It is easy to conform to the patterns of this world. Doing so is little more than following those around us who seek popularity, career advancement, and conformity. Non-conforming lives requires thought, commitment, and yes, repentance.
~ Lisa Blair
There are two scriptures that I feel go hand-in-hand. The first is Romans 12:2, “do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.“ The second is Matthew 3:8 NLT, “Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and return to God.“
When we choose not to conform to the pattern of the world and choose to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, we are committing to become more like Christ. We become more loving towards those around us, as well as loving ourselves differently. We think about our actions in a different way. During which time we recognize our earthly actions require change known also as repentance. Repentance causes us to critically (objectively) review our action or actions and choose different paths. That is what Matthew 38 is saying, we prove (demonstrate) the way we live through recognition of our actions past and present, to repent means changing direction and leaving those old habits and thought patterns behind, to again, become more like Christ.
Images: 1) Our Daily Bread; 2) YouVersion. Roger Cole. Bible.com
2021 is coming to a close. I found this Dec 30, 2021 Lectio devotional to be very helpful in focusing and recapping the events in your life, lamenting, and moving forward into 2022.
While searching scriptures for this post, I came across an article entitled, 17 Bible Verses about New Beginning for the New Year, by Billy Hallowell, December 28, 2021. Insider. Pure flix..com, the author wrote, and I paraphrase, don’t let the events and happenings of 2021 hold you back in 2022. It’s easy to get bogged down and chaos and bad decisions, but it is never too late to embrace a new cell and push away the old self. Rather than dwelling on the past, solidify a new beginning by turning to scripture and prayer. Map out goals and pray that God guide you where he wants you in the new year.
Further, the author writes perhaps you feel weak and tired as 2021 comes to a close. Maybe you’ve struggled and are in need of strength and sustenance. Have no fear. Place your hope in God and pray for his supernatural strength to fill your heart and comfort you you can find renewed strength and a new beginning in him.
“So we say with confidence quiet the Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can you mortals do to me?” Hebrews 3:16 NIV
Go to the 🏠 at the bottom left of the page, open it .
More Scriptures to enter the New Year equipped.
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “the Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait on him.“ Lamentations 3:22–24 NIV
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.“ 1 Peter 5:7 NIV
“And whatever you do, whether in word or D, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the father through him.“ Colossians 3:17 NIV
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it’s brings up; do you not receive it? I am making away in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.“ Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF MY FOLLOWERS. This is my final Post for 2021. May God bless you and yours throughout 2022. Looking forward to sharing God’s Word and how to apply it in daily life this coming year. It’s all about application.
Traveling through space, amazed by the magnificence of it all and then without warning you find yourself in a wormhole. The space is dark and unfamiliar. Suffering and anxiety prevail, unless, you call on the Lord.
~ Lisa Blair
Popular Mechanics
Have you ever found yourself in a position where all was going well, and then, a health, career, financial, or other personal issue comes out of nowhere? Well that recently happened to me. Life is funny that way. We spend time at the top of the mountain in complacency and then the sky shifts. So, I ask, in the midst of the unknown, do we rely on our own thoughts and plans to escape, or do we go to the Lord in prayer? In the darkness, did you stop to ponder that there are lessons that we can gleam from these experiences? The Bible is replete with people and societies that experienced the travails of life, and through the harshness of the tribulations, challenges and trials, they, over time recognized the lessons presented through the tough times. Reflecting on the concept of the wormhole, we can either implode or we can process what is happening and seek understanding about how to navigate and exit better than when we entered the darkness of the wormhole.
As Christians, our purpose on earth is two-fold. The first is to take the journey the Lord has laid before us which includes challenges, trials and tribulations and mature in our Christian walk, and the second is to be ambassadors of Christ and spread the Good News, and loving all of humanity friends and foes. What better way to spread the Good News than through life’s challenges, how we approached challenges, and the victory of coming out of the wormhole in one piece.
One piece? Did you think that once you accepted Christ as you Lord and Savior it would be ‘smooth sailing’ from that day forward? The reality is, the Lord did not say the path would be easy. On the contrary, he said it would be difficult. The thing we must remember is that we will come out on the other side. The wormhole will close behind us and your challenges will lead to your testimony. You are the author of your story. Ask yourself, how will others interpret my story, will they see only the struggles and failures, or a story of walking with the Lord and overcoming the challenges, trials, and tribulations? Will your story be a testimony for others to cherish when they enter tough times, reflecting on your story as the path out of darkness? Or, will your story leave them defeated wallowing in failure and defeat?
As we walk with Christ through the challenging times, acknowledge that you are never alone. The Lord will never leave you or forsake and like the Footsteps poem, He will carry you when you can no longer walk on your own. Let these times become your testimony.
I am attaching scriptural resources to help you through the difficult times. Begin writing your testimony as you journey through challenges, trials, and tribulations, it will encourage you to stay the course and come out of the wormhole in one piece. You will come out with a closer relationship with our Lord. You will come out more mature and able to help others navigate life. You will come out stronger.
Resources:
What Does the Bible Say About Difficult Times. Openbible.info
Bible Verses About Having Strength During Hard Times. Biblemoneymatters.com
~ 10 Bible Verses To Help You Through A Difficult Time. Heartandsoulhomeschooling.com
~ 3 S ruptured to Pray When You Just Don’t Know What to Do. Jenniferrothschild.com
~ 33 Powerful Bible Verses About Healing and Overcoming Sickness. Testimon.io
~ 20 PsalmsTo Read When Life is Miserable. Crosswalk.com
~ 31 Spiritual Warfare Scriptures: Help for Facing Life’s Battles. Crosswalk.com
All too often we understand the term mercy and assume that we apply it in our lives. But having mercy and being merciful are two different things, one is a descriptor or a noun, the other an adjective, the way in which we apply mercy.
~ Lisa Blair
Mercy and Merciful Defined
Mercy according to Easton’s Bible Dictionary (free app) defines mercy as: compassion for the miserable. It’s object is misery. By the atoning sacrifice of Christ a way is open for the exercise of mercy towards the son of men, in harmony with the demands of truth and righteousness. In Christ mercy and truth met together. Mercy is also a Christian grace.
Merciful is the act of expressing mercy, according to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary. This is accomplished through the act of compassion, and tenderness. When you are merciful you become predisposed to forgive offenses, and are unwilling to allow the human, get-back nature to thrive. In short, you become unwilling to retaliate and instead forgive. When we are merciful and forgive as Christ forgave, it frees you from the restrictions of hate, anger, and fear.
I mentioned a young boy who drowned in his pool and whose family, friends, and extended family are praying for a miracle in my previous post, Praying Through The Darkest Times. I am one of the extended family members. His grandmother and I serve as group leaders at a local Bible Study Fellowship group. It is an International Bible study organization, established on the fact that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.
I believe God is using Malachi in a mighty way. I will post some of the family’s daily experiences of how God’s miracles are often procedural, a process over time. Not all miracles are immediate, but they are all miraculous. His ways are not our ways and He uses various experiences to mature our Christian walk, some are very difficult to digest, others easier to understand at face value, they are obvious. Join us in praying for full recovery. Malachi has already defied the odds. The posts are from Facebook, Miracle for Malachi.
This post was written by Brenda Johnson on FaceBook
I don’t know your family, but your faith is absolutely inspiring. I’m sure every second has been trying, but your trust in Gods plan shows what beautiful people you are. I’m not a well versed Christian, but I believe God is doing something bigger than we can see on the surface. He sees your pain and sees your faithfulness in the most difficult time. 2 Corinthians 5:7 For we live by faith, not by sight. Continued prayers that God has something planned for Malachi that the doctors have never seen and didn’t learn about in med school. I’ve heard Pastor Steven Furtick say a setback is a setup for a miracle.
This post was written. By Trisha Bernal, Malachi’s mother.
Malachi’s Story
It is with heavy and grieving hearts that we write this. When God hears our prayers sometimes he answers them in ways that we would never imagine, or wish for, and yet it is somehow intertwined in the overall story of life and even in the beauty of redemption. As I texted a friend this morning, I mentioned that I was grateful that Malachi- my little messenger of God, has thus far been used to bring thousands of people to their knees in prayer. I have been encouraged and blessed by so many people, many of whom, I have never met before.
We were hoping for an immediate miracle of healing by our human definition. Unfortunately the quick fix is not always the victory that God calls us to. Instead, sometimes the victory is in proclaiming God’s grace and goodness in the struggle no matter how long it lasts. Sometimes the victory is in finding joy and unity in standing for one who will never stand on their own again. Sometimes the ultimate victory looks so very different than we had hoped and we have no idea how we’ll get past the pain to see the blessing.
According to doctors, our little Malachi will never be able to walk or talk or even eat on his own again, and this is the best case scenario. But… he is alive and his story is still being told. He may not use his mouth to speak but he is truly a messenger of God. His life is not lifeless. He will lead the way in wheelchair races driven on of course by his big brother. He will have the coolest hats ever. He will still bring joy to his family and those around him. His life and injury will not be in vain. Pray for us. We need it. Pray that we better understand God’s perfect plan in all this. Pray that the church is unified and built up by my son.
As I was crying over his bedside a minute ago, in agony I prayed “God how could You have given Your only Son to die on the cross?” My pain in this moment is intense. He CHOSE that pain so that we could experience blessing in the form of ultimate salvation. May Malachi’s life continue to proclaim this truth as we unite as a family, as a community and as a church. God has called my boy to big things.
Earlier post from Trisha B, mother
Tip for a child friendly way to tell kids: Trisha and Goose told their kids that Malachi’s brain isn’t waking up. Since his brain controls his body, he won’t be able to move or talk, but he’s still very much alive. We’ll all be able to still hug him and cuddle him and care for him – and have wheel chair races! Malachi is alive and still with us. Praise God!
I pray that each one of you processes this with a kingdom mindset knowing that God’s perspective is not our perspective. God is good. There is no plan B with God. He is not surprised by this and he is still in control. He WILL work all things together for our good, and His glory, for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purposes.
Please remember that we are STILL praying for healing for Malachi and peace, comfort and strength for family and friends. There is a tough road ahead but it is not without hope. Our God is mighty! We WILL see his glory. Although we don’t yet know what that looks like, we approach His throne of mercy and grace, with thanksgiving and make our requests known to Him.
Photos and Content from Facebook, Miracle for Malachi.
We will age and fade away but as we do so, we are being spiritually renewed day-by-day.
~ Lisa Blair
Our faith becomes stronger with the renewing of our minds. We mature as Christians, God’s children, and grow in the Word. We receive salvation, are forgiven of our sins (overcome our sin nature), are healed from backsliding, and choose obedience to and dependence on God over my own free-will.
Lisa’s Daily Inspirations 