Spirit World – Proceed with Caution – ANGELS [2]

February 27, 2015March 6, 2015buildafoundation Leave a comment

For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him. – Psalm 34:7

The information we will be talking about in the discussion of angels will be adapted from the book, Angels, Elect and Evil by C. Fred Dickason

People have long since been intrigued by the possibility that an unseen spirit world exists. And interestingly enough, people often seek out these things because something inside them seems to be calling them to fill a “hole”.

It is when we feel this pull, that we need to proceed with caution. Take the time to engage your reasoning skills, while putting your emotions on the back burner for a bit.

Remember the Garden of Eden? It was described as a place of safety and beauty. A place where animals and people lived together as friends. You may also remember that Satan, in the form of a serpent, enticed and led astray Adam and Eve with lies. Although subtle lies, they were still a distortion of God’s Truth.

These are the same subtle lies Satan used on people in the past, us today, and will he will continue to use in the future. Why? Because they work. These lies successfully pull people away from the love, security, and guidance of God, towards chaos, insecurity, fear, and confusion.

Satan doesn’t entice people over to his “team” so that he can love and provide for them. On the contrary, he just doesn’t want you to be on God’s “team”. So when you choose not to follow God, who are you following? The culture? Your friends? TV personalities? Who or what? When you don’t follow God, you end up lost, flaying around, bouncing from one popular idea to the next. Seeking and searching. All the while knowing something is missing, but not knowing what.

Let’s use the internet as an example. It is a fantastic resource. It allows us to network with people, to stay connected, to get information, to make purchases, it provides a platform to get our ideas heard, like my blog :), to get recipes, to learn to play guitar, to learn what’s going on in other parts of the world, etc.

But, with all the good, there’s comes all the bad. Seems like there is always two sides to every story. The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him. – Proverbs 18:17

In the example of the internet there’s pornography, reconnecting with “old” lovers or “new” lovers when your spouse is no longer “exciting” to you, or anonymity when you post pictures and/or comments you never would in “real life”.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.

So keep this in mind: have cautious awareness when discussing angels.

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Angels ??? – ANGELS [1]

February 25, 2015March 6, 2015buildafoundation Leave a comment

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the fortress of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? – Psalm 27:1

Some time ago I asked my children, “What would you like to learn more about from the Bible?” My son answered, “angels”.

As a result of his request, angels will be the topic of my next few posts.

When you think of angels, does this painting from the famous Italian painter Raphael come to mind?

A bit of trivia – These two angels, we typically see alone, however, they are actually part of the painting, Sistine Madonna. Raphael was commissioned by Pope Julius II, in 1512, to create an altarpiece of the Virgin Mary and Christ Child for the newly built Benedictine Monastery of San Sisto in Piacenza, Italy. It was the last painting he did in his own hand before his death in 1520.

Or, do you think of Jacob’s Ladder, from the vision Jacob had in Genesis 28:12?

…and as he (Jacob) slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway.

(I was unable to determine the artist of this painting. If anyone knows, could you please write it in the comments section? Thanks 🙂 )

Or, do you think of angels as great warriors?

Or, ever-present protectors?

Or, perhaps guardian angels?

Or, maybe as your conscience?

Or, cupid?

When it comes to the depiction of angels, you can see that there are a variety of interpretations.

Let’s dive into the Word of God together, and see what God tells us about angels.

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Is “Sex” Glamorized in Our Culture? – PROVERBS 5 – Introduction (b) [2]

February 9, 2015buildafoundation Leave a comment

Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery. – Hebrews 13:4

Many people may think that the Bible is just a book of rules, or a storybook for kids.

Unfortunately, because of these, and other, misconceptions, people don’t think that the Bible pertains to them and the struggles that they face everyday, in the “real” world.

One of the greatest struggles people face today is sexual sin. I believe people do realize that some of their sexual “choices” are wrong. And do sense that their choices are not healthy emotionally or physically. Yet, because our culture, media, etc. tends to glamorize “sex”, the “envelope” is continually being pushed, “My people have become lost sheep. Their “shepherds” have led them astray and turned them loose in the mountains. They have lost their way and cannot remember how to get back to the fold.” – Jeremiah 50:6

As a mom, I feel the pain and heartache God expresses for people, through the prophet Jeremiah. Unfortunately, people take what they believe is an “innocent taste”, while failing to realize the long-term implications of their choices.

For example, from “puppy love” in the 70’s, on shows like the Brady Bunch – Marcia Brady and Davy Jones

With these sexual “experiences/opportunities” becoming more and more common place, , it is easy for people, ourselves and our children, to be led further and further from God’s Ways. For those who guide these people are leading them astray; And those who are guided by them are brought to confusion. – Isaiah 9:16

God tells us, and I take this to heart –

You MUST WARN each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God (His ways, His guidance, His grace, His mercy, His protection, His love… – my addition) – Hebrews 3:13

On the surface our culture’s obsession with “sex” may seem alluring, in reality it’s all an illusion.

A goblet? Or two people looking at each other?

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Love is in the Air!!! – PROVERBS 5 – Introduction (a) [1]

February 5, 2015February 5, 2015buildafoundation Leave a comment

God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— not in lustful passion like those who do not know God and His ways. – 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

We are currently in the month of February. A month often associated with Valentine’s Day. The day when sentiments of amor especial entre buenos amigos (special love between good friends) are exchanged,

and intentions of “like” are bravely shared with another.

And this year, on Valentine’s Day, the movie, “Fifty Shades of Grey”, will be released taking “like”, to a whole nother level. From the innocence of exchanging valentine cards, to a young woman’s “innocence” stolen by lust and perversion.

Are both of these examples of love? Is one “good”, and one “harmful”? Does God, our Creator, have any thoughts on the subject of love?

We will be looking at Proverbs 5 for wisdom on the dangers of sexual immorality. But before we do, let’s look at the way God defines “love” in the Bible.

“LOVE” IS DEFINED IN FOUR DIFFERENT WAYS IN THE BIBLE

STORGE – this type of love refers to natural, familial love, parents, children, and extended family members.

PHILOS – this is the type of love a person would have for a friend. Philos is part of the words philosophy (“love of wisdom”) and philanthropy (“love of humanity”). It describes loving another person like they were your brother or sister. Philos love can be a bit persnickety (a bit fussy). It could be equated with the phrase, a “fair-weather friend” – A friend who is only a friend when circumstances are pleasant or profitable. But at the first sign of trouble, these “friends” take-off. Since phileo love involves feelings of warmth and affection toward another person, we do not have phileo love toward our enemies. However, God commands us to have love for everyone. This love is called agape love.

AGAPE – this is the type of love of God has for His son, Jesus, and all people. Agape is a sacrificial love. Agape love is based on our behavior and actions. It is act of our will, a choice we make. It is not based on how we feel towards another person/people. Although positive feelings can follow after we show this kind of love to others. When we have agape love, we seek to put other’s well-being ahead of our own. Agape love is the love that God commanded all people to have towards all people. Because of our sinful nature, this type of love does not come naturally to us. This kind of love can only be given to us by God, For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love. – Romans 5:5

EROS – this type of love means to have a desire for or longing for. Eros is part of the word erotic. It is referred to as erotic/selfish love, and is focused primarily on sensuality and self. Eros love is based on the “feelings” we have for another person. Eros is often the first stage of a romantic relationship, and is based on the physical traits. Erotic love, in and of itself, is not sinful. However, because erotic love focuses on sensuality and self, erotic love can quickly become porneia – the Greek word for “sexual immorality” (the root of our word pornography). Porneia covers the gamut of sexual sin (adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bestiality, etc.) When eros love is shared between husband and wife, it can be a wonderful thing. In fact, the Bible has an entire book about the blessings of erotic, sexual, love within marriage. It can be found in the Song of Solomon, in the Old Testament. Unfortunately, when eros takes place outside of marriage, it becomes distorted and sinful. The Bible calls this form of eros, sexual immorality, and warns us – flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. – 1 Corinthians 6:18 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures… – Galatians 5:19

< The information on the four types of love was adapted from types of love.org and gotquestions.org >

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Should I Follow Any People??? – PROVERBS 2:20-22 [5 of 5]

January 2, 2015January 27, 2015buildafoundation Leave a comment

You are a person of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance (continue doing something even though it may be difficult), and gentleness. – 1 Timothy 6:11

20 Follow the steps of good men instead,
    and stay on the paths of the righteous.
21 For only the godly will live in the land,
    and those with integrity will remain in it.
22 But the wicked will be removed from the land,
    and the treacherous will be uprooted. – Proverbs 2:20-22

The title for Proverbs Chapter 2, as seen in many Bible translations, is the Benefits of Wisdom.

Wisdom’s purpose is to guide and teach us. As mentioned in the introduction of Proverbs, http://wp.me/p5nZpi-1j, Proverbs are principles, not promises.

A principle is a statement telling someone of a likely/probable outcome. Example = “if you play with fire you’re going to get burned.”

A promise is a statement telling someone of a definite outcome. Example = “if you put your bare hand into the fire, your skin will be burned.”

Thankfully, God has given us the ultimate travel guide, The Bible. And additionally, He has given us godly/wise people to help us along our journey. Following their steps, verse 20 – Follow the steps of good men instead, and stay on the paths of the righteous, can help us avoid the bumps and “potholes” of life. They might offer wise advice saying, “when I was younger, I thought it was ok to tell my friend just what I felt about them. But then I realized I didn’t have all the pieces of the puzzle when I spouted off. I felt so dumb at that point, and wished I could have taken back the nasty words I said, but it was too late. I tried speaking my mind, and I should have remember the saying, we have one mouth and two ears, so listen twice as much as you talk.”

Advice given to us by a godly, trusted, life-experienced person –

Let wisdom enter your heart. Let knowledge fill you with joy. Allow wise choices to watch over you, and understanding to keep you safe. – Proverbs 2:10-1, http://wp.me/p5nZpi-6P

Don’t Become a “Victim” of Poor Choices… – PROVERBS 2:12-15 [3]

December 29, 2014January 27, 2015buildafoundation Leave a comment

Now you are free from the power of sin and have become followers of God. Now you do the things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. – Romans 6:22

12 Wisdom will save you from evil people,
    from those whose words are twisted.
13 These men turn from the right way
    to walk down dark paths.
14 They take pleasure in doing wrong,
    and they enjoy the twisted ways of evil.
15 Their actions are crooked,
    and their ways are wrong.

Wisdom is protective, it will save us, verse 12. One way Wisdom saves us is by protecting us from evil people, as described in verses 12-15.

Evil people’s path:
v.13 – they do not follow the godly path, but dark path
v.14 – they enjoy their ungodly and twisted ways
v.15 – their actions and ways of doing “things” are crooked and wrong

BUT there is help!!

Verse 12 reminds us that applying knowledge (wisdom) protects us from becoming “victims” of poor choices, or falling for unfilled promises of smooth-talkers. Wisdom protects us from people who twist the truth, enticing and tempting us to choose an ungodly path.
These types of people remind me on the serpent in the garden, twisting God’s words and tempting Eve – Genesis 3:1-7, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+3%3A1-7&version=NLT < Or >
A wolf dressed up in sheep’s clothing. – Matthew 7:15 – Looks sweet and safe on the
outside, but is actually very dangerous.

Thankfully God loves us so much that He provides us with help. An escape route when we find ourselves in tempting situations – WISDOM –

REMEMBER:

– The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful.
He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out, provide a way of escape, so that you can endure it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13

– If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. – James 1:5

Can I Find Hope, Healing, Restoration??? – ZEPHANIAH – 3h – [16]

December 15, 2014December 15, 2014buildafoundation Leave a comment

He brought me up out of the pit of destruction and confusion, out of the muddy clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my steps secure. – Psalm 40:2

As we begin to wrap up the Book of Zephaniah, let’s look at a common pattern seen throughout the Bible, as well as, our own lives.

People follow their own way, believing they are able to navigate life on their own, without God, His principles and guidance.
Life becomes messy. In relationships, at work, at school, in finances, families, morals and values are compromised, addictive behaviors surface, and destruction/unhealthy choices dominate. We’re LOST!! We’re not sure where to turn, or even what we’re hoping to find. All we know for sure is that something is missing from our lives. But WHAT is it?
People hear about God. In the Bible it was through prophets, and through miracles. In present day, people hear about God through preachers on the radio or TV, through various churches offering an array of worship experiences from quite/reflective to foot stomping/interactive, and everything in between. Miracles may sadly go unnoticed. Thought of as “coincidence”, rather than “providence”.
People choose to make a change in their lives. To repent, acknowledging that the path they have been on is not leading them where they hoped to go. Instead of continuing on their current path, they choose to do a 180 and follow God’s way.
People experience restoration and healing. – It is like the restoration of this painting – The beauty we see in the restoration (right side of the image) was not added or changed, but was cleaned up (refreshed and restored) after years of neglect, sin (an analogy), hurt and pain experienced (an analogy) – (image on the left side).

NOTE: Complete restoration and healing doesn’t often happen in an instant, a week, a month or even a year. But, by making a choice today to say, YES, I want restoration and healing in my life, in my relationships, at my job, with my classmates, teachers, etc. the process can begin. And you will be able to see God’s image restored everyday, while the distorted, marred image that was once so painful to look upon, begins to disappear.

God Pulls Us Close :) – ZEPHANIAH – 3g – [15]

December 12, 2014December 14, 2014buildafoundation Leave a comment

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is – Ephesians 3:17

With all the love God is showering over His people, verses 15-17 ,http://wp.me/p5nZpi-4G, you might think that God has forgotten all those that have caused you pain, rejected you, hated you, etc. You might think that God is going to let them off the hook. Let by gones be by gones. Not so!!! Remember, although God is a god of mercy, He is also a god of justice. And those that have chosen to reject God, have chosen to go their own way, and have caused hurt, God promises in verse 19 that He

19)) WILL DEAL SEVERELY WITH ALL WHO HAVE OPPRESSED YOU. I will save the weak and helpless ones; I will bring together those who were chased away. I will give glory and fame to my former exiles, wherever they have been mocked and shamed.

20)) On that day I will gather you together

    and bring you home again.

I will give you a good name, a name of distinction,

    among all the nations of the earth,

as I (will) restore your fortunes before their very eyes.
These verses, and many others found in the Bible, are there to be an encouragement and reminder of God’s immense love for His followers. That He is giving each one a GREAT BIG BEAR HUG, 
pulling us close to Him, protecting and comforting us, and NO ONE can snatch (us) away – John 10:28

The Humble WILL be Rewarded – ZEPHANIAH – Chapter 3e [13]

December 8, 2014December 14, 2014buildafoundation Leave a comment

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. – Philippines 3:14

9)) “Then I will purify the speech of all people,
so that everyone can worship the Lord together.
10)) My scattered people who live beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
will come to present their offerings.
11)) On that day you will no longer need to be ashamed,
for you will no longer be rebels against me.
I will remove all proud and arrogant people from among you.
There will be no pride on my holy mountain.
12)) Those who are left will be the lowly and humble,
for it is they who trust in the name of the Lord.
13)) The remnant of Israel will do no wrong;
they will never tell lies or deceive one another.
They will eat and sleep in safety, and no one will make them afraid.”

Comparing Genesis 11:1-9, http://wp.me/p5nZpi-2W, and Zephaniah 3:9-13 we see that people were/will be coming together for a single purpose, yet their motivations are quite different. In Genesis 11:1-9, the people are coming together to make themselves famous, Genesis 11:4. Whereas, in Zephaniah 3:9-13, they will be coming together to humbly worship God.

Verses 11-13 tell us that we can look forward to the day when the humble will be rewarded. Rewarded because they lived their earthly lives trusting God, listening and following Him. They not only listened to God’s word, but they did what it said, James 1:22.

This is the same day, the day of hope, we pray and look forward to, when we pray, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, Matthew 6:10.

The day of hope is a “real” day. A day when those who have humbled themselves, yielding themselves to God vs. self-reliance and pride, will enjoy fellowship with God and God-followers.

Teamwork?? – ZEPHANIAH – Chapter 3d – [12]

December 4, 2014December 14, 2014buildafoundation Leave a comment

Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. – John 15:5

In the account of the The Tower of Babel from Genesis 11:1-9, http://wp.me/p5nZpi-2d, we were left to answer 3 questions,

What did the people come together to build?
What was the reason the people wanted to build ______, and
What was God’s reaction/response to their plan?

Reading this passage you would have discovered that the people came together to build a great city with a tower that reaches the sky (v.4).

The reason they wanted to build the city and tower was that they believed it would make them famous and keep them from being scattered all over the world. (v.4)

Lastly, seeing what the people are doing, God’s reaction/response is, “the people are united, they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! Let us go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.” (v.6-7)

God’s reaction/response may seem a bit puzzling. You might be thinking, what is the harm of people coming together, working as a team, and having a common goal? Good question!! Working in harmony with others would seem to be a something God would encourage, not sabotage. So what’s going on here?

Before answering this question, let’s look next at Zephaniah 3:9-13, and see if those verses can give us additional insight.