How to Read the Bible

The Bible is the written word of God. The Bible is our guide to knowing God, knowing His promises and love for us, how to properly live our lives, how to treat other people, how to have a relationship with Jesus Christ, how to enter eternity with the Lord, how to avoid temptation, and anything else you can think of. The Bible contains it all. Although it was written over 1500 years ago, its teachings and guidance are timeless.

The Bible was originally written in Hebrew and Greek, but it has been translated into English and multiple other languages. The Bible contains 66 books and has many authors. All the authors of the Bible were divinely inspired and given the words by God Himself. This claim is proven throughout the Bible.

            The Bible is divided into two major parts; The Old Testament and The New Testament. The Old Testament starts with creation, the book of Genesis, and continues right before the birth of Jesus Christ, the book of Malachi. The New Testament starts with the birth of Christ, the book of Matthew, follows the works and teachings of Jesus and ends with the book of Revelation.

            Every Bible has a table of contents. Here you will find all of the books and the page number it starts on. Each book contains chapters and verses. The large numbers at the beginning of paragraphs are the chapters and the small numbers throughout the text are the verses.

            Example: Proverbs 3:5-6. When you look in the table of contents you will find Proverbs in The Old Testament. The number 3 is the chapter number and the numbers 5 & 6 are the verses. Proverbs 3:5-6 reads:

“5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart

   and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways submit to him,

   and he will make your paths straight.”

            There are many versions, or translations, of the Bible. The most common are: The New International Version (NIV) and The King James Version (KJV). I use the NIV.

            If you are new to reading the Bible, do yourself a favor and don’t start at the beginning and read it through. The Bible can be very confusing at times. Before you even open the Bible, say a prayer and ask God to guide you and to open your heart and mind to His word with full understanding and the desire to obey His word.

Take your time. You are not going to read the whole Bible through within a couple of days. When reading, make notes, write down questions and write down sections that might be confusing to you. Read small sections at a time and really think about what it is saying. Ask yourself questions like: What does this say about God? What does this say about Jesus? How can this be applied to my own life and circumstances?

Do not open or search the Bible to try and justify an action or behavior you might be struggling with. God’s word is true. It is from Him. Be careful not to put your own spin on what you read. It can be very easy to take things out of context and misunderstand what God’s word says.  I truly encourage you to join a Bible study group.

A great place to start reading the Bible is in the gospels, which contain the books of Matthew, Mark Luke and John, in The New Testament. These books cover the life and teachings of Jesus.

            There are many great websites that offer the Bible online. My favorite is www.biblegateway.com. This site allows you to look up specific Bible verses, as well as, keyword and topical searches.  

            There will be times when you don’t feel like reading the Bible. There will be times when you struggle with what you read, whether you don’t see eye to eye with the teachings, get emotional or just don’t understand what its saying. Don’t give up. Being a Christian is a challenging task, but don’t ever forget that God loves you. You are one of His kids. He only wants what is best for you. He will never leave you and will always be there to guide and protect you. All you have to do is ask.

Book Recommendation

A few days after I posted Media Influences, this book, “Primetime Propaganda: The True Hollywood Story of How the Left Took Over Your TV,” was featured on the 700 Club. The author, Ben Shapiro, examines how the media has pushed their own agenda over the last 60 years. TV is not just TV, movies are not just movies and music is not just music. Everyone, ok the majority, in these industries have an angle. They are constantly pushing what they want. They are twisting truths and pushing the envelope to see how far they can go and what they can get away with.

The book description is as follows,
“The inside story of how the most powerful medium of mass communication in human history has become a propaganda tool for the Left
Primetime Propaganda is the story—told in their own words—of how television has been used over the past sixty years by Hollywood writers, producers, actors, and executives to promote their liberal ideals, to push the envelope on social and political issues, and to shape America in their own leftist image.
In this thoroughly researched and detailed history of the television industry, conservative columnist and author Ben Shapiro argues that left-leaning entertainment kingpins in Los Angeles and New York have leveraged—and continue to use—their positions and power to push liberal messages and promote the Democratic Party while actively discriminating against their opponents on the right. According to Shapiro, television isn't just about entertainment—it's an attempt to convince Americans that the social, economic, and foreign policy shaped by leftism is morally righteous.
But don't take his word for it. Shapiro interviewed more than one hundred of the industry's biggest players, including Larry Gelbart (M*A*S*H), Fred Silverman (former president of ABC Entertainment, NBC, and vice president of programming at CBS), Marta Kauffman (Friends), David Shore (House), and Mark Burnett (Survivor). Many of these insiders boast that not only is Hollywood biased against conservatives, but that many of the shows being broadcast have secret political messages. With this groundbreaking exposÉ, readers will never watch television the same way again.” Amazon.com
Please use caution as to what you expose yourself to and what your children are taking in. I will keep you in my prayers.

A Lonely Little Boy

Today was my son’s, Liam, author’s picnic at school. Each kindergartener wrote and illustrated their own story. Family is invited to listen to the stories and then share in a picnic lunch. This is a very special time for the children. This is viewed as their “graduation.” Liam wrote about the Three Little Pigs. He did need the help of the teacher, as he is painfully shy.

At a time where all should be happy, my heart broke a little today.

There is a boy in Liam’s class who is known as the bully and problem child. All year long Liam has come home with stories of what this boy did today. Liam came home one day, a couple of months ago, and told me this boy punched him at recess. Another day the boy told Liam that he was stronger then God and could fight Him. When I volunteer at the school I have seen first hand this boy is a hand full. He is forever interrupting, not following class rules, being rude, aggressive, annoying and getting negative attention any way he can.

He could be labeled as a problem child or even ADHD. Well, today I got a little inside of why he might act this way. Out of all the children in the kindergarten class, he was the only one without a family member attending. We sat at the same table with him for lunch and the teacher came to eat with him when she had an extra minute. He told us he had to stay for the whole day because his parents weren’t there to take him home. His voice and tone was not sad, but almost angry, annoyed and matter of fact.

It actually made me very sad to see this little boy, by himself, eating his lunch. It is hard for me to understand why someone could not be there for him. It doesn’t take a physiologist to see the correlation between his actions and feeling abandoned or forgotten.

I am not saying the parents are intentionally neglecting him or that his parents are “bad.” I don’t know the situation within that family and I am not trying to judge them. I am saying that our children need to feel secure and loved in order to function properly. No child goes through life without ups and downs, but there are too many growing into adulthood feeling like no one loves them.

If you had a difficult childhood please remember that God loves you. You are one of His children.  If you are a parent, I encourage you to love your children. Accept them for who they are and what gifts God has given them. Play with your kids. Interact with them. Ask them how their day is going. Keep a communication with them, so they will come to you when they have a problem. Empathize with them. But most importantly show them how to be followers of God through example. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”

Please pray for families. Pray that there may be unity, love and God in all families.

OMG

You hear it on TV, it’s in texts and emails, your friends say it and maybe you say it yourself. What does it stand for? OMG= Oh My God!!

OMG is thrown around like it is no big deal. It is “funny” “popular” and the current “slang”. I am here to tell you it is a big deal.  

God’s second commandment is this, Deuteronomy 5:11, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”

I am sorry, but when you say OMG you are taking the Lord’s name in vain.

Think of the millions and millions of people everyday who do this without thinking about what they are really saying. Think of the number of teens who say God everyday, but yet have no idea who He is. OMG is used in the same way of saying, “shut up,” “you’re kidding,” “get real.” God is never in the equation. And if He is, He is not given the respect He deserves.

My four year old said OMG the other day, and to be honest I laughed. She was really cute in her own little attitude way. It didn’t register in my mind to correct her. I say OMG, well not anymore.

Please make a conscience effort to not say OMG. If you really need to say something say something like, Oh My Goodness.

We are a lost culture. We accept what is current and hip over God’s rules and commandments. It is in your control to make change in your life and your families.

Change is hard, but God can and will help you.

As always I will keep you in my prayers.

Prayer Request

Today is a very important day for me. I have been working on writing a book for almost 6 years now, and today I am meeting with an editor. I have never let anyone outside of my family and priest read my book. I am very nervous. Please keep me in prayer today. Please pray for my protection, wisdom and discernment. I really appreciate it.
My book is on finances and I will share more soon.
Thank you and I will also keep you in my prayers.

Media Influence Continued

You might think that movies and TV are the main influences of the media, but there is one more major player; music. The music today is filled with nothing but sex, drugs, killing people and alcohol. It is sad but true, and let me just say, I love music. It is one thing I am not sure I could live without. I love anything that has a good beat and you can dance and sing to.

I really don’t think I am stereotyping here. Have you listened to the music that is on the radio lately? I have found myself singing along in the car and then thinking, what did they just say?? It is amazing what is allowed on the radio without any questions of the moral impact it is having on listeners.
My niece is 14 years old, and like me she also loves music. She has a true gift of remembering song lyrics with ease.  Well, the other day she was walking around the house singing along with her IPod, and my brother-in-law almost had a heart attack when he heard what she was saying. She was singing “S&M” by Rihanna. The lyrics go:
“Feels so good being bad. There’s no way I’m turning back. Now the pain is my pleasure cause nothing could measure. Love is great, love is fine. Out the box, outta line. The affliction of the feeling leaves me wanting more. Cause I may be bad, but I’m perfectly good at it. Sex in the air, I don’t care. I love the smell of it. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but chains and whips excite me.”

Hello!! There is no way a 14 year old or any age for that matter should be singing this. They might not know exactly what S&M is, but they now have the general idea. I was in my mid-twenties before I knew what S&M stood for.
I confess I have sung this song before. It has a great beat and it is easy to sing along to. This is a perfect example of, what are they saying?? I was shocked when I looked up the lyrics of what she was actually saying in the song.
Music artists have a huge impact on their listeners, especially teens and younger. Yet as parents, we allow our children to be sucked into the morally corrupt industry. Why? If you don’t think songs do have an effect on your children you are mistaken.

As a young teen my mother “forced” us to watch a movie called “Hells Bells”. It is a documentary about rock-n-roll and the openness it has against God and how people have been affected by music and the lyrics they sing. This movie did come out in the early 90’s, but there is a more current version that I am interested to see. I must say the movie scared me. If we can step back and look at the music industry for what it is, against God, it will change your life forever.
If you don’t believe me that music and its artist affect their listeners, think of this. In the 80’s why did every teen wear one glove and huge earrings? Because Michael Jackson and Madonna did. In the 2000’s why did school-girl mini skirts make a come back? Because Brittney Spears wore them. Music artist and movie stars do have a huge impact on their fans.

If you sing a song over and over it is like repeating something to yourself, like an affirmation, you will start to believe it. Inappropriate music is nothing new, but as of the last decade it has really gone down the tubes with every explicit detail. Lady Gaga has a song out right now called, “Born This Way.” She not only says that you are born gay, but God made you that way. She goes on to say you are perfect the way you are and God does not make mistakes. Well, I do believe that God does not make mistakes, but I also believe God is against homosexuality or any other sexual impurity, I Corinthians 6:18, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.”

Lady Gaga is misinforming millions and putting God in the mix where He should not be at all. This is just one example of media/music propaganda. I can only think of a handful of songs in the mainstream that are appropriate to sing along to.

So what are we to do? Not listen to music at all? For a lover of music this is hard for me. I have turned on Christian music more and I love it. I don't allow my children, or myself, to listen to music that is questionable. It is difficult to walk away from the mainstream music. Let God guide you as to what you should and should not be listening to. 

As for our children, protect them. Listen to what they are listening to. Be aware. If you ignore something it is not going to go away. Take their IPod and listen to what is on it. As always have open discussions with them about what is right and wrong. Google your children’s favorite song and read what the lyrics actually are. I am sure you will be shocked.

I continue to keep you in prayer.

Media Influences

My husband and I were sitting down to watch TV last night, and really nothing was on. He decided to watch an episode of Family Guy. I am not a fan of this show. I think it is rude and crude. However, I sat and watched it with him. I was horrified as to what the episode was about. The daughter on the program announced she was a born again Christian. Every stereotype mocking thing they could think of followed. She tried to get her family to believe too, but she was ridiculed and made fun of. Her family dog then announced he was an atheist. The show continued to make fun of Christians and Jesus. There was a part where they even showed Jesus trying to sleep with a woman. The dog told her there was not a God. The dog continued to say if there was a God, would he really make her as ugly as she is, and give her a family that treated her badly. She then agreed with the dog that there was no God.

Yes, I understand this is just a show, but this filth is corrupting and confusing millions of lost people. They openly mock God every chance they get. Some people actually think this is entertainment.

This show is just one example of the trash that is on TV today. Everything God is against is on TV like it is “normal” and “cool”. Think of the shows that are on: CSI, Sex in the City, Bones, Desperate Housewives, Sister Wives, Ghost Hunters, Jersey Shore, and the list goes on and on. These shows are feeding to America that murder, lust, greed, fornication, black magic, rape, divorce, homosexuality, swearing, cheating, stealing etc are not only “normal” but that it is acceptable. It is not. God is constantly warning us to have nothing to do with people who fall into this deception.

2 Timothy 3:1-7 says, “¹ But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.
 ⁶ They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, ⁷ always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
We are to have nothing to do with such people, well that means we are also not to infect ourselves with this form of entertainment as well. It is not “just a show.” When we watch TV or movie it causes emotions in ourselves. When I watch a good chick flick, I know I feel emotions that are not true, but a result of what I just watched. I know I have fallen victim to this many times. I see this gorgeous man on TV treat his woman with love, compassion, romance and it creates a doubt in my mind. Why doesn’t my husband do those things? Why don’t I have a “happily ever after”? Why don’t I have such a beautiful home, successful career, skinny body, great car, tons of money? These “just a show” can cause a great deal of self-doubt, insecurity, depression, not being content and looking for more in worldly things and not looking to God.
I am not saying never watch TV or a movie again. I am saying be aware of what you are taking in. Emotions are strong and powerful things.
Not only are we to protect ourselves from this, but we must also protect our children. All it takes is one image, tag line or dirty jock to place confusion in our children.  Once an image is in your brain it is there forever. I remember seeing Jaws as a very young child, maybe 7, and I can still see the image of the shark coming out of the water. To this day I am terrified of sharks and swimming in the ocean.
Protect your children from the media as much as possible. Place parental controls on shows or channels your children should not be watching. Watch a movie or show first before you allow your children to watch it. Do not allow children to have their own TV in their room. Be aware of what they are taking in. Also, have an open discussion of things you watch together that do not line up with your morals. Talk about what is right and wrong, and what God says about the subject.
A little side note. You can survive without cable TV. I grew up without it. We did watch a lot of movies, but most of them were musicals, Biblically based or G rated.
It is hard to sometimes get away from the media and its propaganda. All you can do is your best. I pray for God to guide you and your family. I pray for God to protect you. And I pray to God to help men and woman stand up to these big media corporations and say enough is enough.

Roots

We have had severe thunderstorms two days in a row out here in MA. As I watched the storm roll in the wind picked up and the trees started swaying. The wind was moving the trees all around, and I got a little nervous. As I watched my mind started to wander. Trees bloom every year, grow, and withstand the cruel cold winters and the scorching summer heat. Trees face the harsh realities of the weather and can do nothing but wait for the storm to pass and hope they are strong enough to survive. Some loose limbs, some don’t make it and some even get uprooted entirely. Only the trees with deep and strong roots survive the harsh elements.

This makes me think, how deep and strong are my roots. What is keeping me holding on and surviving the harsh realities of life? What is making me grow and “bloom”?

John 15:5 says, “‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.’”

Jesus has to be your roots. You can not be your own roots; “apart from me you can do nothing.” There is an independent woman side of me that struggles with this. I want to do it on my own. I don’t like depending on another person. I have tried to do life on my own and guess what, I failed miserably. Jesus is not just another person. He is God. He loves you and only wants what is best for you. John 15:9 “‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.’” Verse 11 continues“‘I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.’”

Make Jesus your roots, and see how you life changes. All it takes is an open heart to invite Him in. He is waiting for you to let Him be the foundation of your life.

I pray for you and all who might be struggling at this time.

Email Forwards - Don't Do It!

I am sure we have all received an email with a beautiful story, poem or prayer. Then at the bottom it tells you to forward it to X amount of people, and by this time tomorrow your prayer will be answered. I am sorry, but if you believe this, you are lowering God to be something more like a genie in a bottle. I don’t care how many people you forward an email; your wish will not be granted. Yes, God will answer your prayers, but in His time. Have patience and wait for God.

Luke 4:12 says, “Jesus answered, ‘It says: Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

If and when you forward an email, like the chain letter style, you are testing God. You are putting your prayer requests as an ultimatum; “I will prove I am not ashamed of God and forward this to all my friends and then He will answer my prayer.” I am sorry, but it doesn’t work this way.

What happens when you forward this to a “new” Christian who is unaware of it being unbiblical to test God? This person now doubts the love and blessings that God has promised His people.

Do yourself and your email contact list a favor and don’t forward these emails. If the story or prayer is powerful, then delete the chain letter part and then forward it on.

God Bless you today and I pray your prayers are answered.

Crazy Summer Weather!

There have been tornadoes running rampage all over the US this spring/summer. I have talked about the devastation in the South. Well, to my surprise I was glued to my TV two days ago as I watched a tornado form on a local live video camera. I live in MA, we don't get tornadoes we get blizzards. Sure we get bad thunderstorms, but never in my life have I remember actually going to the basement to wait. The local weathermen did a phenomenal job, and when they circled the area of town where we lived we headed downstairs.
It was a good four hours of storm front after the other to come through. There was hail the size a baseball in a nearby town. Thousands were without power. Four people lost their life.
Myself and family were spared, no one or properties were affected. I sometimes find myself surprised when God keeps His promise and protects us. I don't know why I doubt Him. A personal struggle I am working on.

I guess it doesn't matter where you live. There are no "safe places" in this world. I am not trying to be a downer, it is a fact of life. There is hope however. God will and can protect you. If you ask He will. I am sure we all know people who have not been saved even when they ask Him. But when you think about it, dying is not the worse thing that can happen to a person. If you ask God to save you, and your physical body dies, I am pretty sure you will be in paradise with Him and that is the best saving anyone can ask for.
All we can do is trust in His plan and live everyday to the fullest. To live like you are dying does not mean you have to skydive or rack up debt. It does mean to live like this is the day you might meet your Maker. Live everyday serving a God who loves you and you will be fine.

Updated Tornado Relief

I mentioned how my sister and myself organized a clothing/food drive to help the tornado victims in the South. Are original destination was Tuscaloosa, AL, however, after the more resent tornado in Joplin, MO that is where we went.

The out pour of donations was beyond what we expected. A family friend, who was one of the drivers, raised almost $2,000.00 to buy food and supplies to bring down. The truck was as full as it could be.

I am sure you know, whenever you are doing something for God and His Kingdom, the enemy will attack you.
The truck was loaded up and my father, brother-in-law and family friend set out of western MA. They drove about five hours and the truck broke down. They had to stay in a hotel and wait for the truck to be repaired. The next day they drove a couple hours and the truck completely died. There was no saving it. It is now the Saturday before Memorial Day. Not much was opened and what was most trucks were already rented, but God provided. They were able to secure a trailer. My mother drove out to meet them in Erie, PA and they continued on their way.

They drove through the day and night and arrived in Joplin safely. My mother told me she was almost glad they arrived at night time because what she did see was absolutely heartbreaking. They delivered the items so were able to see some of the shelters. My mother said children were lined up in a huge room sleeping on the floors with little feet sticking out of the blankets. I can not imagine what they are going through. The thought of my children being in a situation like that makes me sick to my stomach.

I continue to pray for all who have be affected by these storms, please do the same.

My mother did tell me something that made my heart skip a bit. She said as they were driving, there out of nowhere stood, with their lights on, Hobby Lobby. I mentioned before Hobby Lobby is owned by a very openly Christian man. I can only see this as a sign that God is here. Even in the middle of all the destruction and devastation, God is here. He will never leave.
When my mother told me that it gave me a little peace of mind.
God loves you.

Judging Part Two

After my last post on judging, I realized I did not give the whole verse of Matthew and the context of the quote is the most important part.

Matthew 7:1-5, "Do not judge, for you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." (NIV)

The last post I posted was about the night out that went sour, and then the next morning I confronted this friend to tell her I thought she was an alcoholic. Well, I am a hypocrite and it hurts to admit it. I mentioned in the other post, when I was saying these things to her there was this thought in the back of my mind, You're addicted too! And I am addicted to things; food and cigarettes.


I do feel it was the right thing to do to confront this friend, but I know it is time to get the plank out of my own eye. I have not had a cigarette in 6 days. I know it is not much, but it is a start.

When I read this chapter of Matthew I think about how easy it is to see flaws in others. We do it all the time. I think it comes second nature to us. There are TV shows and movies based only on this topic, "Mean Girls". We are raising a generation to think this is the way to be, and that could be nothing further from the truth.

I don't think it is hard to see the flaws in ourselves, I think we can ignore it very easily and we give ourselves a pass. No one knows how hard my life is, right? Well, you don't know how hard the life is of the person you just looked up and down.

Before you can help someone, you must get yourself together first. The best teachers and counselors are ones that have walked the walk. If you were to go to AA, your mentor will be a recovering alcoholic. If you can overcome something, plank in your eye, then you will be much better equipped to help someone else with their struggle or situation, speck in their eye.

I have found, once you get the plank out of your eye, it is much harder to judge a person. Let me give you an example. I am addicted to cigarettes, I know that and I am working on it. It is beyond hard, and if God was not helping me it would not be happening. To overcome an addiction, you go through emotions up and down and to extremes. I have gone from crying to wanting to scream at the top of my lungs within 10 mins. It is hard and it is horrible. Every time I see someone walking down the street puffing away, there is a part of me that wants to chase them down and steal a drag. But these feelings change. I have quit many many times. After a while and no longer going through withdrawal, when I see someone smoking, I don't think what a loser, doesn't that person know smoking will kill you. Now I think, I know for me smoking was a form of depression management, I wonder if that person is ok? I wonder if they believe in God and if they know He can help them? It is amazing how much clearer you can see when you don't have that plank in your eye. Jesus doesn't lie, verse 5; you will see clearer in more ways then one.

Please remember we will all fall and that is ok, because God loves us all the same. Let me repeat that, Loves us ALL the SAME! I pray for you all. God Bless.