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Good Without God?

Good Without God?

Can you be “good” without needing a God? Think again.

by Ellsworth Johnson, Guest Blogger

1) Acts

It’s Christmas Day morning. A young boy bursts into the living room of his spacious suburban home, where a beautifully-decorated tree dominates its surroundings by the window. Under the tree are numerous presents bearing, among others, the child’s name. The parents who put up the tree and supplied the gifts are still comfortably asleep in bed, after spending all night preparing this wondrous setting.

The child runs to the tree and immediately begins opening his presents, ripping off wrapping paper and casting it aside. A race car! The latest video game! And finally… his own CELL PHONE!

They are good gifts. And he was a good boy all year, so of course he deserves them! After all, he wasn’t like Johnny Booker, shooting his neighbor’s dog with a BB gun and blinding it in one eye, or those older kids who regularly stole stuff from stores down at the mall.

He plays with the race car and begins to set up his phone. Nowhere in his thoughts of the moment are the parents who gave him the gifts, or that they chose to give them to him despite his ongoing tendencies to “talk back” to them, and not do his chores…

==============================

In the last decade there has been a push in the humanist/atheist community to establish a belief system where the value of morality is recognized and affirmed without having to attribute it, or anything else, to a divine Creator.

A manifesto for this way of thinking is a 2009 book by Greg Epstein, Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe.  In the book, Epstein does not seek to destroy traditional religion, but instead supplant it, positing that what is “good” about humanity does not depend on faith in a divine being.

In fact, the author is a great proponent of secular humanism, the principle that humanity is capable of morality and self-fulfillment without belief in God. It specifically rejects religious dogma and supernaturalism as means of morality and decision making.

An entire ecosystem has been built to bolster this viewpoint. Like-minded authors have come alongside Epstein with supporting works of their own. A Web site, Kids Without God, seeks to steer the younger crowd away from the need to rely on anything outside of themselves.

There is even  the Council for Secular Humanism, “North America’s leading organization for non-religious people” to “advocate and defend a nonreligious lifestance rooted in science, naturalistic philosophy, and humanist ethics and to serve and support adherents of that lifestance.”

The race car, given a good strong push, zips along its merry way along a flat surface. Soon, however, it comes to an incline and slows… and in fact rolls back down the way it came, almost back to where it started.

==============================

The attempt to claim life is “good without God” is similar to the above illustration with the toy car. You WILL occasionally and randomly get good pushes and zoom along for a while, but soon you’ll run out of your own power and stop, or hit a hill and roll back down. Worse, with no one all-seeing at the steering wheel, the car could easily hit a wall or go over a cliff.

Things may seem “good” for a while, in fits and starts, but that’s a pretty low standard compared to what’s available. How much better are the gifts that God gives — wisdom, discernment, comfort and guidance in times of trouble, and a peace which passes all understanding — than the perishable things we receive from this world?

Maybe it should be called “life has been OK so far, and doesn’t hurt too badly for me to complain, without God.” And if that’s good enough for you, enjoy that life for all it’s worth, because what comes afterward is guaranteed to be decidedly less pleasant.

The difference is that, with God, you are not limited to your own power, or the fickle vagaries of those in your sphere, but instead can depend on the inexhaustible resources of the Creator of the universe. Through Him, you keep getting pushed along by that mighty hand when you run low on momentum:

“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

— Isaiah 40:31

Now, in your own travels through this world, you’ll have to trust Him to take the wheel of your car and drive where you need (but not always want) to go, often not an easy thing for many of us to do. You will encounter some rough roads, sometimes travel by night and occasionally take some long detours, but the ultimate end of the journey is guaranteed to make that leap of faith worthwhile.

How much better than the “OK without God” life, then, would it be, instead of rolling back downhill, or getting out and pushing the car yourself, to instead glide over the summit and down the other side with someone driving who knows where He is going, and move along as needed just fine without energy or effort from you?

2) Judges

Unbeknownst to the young boy, the parents in fact are awake in their bedroom, aroused by the playful noises emanating from the front of the house. Dad is angry because the boy did not wait until the entire family was up before opening the gifts, as has traditionally been done in their household.

“Not even a ‘thank you’ from that ungrateful little snot!” he mutters. He wants to get out his belt and “teach that boy some manners”, but the mother’s patience permits cooler heads to prevail.

“Let’s go talk to him,” she advises. “Give him the chance to realize the error of his ways. We’ll think of a suitable penalty later, like no playing with the new stuff for a week.”

Dad huffs, his momentary wrath subsided. He really wants to confront his son about the boy’s impatience and lack of appreciation for the gifts provided, but realizes that the message will be lost unless delivered when the time is right…

==============================

Justice and mercy are two sides of the same coin in God’s economy. The father would be justified in giving the boy a good tanning with the belt, but relents when the mother suggests a different approach, which could have more-desirable long-term effects.

In the first chapter of the book of Romans, Paul lays out God’s unimpeachable indictment against humanity in the starkest terms: man failed to acknowledge God for who He is and the good things He provided, earning us His divine wrath. He gave man over to a Godless existence, mired in his own lusts and devices, the first steps on the road to an eternity in Hell.

The only “off-ramp” from that road is found in Jesus Christ, whose death on the cross opened man’s only way back to God, by appropriating Christ’s righteousness for ourselves and, in the process, turning aside God’s well-deserved anger directed at us “while we were yet sinners”.

Just like the boy enjoying his presents, we are many times blissfully oblivious to the justifiable fury kindling elsewhere against us.

3) Lamentations

Finally, the last member of the family was awake.

“Dude!” the boy’s older sister exclaimed as she entered the living room. “You’re making enough noise to wake the dead!” Her protest landed on deaf ears as playtime continued unabated.

“I see that you couldn’t wait to open your presents,” she said sharply, rolling her eyes. She plopped down in a plush armchair near the Christmas tree and sat back, folding her legs underneath her body.

“Aren’t they incredible? I really hit the jackpot with Mom and Dad this year!”

“I’m sure they are nice, but I’m just as sure they would have loved to see your excitement as you opened your gifts.”

The comment registered for an instant, evidenced by a pause in pushing the race car around the floor, and a brief cessation of engine noises from the boy’s mouth.

“They’ll get over it,” shrugged the boy. He resumed pushing the car and making engine noises. The moment had passed.

Time to shift gears.

“You sure seem to take a lot for granted, especially on this day that we are to appreciate the things we have.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?” He did not look up when asking the question.

“Well, what about the fact that we have a nice big house? We could have a smaller one, like the Carluccis next door…”

“… or have that mansion on the hill, like Scott Hendel’s family has,” countered her brother.

“Or be living in a cardboard box on the street.” The reversal itself had been reversed, and her brother’s naked covetousness irritated her, yet something in her heart spurred her on.

“My friend Jenny, she and her family decided to forego giving each other gifts this year, and instead use the money to get stuff for other people in their lives. She decided to buy presents for her teachers at school. Her parents got stuff for their co-workers, and I think her brother surprised his basketball team with … whatever it is that basketball players like.”

The boy pondered that thought for a moment. “That was pretty nice of them. I’ll bet all those people were pretty happy to get all that stuff.”

“They were. And it made Jenny and her family feel even better to give it.”

The girl sighed. Another attempt to take flight had been allowed to fall back to earth. She had been awoken that morning not by the noise in the living room, but the need to bring her brother’s ongoing selfish behavior under repentance. So far, all her efforts had failed.

Then, finally, enduring inspiration struck.

“Remember when you tried to steal that candy down at Walmart?”

The boy hesitated for a moment. He had stopped playing with the race car and had started to configure the phone. “Yeah. That was probably wrong…”

“‘Probably’? The store clerk who caught you was pretty sure when she told Mom.”

“I could not go outside and play after school for a week,” he recalled. Then he smiled. “But that was OK: I stayed inside and played Halo on my Xbox. Even got a high score!” The boy was proud of himself.

His triumph, however, was short-lived.

“What about the second time, with Dad?”

The boy was stunned, enough so that he put down the cell phone.

“Aha!” the sister declared triumphantly. “You didn’t know I KNEW about that one, did you??? Mom told me what happened, as well as what Dad did about it.”

This was a less-sanguine memory. The boy had been with his father at a hardware store when he decided on a whim to steal a box of Junior Mints at the checkout stand. The store manager happened to be on the floor at the time and confronted the boy, who, at the manager’s behest, led him to the father. Dad was clearly embarrassed, and, the boy could tell, more than a little angry. Dad apologized to the manager, and made the boy say that he, too, was sorry.

Memories of the ride home, and the later beating, gave the boy chills. Dad didn’t say much beyond muttered threats, letting the dread of anticipation build. When they got home, Mom wasn’t there to shield him from the punishment; out came the belt and the boy got a thorough whipping.

“I had to write a letter to the manager, and deliver it in person,” recalled the boy, decidedly downcast. “I had to say that stealing is wrong, and I was sorry. It was quite embarrassing.”

“Sorry that you did it? Or sorry you got caught?”

“That I did it.” And then, in a flash, the boy became quite defensive.

“Just because you are thirteen doesn’t make you somehow better than me!”

“True, ” the girl replied pensively. “It does not. But it DOES make me ask questions, and think about things nine-year-old boys don’t.”

Embarrassed, the boy went back to playing with his car, but now in silence and with a lot less joy.

==============================

It’s true: the deep dark sins we commit in secret will all eventually come out. In fact, Jesus Himself declared this much in Luke’s gospel:

But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops.

— Luke 12:2-3

God, of course, already knows all about our transgressions: He knew about them before they took place, and had a front-row seat when they actually occurred. It is also possible that others, unbeknownst to you, already know about them as well, tainting those relationships and coloring the judgments they make toward you, all without your knowledge.

4) Revelation

The boy’s remorse over opening his presents early had become oppressive. What should have been a morning of delight and celebration had instead for him become burdensome and guilt-ridden. He continued tinkering with the cell phone, but his heart and mind were elsewhere.

There was no “un-ringing the bell” here: what’s done was done, and the only question worth addressing was what to do next.

“If it were me,” the sister offered, “I’d go in and throw myself on Dad’s mercy.” By now she had settled into the armchair and slung her legs over one arm, sitting sideways. “That always worked for me: admit you made a mistake, promise that you won’t do it again and that you’ll do better in the future.”

“That’s it?”

“Well, yeah, but there’s one catch.”

“I KNEW it!” he declared triumphantly. “I knew there’d be one. That sounds WAY too easy! So, what is it?” A smirk had appeared on his face, as if he had uncovered a secret hidden truth.

“You have to mean it.”

The boy snorted his disbelief.

“It’s true,” his sister continued. “He knows when you’re just saying the words. Believe me, I tried just going through the motions a couple times. I still got lashed with the belt.”

“YOU? Miss Goody-Goody got a beating?” He found this even more incredible, that his apparently angelic sister had ever done anything meriting punishment.

“Yep. That was a long time ago, before I learned that is was good to be honest when you mess up, but even better to not do bad things in the first place. Believe me, I am not perfect, by any stretch, but I do try to be better every day.”

Now the boy contemplated his own situation: if he waited for Dad to come out of the bedroom into the living room, chances were he’d be carrying a strap of leather, and not for decoration, either. On the other hand, a heartfelt pre-emptive apology just might turn aside his father’s wrath.

“Maybe I should try that. It sounds a lot less painful that Dad’s belt.”

“Yes, it does work out better most of the time. But remember, you can’t just mouth the words. When I did that, it didn’t just make him a little angrier, but also very sad. The belt hurt, to be sure, but what I remember most is the look of disappointment on his face. That stung more than the belt did.”

Tears started to well up in the boy’s eyes. “I don’t want Daddy and Mommy to be disappointed in me!”

“I’m sure they don’t want that, either. But you need to tell them the truth about what happened, that you got too excited and forgot to wait for everyone else to get up before opening your presents. They deserve a sincere apology — remember, you gotta mean it. Think you can do that?”

The boy nodded in silence.

“Come on. Let’s go wish Mom and Dad a Merry Christmas.”

With that, they set out for the master bedroom. With a knock on the closed door met by a shouted “Come in!” the children burst into the room and leaped on the bed, squeezing and snuggling in the space between their parents, just as they used to do long ago. Their bodies may now be bigger, but, inside, a part of each was still the small child who felt safe, loved and secure when curling up with Mommy and Daddy.

The business of opening the gifts without the family present was handled gracefully. Heartfelt phrases were exchanged: “Thank you.” “I’m sorry.” “We forgive you.” The parents decided upon a fair nonphysical punishment.

With that out of the way, there was nothing left to do but to enjoy the moment on the bed, together, as a family.

==============================

What It All Means

The story is an allegory developed around the situation we as Christians face when confronted with an adherent of the “Good Without God” philosophy.

The brother is the obvious (and oblivious!) sinner who thinks he’s already pretty good, at least compared to other people, and does not need additional boundaries on his behavior. The parents represent the dual nature of God, with the father holding honest indignation over his wayward child’s “me first” rush to playtime, along with the desire to inflict punishment, and the mother tempering that judgment with patience.

Stuck in the middle of all this is the sister, who is clearly somehow enlightened to there being more to life than the self-centered focus her brother has, and is trying to get him to put their situation into a larger context. Twice she fails, but does not give up, finally finding an “in” when confronting him about how his actions probably made his parents feel. In the end, she leads him into the parents’ bedroom, where he honestly confess his “sin” and asks for forgiveness, which is immediately and lovingly granted.

In short… she evangelizes him!

In the ideal, our earthly parents mirror and model God’s love for us, but also His judgment and righteous anger when warranted. In the end, it is far more preferable to “come clean” and admit our transgressions to a God who made us, already knows our weaknesses and mistakes, and stands ready to forgive us in His Son’s name.

Have you given your life over to Jesus Christ? If you have, were you genuinely sorry for the sins you committed, or did you simply make a vain confession devoid of feeling? If you have not, there is still an opportunity to turn aside the eminently justifiable anger a holy God has against you, and exchange it for forgiveness and a place in His kingdom forever.

The Rest of the Story

At that moment, in a realm far away, the Creator was, in fact, looking in on this family.  He smiled, as things were progressing exactly how He had intended.

“This is how I roll!” He smiled to Himself, in ways far beyond our understanding.

Two more miracles were needed to tear the lid off this family’s godless paradigm once and for all, in a way which none of them could deny. The groundwork for each had already been laid, here and elsewhere, and in the fullness of time those happenings will point to the Source of All Things.

The Creator already knew whether and how each member of the family would eventually respond, for it had been ordained since the beginning of time.

The only thing left to do… was wait.

==============================

What is God waiting for each of us to do? Reach out to someone? Respond to Him in some way? Are there people around us who believe they are “good without God?”

Whatever it may be, we should be honored that we have been appointed to be part of His eternal plan to bring rightful glory to Himself, and share His love for His beloved children the world over.

Prayer:

Father, let those who believe life is “good” without You be awakened from their slumber to all which is possible with You. Open their eyes, Lord, and their hearts to You and Your endless grace, and show them unmistakably that life is indeed “better WITH God”. You have a storehouse for each of us, filled with Your gifts and mercies, only a small fraction of which is ever claimed during our lifetimes. Help us receive what You have already set aside for us. I ask in the holy and precious name of your Son Jesus. Amen.

Bible Verses:

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

— Genesis 1:26

” The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.”

— Psalm 14:1

“The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.”

— Genesis 6:5

“Without Me, you can do nothing.”

— John 15:5

“Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.”

— James 1:17 (NLT)

“I say to the LORD, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.’”

— Psalm 16:2

Bible verses are from the New International Version (NIV) unless stated otherwise.

Credit:©Lightstock/KevinCarden116894

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Dear God Letters: Communicating with God

I have been writing Dear God letters for many decades. A few letters are penmanship perfect, but most of the time they are a jumbled long-hand script of thoughts to God.

Communicating with God

What a privilege it is to be able to look back and see how my prayers and communications with my heavenly Father are so raw and honest!

As I’ve learned more about God and His ways, I know it’s not popular to say, “God told me . . .” so I rarely say that. I am human and I know that, in my humanness, I can easily be mistaken in messages I perceive to be from God. Therefore, I prefer to say, “I feel impressed that. . .” We are imperfect beings and prone to interpret things incorrectly. I can accept that.

But what I can’t accept is that some people say God does not have the power to reveal Himself to us. With me, God most often uses the Bible to show me His will, His desires, and His love. I love spending time studying and meditating upon words, phrases, or chapters in the Bible seeking His wisdom and direction. The Bible is God’s love letter to us. Through His Word, He shares Himself with us.

Equally important, there are the special times when His sweet words calmly enter my mind and the holy presence of God is impressed upon me.  The joy and peace I feel foreshadow a breath-taking encounter between God and me. Just sitting and spending time with my Lord—reveling in His love towards me—is sweeter than a cool glass of water on a hot summer day!

When we bask in His love and get into His presence, we are placing ourselves in a position where God can “speak to us” or shall I say “impress Himself on us”. The beauty of wallowing in His rest and glory will astound us every time. Moreover, we leave that place of sweet and satisfying fellowship with a spark in our eyes, a love in our heart, and a desire to give Him all of ourselves. It is in these moments the Holy Spirit may impart and reveal His thoughts to us. Interconnecting with our Lord and Savior at these times fosters our faith and develops our spiritual growth.

The Challenge

I challenge you this week to ask God to let you see EVERYTHING through the eyes of His precious son Jesus.

I challenge you this week to ask God to let you see EVERYTHING through the eyes of His precious son Jesus. GreenePastures.org
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When we let God be God and listen to Him through prayer or the Bible, the peace which passes all understanding falls upon us (see Philippians 4:7). It’s like what I imagine Heaven on Earth to be like.

Find What Works for You

Below is just a sampling of a “Letter to God.” You may not like to express yourself in words and writing as I do, but the Lord wants to communicate with you. By the same token, there is no right or wrong way to communicate with the Lord. Find out what works for you and just love being loved by Him.

Dear God Letter and God’s Reply

Dear God,

We’ve been together for a long time. Over the years, we have been learning more and more about each other—or should I say, I’ve been learning so much about You! As the years have gone by, my love for You is getting stronger and stronger. You are my everything. Sometimes, I don’t know why You love me so much. All those times I have left You behind You have stayed alongside of me. I want to love You as much as You love me. You listen to me—even answering me even when I don’t want an answer. Open my ears to hear Your wisdom. Let me have an increasing understand of Your ways every day. Thank you, Lord.

Me

=====================================

My Dear Loved One,

Oh, how I cherish My time with you, but today I want you to listen to Me.

I know your thoughts and I am right here with you. All healing comes from My sovereignty. I keep secrets and I don’t share my thoughts about you with others—just as I don’t share other people’s thoughts with you unless I need to. I am God. Therefore, I can do with you and others as I please, but it’s all for your protection and growth.

The waiting—the being patient—is so you will trust in My will more and more. Whenever I am ready to share with you, I will. And, I do the same for others. I hold on to what you aren’t ready to accept until My perfect timing is complete.

Be strong; be enlightened; confess sins. Ask and continue to ask for My help. I know you are confused about your thoughts and your future.  Again, I say, “Be strong,” Follow my commandments. Love Me. I want you “to want to want what I want.” ¹ That’s the goal. I love you. My hand and My Spirit are upon you. I know what you are going through, and I am with you every step of the way—safeguarding you and others until the day where you can rejoice either in heaven or on Earth. Let My will be done in My timing.

God

Different and Unique

It’s so simple to converse with God. Use your words, your colloquialisms, and your expressions. Be yourself. Also, be honest. Don’t be concerned if you don’t pray as others pray. God created us—we are different and unique. We pray differently. Furthermore, we write, listen and read differently. Our uniqueness is what makes us who we are. Embrace it. Just be yourself.

The important thing is to just start communicating with your heavenly Father and let Him communicate with you. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines communication as:

  • A personal rapport
  • Information transmitted or conveyed [through] a verbal or written message, or
  • A process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior. ²

Whether you are talking to God in prayer or writing to God, He desires our hearts to be open to Him.

Whenever I write my Dear God letters, I am cognizant of the fact that writing a letter to God is a very personal experience. Sometimes I write to praise Him; other times I write to thank Him; and even other times, I write to address an issue. No matter why one writes a letter to the Lord, we should approach our communication with an honest and sincere heart.  God desires all our communication to be more than eloquent words, a penmanship-perfect letter, a jumbled note, or a conglomerate of misplaced typing errors on a piece of computer paper! He wants us to come as we are, with all the honesty and sincerity we can muster.

God Bless,

greenenpastures.org

Bible Gateway Blogger Member – Bible Gateway Blogger Grid (BG²) is an international network of independent bloggers who meaningfully blog—and who are serious—about matters relating to the Bible. Follow the members on Twitter using the BG² List; Inspirational Writers Alive Member (IWA) – Central Houston Location; Baylor University, B.A.

Bible Verses:

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading. (Nehemiah 8:8)

Let my meditation be pleasing to Him; As for me, I shall be glad in the Lord. (Psalm 104:34)

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him. (1 John 5:1)

Prayer:

God, thank You for all the love You have bestowed upon me. In addition, I thank You with my whole heart that You have made known to me Christ’s love and for filling me with the fullness of You. May my prayers, meditations and reading always guide me into the spirit of truth. Likewise, challenge me to be dwell in Your presence every single day. I love You.

Works Cited

¹ In a recent sermon, my pastor used the expression, “I want to want what God wants.” I added one more want here.

² “Communication.” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, 2019. Web. 5 Feb 2019.

Bible verses are taken from the New American Standard Bible.

Edited by E. Johnson

Books by Patti Greene

Christian Caregiving: Practical Advice for a Happy Ending

Devotional Prayer Journals

Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer

Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer

Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer

.@PattiGreene13

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Test Your Knowledge [Major and Minor Prophets Trivia Quiz]

When I sat down to write a blog today, I already had a few intriguing topics running through my mind. These topics will make awfully good blogs someday, but not today!

There was a fight going on between MY INNER-SELF that said, “Write a blog!” and my ENJOY YOURSELF persona that shouted, “Make up a test!”

I love testing people’s knowledge.  Making up tests was my favorite activity when I taught school. It never mattered whether I prepared True/False, Fill in the Blank, Multiple Choice, or Essay Questions. I LOVED and still LOVE writing exams that assess one’s knowledge.

So, my ENJOY YOURSELF me won out and I have written a multiple-choice quiz relating to the major and minor prophets of the Bible and the Old Testament books where they make their appearance.

Best of luck as you give your best shot on this “Test Your Knowledge” multiple-choice quiz. Give yourself 5 points for each question you get right. Answers and explanations follow the quiz. Just scroll all the way down.

And as I would tell my students, “Grab a piece of paper. Put your name on your paper. Number from 1-20. No cheating. And, start your quiz!”

Test Your Knowledge [Major and Minor Prophets Trivia Quiz] – “Grab a piece of paper. Put your name on your paper. Number from 1-20. No cheating. And, start your quiz!” GreenePastures.org
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Questions

1. Bible prophets were?

a. Descendants from the temple servants who returned from exile with Nehemiah;

b. God’s messengers in the Old Testament;

c Mercenaries for the Philistines during King David’s reign;

d. Managers of Herod’s household.

2. Who is Elijah?

a. Phoenician princess;

b. Moses’ spokesperson;

c. A man whose miracles called many in Israel back to faith in God;

d. One of the leaders of the tribe of Manasseh who defected to David at Ziklag.

3. The terms Major Prophets and Minor Prophets are simply ways to divide

a. The Old Testament prophetic books;

b. The good prophets from the bad prophets;

c. The descendants of King David from those who were not descendants of his;

d. Those who were good archers from those who weren’t.

4. How many major prophets are there?

a. Two;

b. Five;

c. Eight;

d. Twelve.

5. How many minor prophets are there?

a. Four;

b. Ten;

c. Eleven;

d. Twelve.

6. Which person is considered a minor prophet?

a. Jeremiah;

b. Isaiah;

c. Jonah;

d. Ezekiel.

7. Jeremiah was plagued by feelings of

a. Inadequacy;

b. Depression;

c. Despair;

d. All the above.

8. The Book of Ezekiel starts with

a. King Jehoiakim describing his intelligence and wisdom;

b. How God called him to preach at Israel’s royal sanctuary at Bethel;

c. The LORD telling him to arise and go to Nineveh;

d. A clear description and his call and commission.

9. What book of the Bible says, “The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places”?

a. Zephaniah;

b. Daniel;

c. Habakkuk;

d. Joel.

10. When Ezekiel spoke of the Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones, the bones were referring to

a. The angel Gabriel;

b. The temple;

c. The whole house of Israel;

d. The death of Babylon.

11. What book of the Bible says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”?

a. Hosea;

b. Zechariah;

c. Malachi;

d. Isaiah.

12. The Book of Daniel is quoted or alluded to in what other book of the Bible?

a. Psalms;

b. 2 Kings;

c. Revelation;

d. Ephesians.

13. The angel of the LORD was speaking to whom when he said, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.”

a. Zechariah;

b. Haggai;

c. Daniel;

d. Obadiah.

14. What book of the Bible says, “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’”

a. Lamentations;

b. Amos;

c. Micah;

d. Jeremiah.

15. The shortest book of the Old Testament is

a. Micah;

b. Malachi;

c. Lamentations;

d. Obadiah.

16. Jeremiah was told to do what?

a. Take a scroll and write on it all the words which God had spoken to him concerning Israel and Judah;

b. Get a brick and place it before him and inscribe a city on it, Jerusalem;

c. Go to Nineveh and proclaim the proclamation God was going to tell him.

d. Love an adulteress.

17. The Book of Malachi is known for the verse?

a. “The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.”

b. “From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is nothing sound in it, only bruises, welts, and raw wounds, not pressed out or bandaged, nor softened with oil.”

c. “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

d. “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed Thee?’ In tithes and offerings.”

18. Who wrote the Book of Lamentations?

a. King Belshazzar;

b. Jeremiah;

c. King Solomon;

d. Isaiah.

19. What is the last book of the Old Testament?

a. Zechariah;

b. Malachi;

c. Zephaniah;

d. Nahum.

20. Jonah said,

a. “Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life.”

b. “Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment.”

c. “If you would prefer to come with me to Babylon, come along, and I will look after you; but if you would prefer not to come with me to Babylon, never mind.”

d. “Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.”

God Bless.

greenenpastures.org

Bible Gateway Blogger Member – Bible Gateway Blogger Grid (BG²) is an international network of independent bloggers who meaningfully blog—and who are serious—about matters relating to the Bible. Follow the members on Twitter using the BG² List

Inspirational Writers Alive Member (IWA)  – Central Houston Location.

Prayer

Jesus, thank You so much for Your word. It guides me. It searches my heart. It points me to You. It shows me my sins. Without Your word, where would I be? I love You so much and I also love Your word and how it speaks to me. In Your precious and holy Name. Amen.

Edited by E. Johnson

Books by Patti Greene

Christian Caregiving: Practical Advice for a Happy Ending

Devotional Prayer Journals

Answer Me: Developing a Heart for Prayer

Anchor Me: Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer

Awaken Me: Growing Deeper in Bible Study and Prayer

To see more “Test Your Knowledge” Quizzes, click on . . .

Test Your Knowledge [Thanksgiving]

Test Your Knowledge [Women in the Bible]

Test Your Knowledge [Old Testament Trivia]

Your Knowledge [Men in the Bible]

Test Your Knowledge [Easter Quiz]

 

 

 

 

 

===================

Answers

 

 

 

 

  1. b
  2. c
  3. a; Some commentaries say the major and minor prophetic books are divided by their size.
  4. b; The major prophetic books are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel.
  5. d; The minor prophetic books are Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habbakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
  6. c
  7. d; Jeremiah showed strength in his devotion to the Lord, but he also was a man with deep inner struggles.
  8. d; Ezekiel 2-3 gives a clear description of Ezekiel’s call and commission.
  9. c; Habakkuk 3:9
  10. c
  11. a; Hosea 4:6
  12. c; Material from every chapter in Daniel is either quoted or alluded to in Revelation, and only two chapters are without some background in Daniel. [Hebrew-Greek Study Bible.]
  13. a; Zechariah 4:6
  14. d; Jeremiah 29:11; You might like to read Jeremiah 29:12-13 as well.
  15. d; Obadiah was written for the encouragement of the Israelites. It is only one chapter with 21 verses.
  16. a – correct answer–Jeremiah 36:2; b-Ezekiel 4:1; c-Jonah 1-3; d-Hosea 3:1.
  17. d;
  18. b; Lamentations is the work of one who had a broken heart. [Hebrew-Greek Study Bible]
  19. b
  20. a – correct answer–Jonah 4:3; b-Amos 3:3; c-Jeremiah 40:4; c-Isaiah 40:31.

 

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Plan Your Bible Studies For 2019

Over the past 47 years, participation in various Bible studies was a no-brainer. Reading, studying, and meditating on the Bible has been one of the most rewarding adventures of my life. Whether the studies were from pastors, discipleship leaders or workbooks, the effect they have had on my life has been profound.

Ever since I accepted Jesus Christ, I have participated in various Bible studies

Being a reader, and one who enjoys any kind of paper-pen-pencil combination, Bible study workbooks became my favorite method of reading, studying and meditating on the Word of God. Through them, I have grown in my faith, learned Biblical principles and wrestled with spiritual issues. These studies grew me from a “baby believer”, who knew nothing about the Bible, Bible doctrine or theology, into a “baby believer” who became armed with the Word of God—ready to tackle whatever was in store for me in my faith journey.

Along with these Bible study workbooks, I have partaken in topical Bible studies, Bible-based book studies and personal Bible studies (those done solely on my own). Choosing which Bible study I utilize depends on my interests, the authors, what studies are going on at my church, and/or what the Lord leads me to study for purposes such as teaching me, teaching others, or pursuing ministries He has for me.

Shortly after becoming a believer, some profound Bible studies helped me in my early walk with the Lord. They were:

  • The Ten Basic Steps to Christian Maturity by Campus Crusade
  • The Be Series by Warren Wiersbe
  • The Joy of Living Bible study
  • David Wilkerson’s Jesus Person Maturity Manual, and later
  • Experiencing God by Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby

Searching for Good Bible Studies

While it is not popular to say this, I have been involved in Bible studies that I later realized contained false doctrine and flat-out false teaching. [And yes, they are in Christian bookstores.]

As I grew, the Lord began to give me His discernment into which studies honored Him and which studies did not. It has become a challenge for me to find studies when I browse through Amazon or bookstores. I am diligent to read the author’s background, what they believe, and what their ministry stands for. If it makes you feel better, I am a “certified Texas librarian” so this kind of research and analysis comes easy—even expected—for me!

In January 2018, I walked into a Christian bookstore intending to find a Bible study to pursue at home. I looked and looked, but I couldn’t find one among the extensive shelves containing books from various authors from A-Z! I even looked at the $4.00 and under book carts. I’ve learned that some of the deeper books I enjoy end up on those carts. I’m not sure if it is because people like different studies than I do or if God is giving this retired gal a monetary break!

My Personal Journey

Because I own so many books, studies, literature, and Bibles, I periodically do some spring cleaning of my bookshelves—not so much to discard older ones but to make room for new selections. Since my books cover so many topics and authors, I even have a framed sign on my downstairs bookcases that say,

“Just because I own it and have read it, it doesn’t mean I believe it!”

Plan Your Bible Studies For 2019 by Patti Greene
Just because I own it and read it, does not mean I believe it!

You see, I keep some of my questionable books for comparison purposes for writing or speaking in ministry.

As I’ve grown in the Lord, I realize that reading the Bible semi-exclusively has become my forte (at least for now). While I enjoy other studies, I get more satisfaction out of studying God’s Word for myself than out of reading other people’s thoughts and their personal stories. Interestingly enough, the Bible resonates more with me now than when I first started my faith journey.

A Place for Bible Studies

Don’t get me wrong there is a place for Bible studies, but in all honesty, some stories or illustrations seem as if the author has stretched his imagination to make them fit a given verse and/or topic.

But hey, count me in that group! I am guilty of that myself. Many times, I have looked up topics in illustration books (usually ones written by well-known religious leaders or celebrities) when I am trying to write or speak to groups. Sometimes they work well—other times not.

But now in my journey, I love finding little nuggets about the lives of Biblical characters. I enjoy using them as my illustrations when writing or teaching. I have come to a point in my journey where I love God speaking to me directly from His Word.

13 Reasons to Read, Study and Meditate on the Bible

God’s Word . . .

  1. Convicts us of sin.

And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. (John 16:8)

  1. Gives us His promises to depend on.

For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. (2 Peter 1:4)

  1. Gives us strength and peace.

The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace. (Psalm 29:11)

  1. Guides us in the moral and ethical decisions we face.

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. (2 Peter 1:5-7)

  1. Guides us into wise thinking and behavior.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)

  1. Is powerful and true.

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

  1. Keeps us from being swayed by false teachings, teachers and incorrect doctrinal errors.

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. (2 Peter 2:1)

  1. Keeps us from temptations.

No temptation has overtaken you, but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

  1. Leads us and others to salvation and eternal life.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

  1. Leads us to consistency in our walk with God.

He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you? But, to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

  1. Remains close to our heart to guide and influence us.

Make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; (Psalm 23:3)

  1. Shows us how Christ lives so we can emulate His lifestyle as we grow and minister to others.

The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:  the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. (1 John 2:4-6)

  1. Shows us how to minister to others.

Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. (Luke 6:31)

In all love I can give you, I want to encourage you to block out time for reading, studying and meditating on God’s Word, to commit to reading more of the Bible (as opposed to the writings of others),  to spend more time reading the unadulterated, pure Word of God, and find a plan that works for you.

Bible Study Plans

Bible study plans are a great way to keep your Bible study consistent. Plans will vary in . . .

  • Length;
  • Time duration;
  • The number of days per week; [I love the plans that give me the weekend off to pursue other things of importance to me.]
  • Topic;
  • Money; [For example, if you choose to read the Bible through chronologically, you might need to purchase a chronological Bible.]
  • Ease, and more.

While I could link you to various plans, I have decided to let you do your own search for a plan that will work for you. Many plans provide you will a scheduled list you can print out, download digitally or have emailed to you daily. Some plans want you to sign up for their emails before providing a plan. My suggestion is for you to make those kinds of decisions yourself and follow through. However, please take special caution to make sure your source comes from true Bible-centered organizations!

13 Types of Bible-Reading Plans Available for Studying, Reading and Meditating

  1. A read-through-the entire Bible plan (reading straight through from Genesis to Revelation);
  2. An Old Testament plan;
  3. A New Testament plan;
  4. A Bible chronological plan;
  5. A Bible historical plan;
  6. A Gospel plan;
  7. A 90-day challenge plan; a 180-day reading plan; a 365-day reading plan;
  8. A thematic Bible plan;
  9. A “Bible book at a time” plan;
  10. A blended plan—reading some Old Testament and some New Testament simultaneously;
  11. A Jesus’ Words plan;
  12. A short-term commitment plan;
  13. A personalized plan, and more.

As for me, my Bible study plan for 2019, so far, looks like this. It’s a personalized plan written down on plain old notebook paper!*

  • Finish the Bible study plan I am currently doing; [Okay—it’s the read-through-the-Bible plan I intended to finish in 2018 but didn’t quite finish!]
  • Read all the Words of Jesus in the KJV;
  • Read, study and meditate on the Old Testament Book of Habakkuk;
  • Read, study and meditate on the New Testament Book of John through the Joy of Living series;
  • Read, study and meditate on the New Testament Book of Mark;
  • Read, study and meditate on the Old Testament during my quiet time;
  • Read, study and meditate on the New Testament during my quiet time; then
  • Pursue whatever the Lord leads me to –  Maybe a quick study on the Old Testament prophet Nehemiah.

Conclusion

I’d love to hear from you to see how you decide to hear from God this year—be it a programmed study, scheduled Bible study plan, or a personal plan.

Back in January, as I left that Christian bookstore empty-handed after a vain search for a Bible study, I heard a voice within me saying, “Patti, don’t be discouraged.” I smiled, started my car, and drove home pondering what was my yearly plan to be. It came to me in a still, small voice. “Patti, read through the Bible in 2018.” And while I didn’t quite reach that goal, I’m almost there!

The important thing is to MAKE A PLAN AND GET STARTED!

Bible Verses:

Old Testament prophet Joshua said, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it . . . “ (Joshua 1:8)

New Testament prophet John said, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” (Revelation 1:3)

Prayer:

My gracious heavenly Father. I come to You as I start 2019 looking for ways to please You. I need You in my life for so many reasons. I am committing myself right now to be more immersed Your Word this year. I need Your Holy Spirit to guide me into a study that I can finish—one that I won’t give up on by the end of January. Being in Your presence is my desire for this new year. Thank You for always being by my side even when my faith is weak and my heart is faint. I truly love You.

In Jesus’ holy name, Amen.

God Bless,

Member of IWA-Inspirational Writers Alive!

Member of Biblegateway Bloggers #bgbg2

Bible Gateway Bloggers
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Edited by E. Johnson

*Commentaries are often used when studying the Bible.

Bible Links are from the NASB.

Valentine's Day

Books by Patti Greene

 

#bgbg2, God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, GreenePastures.org, Jesus Christ, Life Issues, Patti Greene, Prayer, Testimonies, Writing and Speaking

The Fact Is: Chatting With God Is Awesome

I had the opportunity a couple weeks ago to spend a good part of my day in one of my favorite ways: chatting casually with my Heavenly Father. It was a beautiful time of fellowship, and I really felt myself the “daughter of the King”. In that conversation, I could express safely, with equal confidence, my joys, hopes, and fears.

We’ll get to that later. For now, let’s start at the beginning.

========================================

Lying in bed one cool fall day recently, I received a nudge around 6:17 a.m. The nudge was clear. It said, “Get up. Go pray.” I knew immediately from whom the nudge came.

I slipped out of bed, grabbed a cup of Folger’s Classic coffee, and went straight to my prayer chair. There was no time to question God. He made it very clear that He had something to say to me, and I was not about to keep Him waiting.

Behind the Scenes

Behind the scenes in my spiritual life, I have been dealing with a lot that I don’t understand this year. My meltdowns, my concerns, my unexpected thoughts, my perceived inability to hear God correctly, and the fear of hearing Him incorrectly all played into the fact that I knew God either had some profound admonitions for me or indispensable words of encouragement.

Creative Inspiration

Most times God speaks to me in a small quiet voice or through His Word. But occasionally He speaks to me in very creative ways.

An example of that was last weekend when I was driving to a Bible study. I was on the agenda to share a few words of wisdom with the group.

I was empty.

I had nothing in mind to share.

God is so good. He knew I had undergone a week filled with one urgent issue after another. As I drove on the freeway (I-10, for those who care), I passed a storage facility followed by a billboard that had the word journey on it. Through those everyday roadside fillers, God graciously gave me His words to share at the Bible study.

He impressed me to tell this group that, “As women, we store so much within ourselves without sharing it with anyone, either isolating ourselves from others or stressing us out. However, we must remember that we are all on our own individual journey, and how God works with you and what He might want you to share or not share may be different than how He deals with others.”

Now, I am not suggesting you give up your daily Bible reading or prayer time to look for these creative signs from God. Not at all, but what I am saying is that God can use any method He so chooses to share Himself with you and me.

Back to that cool fall day . . .

Praying for months for more intimate moments with God, I zealously awaited a deep one-on-one time with the Lord that morning.

Preparing to Hear from God

When I first sat down in my prayer chair, I reread one of my recent Dear God letters.* Then, I recalled multiple Bible verses to mind and recited them aloud. At that juncture, I began talking to the Lord about what was heaviest on my heart—my not understanding the “whys” of what I had gone through, and was still going through, this year.

You see, it’s been a rough season of pruning, spiritual warfare, and not understanding circumstances. Through it all, though, my desire was to be absolutely surrendered to Him.

In all humility, I must mention I have been in the Word constantly and been praying daily, so I knew it wasn’t a matter of God telling me to do these two things.

It was much deeper than that.

God had serious business to conduct with me. And, I loved His creativity with me, especially since I have been in such a serious mode lately.

A Pen and Paper Conversation

Then from nowhere, God and I were sharing like two good old friends, chit-chatting about everything from smoked sausage to the latest lipstick trends. [Yes, I am exaggerating here!]

Being the “pen and paper” woman I am, I began writing down our conversation as it was occurring. God titled our conversational diversion with the phrase “The fact is.” This phrase became the name of our personal tête-à-tête.

In a short amount of time, 120 lines of talking with my heavenly Father had taken place. I could have kept going, but I stopped when a text message from a friend came through.

With her permission, I share her 6:59 a.m. post.

Patti, John and family, the Joy of the Lord will give you strength and you will live the life of victory God has promised you! Father, bless this family with victory in their personal lives, in their relationships, in their church and in their community. Dear Lord, thank you for blessing, encouraging and empowering them no matter what they may be facing. I ask You to fill their hearts with supernatural joy, so they can stand strong in all things. I pray that God blesses you daily with good health, divine healing, peace, hope and guidance. I am praying that in His perfect time and in His gentle way, God’s caring touch will comfort, support and strengthen you. Love you. In Jesus name. Amen.

It’s just like God to send a confirmation that He is right by my side—only 43 minutes after my wakeup call. But it didn’t stop there. All day long, I took notice of God saying, “The fact is,” and I responded with the same identical phrase.

This non-verbal dialogue between God and me transpired as I traced my path through several stores, specifically Walgreens, Barnes & Noble, Macy’s and Hobby Lobby. He even confirmed it was Him in Barnes and Noble when I randomly ran across a book titled, And That’s a Fact! *

The bottom line of this post is that I thought I would share a sampling of the heart-to-heart chat I had with the Lord today. Maybe it will help you—maybe it won’t. But I think God is nudging me to share it! So, I am going to obey.

Me:        The fact is, I love You, Jesus.

God:      The fact is, I love you so much I died for you.

Me:        The fact is, You will help me overcome.

God:      The fact is, Yes, I will give you strength.

Me:        The fact is, You want me to rest upon Your shoulder.

God:      The fact is, I can calm and quiet your soul by doing that.

Me:        The fact is, people fail us and let us down.

God:      The fact is, I am always true to My Word

God:      The fact is, I am your confidence.

Me:        The fact is, I get hurt when I don’t remember that. In fact, I get hurt a lot.

God:      The fact is, I will never leave you or forsake you.

Me:        The fact is, I try to remember that one day is like a thousand years to You.

God:      The fact is, I know you were summoned into service for Me.

Me:        The fact is, then You know I don’t know what to do with that calling.

God:      The fact is, just trust that I know the plans I have for you.

Me:        The fact is, I know You don’t have to share those plans with me now.

Me:        But the fact is, I am getting older.

God:      The fact is, some things I hide in the spiritual realm until the right time.

Me:        The fact is, that sometimes I feel battered down and feel forgotten.

God:      The fact is, I give My power to the weak and I am able.

Me:        The fact is, I can’t make sense of it.

God:      The fact is, you just need to trust Me.

Me:        The fact is, I do trust You and I know You hold me in Your hands.

God:      The fact is, that My wisdom will guide you to understanding. With discernment, you will know My ways.

Me:        The fact is, spiritual warfare comes out of nowhere and it lasts so long, then leaves temporarily, then returns.

God:      The fact is, I have allowed it, so your faith can be proven.

God:      The fact is, I want You to experience the “coming out of it” victoriously. I can only do it that through the way I am working in your life.

Me:        The fact is, I am depending upon You to come out victoriously.

God:      The fact is, I am also pruning you.

Me:        The fact is, that’s an understatement. I know You are pruning me, Lord—It’s exciting, but it hurts so much.

God:      The fact is, I am carrying you.

Me:        The fact is, being a Christian is the best thing ever, but it can be so hard.

God:      The fact is, I know that. I sweat drops of blood because of that, but the ending was and is sweet.

God:      The fact is, I am preparing you for great and mighty things you do not know.

Me:        The fact is, that’s awesome. Thank You.

God:      The fact is, I know you are weary.

Me:        The fact is, I know to come to You. You said, “Come to Me, you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”

Me:        The fact is, I know I am growing through all this.

God:      The fact is, you must wait and then you will overcome it. When you see what I have in store for you, you won’t believe it.

Me:        The fact is, I’m having trouble waiting. I’m sort of anguished about it. But, thank You for me so much.  Furthermore, thank You for preparing a place for me in Heaven.

God:      The fact is, everything you have experienced and will experience has been experienced by Me.

Me:        The fact is, that’s comforting. I love You and need to be reminded of that.

God:      The fact is, I love you too. Go forth in My love. Trust Me. Put your faith in Me. Depend on Us—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

God:      Make your requests be made known to Me. Then, believe that I know what I am doing. I know the details because I know the big picture of your life.

Me:        The fact is, I do believe that, but I may need more times of respite.

God:      The fact is, that the shepherd cares about his sheep. And you are one of my dearest sheep.

Me:        The fact is, I love You for that.

God:      The fact is, let’s chat more. Now, I’m nudging you to finish the book you are reading tonight! There’s something in it just for you. [There was.]

So… whether via roadside billboards or a text message from a Godly friend; whether I am in my lair’s “prayer chair”, waltzing through Walgreens or hobnobbing in Hobby Lobby, the Word of the Lord comes to me in many ways and places.

The fact is: whenever He is ready to talk, I, like Samuel of old, am always ready to hear and respond at any time.

But please, Lord, let me first get my morning cup of coffee.

Bible Verses:

But the fact is, it was our pains he carried – our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him – our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. (Isaiah 53:4-5 MSG)

The fact is, that ADONAI sent me to you to speak all these words, so that you could hear them. (Jeremiah 26:15b CJB)

The fact is, that Christ did actually rise from the dead and has become the first of millions who will come back to life again someday. (1 Corinthians 15:20 LB)

Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If not, why not take steps to receive Him by . . .

  1. Recognizing that God does love you. (John 3:16)
  2. Understanding and confessing that your sins are separating you from God. (Romans 3:23)
  3. Accepting that Jesus Christ is the only provision for your sins. (Romans 5:8)
  4. Individually receiving Jesus Christ through faith as your Lord. (John 1:12)

Prayer:

Dear Jesus,

What a joy to fellowship with You all day long! Thanks for giving me the freedom to talk to You. Thank You for the precious words You have given me. Thank You for the facts we have shared together—especially the banter we enjoyed just between ourselves. I know You are with me. I just want to feel Your presence more and more in my life. I want to live in the spiritual realm as much as possible. Let Your truths enlighten me and guide me. I love You, Jesus.

Amen.

God Bless. Until 2019.

* My Dear God letters consist of letters I have written to God—usually on notebook paper.  I started writing these letters decades ago and I have them saved. Usually they are written when I really have something serious on my mind. Many times, God impresses upon me what to do or what not do during these letter writing activities.

*And That’s a Fact by Harry Bright. I have not read this book or even browsed through it. It may be awesome, but I am not necessarily recommending it. I just saw the cover in Barnes and Noble.

Member of IWA-Inspirational Writers Alive!

Member of Biblegateway Bloggers #bgbg2

Edited by E. Johnson

Valentine's Day

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Our Motives, Intentions and Attitudes—Part 1

Most people have encountered motives in varying degrees. In this blog, we will look at OUR MOTIVES, INTENTIONS and ATTITUDES. These terms will be used interchangeably throughout this post.

In a subsequent blog titled Our Motives, Intentions, and Attitudes [Toward Others]—Part 2, we will discuss how individuals judge and react to the real or perceived motives of others.

Introduction:

Five years ago, when my husband was entertaining the idea of taking a job in Lagos, Nigeria, he asked me if I wanted to go there. I answered immediately with a resounding, “YES!” How did I know to respond so quickly without researching and analyzing the situation in depth? It was because I know my husband, and I knew he always wanted to live overseas. Therefore, I didn’t have to question my motivation for the positive response because my motive was that I wanted to please him. My motive was clear!

Many times, it is the same way with God. By knowing Christ in an intimate way through our Bible reading, prayer and meditation, we can know His motives — as well as what ours should be — rather quickly.

However, at other times and in other situations, our motives may not be so easily discerned.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines motive as, “something (such as a need or desire) that causes a person to act.”

Our actions can be beneficial or destructive. A descriptive illustration is that “revenge was the murderer’s motive.” Here we see that because of the motive “revenge”, the action of “murder” occurred.

Motives create a lot of different scenarios. There are . . .

Personal Motives:

  • We wonder if our motives are right or wrong.
  • We know our motives are right.
  • We know our motives are wrong.

Other-Centered Motives:

  • Another person wonders if our motives are right or wrong.
  • Another person knows our motives are right.
  • Another person thinks our motives are wrong.
  • We wonder if another persons’ motives are right or wrong.
  • We know another persons’ motives are right.
  • We think another persons’ motives are wrong.

Hopefully, we can come to a consensus that searching for our true motives will create a deeper understanding of ourselves, others and God. Aligning our will with God’s will increases our spiritual growth, our maturity and our actions. Finding ourselves using more of the fruit of the Spirit is a beneficial outcome of getting deeper into the center of the Lord’s will for our lives.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23) GreenePastures.org
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Absalom’s Motives

In 2 Samuel 15, Absalom, King David’s son, decided to overthrow his father’s throne. Being a personable and popular man, Absalom persuaded many people to agree that he should reign as king in Hebron. Absalom recruited Ahithophel, one of King David’s loyal advisors, to pledge allegiance to himself instead. Absalom caused King David to flee Jerusalem to escape from Absalom—his own son! Remember, motives cause actions.

In this case, Absalom had two motives driving him:

  1. A SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT to become king, and
  2. A DESIRE to achieve power

These motives caused him to disrespect his father’s authority and kingship. This is an example of bad motives leading to bad actions.

I wonder what would have happened if Absalom would have turned to God and asked the Lord to show him His motives. It could have changed history!

Bad Motives Lead to Bad Actions

Somewhere along the line Absalom consciously made the decision to end his relationships with his family and plot to backstab David so he could become king. Oh, how it must have hurt David to see his own flesh and blood turn against him!

It happens today as well.

  • Pride may ruin one’s relationship with God.
  • The desire for approval may cause one to lie.
  • A sense of entitlement may be the catalyst for unhappiness, ungodly behavior and stress.
  • Jealousy may be the basis for revenge.
  • Criticism may be the mainspring of hurt feelings and more.

We Can Use Our Personalities to Influence People for Evil

Absalom used his outgoing personality to get people to like him.

Let’s face it, making a first impression is important. When searching for a job, we dress well; we present an impressive resume; we learn how to shake hands the correct way, and we do everything to make a positive impression of ourselves.

There is nothing wrong with that, but in the case of Absalom, his ulterior motive in using his “kind and helpful persona” was to get people to like him so he could overthrow his father’s kingdom and take it for himself.

We see this same behavior in politics, churches, or movements. But, if we are truthful, we see it in ourselves also.

ASK YOURSELF:
  • Do you act differently at home than at church?
  • Do you volunteer for non-profit organizations to prove you are a good person?
  • Do you help people only to get a reward or recognition?
  • Do you attend church only to make business contacts?
  • Do you pay for others’ meals to show how well off you are?
  • Do you brag about your spiritual gift(s)?
  • Do you desire the limelight at home, church or at the office?
  • Do you spend money you don’t have to impress others?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions (and others not mentioned), our motives are something less than pure.

Acting differently at home than at church, for example, reveals that we are interested in pleasing people in church by adopting a false countenance, yet we “let our hair down” at home where we revert to our less-guarded “normal” behavior. Volunteering to show how “good” we are is a far less noble motive than imitating (and illustrating!) Jesus Christ’s example of servanthood.

In all the cases listed above, our motive is to influence what others think of us. Rather than reflect who we are as Christians, as these acts should, we instead appropriate these actions to manipulate man’s thoughts and take the glory God should receive for ourselves.

We may do these things without realizing that we are doing them, or why. Being unaware or unrepentant of our thoughts or intentions is common.

Reading or listening to God’s Word and spending time in prayer becomes imperative to turn your heart to the Lord. Knowing why we do things and what our motives are is important.

Absalom ruined all family relationships when he decided to spite his father.

DID ABSALOM ASK OR CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS?
  • How many cousin relationships would be destroyed?
  • How many marriages would break up over his actions?
  • What would his life be like estranged from his father?

We may not know the specific answers to these questions regarding Absalom, but be assured, evil decisions have consequences.

Godly Motives Lead to Godly Actions

First Corinthians 4:5 says, “Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.”

God wants us to live our lives with a godly attitude. He wants us to release our thoughts to Him regardless of what they are. If they are ungodly, He wants to help us get our motives, thoughts and intentions under His wing and protection. If our motives are already in line with His intentions, we are blessed as we move forward. Praise God!

When we share the gospel and Christ’s salvation to others with the right motive, God is pleased. Honoring our Lord and Savior by participating in the Great Commission is one, if not the most, godly actions one can undertake. If we give a large amount of money to the church with the sole purpose of giving out of our love for Christ and His church, our motives prove higher in the eyes of the Lord than someone who gives to impress the preacher or to influence the direction of the church.

Being in the presence of God allows us to trust our own motives more quickly and accurately. But, there will still be times when we question our motives. This is because we are humans. We are not God. We have the privilege of asking our heavenly Father for direction and clarification. When we pray in the name of Jesus, being led by the Holy Spirit, God will give us peace and direction—in His time and in His way.

How to Analyze Our Motives

Many times, in our lives, we want to know if our motives are allied with what the Lord desires for us. We wonder because we don’t want our actions to stem from ill-conceived motives. Another way to say that is that we don’t want to make fools of ourselves before God and people. When we question our own motives through prayer and inquiring of the Lord, a special union between ourselves and our heavenly Father is created because we are searching for God’s thoughts. We crave the very presence of God, so He can lead us on the right track in our thoughts, prayers, and actions.

How do we know what our motives are and what we should do?

  • Ask God to show you if your motives are pure (or not).
  • Ask God to show you your real motive.
  • Ask God if your thoughts are from you or Him.
  • Ask God if it is time to stop praying about whatever is your concern.
  • Ask God for wisdom, character, sincerity and humility.
  • Ask God for you to have the strength to give up your motives, intents, and desires and replace them with His will for you.
  • Ask God to continually remind you that He knows what’s best for you because He sees the big picture of your life—NOT YOU.

Seek God’s Input

Seeking God’s input as to our motives is a fantastic place to start—but it is usually extremely difficult. We live in our dreams and desires; they are hard to replace.

Before anything, God wants us to put Him above all else. When we reach the place of total surrender to the Lord, we must move on in pleasing Him in our lives. We don’t know sometimes whether God is going to say YES, NO, or NOT NOW when we pray, but no matter what, know that He is working to perfect us, and He knows what is best.

We may feel that no one else can understand the extent of what we are undergoing. We may wonder if our thoughts are from our intellectual brain or from God. We may wonder if we are operating according to our fleshy desires. We may agonize over our motivational reasons, causes, purposes, intentions and even our spiritual aptitude to discern. Discovering our true intentions can be hard. We may be dealing with strongholds in our life, i.e. idolatry.

Motive Tip: If you are wondering if your motives are in line with God’s will, study the Ten Commandments. If your motives conflict with any commandment, it is not within the will of God. GreenePastures.org
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Even Strong Spiritually-Minded Believers Pray About Their Motives, because . . .

  • They want their time spent in the presence of God to be productive.
  • They don’t want to be praying about something if their motives are not in tune with God.
  • They can’t move on until they know if their motives are acceptable to God.
  • They want to grasp what God wants to say to them.
  • They want to submit to God’s plan for their lives.

Occasionally, a believer’s heart becomes so impressed with a passage of Scripture that he feels God is declaring His plan or words just to him. If that is your case, take that verse, meditate upon it, look at the context, talk to the Lord about whether it is really meant for you and this situation.

“Dear God” Letter

I write “Dear God” letters when I really have something I want to articulate to the Lord. I’ve been doing this since 6th grade. One deep-rooted and totally honest prayer stated,

Dear God,

Why am I praying this prayer over and over? What are my motives and what are Your motives? Lord, it sounds crazy to pray that this could come true, but I hope for it. I am waiting patiently. If it isn’t Your will, I ask You to take away the desire and correct my prayer. I am at wit’s end trying everything to know Your will. I don’t know if it is a sin, a glimpse into the future or a thought from Satan. Lord, I don’t understand my own motives. Correct me, Lord. I don’t understand. I need relief. Is it time for me to stop praying about this? Lord Jesus, my spirit is heavy. Search me, O Lord. I want to be in Your absolute will but how can I be until You answer this prayer?

I love you.

Patti

I share this letter with you because many times there comes a point where we need to just stop saying the general prayers that we so often pray and start praying in total honesty to God. Tell Him you don’t understand. Tell Him you don’t know why you are experiencing this conundrum. Tell Him you need His wisdom and discernment. Tell Him you need His power to know His motives. He knows us better than we know ourselves. Always remember—He knows the plans He has for us. Plans for welfare and not for calamity give us a future and a hope. (See Jeremiah 29:11)

Conclusion

Our motives matter!

The next time you question your motives, get honest with God. I mean totally honest with God! Talk to Him like no other. Be specific. Be bold. Inquire. Then commit to seek Him daily for direction and understanding; tell Him you don’t want to misinterpret your motives. He will show you how He wants you to proceed—or how not to proceed.

As with all requests we make to the Lord, our obedience to His already-established commands is imperative. When we follow God in obedience, He will answer our questions, concerns, and intentions. Our Lord does not want His people to proceed with an unsettled or perplexed mind, but with confidence and clarity of spirit.

It is hard to imagine what life would have been like if Absalom developed a godly camaraderie and alliance with King David.

But I daresay that if Absalom’s intentions were completely surrendered to God, which is always the preferred method, our World History books would be different.

Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. (Hebrews 10:35) GreenePastures.org
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Bible Verses:

The plans of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight,
But the Lord weighs the motives.
Commit your works to the Lord
And your plans will be established.
The Lord has made everything for its own purpose,
Even the wicked for the day of evil. (Proverbs 16:1-4)

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it. (Psalm 37:4-5)

Prayer:

Jesus, I love you. I want to know Your will for my life. Please search my heart. I want all my motives, intentions and attitudes to be shaped by Your hand. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead me and guide me to Your plan and agenda for my life. Again, search my heart. Show me my sins, so I can repent. Teach me Your ways. Let me learn more about You every day. Let me adjust to Your timetable and accept each and every step along the way. You are my triune God. Lord, thank you for loving me so much. I really do love You. Amen.

God Bless.

greenenpastures.org

Member of IWA-Inspirational Writers Alive!

Member of Biblegateway Bloggers #bgbg2

Edited by E. Johnson

All Bible verses use the New American Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

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Please share, forward, retweet, and/or comment if you liked this article or find it might help someone you know. Thanks.

In addition, I would love for you to join either my blog or newsletter. Just go to GreenePastures.org and look on the upper right-hand side of the blog to join!

Books by Patti Greene: Available on Amazon

#bgbg2, Christian Living, Church and Ministry, God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, GreenePastures.org, Jesus Christ, Most Recent Post, Patti Greene, Politics and Current Events, Salvation, Uncategorized

I am not a None—One of the Religious Unaffiliated

I am NOT a none. I have never desired to be a none! And with God’s grace, I will never become a none. So, what is a none? Merriam-Webster dictionary defines nones as “the ninth day before the ides according to ancient Roman reckoning” or “the fifth of the canonical hours”.

However, those are not the nones being spoken about in this article. I am talking about the nones as defined in the Oxford University Press website in an article titled “3 Things You Might Not Know About Nones” by Elizabeth Drescher. Drescher defines nones as “a name for people who answer ‘none’ when asked what religious group they most identify or to which they belong.”

It is based on this definition, I will be providing informational quotes from various writers and researchers that will provide enough information for you to understand and intelligently discuss nones with others. In addition, I have included links for easy location of the entire articles.

Currently, nones or my personally made-up word noneship are not within my everyday vernacular or even official words yet, but I daresay that in the next few years, they will join the Merriam Webster’s New Dictionary Word List along with their most recent newest words such as cryptocurrency, wordie, Chiweenie, Schnoodle, ooh, mm-hmm, and welp.

Who is a None?

Becka Alper from Pew Research says, “a growing share of Americans are religiously unaffiliated. [They] recently asked a representative sample of more than 1,300 of these “nones” why they choose not to identify with a [particular] religion.

Out of several options included in the survey, the most common reason they give is that they question a lot of religious teachings. Six-in-ten religiously unaffiliated Americans – adults who describe their religious identity as an atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” – say the questioning of religious teachings is a very important reason for their lack of affiliation.

The second-most-common reason is opposition to the positions taken by churches on social and political issues, cited by 49% of respondents (the survey asked about each of the six options separately). Smaller, but still substantial, shares say they dislike religious organizations (41%), don’t believe in God (37%), consider religion irrelevant to them (36%) or dislike religious leaders (34%).”

Alper, Becka. “Why America’s ‘nones’ don’t identify with a religion.” Pew Research Center. 8 Aug 2018.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/08/08/why-americas-nones-dont-identify-with-a-religion.

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“The Christian share of the U.S. population is declining, while the number of U.S. adults who do not identify with any organized religion is growing, according to an extensive new survey by the Pew Research Center. Moreover, these changes are taking place across the religious landscape, affecting all regions of the country and many demographic groups. While the drop in Christian affiliation is particularly pronounced among young adults, it is occurring among Americans of all ages.”

“America’s Changing Religious Landscape.” Pew Research Center. 5 May 2015.

http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/

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“Curiously, the religiously unaffiliated are “about twice as likely to describe themselves as political liberals than as conservatives.”

  • 63 are either registered Democrats (39%) or lean toward the Democratic Party (24%)
  • 72% support legal abortion
  • 73% support same-sex marriage

Hess, Andrew. “The rise of the nones.” Focus on the Family. Focus on the Family. Accessed 21 Sept 2018.

https://www.focusonthefamily.com/about/focus-findings/family-formation-trends/rise-of-the-nones

What is Interesting about the Nones?

“Look at any survey about the state of religion and you will find the same story of decline. Fewer Americans today than in past decades identify with a religion, attend church, engage in religious practices, and view faith as an important part of their lives. Those who advocate the secularization of society applaud such cultural change because they see it as evidence that people are turning away from all things supernatural. However, these trends may be less about our abandoning the supernatural and more about our abandoning each other.”

Routledge, Clay. “Americans quit church but still search for meaning, now as loners.” Nation Review. 14 July 2018.

https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/07/traditional-religion-has-social-value-individual-quests-leave-people-isolated/

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This seems like a circular argument: “The nones are growing because the nones are growing! But sociologically, it makes a kind of sense. Some nonbelievers might have stayed in organized religion in previous generations just because it was socially expected, and there were consequences for not joining the religious crowd. The numeric growth of the nones has removed some of those barriers so that other closeted nones feel more comfortable leaving religion too. There is an infrastructure and support system for them.”

Riess, Jana. “Why millennials are really leaving religion (it’s not just politics, folks). Religion News Service. 26 June 2018.

https://religionnews.com/2018/06/26/why-millennials-are-really-leaving-religion-its-not-just-politics-folks/

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“In 2014, 23% of adult Americans identified as what media and academics have come to refer to as religious “nones.” Although the term covers a lot of territory—atheist, agnostic, unaffiliated, “nothing in particular,” and “spiritual but not religious”—it does not include anyone who identified with a particular faith tradition.”

Winston, Diane. “Millennials and the ‘none’: Why 40 years of religion in US Elections may change in 2015. Vice News. 30 June 2015.

https://news.vice.com/article/millennials-and-the-nones-why-40-years-of-religion-in-us-elections-may-change-in-2015

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“Nones are building communities in myriad ways, some of them more organized than others. From meditation groups to the very church-like Sunday Assemblies,  the religiously unaffiliated are finding ways to connect with one another.”

Blumberg, Antonia. “How the ‘Nones’ can find a sense of community outside of religion.” Huffington Post. 22 July 2015.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/religiously-unaffiliated-nones-community_us_55afe508e4b0a9b948535f3a

Why Do the Nones Believe Like They Do?

“Today’s young nones, immersed in their online lives, may feel as though they are very connected. But as many are collectively realizing, online connections are weaker than advertised. We may have many [acquaintances] within digital reach, but numerous online relationships are no substitute for deep, real-life friendships. Similarly, a wave of spirituality apps promises to supercharge your mindfulness and positive thinking. Although beneficial, app spirituality, too, leads to a solitary practice.”

Asma, Stephen. “Religiously unaffiliated ‘none’ are pursuing spirituality, but not community.” L.A. Times. 6 June 2018.

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-asma-nones-spirituality-20180607-story.html

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“As a pastor, as a researcher, as an educator, as just a Christian who cares, the single greatest contributor to the attrition rate [of the Christian faith] has been the breakdown of the family,” McFarland said in an interview with the Christian Post.

Blair, Leonardo. “Parent Failure to Transmit Faith to Kids Helping Fuel Growth of Religious ‘Nones,’ Study Suggests.” Christian Post. 20 Sept 2018.

https://www.christianpost.com/news/parent-failure-transmit-faith-kids-helping-fuel-growth-religious-nones-study-227489/

How Can the Nones Come to Know Christ?

An important new survey by Pew Research asks, “why people who were raised in religious homes but who now identify as religious “nones” — having no religious affiliation — decided to leave the faith of their childhood. The results were varied, but according to the survey, “Half of ‘nones’ left childhood faith over lack of belief, one-in-five cite dislike of organized religion.

So today, America needs another great awakening, one which will convert the unconverted, restore the backslidden, and set the complacent on fire. Whether they know it or not, the “nones” are crying out for this very thing.”

“God’s solution to the ‘Nones’ who have left the faith.”  The Stream. Accessed 21 Sept 2018.

https://stream.org/gods-solution-nones-left-faith

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Conclusion

So how can you know God? It all starts with accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ provides a relationship with the Father and eternal life through His death on the cross and resurrection (Romans 5:10)

Lord Jesus, I ask You to forgive my sins and save me from eternal separation from God. By faith, I accept Your work and death on the cross as sufficient payment for my sins. Thank You for providing the way for me to know You and to have a relationship with my heavenly Father. Through faith in You, I have eternal life. Thank You also for hearing my prayers and loving me unconditionally. Please give me the strength, wisdom, and determination to walk in the center of Your will. In Jesus’ name, [A]men.

“How do I accept Jesus as my savior.” In Touch. Accessed 21 Sept 2018.

 https://www.intouch.org/read/content/how-do-I-accept-Jesus-as-my-savior

While some people have no idea what is their purpose in life, some are convinced their life journey is to seek knowledge, to pursue status, to become wealthy, to promote tolerance, to reproduce or a host of other purposes.

The bottom-line is, what do we believe is the meaning of life?

As believers in Jesus Christ, we should believe that our purpose is to fulfill what God has appointed us to accomplish on this earth. When the spiritual dimension of life is void of the Trinity—God, the Father; Jesus, the Son; and the Holy Spirit, we become part of the none community. Let’s not let that happen!

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Bible Verses:

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)

Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, help me to believe in You. Help me to see You with new eyes. If You are real, let me know that. I’m tired of the life I am living. I want to know that beyond what I can see, there is a God that loves me and wants what is best for me. Help me to leave my proud behavior and unbelieving thoughts at Your feet. I want to know if You are real. Amen.

God Bless.

greenenpastures.org

Member of IWA-Inspirational Writers Alive!

Member of Biblegateway Bloggers #bgbg2

Edited by E. Johnson

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Please share, forward, retweet, and/or comment if you liked this article or find it might help someone you know. Thanks.

In addition, I would love for you to join either my blog or newsletter. Just go to GreenePastures.org and look on the upper right-hand side of the blog to join!

Books by Patti Greene: Available on Amazon

#bgbg2, Christian Living, Church and Ministry, GreenePastures.org, Life Issues, Most Recent Post, Patti Greene, Politics and Current Events, Testimonies, Uncategorized

No More Christian Celebrity Quotes – Except Here!

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Once upon a time, I wrote a devotional prayer journal titled, God, It’s Me. In the book, I put a quote from a “celebrity” Christian at the bottom of each page. I thought it was a reasonable thing to do and the publisher encouraged it. However, the book hadn’t been out long before I regretted my decision since a few of the “celebrities” had fallen from grace shortly after publication. I have since republished the book under the title of Anchor Me; Laying a Foundation in Bible Study and Prayer without using any quotes from anyone. Okay, I have quoted Jesus, maybe Paul too, but that is permissible. You get the drift.

I learned my lesson or, so I thought.

In this blog, I am taking some liberty and I have decided to do something different! The reason is that I have been super busy, and I have been reading a lot of good books and I would like to share some of the quotes I have read with you. Note that I usually read both sides of an issue and compare anything questionable to the Bible, so you might not like my chosen authors. Another reason is that if I find someone who is no longer in good Christian standing, I can delete the quote using one click on my computer. A blog is not a book that is FOREVER in print. As mentioned, you may not like or approve of the people I quote, but maybe their quotation, thought or illustration will give you room for thought.

So here goes!

Taking a creative approach to my blog and for time’s sake, I will be taking my quotes from pages 32, 34, or 36 from the books—only because those are the ages of our children. I could just use my age, but . . . Nah, that’s not any fun!

Enjoy!

Book Quotes

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“The ambassadors Satan prefers are chiefly of four sorts: persons of prominence and power; persons of superior intellect and diplomacy; persons of holiness, or at least reputed to be; and persons able to influence those in power.”

  • The Christian in Complete Armour by William Gurnall; p.34.

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“Stop telling God how big your storm is. Instead, tell the storm how big your God is.

  • Adrianisms: The Collected Wit and Wisdom of Adrian Rogers by Adrian Rogers; p. 32.

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“Now, our Lord Jesus Christ is a Counselor in a threefold sense. First, he is God’s Counselor; he sits in the cabinet council of the King of heaven; he has admittance into the privy chamber, and [he] is the Counselor with God. In the second place, Christ is a Counselor in the sense which the Septuagint translation appends to this term. Christ is said to be the angel of the great council. He is a Counselor in that he communicates to us, in God’s behalf, what has been done in the great council before the foundation of the world. And thirdly, Christ is a Counselor to us and with us, because we can consult with him, and he doth counsel and advise us as to the right way and the path of peace.”

  • Spurgeon’s Sermons by Charles Spurgeon, Volume 5; p. 32.

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“You are never too old to start again. My favorite people are those who have grown older biologically, but never stop growing spiritually.”

  • Principle Preaching by John R. Bisagno; p. 36.

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“God created the family to provide the framework for us to learn about relationships—how to relate to one another. Those first relationships often affect how we communicate and establish friendships for the remainder of our lives.”

  • Friendship: Iron Sharpening Iron by June Hunt; p. 32.

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“Doctors often say that persons who work seven days a week, only to spend months in the hospital trying to regain lost health, are really just catching up on their Sundays in arrears.”

  • Positive Obedience by John R. Bisagno; p. 34

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“Just because a brilliant mind can’t conceive of God does not mean that God doesn’t exist; it simply means that God’s reality exceeds the intellect and imagination of the human mind.”

  • Receiving and Giving by David A. Peterson; p. 34.

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“What biblical examples show the benefits of joint ministry? Who ministers alongside you? If no one, why not?”

  • Be Distinct: Standing Firmly Against the World’s Tides by Warren W. Wiersbe; p. 32.

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“It’s been a long time since I got a thank-you note for a Christmas present.” ‘Oh, that’s my training from my mother,’ she said. “We were always told that a written thank you was important and required for any material gift. And we couldn’t use the presents until the thank-you notes were written.”

  • A Simple Act of Gratitude: How Learning to Say Thank You Changed My Life by John Kralik; p. 32.

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“I sleep with a BIPAP machine. Somehow, I lost the location of the store where I get my supplies. It was time for new supplies. For six weeks “it was time for new supplies. Three or four different times, I spent hours searching the part of our city where I just knew it was, trying to find the store. I know now why God blotted the memory of the place out of my mind. He wanted to show the great power of His hand. Sitting down to write this morning, out of nowhere (yes, I know where) came a thought. It was extremely clear and accompanied by a warm glow. ‘I wonder if I forgot to mention my presidency of the Southern Baptist Pastor’s Conference in the biographical sketch that I send to my speaking engagements?’ I walked over to my filing cabinet and pulled up the tab, BIO, for ‘biography’ to check it out. Guess what’s right next to ‘BIO’? BIPAP! I excitedly opened the file and there was the name, address, and phone number of the BIPAP store, complete with directions. What can I say, but ‘Hallelujah!’ I think that’s Latin for ‘YAHOO!’”

  • The Power of Positive Praying by John Bisagno – 50th Anniversary Edition; p. 36.

**********

“Obedience to Him is always the issue. Filling [water pots] may not have made sense to those servants, but they did it anyway. God’s command may not make sense to you, but don’t parade it by the judgment bar of your reason. Just obey. That’s the secret to a miracle.”

  • Believe in Miracles but Trust in Jesus by Adrian Rogers; p. 34.

**********

“Often the Enemy will put an easy solution in your way. He points to someone and whispers, ‘That woman over there, that man over there. If you want happiness, break free from your spouse and start again.’ Now I’m not denying that a marriage can end up in a heartbreaking mess, but if you put happiness before everything else, you will not only persuade yourself into a divorce, you will probably wreck your next relationship too. That’s how the Enemy works.”

  • Conquer Your Battle Plan for Spiritual Victory by Michael Youssef; p. 36.

**********

“When communicating with others, those of us who have Powerful personalities need to remember the ‘magic words’ and be especially careful of our tone of voice . . . a good verse for the Powerful personality to memorize is Proverbs 16:24: ‘Kind words are like honey—enjoyable and healthful.’”

  • Talking So People Will Listen: You Can Communicate with Confidence by Florence and Martha Littauer; p. 32.

**********

“So many of us feel like failures when we try to share our faith—all but the few who can really do it well. That may be the way we feel, but it’s not supposed to work that way. Somehow along the way we’ve become confused about what it means to represent Jesus to the lost world around us.”

  • Conspiracy of Kindness by Steve Sjogren; p. 34.

**********

“God employs anyone and anything to expose and extract the flaws that keep you from being established at the center of His will. Without haste, He deletes distractions. Thrashes those nearby crutches that provide alternative routes. Dispossesses your demigods secretly tucked away in your pockets. Strips you of all attractions. Shuts you in. And out. Beyond the reach and help of man. These and much more, God allows in order to make you absolutely dependent on Him. Completely surrendered to His will.”

  • Shekinah! Manifestation of the Sons of God! by Glory C. Odemene; p. 35. (I’m breaking my own rules on sticking to pages 32, 34, and 36! Oh well!)

**********

“And Abraham said, ‘God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ So, the two of them walked on together.”

  • Hebrew-Greek Keyword Study Bible-NASB; p. 32.

**********

And how awesome is God!!! This quote from Genesis 22 (on page 32) is the exact key verse I am using for a “Hot Topic” class I am teaching at my church. God is so good in confirming I’m on the right track. I love how He works! Even in these blogs!

Conclusion

So now you have seen the last 15 books I have read plus what version of the Bible I am using, I would love to know what your repertoire of reading consists of. If you don’t mind, please comment, and let me know . . .

  • The last book you have read (Christian, non-Christian, fiction, non-fiction, biography, ebook, audiobook)
  • The author of the book
  • A  ‘cool’ quote, thought or illustration from the book, and
  • Don’t forget to share the page number if available

And one more thing . . . Next time I decide to do this, I might take the quotes from the page of my age. It seems the books get deeper and more interesting by the time I get to my age page!

God Bless.

greenenpastures.org

Member of IWA-Inspirational Writers Alive!

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Bible Verses:

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding. (Proverbs 2:3)

Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things. (Romans 15:27)

Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank You so much for all the wisdom You provide to us—through ministers, Bible studies, and books. But, let us always remember that Your Word is the #1 go-to source for all our needs and desires. Give us discernment and understanding in all we read and hear knowing that many false prophets abound. I pray for Your Word to penetrate my heart, mind, and soul. I want to serve You. Keep me balanced and loving to all. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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Pray and Speak Like Moses

As I write this blog, I am dealing with some annoyances—frustrating dental and ophthalmological annoyances! To ensure you that we can still speak for God amid provocations, like Moses, read on!

Dealing with a toothache the day before you go out-of-town is no fun. Then, when I called my dentist to try to remedy the situation, I was told she is on vacation until next week! Okay, I can deal with that. I might just need to see a dentist at my “respite” location!

Furthermore, I am dealing with a floater in my eye. To be specific, I feel like a mosquito or gnat is flying around my right eye all the time. I have even found myself slapping the right side of my face only to find it isn’t a bug flying around, but my floater. Fortunately, I was able to see an ophthalmologist and he said I have a vitreous detachment.

The Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines a vitreous detachment as, the “separation of the posterior part of the vitreous body from the retina due to contraction of the vitreous body that occurs as part of the process of aging and may occur sooner in serious cases of myopia, that is usually accompanied by the presence of floaters often seen as spots or structures resembling cobwebs, and that may result in a torn retina or in retinal detachment.”

The good news—it isn’t a retinal detachment, which may cause a permanent loss of vision. All I have is the separation of the posterior part of the vitreous from the retina.

“It’s caused by AGE”, the ophthalmologist said. GREAT, just another age-related thing to add to my list! He said, “Sometimes these floaters never go away; might go away, might become dull or you just get used to them.”

I found none of those scenarios acceptable! I wanted to hear, “take these drops and the floater will dissolve and disappear in a day or two.”

My eyes are totally important to me. I am a reader. I read all the time! I really mean it—I totally read all the time. I read church bulletins, I read the Bible, I read sermons, I read music lyrics, I read blogs, I read newspapers, I read Facebook, I read Twitter, I read books, I read tombstones, I read obituaries, I read pamphlets, and sometimes I even read instructions. Now when I try to read, I can’t concentrate because this “big black mosquito-like” floater is roaming around my right eye.

Now, on to the main topic—I wanted direction on how to pray for some upcoming speaking opportunities, so I went to my Bible, picked up where I left off, and the good Lord gave me directions on how to pray in the second and third verse I read—eliminating a vast period of “mosquito reading.” But as happens so often, God shared His wise and sound wisdom with me. I just love it when He shares His Word in such a personal way.

Deuteronomy 32:2-3 said,

Let my teaching drop as the rain,
My speech distill as the dew,
As the droplets on the fresh grass
And as the showers on the herb.
For I proclaim the name of the Lord;
Ascribe greatness to our God!

These verses are part of The Song of Moses. Moses worked hard and consistently for the Lord up until his dying moment. In Deuteronomy 31:23-30, Joshua is commissioned and was told that he should bring the sons of Israel into the land which God swore to them. Then in the assembly of Israel, Moses shared a song—some say a prayer—appealing to the heaven and earth concerning the important things he was about to say as he was closing his life and earthly ministry for the Lord. Moses did not want his final words to be his words. He wanted them to be God’s words—from the Holy Spirit of God. For that, he prayed.

Quite in contrast to previous speaking engagements, Moses’ brother Aaron was his spokesperson. This time around, Moses prepared this final talk fully aware that he will be speaking directly from his own mouth and not from Aaron’s. Moses’ sister Miriam and his brother Aaron had already passed away when this prayer was formalized and spoken by Moses.

Just as we speak for our Lord, let us pray that our words will be words from God. As we witness for Him, as we teach our Sunday School classes, as we preach our sermons, as we uplift our neighbors, and in whatever unique situation the Lord puts us, we must proclaim God’s greatness in all we speak.

Did I mention previously that I read commentaries too? I do!

From Deuteronomy 32:2-3

Let my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew.

Benson’s Commentary says, may “his words which were sent from heaven to them, sink into their hearts and soften them, as the rain doth the earth, and so make them fruitful in obedience.”

Moses wanted his “speech”; some versions call it “doctrine” to refresh like the rain. For that same reason, God wants our words to refresh others, so let’s pray for that.

As the droplets on the fresh grass and as the showers on the herb.

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible states, that the tender herb and grass, “may denote the multitude of persons to whom the Gospel would come, and be made useful . . .”

For I proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe greatness to our God!

Moses wants the people to know that all the important things he wants to share with them before his death are spoken in order to give complete honor, glory, and prominence to the LORD.

From here Moses proceeds to speak God’s words by the power of the Holy Spirit. Moses absolutely wanted the people to know that the song/prayer he was about to say were God’s words spoken through Him.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if every time we spoke and/or represented Jesus Christ, we knew our words come from God’s spirit?

Main thoughts from John McGill’s Commentary: Deuteronomy 32:2-3

To whom was Moses speaking?

  1. Those needing salvation
  2. Sensible sinners
  3. Tender consciences / Newborn babes . . . little children; who are just springing up in the grass
  4. Righteous people
  5. Perverse and crooked people

When we speak to others about the Lord, let us remember to whom we are speaking to and guide our words to meet their needs.

Why did Moses compare his last speaking engagement to rain/dew?

Because . . .

  1. Rain comes from Heaven
  2. Rain is a gift from God
  3. Rain falls by divine direction
  4. Rain represents the Lord’s will and pleasure with a fulness of spiritual blessings and promises
  5. Rain moistens and softens a hard heart
  6. Rain refreshes and revives the drooping spirit, and
  7. Rain makes the barren souls fruitful

How humbling would it be, if when we are called to speak for the Lord, that our words would provoke peoples’ hearts to be refreshed, revived, and softened as if by rain or dew?

What attributes did Moses have when speaking to the people?

  1. He proclaimed the name of the Lord
  2. He ascribed greatness to God
  3. He shared openly and publicly
  4. He shared faithfully
  5. He wanted people to know that the words he was about to speak were coming from God, not himself

Let us claim boldness and confidence when we share God’s word with others. Cleanse yourself, commit yourself to the Lord, and ask Him to speak through you.

Conclusion

In this “speaking engagement,” Moses knew he was close to the end of his life as he spoke words of truth to the people. He knew only God’s words would do.

Then Moses came and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people, he, with Joshua the son of Nun. When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, he said to them, “Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life. And by this word, you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.” The Lord spoke to Moses that very same day, saying, “Go up to this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab opposite Jericho, and look at the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel for a possession. Then die on the mountain where you ascend, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, because you broke faith with Me in the midst of the sons of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, because you did not treat Me as holy in the midst of the sons of Israel. For you shall see the land at a distance, but you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving the sons of Israel.” (Deuteronomy 32:44-52)

The next time you are called on to speak for our Lord, pretend it is the last time you may have the opportunity for God to use you and pray to be filled to the brim with His Holy Spirit. Pray that your words will fall upon the congregation, class, friends, and family in such a powerful way that idle words will not proceed out of your mouth—only words that will lead the listeners to God’s truth, holiness, grace, mercy, and salvation.

I am praying this for my next speaking engagement. I want to renew my mind, use my spiritual gifts according to the grace given to me, love who I am speaking to, and as my pastor recently said, “Serve with excellence and passion.” (Read Romans 12)

Unfortunately, I will probably still have that annoying floater in my eye the next time I speak. My prayer for that is that if my annoying mosquito-like flash shows up, it will block out the person who might have fallen asleep during my talk!

Oh yes, that is quite probable. Have I mentioned I speak from 2:45-3:45 p.m. after a big lunch? Yikes!

Bible Verses:

And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. (Acts 19:8)

Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:11)

“When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me. (John 15:26)

Prayer:

Lord, I dedicate my life to You. Allow me to speak Your words and only Your words as I have opportunities to speak for You. Take away all pride and self-centeredness from my heart. Give me humility and sincerity. Thank you for providing each and every opportunity to speak and let me recognize them as privileges from You. Thank you, Lord. In Your precious name, I pray. Amen.

God Bless,

greenenpastures.org

____________________

Works Cited

Biblegateway. Benson Commentary and Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible. Biblegateway.com. Accessed 17 July 2018.

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary. Vitreous Detachment. m-w.com. Accessed 17 July 2018.

NASB unless otherwise noted.

Edited by E Johnson

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____________________

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Kindness: A Fruit of the Spirit

Many of us have no idea how to treat others with kindness. As a Christ-follower, following Jesus’ example in the New Testament demonstrates a worthwhile goal to pursue. When Christ’s love and His Holy Spirit indwells us, kindness begins to permeate our thoughts first and then our actions.

When I look back at most of the people I have known in ministry, it is the trait of kindness that sticks in my mind. Many times, I personally received a direct outcome of their kindness or I saw them showering kindness on others.

But, come to think of it, kindness is the trait I look for or it finds me in my relationships with others. (Okay, I value honesty too!)

The trait that you look for or find may be different. It may be another fruit of the Spirit such as love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness or self-control. (Galatians 5:22)

While not exhaustive, some of the pastoral kindnesses I have experienced are . . .

  • The pastor who preached the gospel when I turned from my sin and believed in my Lord Jesus Christ. [Bill Lawson/Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, Houston]
  • The pastor who counseled me and baptized me. [Dr. James Harris/University Baptist Church, Fort Worth]
  • The pastor who gave me the best marriage advice ever. [Dr. John Bisango, First Baptist Church, Houston]
  • The pastor who filled in to marry us when our intended wedding pastor had to cancel marrying us two days before the wedding. [Dr. James Riley/Former pastor @ Second Baptist, Houston]
  • The interim pastor who loved our 6-year old daughter and led her to Christ and baptized her that very same day. [Bob Harris/Interim @ First Baptist, Humble]
  • The pastor I saw sweeping and cleaning up the kitchen after our daughter’s wedding shower which took place in his church. [Jerry Howe/Second Baptist Church, Levelland at the time]

And, I could go on and on! Fortunately, my husband and I have been recipients of being in wonderful churches all throughout our married life. Each unique in their own way. Praise God!

Kindness from Christ-Followers

But, it’s not the kindnesses I have received just from ministerial people that have impressed me. I have also been the recipient of individual Christ-followers’ kindnesses, like . . .

  • The ladies who brought meals to me after my children were born.
  • The college professor who gave me a passing grade when I shared difficulties I was having grasping the subject matter in his class.
  • The friend who consoled me after a horrendous breakup.
  • The elderly churchmen and churchwomen who mentored my husband and me when we were young adults by their examples and “invitations to have lunch with them.”
  • The friend who rejoiced with me when we bought a home while she lived in a small, rundown apartment with four young children.

Kindness was the trait that attracted me to my husband. When we dated, he was kind (and nice) to me. Need I say more after 39 years of marriage?

The Bible urges us to be kind to one another.

Honestly, I don’t think of myself as a particularly kind person. [Oh, I do not like saying that, but I desire to be a kind person.] When I see my rough and jagged edges, I don’t like what I see. That’s why it surprises me when I receive notes from my friends as I received recently.

One of my friends wrote,

You found me hiding pains and helped my healing: I am the vibrant woman I am today because you stopped where I was stuck, you became the step I needed to climb up and out: I am eternally grateful for your loving kindness.

I cherish comments like this. They encourage me to do better, to strive to be more kind and loving. And I appreciate those who refrain from telling me my bad characteristics until they are told with kind words—words that only the Holy Spirit can place in their hearts.

Moses’ father-in-law Jethro knew how to show grace and kindness when it came time to lead Moses to a better life when Moses was overloaded by all his pastoral duties.

Jethro said,

The thing you are doing is not good. You will surely wear out, both yourself and these people who are with you, for the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.  Then he began to counsel him and teach him how to handle disputes by having the difficult decisions brought to him and having the minor decisions handled by the judges. (Exodus 18)

Now, that’s kindness in action!

Kindness is one of the fruits of the Spirit. When speaking about walking by the Spirit, Paul states the following, concluding with kindness being one of the fruits of the Spirit:

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.  

Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another (Read Galatians 5:16-26).

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law. (Galatians 5:22) GreenePastures.org
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Why Should We Be Kind To Each Other?

  • As believers, we are commanded to be kind. (Colossians 3:21)
  • Be kind so that the word of God may not be criticized or attacked. (Titus 2:5)
  • Because the Lord is kind. Psalm 145:17. (Titus 3:4)
  • God tells us to be kind because he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. (Luke 6:35)
  • God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance. (Romans 2:4)
  • If you are kind, you will find life, righteousness, and honor. (Proverbs 21:21)
  • The Bible tells us that servants of God should be kind to everyone and not quarrelsome. (2 Timothy 2:24)
  • The Bible tells us to remember people kindly. (1 Thessalonians 3:6)
  • We should be kind to one another as God in Christ forgave us. (Ephesians 4:32)
  • You benefit yourself if you are kind while a cruel man hurts himself. (Proverbs 11:17)

Conclusion

As Christ-followers, no matter what we encounter in life, we are faced with many different situations and personalities. Obviously, sometimes we don’t feel like being kind. Fatigue, restlessness, and/or sin may cause our focus to shift away easily from God and His attributes.

Faced with our sometimes unkind attitudes, we should repent daily and pray that our lives will reflect the love of God in all we do—including being kind. Being kind involves loving others, being patient, and seeking God’s wisdom in all we say and do.

And, when we fail, let’s confess our harsh and callous hearts to God, and start over—even if it means addressing and apologizing to those whom we have hurt.

Bible Verses:

Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did. (Acts 9:36)

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. (Luke 6:35)

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32)

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, I so want to be kind. Help me each day to seek Your face and become more like You. Show me how to be kind to both my friends and enemies. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and guide me to situations where I need to shower others with kindness. Where I need to seek forgiveness, show me how to confess. You are holy and kind and I want to be like You in all I say, think, or do. In Christ. Amen.

God Bless,

Member of IWA-Inspirational Writers Alive!

Member of Biblegateway Bloggers #bgbg2

Edited by E. Johnson