The Power of Giving Thanks

Here we are once again, at the precipice of the Holiday season, with our tables garnished with turkey, dressing, and cranberry sauce.  As we prepare to step across the threshold of a rapidly approaching new year, our feet often traverse the well-beaten path of reflection and self-evaluation.

This year, my wife and I were blessed to visit my home in Birmingham, AL, to spend the Thanksgiving Holidays with my immediate family and friends.  I grew more excited, as the departure time approached, at the thought of seeing all those that I love and cherish.  Gratitude filled my heart as my wife and I packed the car to head south for the Holidays.  In that moment, I discovered the true power and purpose of giving thanks to God in every season of our lives.  Thanksgiving is more than just a day on our calendars reserved for filling our stomachs; rather, it is a lifestyle that releases the power of God in our lives in three profound ways.

 

Thanksgiving Escorts Us into God’s Presence

Psalm 100 is one of many passages illustrating God as our shepherd.  Within God’s sheepfold we have abundant supply and pasture.  We have boldness to enter into the door of the sheepfold (Jesus Christ-John 10:9) to access unlimited supplies of everything we need in God’s holy presence.  No necessity is withheld from us when we approach the Father with thanksgiving and praise.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. (Psalm 100:4, KJV)

The Message Bible further expounds on this idea of entering through the door of the sheepfold via intimate relationship with Christ:

Enter with the password: “Thank you!”  Make yourselves at home, talking praise.  Thank him.  Worship him. (Psalm 100:4, The Message Bible)

When we approach the gates of God’s holy court with gratitude in our hearts wielding the password of “thank you” upon our lips, we unlock the very resources of God’s endless supply.

 

Thanksgiving Releases God’s Peace

This may be contrary to everything you’ve ever heard, but when things seem to be falling apart around you, giving thanks releases the peace of God right in the middle of it all.  When we pray we are instructed to arm ourselves with thanksgiving.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (Philippians 4:6, KJV)

Thanksgiving is a powerful resource when coupled with the confident knowledge that the Father loves us and wants to care for us.  As we articulate our requests to the Father, they should always be bathed in thanksgiving, knowing that it pleases God to give us our hearts desires when they align with God’s will.  The end result will be the overwhelming peace of God that protects our vital faculties of heart and mind.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7, KJV)

 

 Thanksgiving Magnifies God

I am a firm believer in the effects of perspective.  Life can sometimes deliver some serious blows that disorient us causing us to see things that aren’t really there.  Skirmishes with illness, lack, and turmoil leave us with the perception that there is nothing to be grateful for.  These temporary “lights out” experiences can run deep through the core of our being as we struggle to regain some semblance of consciousness.  Things that are normally clear to us turn hazy and blurry, making it difficult to reach our goals.

Enter thanksgiving!!!

Expressing gratefulness to God shifts our perspective, and clears our vision so that we can stay in the fight.  Giving thanks magnifies God and brings into focus the “bigness” of our Father.  God is bigger, stronger and wiser than any enemy we fight, including the most formidable enemy of all…ourselves.  David says it better than I ever could, so I’ll employ a Psalm of his:

I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.  This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.  The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God. (Psalm 69:30-32, KJV)

Whenever we take our eyes off of what is good in our lives, and focus on the bad and the ugly, our victory hangs in the balance.  Use the power of thanksgiving to shrink your problems and bring them down to size.  You will find without a doubt that they are no match for the matchless King of Glory.

 

During this holiday season, let us resolve to carry the torch of thanksgiving into daily living, thereby bringing light into even the most obscure places of our lives.  May the incense of gratitude unfurl within our hearts each morning, and burn well into the night; yielding the sweet-smelling aroma of peace, power, and proper perspective: thus glorifying God.

Happy Thanksgiving 2014!!!

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As always, thank you for visiting Wisdom’s Quill.  See you soon.

Keep Learning ♦ Keep Loving ♦ Keep Living

Editor: Jaime Evans

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WARNING: The Withering Process

Recently, I decided to surprise my beautiful wife with a bouquet of flowers, being the romantic husband that I am (smile).  As I walked into the store, I was met with a spectacular array of colored petals of all shapes and sizes.  It took a degree of deliberation to decide which bouquet to choose, and after inquiring about the differences between the blooms, I proudly made my decision.  Of course, when I walked through the door of our home with the bouquet in my grasp, I was rewarded with tears of joy from my Lady. 

A few weeks have gone by and the bouquet I purchased is still on our kitchen table, but it has undergone some serious changes; it’s not the same robust nosegay that provoked tears of joy from my wifey that fine day. Instead, it bears the effects of disconnection.  Jesus warns against choosing to live a life that is separated from Him:

“If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned”  (John 15:6, KJV)

 

Since Jesus is our life source, one of the consequences of being disconnected from Him is spiritual withering.  On multiple occasions in scripture, children of God are compared to trees.  Trees must have certain necessities like water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide in order to survive.  When it comes to our spiritual health we are no different.  We are people of power because we are people of prayer.  Apart from Him, we can do nothing…we simply cannot function.  Jesus gives us the formula for abiding in Him in John 15:10

   “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kepy my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love” (KJV)

 

 A Slow Death

The process of withering is deceptive.  When I brought the bouquet of flowers home for my wife, they were vibrant, fragrant, and bursting with color.  As time passed, the reality of the bouquet’s plight became apparent.  Weeks later as I passed by the bouquet, I noticed that all of the petals were falling off onto the table, and the leaves were now dry and lifeless.  The effects of withering are never immediate, and herein lies the great deception.  There is a dichotomy, here, that I would like to explore.  Although we are drawn to the sheer aestetic beauty of the flowers that we see on display, they have already begun to die a slow death.  If we don’t remain vigilant in prayer, we become suseptible to the following deception:

 Since everything around me looks pretty, that must mean there is still life flowing within me. 

We start trying to manipulate the outward appearance in an effort to maintain the pretty colors of our ministries, marriages, and reputations; because these are the things that people can see.  Many times we are shocked when the spiritual leaders of our day tragically fall.  It may seem like  it happens all at once, but if we were to pull back the covers of their private prayer lives, we may be surprised to find that the withering process began long before the actual fall took place.  There is a sobering quote by J. C. Ryle that sums it up nicely:

“Backsliding generally first begins with neglect of private prayer.”

Lack of prayer and Bible study cuts us off from our source, the True Vine, thus initiating the death process.  Although the process may be slow, it is sure, and in time the signs of our disconnection will begin to show.   

Things are not always what they seem, and if we’re not careful, our lives will wither due to disconnection from God.  The petals may be full of color, and the stems may appear to be strong and vigorous for now, but eventually the flowers die; the life sap that is only supplied by the vine is no longer accessible.  Jesus stated:

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing”  (John 15:5, KJV) 

       

Residual vs. Actual 

One day I asked my wife why did she like to keep flowers around for so long.  Even after they were completely lifeless and shrivelled up, she found pleasure in them somehow.  She told me that it wasn’t the flowers themselves that she only loved, rather it was the memory she had of the day I brought them to her.  This made me think about something pretty interesting.  Many times, we are so in love with the residual memory of what once was, we don’t pay attention to the reality of what actually is.  There may have been a time when you were on fire for God; you prayed and read the Bible everyday.  Now, you may not pray at all, and the Bible is just a nice book of stories that has found a cozy place on your bedroom end table.  In spite of this, there is a part of you that may still feel as if you’re “on fire” for God.  You see yourself in the light of what used to be instead of what actually is.  Don’t be deceived by the residual image of your former prayer life.  Ignite the flames again and reconnect with the Father now. 

When was the last time you and the Father had quality time together? 

Are you producing the robust fruit of the Spirit that only comes from a vital connection to God according to Galatians chapter 5?

Only you can answer yes or no to these questions honestly, and I encourage you to do so. 

Private prayer and Bible study ensures that we stay connected with our life-source who is Jesus Christ.  We must be cognizant of the importance of connecting with Christ daily by reading the Word and private prayer.  The fact is, we are all like sheep prone to straying away from our sheepfold if we don’t guard our hearts as we traverse through this life. 

Here at Wisdom’s Quill, there is never any condemnation or judgement concerning your walk with God.  I am always committed to fostering change, and presenting perspectives that may not have previously entertained.  It’s never too late to reconnect with the Father.  I admonish you to talk to Him now.  He’s always waiting to hear from us, even if it has been awhile, God promised to never turn any of  His children away when we approach Him.  Boldly go to the Father to obtain the grace that He promised. 

“All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out”   (John 6:37, KJV)  

 

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As always, thank you for visiting Wisdom’s Quill.  See you soon.

Keep Learning ♦ Keep Loving ♦ Keep Living

Editor: Jaime Evans

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Zero Visibility

 For we walk by faith, not by sight…[2 Corinthians 5:7]

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As I turned the door handle to exit my home, the morning breeze wrapped around my face and kissed my cheeks as I walked to my car.  My senses were a bit more heightened than usual because of the brisk autumn air.  The pep in my step was restored as I enthusiastically took in a deep breath and savored the cool air as it entered my lungs.  The incessant rain had come and gone, and left a dense layer of fog in its wake.  In fact, I had not seen fog that dense since I was a lad.  My drive to work was slow and steady, as I struggled to see.  The fog was so thick, it was like driving through a huge cloud.  I couldn’t see opposing traffic until the headlights of each automobile zoomed past me.   Although I fancy myself an experienced driver, I was a little intimidated, because I was experiencing what meteorologists call zero visibility.

Many times I’ve found my walk with God to be much like driving in fog.  You don’t realize how scary driving can be until you lose visibility.  Our emotions, decisions, and lives are driven by not only what we see around us, but also how we see what is around us.  Examine your present situation.  Are there areas in your life where you are experiencing zero visibility?  You know God is working on your behalf and for your good, because you love Him…but because you can’t see far enough ahead to know how things are going to work out, your journey becomes foggy.

2 Corinthians 5:7 brings to light an important truth for the believer.  We live our lives in a constant state of flux between the visible and the invisible.  When I first read this scripture, I understood it to mean that we don’t live our lives by what we see, but rather by believing and standing on what God has already said in His word.  That’s powerful indeed, but closer examination of this scripture casts light upon a different revelation.  The fact that we walk by faith and not by sight unfurls the truth that sometimes faith is all we have to light our path.  It’s not that we don’t like what we see in front of us at the time, so we choose to walk by faith; that’s not what this scripture implies.  Rather think about it this way, sometimes, we simply just can’t see in front of us, so our faith in God is the only light we have.  When our vision fails, and our visibility is severely handicapped, we can’t stop moving.  Just because I couldn’t see as I was driving through the thick, foggy cloud, doesn’t mean that I could have just stopped in the middle of the road until things got better.  I had to keep moving.  I had to keep driving.  Here’s a word for you:

For where you are right now, it’s more detrimental for you to stop moving, than it is to keep moving with limited visibility.

I may not have been able to see as far as I normally could, but I was able to see just far enough ahead of me to keep my foot on the accelerator.  So, I say this to you…

You may not be able to see as far into your situation as you would like to.  You may not be able to see how your story is going to culminate from where you stand; but KEEP DRIVING.  God always gives you enough light to take the next step:

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path…[Psalm 119:105]

Faith in God gives us the power to keep pressing the accelerator.  Keep on driving.

Be encouraged, my friends.  Fog is a good thing.  Why?  I remember asking my mother to explain fog to me when I was a young child.  This is what she told me…

Fog happens when the clouds come down from heaven and kiss the earth below.  It means the rain is over, and soon the sun is  going to shine.

You may be in a foggy season in your life now, and you’re wondering if the sun is going to ever shine again.  I just drove through the fog to tell you that heaven is about to kiss your life.  The fog is lifting, and the sun is about to shine upon you again.

…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning [Psalm 30:5]

Editor: Jaime Evans

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Keep Learning ♦ Keep Loving ♦ Keep Living

 

As always, thank you for visiting Wisdom’s Quill.  See you soon.

BE

 

 

Wisdom Wednesday: The Reality of Reality TV

About a week ago, I happened upon an episode of Love and Hip Hop Atlanta (The Reunion), and I must admit I was disgusted by what I witnessed.  Beautiful people of color donned the stage to engage in dialogue epitomizing the show’s past season, and what ensued was nothing short of a disgrace.  One of the cast members stormed the stage and initiated a brawl of epic proportions.  The animalistic pandemonium forced taping of the show to cease, only to resume after order was eventually restored.

I don’t appreciate the fact that when it comes to reality TV, people of color tend to make up the majority of the cast.  Of course, there are a few exceptions.  Generally speaking, the reality shows that highlight the ability to think, build communities, and survive amid challenging circumstances, tend to be dominated by whites.  When I watch Survivor, The Bachelor/Bachelorette, and The Apprentice, these shows have some type of ultimate goal or prize to be won.  The ability to reason, strategize, and work together as a team becomes paramount.  In other words, there is a method to the madness.  Whether it’s being dropped off in the middle of nowhere, and being left alone (with a camera crew, of course) to test survival skills, or being whisked away to paradise in order to choose a potential mate, these shows glamorize the great qualities of their stars.  Conversely, the negative portrayal of African-Americans (especially women) on reality shows like Love and Hip Hop, Basketball Wives, and R&B Divas creates a mockery resembling a modern-day minstrel show.  The sad truth about these shows is the “black face” is not painted on, they’re actually real.  There is no point…there is no prize…there is no goal.  Ultimately, all that comes out of this madness is more madness.  Week after week the fights ensue, the gossip gets juicier, and class goes flying out of the window.  When the season is all over, and the dust settles, these “celebrities” of color have been stripped of all dignity and class for the purpose of gaining ratings and riches.

Is this really what we have resorted to for our entertainment purposes?  What was once reserved for twelve rounds in a boxing ring can now be seen on your average African-American reality television show.  Our generation has pushed the limits of what is acceptable on television.  From violence to borderline pornography, our senses have been saturated with debauchery far beyond anything ever imagined.  The rise of the reality TV age has brought to light some pressing questions concerning the effect it has on our society.  There is such a hypocritical overtone that surfaces when we express our outrage against issues like women’s rights, domestic violence, and infidelity, when all along, our appetites for this pseudo-reality continue to grow.  It shouldn’t surprise us when we see the same type of degeneration translating and manifesting in real life.

I consider this a real epidemic and a state of emergency.  When I see two women whaling on each other for ratings, I want to ask…why?  What would cause such emotional unrest as to think this type of behavior is acceptable?   How much are you willing to sell your soul for?

In no way am I saying that reality TV is to blame for all of the social ills we see in our society.  However, I am saying that reality TV, in its present state, seems to contribute to the negative image of women especially women of color.

So let’s talk about this.

 

What type of image is reality television portraying when it comes to women and people of color?

Please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.  Looking forward to hearing from you.

 

Editor: Jaime Evans

Keep Learning ♦ Keep Loving ♦ Keep Living

As always, thanks for visiting Wisdom’s Quill.  See you soon.

BE

 

 

Thank You To My First 100!!!!!

Today is a very special day for me, and one that warrants a certain degree of celebration.  I am so proud to announce that I have reached 100 followers on WordPress.com.

I’d like to take this opportunity to personally thank each of you who consistently take time to visit, read, and share your thoughts on Wisdom’s Quill.  I absolutely love the connections that I’ve formed with all of you, and I look forward to getting to know you better in the future.

You are the reason why I do what I do here.  Inspiring through the power of the pen is my passion, and hearing from you keeps me encouraged, and motivates me to always grow.

Once again, thank you for being part of my first 100.

BE

Keep Learning ♦ Keep Loving ♦ Keep Living 

Brian L. Evans,

Creator of Wisdom’s Quill Blog

Pause For Reflection~

Poised For Glory

 

Remembering the victims and the heroes of 9/11.  We will never forget.

 

BE

Wisdom Wednesday: When Brooks Run Dry

When it is time for young eagles to learn how to fly, the mother eagle begins to engage in a phenomenon known as “stirring the nest.”  This process causes the nest, which was once the eaglet’s primary source of comfort and protection; to become a bed of thorns.  Consequently, the eaglet has nowhere else to go but out of the plush confines of the nest, into the frontier of the firmament, via flight.  At first glance, it seems cruel that the mother eagle would push her young out of the place that she toiled so selflessly to prepare and protect, but for the eaglet “stirring the nest” necessary.  Everything about the eagle screams…FLIGHT!  It was never meant to be confined to the nest.  With an average wing span of 6-8 feet, light-weight bones, and the ability to fly to an altitude of 10,000 feet, the adult eagle was born to soar (see works cited below).  I wish I could say that the journey to perfect flight is a pretty one, but it’s not.  At first, there are many failed attempts at flight, but eventually, the eaglet leaves the nest behind, never to return.   

 As it is with the eagle, so goes the saga of the child of God.  Many times, development is halted due to comfort.  Our lifestyle of ease sometimes whispers a sweet lullaby in our ears, causing our passion for God to drift into a deep, cold sleep.  If necessity is the mother of all invention, according to Plato, then I believe that complacency is its demise.  Our greatest victories are born out of our greatest anguish.  We must never lose sight of the purpose of pain.  Yes…pain is unavoidable and sometimes can be borderline unbearable.  Even though this is true, pain is not a death sentence.  In most cases, it is God’s way of pointing us to a new place of provision and power.  Don’t let the pain paralyze you… 

 

KEEP MOVING!

In 1 Kings 17, Elijah the Tishbite prophesied famine and drought in the land of Israel.  Ironically, he was an inhabitant of Israel at that time as well.  However, because he was a true prophet, God compelled him to go to the Brook Cherith, which was a tributary of the Jordan River.  There, God commanded the ravens to feed Elijah bread and meat twice a day (how about that for delivery).  Although, it wasn’t the best of conditions, compared to the rest of Israel during that time, Elijah had access to a smorgasbord of sorts.  As time passed, however, the inevitable happened.  The nice, fresh brook, that flowed at Elijah’s feet began to dry up because of the drought.   

 

OBEDIENCE UNLOCKS PROVISION

What do you do when the brook dries up?

What do you do when the ravens disappear?

What do you do when what used to be a blessing, now seems more like a curse?

You stand still and know that God is God.

As in Elijah’s case, God redirects us based on provision.  If you are experiencing a drought in any area of your life now, I speak to you, right where you are, and admonish you to never give up.  Every dry place in your life is God’s compass pointing you in the direction of new provision.  Acknowledge Him and He will direct your path (Proverbs 3:6).

In the midst of the drought and famine, God directed Elijah to an obscure, little town on the outskirts of Israel called Zarephath.  There, he found a widow gathering sticks for a fire, so that she could bake what would have been the last meal for her and her son.  Does this seem strange to you?  It sure seems strange to me.  If I were God, I would have sent Elijah to one of the richest people in the land.  Surely they would have had enough to spare to feed Elijah until the famine was over. I definitely wouldn’t have chosen a struggling widow.  That’s why I love God.  This particular widow had lost hope and was planning to starve to death after eating this one last meal.  Little did she know that God had other plans.  At the request of the prophet, this woman raised great faith and baked a cake for Elijah first (symbolic of first fruits), then one for her and her son.  According to the word of God that came from Elijah, the widow’s last serving of meal and oil turned into an unending supply that lasted through the end of the famine.  Because of her obedience, she thrived while others died in the same conditions. 

 

GOD NEVER MOVES YOU UNTIL HE PROVES YOU

When the brook dries up, and the meals become irregular, don’t forget who your source is.  You may be looking death in the face, because you’ve used your very last and now you’re out of options; don’t forget who your source is.  God is never limited or intimidated by your necessity.  It may surprise you to know that He is the one who designed it.  Why?  It all boils down to one thing…GLORY.  In spite of the drought, God’s plans for you have not changed.  According to Jeremiah 29:11, He already has a plan to prosper you and give you hope.  He’s proving you now so that He can put you on display for His glory. 

Remember…you were made to SOAR!!! 

Now mount up.

Keep Learning ♦ Keep Loving ♦ Keep Living

 

 Works cited:  www.baldeagleinfo.com

Special thanks to my friend, Joe Torres, for furnishing the photograph used for this post.

 

 Editor: Jaime Evans

 

As always, thanks for visiting Wisdom’s Quill.  See you soon.

BE

Wisdom Wednesday

This week’s topic is in the form of a question. Answer carefully.

What/Who would you die for if no one could ever know that you died for it/them?

BE

The Laboratory of Loss

Chemotherapy chairs, councellors, and clean heads were the predominant sights during my tour as a computer software trainer in an oncology center recently.  During that time, I was experiencing my own personal turmoil, due to a series of unexpected storms that rocked the otherwise tranquil seas of my life. 

I’m sure you can relate…

 While in the chemo infusion area of this oncology center, I had the priviledge of observing many patient types as they checked-out of the clinic after their treatments.  I saw the patient who could barely stand, and was visibly weakened immediately after treatment.  I also saw the patient who had been understandably trounced by the trauma of this terrible disease.  For these patients, rendering a smile was a feat of epic proportions.  Then, there were the patients that wore their treatment very well.  To look at them, one would never perceive that they had cancer.  They were happy and upbeat in the face of pain and nausea. 

Perhaps, the most remarkable patient type was embodied in a young lady who came to assist her mom on her treatment days.  She was a vibrant, blond-haired woman with rosy cheeks and a contagious smile.  She possessed a type of piquancy in her personality indicative of burgeoning youthfulness.  She began to express how important it was to her to be there for her mother on treatment days.  Her passion seemed to convey something more than just a loving concern for her mother. 

As we continued to listen to her, she inquired about a particular physician by name.  At that moment, the check-out receptionist informed her that the physician was no longer practicing.  She then revealed that he was her attending physician who treated her when she had cancer.  Turns out, she was a cancer survivor of 12 years.

As my jaw dropped to the floor, I was in awe.  She couldn’t have been more than 30 years old.

Here was this young woman standing before us glowing with health and a full head of hair.  She told us about her bone marrow transplant, and of course her hair loss (but…it grew back).  She wanted to give up because of the pain and the harsh side-effects of her treatment (but…she didn’t).  Now she is strong enough to care for her mother who is going through the same thing she walked through.  As I spent more time in this clinic and met more people, I learned that many of the workers that I saw were volunteers who were cancer survivors. 

You may have recently experienced loss on some level.  It may not be health or hair, but what about hope.  I’m writing this to you.  Please don’t give up.  Keep living.  What you are going through now is just a rung on the ladder of your elevation.  When this is over, you will be strong enough to help someone else who is struggling to live through what you have already overcome.  Someone needs to hear the story of how you survived.  Yes, you lost a lot (but…it grew back).

Sometimes what we perceive as loss really isn’t loss at all.  In most cases, God is pruning our lives of unnecessary, unproductive limbs so that we will be prepared to be more fruitful than ever in our season.  John 15:1-2, elucidates this truth beautifully.  When a tree is pruned of unproductive limbs, it appears to be dead.  All of the signs of visible life are gone.  Loss of limbs, loss of leaves, and loss of fruit all signify the end.  Others who pass by the tree may assume it is dead, then cast judgment and walk away.  The same thing may happen to us during our pruning seasons.  You may appear to be dead right now, but don’t lose hope.  As long as your roots wrap around Christ, you will produce again. 

How do you negotiate the uncertain seas of loss?  What is your valuation of the people and things that are leaving your life?  Are they really beneficial to you?  Are they a gain or are they a drain? 

Loss is only one part of the whole when it comes to God’s holy laboratory.  God is a master chemist.  He knows how to combine all of the elements in your life to produce a result that will both glorify Him and edify you.  The process may be volatile, the reaction may be violent,  but the product is always beautiful. 

As a part of my undergraduate studies, I enrolled in several labs associated with my major course of study.  One of which was Organic Chemistry, which is the study of how carbon behaves in various organic compounds.  Lab was pretty fun because it involved mixing chemicals together, observing their reactions, and then documenting the details of the products.  Some of these reactions were spontaneous and explosive, in some instances.  Fortunately, our labs were fitted with huge fume hoods that were designed to extract toxic fumes from the air that were emitted after certain reactions.  God’s grace is much like the fume hoods in a lab.  It covers us during our times of painful pruning, when our reactions to the pain cause us to melt down and explode.  Sometimes, we may even release toxic words and attitudes into the air.  God’s grace sufficiently covers us, because His grace is sufficient for us. 

In this life, you may have lost some things that were dear to you.  The pruning may have caused loss of leaves, limbs, friends, hair, or even hope; but our Father is the Great Husbandman that ensures our prosperity and productivity.  The pruning is preparation for productivity.

In God’s laboratory, all things work together for our good. 

Remember:  IT WILL GROW BACK!!!

 Editor: Jaime Evans

As always, thank you for visiting Wisdom’s Quill.  See you soon. 

Keep Learning ♦ Keep Loving ♦ Keep Living

BE

 

 

Wisdom Wednesday: Pharisees 2.0

1. Women should never wear anything that pertains to a man.
2. Men should not wear anything that pertains to a woman.
3. No one should wear a garment made of wool and  linen.
4. No one should ever eat pork because it is unclean.
5. Never eat before you wash your hands.

…And the list goes on and on.

Ladies and gentlemen, these are just five of the 613 laws that were jettisoned through the blood of Jesus and His perfect sacrifice on the cross.  Most of us are familiar with the Pharisees and their collective plight to rid the religious world of Jesus.   In essence, they were the religious/political sect that were the self-proclaimed overseers of the Mosaic Law.  As a result of this proclamation, they managed to compile a huge list of rules and traditions that were added to the basic Law of Moses, while simultaneously enforcing those traditions by becoming judges, jurors, and executioners. 

These traditions were noble gestures, however, the enforcement of these traditions were borderline terrorism.  Because no one could ever really fulfill all the requirements of the traditions of men set forth by the Pharisees, they used them to flex their pious muscles, while being sheltered from the consequences themselves.  This is the very reason why the crucifixion of Jesus was successful.  Jesus was legally sentenced to a wrongful death because of the force of the Pharisaic Traditions. 

You would think with the entrance of the New Covenant, that the Pharisee would be a thing of the past…

Well, think again.

The Church is still the breeding ground for the Pharisaic mentality.  The tools of the trade have changed indeed.  I’m sure you’ve encountered a Pharisee or two.  They’re the ones that police everyone on Sundays to make sure their dress is long enough, or their hair color is “appropriate.”  Nevermind the pain that a person may be going through, or the person contemplating suicide, or the person that came to church one last time before making a decsion to become an atheist because they have lost hope. 

It’s infuriating and unacceptable.  So what do you think?

 

Do modern-day Pharisees exist?

What are the “new” traditions that are enforced in church today?

How does proper teaching come into play when dealing with this mentality?

 

Let’s talk…feel free to leave a reply below.  I’d love to hear from you.

 

As always, thanks for visiting Wisdom’s Quill.  See you soon.

BE