuart

Paul and Isaiah

Paul was raised in a strict religious environment. He came a long way from home to Jerusalem to the temple where he wished to “preach” or at least expound on the Bible. The bible, which was the first five books of our Bible, were his guide to life. He knew the religious leader, Gamaliel, a great teacher of the Jewish Law.

I never knew, before Beth Moore, Gamaliel told the religious leaders of the day to “Leave Peter and the apostles alone, if they are not of God, their beliefs will slowly die away and the people will stop following them but if they are from God you will  only find yourselves fighting against God.” (Acts 5:38-39 paraphrased)* Many of the religious leaders believed in the things Jesus taught, they just weren’t strong in their beliefs to want to give up their “status” in the “religious” community. 

Paul and Isaiah reflected greatly on the spiritual aspect of Godly things. They knew the Lord well.

How much time do we really read and reflect on the Bible or better yet, the things of God? How much do we know “about” the word verses how well do we “know” the savior?

I have been lax at really studying the Bible in my “Joy of Living” Class I take on Wednesdays. I manage to get the lessons done for the week. But, in the end, I wonder how well do I really “know” Isaiah?

Even if it is a kind of “rushed” study of the whole book, I can get a glimpse into Isaiah’s mind and life. (It is a long book.) He, like Paul was “close” to God. He loved the Lord, and I have to wonder, “How well did he know the Savior?”

How was it to live before Christ? Expecting Him any day. Knowing how He would come into the world as an infant and be raised as a human yet, Lord.

Did Isaiah wish He could wait till the Lord came into the world before he went to Heaven? Did he have aspirations of knowing the Lord and Savior as a human?

Probably like Paul, Isaiah came to know the Jesus, through God. It was a spiritual acquaintance. Paul however, came face to face with the Lord Jesus; Isaiah had a spiritual awakening with The Lord, God. However difficult it is to imagine knowing these two men, they were spiritual “Giants.”

I hope I can come to know Isaiah more in the months to come and really get insight into the people of God.
*Acts 5:38-39: Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fall. But it it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.) NIV

By Lanell Stuart

01/02/14

The Tangled Web

The Tangled Web

Have you ever been caught in a spider’s web? Ewe, we react, “How quick can I get rid of this thing!” It’s sticky and the more we try to resist the more determined it tries to stay on you.

Life can become entangled like a web. “Just stay away from me,” we tell Satan. The more determined we become to live for Jesus, the more determined he is to make you stay in a sad, miserable state of being.

We can become entangled with others lives to the point we just want “out”. But God is urging you onward. “Don’t give up on the unlovely. Keep loving them and showing them the way back to God.” I think that is what God would say to us. Remember you were once unlovely in God’s sight. Someone took the time to invest in my life to bring me to the a fullness of loving God again. Someone took the time to pray for me that I may be brought to the point of saying, “Restore unto me the joy of my salvation.” (Psalms 51:12, KJV) And it has been restored.

My web is unraveling, slowly. I am returning to Lord’s way for my life. Returning, to escape the spider’s web that promises rewards for my life, but never succeedsed.

The Lord is restoring to me the joy of my salvation. You also can obtain that reward through loving friends and family.

Everyone comes into your life for a season and a reason. We can learn through each incident in life. The Lord leads in mysterious ways, Paul announces in his word to the Colossians in Chapter one, verse 27. It says, “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of the mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” God makes known the mysteries of our life, which is to know Jesus better.

He says in Ephesians 6:19, “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.”

I pray you will not get caught in the spider’s web of deceit that promises rewards that are not there in the end.

The promises of grandeur and fulfillment do not lay in the promises of man but in the promises of God. Seek God and all will be added unto you. (My words paraphrasing from Mt. 6:33 NIV)

“Love the Lord with all thy heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV)

By Lanell Stuart

GRACE

The grace of God passes all understanding and will uphold you throughout life.

I’ve been reading a lot about the heroes of the Bible. They were all tested in their faith. I think we have all been tested in our faith at some time in our lives. It depends on how we handle the problems of life that Satan throws at us.

We suffer loss of health. We suffer loss of loved ones. We suffer through divorce. We suffer through relationships. All the while God is watching how we handle the problems of life.

Joy comes in the morning. James said, “Consider it all joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials.” (James 1:2 HCSB)

Because trails or difficulties of life can strengthen our faith in God who knows all things, sees all things and understands all things, we can find joy in them.

All the trials in life are tough to go through. When you have faithful friends and family to help, we can suffer with faith and hope. We have hope in a well-known God who understands fully trials of life.

After all, it was Christ at Gethsemane that sweat drops of blood so that if the cup could be removed, it would have been. He pleaded with God, “If there could be any other way to save these people, please make a way.”

We all want our trials to be small ones. Sometimes they seem more than we can bear.

Please don’t be bitter or turn away from God in your trials. The devil would have you then. You are in trials because you are a child of God. Satan would love for you to change and leave God behind.

My prayer is for you to see your trials to the end and keep God in your heart. He will let you know then that you are His child and He loves you very much. Please have a peace, sometimes called joy, about you so others will understand you are a child of God.

STORMY WEATHER

     The thunder rolls as sounds of a storm falls over the sky. Will it bring a light rain? Or will it bring a downpour? We don’t know at the first sounds of the storm falls over southeastern Texas.

When storms come over our life, how will we face the obstacles that come into our lives? Will we count it as a huge trial or something God will use in our lives to enhance our relationship with him? Will we use the trials as a stepping-stone or a bolder we can’t possibly move?

     With God all things are possible, we are told. But do we believe those words or are they just something we have heard?

     

     When trials come, we don’t always think, “God” first. We should and wouldn’t want to admit to anyone we have thoughts of anything else. When trials come, when we hear the big “C” word for cancer, we are devastated. We react negatively. We don’t always know what the Lord has going on for us. “All things work together for good to those who love the Lord,” we hear people say.  We don’t always live like we believe it.

     We know the Lord suffered going to and on the cross. We know God had something better for us through the devastation of the cross. God prepares us for the inevitable—everlasting life. We know we will end up in Jesus’ presence.

     We can keep living through the storms of life. We can depend on His word and live with Jesus on our minds and in our hearts.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who live him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 NIV)