Posts Tagged ‘bible study’
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV
Recently I sat down and had a conversation with one of my dear friends about Men. It was not one of those stereotypical sessions where you have two girlfriends talking about guys and dogging them out. Trust me it was far from that scenario. We spoke of how important it is for men to see God as their ultimate source for how to love others unconditionally, to forgive and forget, to trust, to be an example of integrity, knowledge, wisdom and how quite simply provide for themselves and their families.
You see, God is the ultimate provider and father; when he created Man he fashioned him after himself. Man was created because God desired to have a family/people to commune, provide for and share his abundant kingdom with. Just like God, Man has that very same desire ingrained in him; to provide for those he cares for his own family.
In order for Man to be the true provider which he was created to be he has to be whole heartily in relationship with God. Without this relationship it will be near to impossible for him to be a true sustainer. When Man begins to trust in only what he creates of his own hands and things of this earth like money he is trusting in what is temporal. God is forever and will never lose value, dry up or spoil.
If there is no consistent communication between God and Man, the seeds of confusion can be planted and quickly take root and eventually bear fruit. Fruit like fear, lack, despair, depression, anger, and desperation on the side of man. God is confident in who he is. Man on the other hand until he is rooted and ground in the knowledge of God and his love will always try to make things happen out of his own abilities which are limited.
Man should never get this reality twisted. Man did not create God, God created Man. And when he did, he did so with a purpose in mind. Man was to be fruitful and multiple on this earth. He was to further God’s kingdom until it spread across all four corners of the globe; making a perfect copy of God’s kingdom in heaven on earth. Man was created to be the steward of this planet. Yet, when he disobeyed God’s commandment and did not take responsibility for his own actions, he created a communication break down.
First, he ate from the Tree of Life that God explicitly told him not to. Then he hid from God and lastly he blamed Eve who had not been given the commandment in the first place from God to obey. Man/Adam was the one that God ultimately held responsible for following the community / Garden of Eden, his rules. Here is where fear came on the scene and Man began instead of looking up for guidance from God, he began to look down and around himself to see how he could make things happen…
Man, you need to look UP!
© 2011 Lela Jefferson – http://www.memoirsofablackgirl.com
Psalm 45: 1 (Amplified) MY HEART overflows with a [a]goodly theme; I address my psalm to a King. My tongue is like the pen of a ready writer.
“Spiritual Vomit”!?!? What the heck is that you may be asking…? Does it sound gross to you? It should. The repercussions that come from not purging your soul, can cause you to have unexpected verbal accidents.
As I have been taught, man is a tri-part being he is a spirit that possesses a soul/heart (where his thinker, feeler, and chooser reside) and he has and lives in body. When we die in the physical our spirit man is separated from our flesh (our earth suit) and the decisions we made while we were alive affect where we end up living out eternity.
My spirit man, when I became born again was made new. However my soul/heart needs to be renewed daily. That means what I allow into its gates through my ears, my eyes, by what I touch and what comes out of my mouth must line up with the Word of God. This way my spirit and soul/heart can become on one accord. When they are not, the possibility for verbal accidents based in flesh to happen can seem unavoidable. For example, I have been called snappy on more than number of occasions, as it relates to my responses… snappy means briskly cold. Am I proud of it? No, it’s an area where I need to continue develop in. It’s an area where I can visualize my spirit man physically getting ill because it has to witness my soul/heart controlling how my body reacts to situations. Its base is fear…
Going back to the topic of this article, “Spiritual Vomit”; if you noticed above I made mention that our soul/heart is where our thinker, feeler, and chooser reside. So it is safe to say that if you think a certain way, and feel a certain way you will choose to do a certain action, right? Again hypothetically speaking, if I think on doing something for a while (mediate on it), I will begin to have strong feelings and eventually will choose to do it or because I have been mediating on it for so long, I will begin to act out on my thoughts by instinct. Think of a person that has learned to drive. After awhile the fact that in order to keep the car moving forward requires them to press their foot on the accelerator and hold onto the steering wheel to keep the car steady will become almost as instinctual as breathing.
The same can be said about a person and their attitudes towards others. If you think a particular way about a person, you will begin to feel also a particular way about them and so either way good, bad or indifferent will begin to treat them based on those feelings. When you see them your face may also read a different message to what you are actually saying. This scenario can also cause you to seem phony, not truthful to people because you are attempting to mask your feelings. I am not saying it’s ok either to go around telling people exactly how you truly feel, because it can be considered offensive. Depending on the delivery, the timing and the words you use… Trust me, I know. Choose your battles… However, I do recommend that you examine yourself before you react.
If you are not cautious with your words, you may even begin to make comments that reflect flesh based feelings. These little comments may seem accidental but are really what you are feeling in the city of your soul.
Usually what makes you angry is what you are afraid of. Or what annoys you, is what you have given power to trigger negative reactions from you. When my Pastor taught these two points a number of years ago it really hit home. What more than anything hit me is that I can choose how I react and what I react to. I have the ability to stop verbal slip ups from escaping my lips.
Now what are some of the repercussions of NOT purging your soul?
1) Lost relationships
2) Doors of opportunity being shut
3) Communication breakdown
Cheers to fewer clean ups in the aisle called you!
Reference Scriptures
John 6:63 (Amplified) It is the Spirit Who gives life [He is the Life-giver]; the flesh conveys no benefit whatever [there is no profit in it]. The words (truths) that I have been speaking to you are spirit and life.
Romans 8:1-7 (Amplified) 1THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.(A)
2For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has freed me from the law of sin and of death.
3For God has done what the Law could not do, [its power] being weakened by the flesh [[a]the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit]. Sending His own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, [God] condemned sin in the flesh [[b]subdued, overcame, [c]deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice],(B)
4So that the righteous and just requirement of the Law might be fully met in us who live and move not in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit [our lives governed not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit].
5For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and [d]pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and [e]seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.
6Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that [f]comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever].
7[That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God’s Law; indeed it cannot.
8So then those who are living the life of the flesh [catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature] cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him.
© 2011, Lela Jefferson. All rights reserved.
So… you missed the mark. You sinned. You were disobedient to God’s will / His word. Now what? FYI Its okay, God already knows what you did. Will there be consequences? Sure there will be. It’s okay to go to him and talk about it and get the instruction on how to get back on track. God is God, he created you and he has given you a purpose to fulfill. But first you need to get over yourself… (YOU-R-SELF)… relax he is waiting for you; he has made an opening just for you in his busy schedule.
Psalm 32 (The Message)
A David Psalm
1 Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be— you get a fresh start,
your slate’s wiped clean.
2 Count yourself lucky—
God holds nothing against you
and you’re holding nothing back from him.
3 When I kept it all inside,
my bones turned to powder,
my words became daylong groans.
4 The pressure never let up;
all the juices of my life dried up.
5 Then I let it all out;
I said, “I’ll make a clean breast of my failures to God.”
Suddenly the pressure was gone—
my guilt dissolved,
my sin disappeared.
6 These things add up. Every one of us needs to pray;
when all hell breaks loose and the dam bursts
we’ll be on high ground, untouched.
7 God’s my island hideaway,
keeps danger far from the shore,
throws garlands of hosannas around my neck.
8 Let me give you some good advice;
I’m looking you in the eye
and giving it to you straight:
9 “Don’t be ornery like a horse or mule
that needs bit and bridle
to stay on track.”
10 God-defiers are always in trouble;
God-affirmers find themselves loved
every time they turn around.
11 Celebrate God.
Sing together—everyone!
All you honest hearts, raise the roof!
© 2011, Lela Jefferson. All rights reserved.
Do you remember the song…”Whip Appeal” by Babyface? Yes, I am dating myself. However, I was thinking about it tonight while I was mediating on my scriptures for the day Joshua 5:2, Romans 2:29 and Colossians 2:11 all in which talk about circumcision first of the body and then the subconscious mind otherwise known as our hearts.
If you can follow my train of thinking the Word of God has “Whip Appeal”. Once you begin to really dig your heels into it, it whips everything that does not line up to it right out of you! You begin to desire it more and after awhile don’t mind that it is whipping the fleshy things right on out.
In truth true freedom begins first in your mind. Once your mind is renewed… the flesh has no other choice but to submit.
My sisters,
We may not have the same mother or father… our skin tones different shades and hues. However one thing that we have in common is our gender and its name…WOMAN.
Through it we have a kinship. We have the ability to share stories of similar hormonal changes, first crushes, first kisses, loves, heart breaks, marriages and for many of us childbirth.
I write this article from my perceptive of being a single woman in her early 30s, no children yet…African American and having had my heart broken and restored. Raised by older parents, both having since gone to be with the Lord; I write this as a Christian, born again with a heart renewed, who is grateful for everyday for new found grace.
Honestly I felt compelled to write this open letter after receiving too many calls from sister-friends or chance meetings where I have been asked for advice. These moments have been opportunities for me to take the focus off of self and truly love on my fellow sisters.
I find it an honor to be able to minister and share my testimony with them and to hear theirs. Encourage them that even after being hurt and having your heart stomped along with your pride and name… They like the phoenix can too rise up again.
See, I was in a relationship that spanned almost ten years off and on with someone that I allowed to mentally abuse me. He had ties to my soul and privileges that only through the covenant status of marriage he should have received.
The details of my story are not as important as the lessons I am still learning from it. The first lesson I learned was how to forgive myself for the part I played. No one can abuse you unless you allow them to. You are never without the power to at least attempt to fight back. True love from God, goal is not to tear you down, but instead its goal is to build you up.
Being bitter and angry at someone that probably doesn’t even give you a second thought after the damage they have done is just a time waster. You can spend years using the excuse of being hurt to block blessings God has in store for you. New relationships, children, careers/ministries being birthed, can be blocked by you allowing your emotions to control you and keep you at an impasse. I know this because I did it.
For two years I thought by keeping a wall up around my heart so I could lick my wounds in privacy, I was protecting myself from being hurt. The sad truth was it hurt me more. Instead of growing in love, I was growing in offense and the ripples affected every area of my life.
My job became my life. My home reflected how I was feeling inside, a mess. I was functioning, yet was empty. My prayer life was ritual vs. being relational. During this time God’s voice that used to be so clear for me to hear… was but a whisper…
I was short tempered, and made excuses for my rude behavior. I tried to control others around me because I had no self control. My friends, tried to tell me, however their constructive criticism fell on deaf ears. Jesus though I understood him as my savior, I had not allowed to sit in the driver’s seat of my life. The Holy Spirit’s guidance by my delayed response showed evidence of disobedience. So when my world the one I had constructed began coming crashing down around me; I was forced to stop. Take a personal inventory and return the keys and seat to the true owner of my life, God. To him I repented and asked help. No man could give me hard truth I needed to change.
The scriptures that can best describe this time is in my life is Proverbs 18:10 – 12 from the Amplified Bible … “10The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the [consistently] righteous man [upright and in right standing with God] runs into it and is safe, high [above evil] and strong. 11The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and as a high protecting wall in his own imagination and conceit. 12Haughtiness comes before disaster, but humility before honor.”
The following series of poems, a few are from my 1st book Poetry of a Black: Girl the Darkness and the Light Volume 1, others are still works in progress… In a way they tell my journey with God as he has been giving me beauty for my ashes Isaiah 61.
Some Diamonds in the Rough Never Go Beyond Infancy
I used to call you a diamond in the rough,
I saw so much potential in you
I held you down when others laughed and scorned,
said I was a fool.
I kept secrets even from my mama.
Let you live in my house rent free.
Let you see and operate in my inner court.
And act like you were the king of my Holy of Holies.
I placed all my trust in you,
only because I used to see so much potential in you.
No mere mortal man could ever appreciate what I did.
What I sacrificed, understand the tears, I shed all unselfishly.
So now I have come to the conclusion.
That some diamonds in the rough
Without the proper pressure,
never go their beyond infancy.
So as I look back at what I saw, what I thought we could be
I know now that because HE was not in between you and me
My dear, you and I were never meant to be
I played no games of the heart
I kept it real from the start
My heart was open and true to you
But I did not want to believe what I knew
A player unless he wants to change,
will always want and play the game
My focus was so much on you
That I did not know that
I had aligned myself to flesh
I needed to align my heart up,
To the most highest God,
For he would never leave me
Nor ever forsake me
He would never be untrue
Never walk out, or use me
No need for apologizes
For he would never wrong me
Abuse my love like you did to me
Though I was hurt
I have learned to forgive
The ties you had to my soul
Have been released
And until you find your own peace
And get in a relationship with HIM
You will remain just a lump of coal
That could’ve been the brightest diamond,
the world has ever seen.
###
Do You Know Me?
I sit here and I ponder our relationship.
You used to call on me, so we could just talk awhile.
Spend days on an end, just you and me.
I had your back even when others didn’t
I pleaded your case against our father,
when you sinned.
I forgave you when you lied.
I encouraged you when you couldn’t do it on your own.
I protected you when you were weak and clothed you with my love before you even knew my name or could even speak.
I sent provisions, but you didn’t give me thanks.
I was ok with it all, because the promise I made and the sacrifices I gave for you.
I remember times when you were bold enough to talk to others about our relationship.
Now when someone asks about you and me you deny that we are even related.
You have let fear of rejection and thoughts of unworthiness creep into your psyche.
I ask, do you really know me?
Am I not your friend, your brother… your teacher?
Did I not show you in my words, in my love for you, in my actions that I would never forsake you?
Trust me…. I have your back…even when you don’t think no one else does.
I will never give up on you why? Because this we have, this thing… is real… and I am real.
I am love, I am your Father God, your brother Jesus and your teacher the Holy Spirit and in me, you can trust.
I AM whatever you need me to be…
Trust me, it is not in my DNA to not tell the truth.
I swore to tell you the truth through the shedding of my own blood… not once, but twice.
I am just waiting for you to talk to me again…I have all the time in the world.
###
Goodbye
The words seem to not be able to escape from my lips…
However, I know they need to be said.
Listen, I have to get this out of my head…
I know I have the power to stop you with my declarations.
I have loved you for so long.
However, I love another more…
Our destinies seem to have different paths that don’t meet in the end.
So as I am sitting here close to being washed away from my own flood of tears.
I know I must be the one to find the courage to walk away.
Shh…Don’t speak…
I really don’t want to hear anything you have to say.
Don’t waste your time.
I’m not listening.
I am not looking back.
Goodbye.
Sin…
###
Barefooted
I dare to walk alone
Yet you are always present
Your voice is so clear in my ear.
Guiding me down roads without fear
Barefooted…
Stones and pebbles lay underfoot.
Blood drawn I fall and scrap a knee
Get up… I hear… Get up…I hear so audibly.
Get UP! For righteousness sake
Arise…repent.
Barefooted
Dreams deferred
And given back renewed
Cause their source
Had to be known
My feet are healed
My eyes see clear
Barefooted walking on air…
He carries me still…
I read, I believed by faith
I lay still … I wait
Mediate and then… and then… and then…
I hear Barefooted
I’ve got new shoes
For you!
A shield a sword and armor too!
Barefooted I’ve got your shoes!
Barefooted you have been renewed…
You obeyed…
You acted by faith…
You heard my voice and did not hesitate.
Barefooted PREACHED it…
Words He never knew.
Barefooted…PREACHED it…
Words…He never knew…
###
Preparing for Boaz
This poem is for my sisters
However, I hope I get some nods from the fellas…
So you say you are preparing for your Boaz.
The man, you want to share the rest of your life with
Have him call you his wife, share his name…
Maybe raise a kid or two with,
hoping even through the weight gain and stretch marks
he will love you just the same.
However…Ladies…my sister girl friends…
We think at times that we must flirt and dress
in ways that leave nothing to the imagination
That Boaz will see this and instantly fall to one knee.
Or that the perfection we see
from the corner of our eyes in the dimness of club lights
while we sip on Apple martinis could it be he?
Or when we talk
in ways that would make a sailor blush
and wonder why we are not treated with respect
and as ladies
When we make
excuses for being late unfocused
and for unkempt houses…
Thinking Boaz, your Boaz will accept you for you.
You are worth far more then jewels
though you give yourself up for less
and even sometimes for free
Your reputation should precede you
elevating you to new levels of fame
not give you reason to hold your head down in shame
Daughter of the Most High, God
reclaim your position of grace
###
Lela Jefferson, © 2007 – 2010 All rights reserved.
I read having a Mary Heart in a Martha World – Finding Intimacy with God in the Busyness of Life by Joanna Weaver over the summer. A book I now highly recommend for all women, young and old to read. I have been actually sharing my findings as I journey through the accompanying Bible Study Mrs. Weaver placed at the end of the book on my blogs. Here is the latest question I studied out and gave commentary on.
Questions for Discussion or Reflection – Day Fifteen
2) According to Dr. Edward Hallowell, over half of us are chronic worriers. Which of the ten signs of a big worrier on page 33 do you struggle with? How do worry and anxiety spill over into your daily life and affect your behavior? Your physical health?
Ten Signs of a Big Worrier
Is worrying a problem in your life? Dr. Hallowell says it might be if these worry signs are true about you:
1) You find you spend much more time in useless non constructive worry than other people you know.
2) People around you comment on how much of a worrier you are.
3) You feel that it is bad luck or tempting fate not to worry.
4) Worry interferes with your work – you miss opportunities, fail to make decisions, perform at lower than optimal level.
5) Worry interferes with your close relationships – your spouse and/or friends sometimes complain that your worrying is a drain on their energy and patience.
6) You know that many of your worries are unrealistic or exaggerated, yet you cannot seem to control them.
7) Sometimes you feel overwhelmed by worry and even experience physical symptoms such as rapid breathing, shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, or trembling.
8) You feel a chronic need for reassurance even when everything is fine.
9) You feel an exaggerated fear of certain situations that other people seem to handle with little difficulty.
10) Your parents or grandparents were known as great worriers, or they suffered from an anxiety disorder.
Search me O God and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting – Psalm 139:23 – 24
###
Personally I believe all of us have some areas and have had times in our lives where we have worried over people, places or things that we should had turned over to God. I know for me, I have a tendency to either over analyze a thing or want something to be so prefect that I fail to even start on a project I know. I should be doing. Praise God, he is helping me in that area by bringing the right people and influences across my path and I am willing enough to accept their counsel vs. being offend by it.
2009’s I speak by faith and see by my actions strongholds are not being carried over into this New Year. Missed blessings or opportunities are not an option. I have cleaned out my inner ear to hear more clearly from God. In turn, I have begun the process of removing the waxes sort of speak of distractions, either externally or internally created.
To be continued… I welcome your comments!
The previous article can be found here.
Lela Jefferson – http://www.memoirsofablackgirl.com
I read having a Mary Heart in a Martha World – Finding Intimacy with God in the Busyness of Life by Joanna Weaver over the summer. A book I now highly recommend for all women, young and old to read. I have been actually sharing my findings as I journey through the accompanying Bible Study Mrs. Weaver placed at the end of the book on my blogs. Here is the latest question I studied out and gave commentary on.
Questions for Discussion or Reflection – Day Fourteen
1) Martha wanted Jesus to tell Mary to help out in the kitchen, but instead of giving her what she wanted, Dr. Jesus made a diagnosis: “Martha, Martha… you are worried and upset about many things.” If you had been Martha, how would Jesus’ words have made you feel?
I have been Martha, in the past and sometimes do even have relapses. However, to answer the above question directly and honestly, I would have felt at first taken aback and quite possibly a bit offended by Jesus’ comment. The reason since that this man would have been undressing my mind, with his response to my request of help, from Mary my sister. Culturally yes the women were to ready the house for guests. However, nowhere in this encounter with Jesus do we see Martha being asked to do anything by Jesus or anyone else for that matter. She made the conscious decision to busy herself. I can imagine being Martha saying to myself while being very aggravated “I wish I could sit at the Master’s feet and act as if I have no cares in the world like my sister Mary! However, I must do what duty dictates.”
Duty at times can be a blessing. It leads to the maintaining of order. However, it cannot be our excuse for not making positive changes in our lives. Mary outside of the two sisters was the most bold in this story. She went against traditions to sit herself in a room filled with men, at the feet of a man that was not her husband. In this she showed Jesus that she valued what he had to offer, his presence.
Instead of trying to show him through works begat from busyness, she [Mary] showed him in her immediate corresponding action of faith by sitting at his feet. Martha on the other hand, showed her busyness to be more important than to hear a word from Jesus.
To be continued… I welcome your comments!
The previous article can be found here.
Lela Jefferson – http://www.memoirsofablackgirl.com
I have been studying the book of Ruth from the Old Testament for the last month and a half. Not for the usual reasons. Women are generally told to learn of and study Ruth’s life in preparation of meeting their own Boaz or future mate. I understand that as a single born again Christian woman, Jesus is my Boaz till I marry. So, anything I do now in “preparation” is really maintaining and improving when it comes to OUR relationship together.
The character I have been drawn to is Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi (from her first marriage) and her development throughout the book…from being a bitter and discouraged woman that mourned the loss of her husband and her two sons…to becoming a helpful, selfless, wise and mature woman, who was finally restored and redeemed beyond measure…
In my own life I have had to put aside feelings of rejection, failure, disappointment, betrayal, mistrust, doubt and a host of others in order to not close my eyes and heart to visions of God’s will for my life. During this last year for example the roots of my character have been examined, tested and still are as I have begun the process of executing / birthing visions. I am not the same person I was a year ago and I know it is all for the better.
What inspired me to begin this study of Ruth was as I was coming home from a powerful rehearsal session of the volunteer / seed sowing ministry I serve in Music (at my church), the Lord through the Holy Spirit pressed on my heart to begin reading. Since I joined my church now over 5 years ago, I have made it my business to always have in my bag a Bible translation. So when prompted, I didn’t question why I was being led, I just began to read.
What has surprised me the most is the fact that I do not know how I could had (in the past) overlooked the importance of Naomi’s role in the story’s back drop. It was Naomi’s son whom Ruth was first married to. It was Naomi’s homeland of Bethlehem where Ruth is introduced to Boaz and it was Naomi who advised Ruth in all she should do to prepare for Boaz. It was Naomi in the end of the book that becomes nurse to Ruth and Boaz son O’bed who would one day be the paternal grandfather to King David.
Naomi was able to do this because her heart began to be changed through service and obedience she received from Ruth. Slowly her attitude became one of gratitude. So, like many great preparers of other biblical characters before and after her, Jethro (Moses’s father-in-law) Samuel (prophet and appointed kings), Mordecai (uncle and adviser of Queen Esther) she was used by God in such a way that has affected generations.
That part of her testimony is one that I want to one day also be remembered for…
Lela Jefferson
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