Remembering the Cross #2

A Journaling Devotional

I cannot (and refuse to) look at the Cross the same. My faith has changed.

How about you? Journal your thoughts and turn it into a prayer.

Today marks four days since the beheadings of the 21 Coptic Christians from Egypt.

It has been four days since a new war, one by terrorists, was declared on the Nation and People of the Cross.

Today is Day 2 of Lent.

It is not just the fact that 21 Christians were beheaded. It's not just because another American was killed by the terrorists. It's far more than that. People have been burned alive, beheaded, raped, sold into sex slavery, organs have been harvested, and so on... all because of a difference in belief. I do not care who the victim was, where they lived, or what they believed. No one deserves that. And I take a stand for them and will no longer remain silent.

I must admit, though, with how war has already been declared on the USA and on the People of the Cross, it gets my attention all the more and slaps across both cheeks as a wake-up call. This forces me to look inward and upward. It makes me look at the Cross with a capital "C" and that is new to me. I always saw a small "c," but terrorists capitalized it and makes me realize Cross should have been capitalized all along, particularly in my life.

It's interesting to be called the Nation or People of the Cross... not Christian. Is it that they cannot say the name of my Lord, Savior, Redeemed, Messiah--Jesus Christ? Is it easier to refer to a hunk of wood or the manner of death?

Terrorists constantly focus on the past, from centuries ago, from decades ago. Nothing is fair. They cannot see beyond the past. It's where they dwell.

The Nation and People of the Cross focus on the future. On eternity. On never-ending life with our God and King, the only One True God and King. Our future is full of hope.

Their past is nothing but dark, full of hatred and violence. They do not hold fast to a future of hope. They also do not know about unconditional love.

The Nation and People of the Cross know unconditional, undeserved love. Abundant love. Eternal love. For, God is Love (1 John 4:7-8) and He is eternal.

The Cross is not steeped in death, but in life. Death was required so anyone who believes can live and have a future of eternal life and love. What a future of grace and hope.

***

John 17:3 New Living Translation (NLT)

3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

***

Journal your thoughts.

Journal about how your life has been impacted by the beheadings of the 21.

Journal about how it impacts you how a war has been declared on the Nation and People of the Cross.

*******

Verse of the Day from BibleGateway.com

1 John 4:11-12 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

11 Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and His love is perfected in us.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved

********

Journal your thoughts and prayer to the One True God. 

*******

Remembering the Cross #1

An Easter, Lent, and Christian Journal:

Remembering the Cross

Easter has a whole new meaning this year after 21 Coptic Christians from Egypt were beheaded by ISIS--by terrorists. (This was announced in the news on Sunday, February 15, 2015.)

Today, Wednesday, February 18, 2015, is Ash Wednesday and the first day of Lent. 

ISIS has declared war on the Cross. On the nation and on the people of the Cross.

The people of the Cross. That's me. And, all the people of the Cross are my family. Just as what happened to those on 9/11/2001, my American family, so has this happened to my family. 

The people and the nation of the Cross...

I am one of the Cross.

Questions I am pondering and journaling (you can answer them for yourself as well):

1 How have I lived as though I am one of the people of the Cross? Today? This week? This month? This quarter? This year? The last five years? The last decade? The decades before that? How am I living as a person of the Cross each and every single moment of all the days of my life? 

2 How am I remembering the Cross today? How do I want to remember the cross tomorrow?

3 What does the Cross mean to me and my life?

The Cross:

Jesus was murdered so I could be forgiven for my wrongdoings, because He loves me. 

I do not deserve it and I cannot ever do anything to deserve it, but eternal life is freely given to me. 

His grace shows His love. 

The Cross is about His death, not mine.

He died so I, nor anyone else, has to.

The Cross is about love and peace.

The Cross is about unity, not division or us versus them.

The only thing required of me, ever, is to believe in the Cross. 

The Cross is about faith, hope, and love. 

The Cross is about a God who is All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Ever-Present, All and Ever Loving--and He does not require anyone to defend Him, or die for Him, for He can stand on His own. 

Jesus died on the Cross, not because God forced Him, but because He gave His life freely. 

I can place my worries, concerns, frustrations, burdens, emotions, thoughts, wrongdoings, and anything else I want at the foot of the Cross. It will never fall over or be crushed from the weight for my God is the Only God. He can handle it. He is God. 

The Cross is my firm foundation and solid rock. It is my light and is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. 

The Cross is love.

Love is the Cross. 

Grace is found there--the Cross. 

Journaling Prompt:

1 Please journal your thoughts.

2 Now, journal your thoughts about the Cross given the terrorists actions over the last couple of months. What does this mean for you and your life?

The Cross and the First Day of Lent

Today is the first day of Lent and given the war declared on the cross, I thought reading the lyrics of one of my favorite hymns would be appropriate.

Link: 
http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/r/oruggedc.htm

Words & Music: George Ben­nard, 1913 (MI­DI, score).

The Old Rug­ged Cross was writ­ten in Al­bi­on, Mi­chi­gan. Or Po­ka­gon, Mi­chi­gan. Or Stur­geon Bay, Wis­con­sin. All three towns claim to be the birth­place of this hymn.

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

Refrain

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

Refrain

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

Refrain

Please journal your thoughts and take some time to contemplate, think, and meditate on these words given what's happened in the world the last couple of months.

(Image Credit: Stacy Duplease and Remembering Your Present, LLC 2011-2015. Cross at First Landing, Virginia.)

A DAILY CHOICE

Every day we face two choices:

1 Choose today as my day alone and in my way.

2 Choose today as God's. 

So, which will it be?

(Photo Credit: Stacy Duplease 2011-2013.) 

Are you double-minded?

Grab your journal and let's look at some tough stuff. I need to warn you. We might be uncomfortable for a bit. But, it should lead us to action.

223 QTP (Question to ponder) Are you double-minded? (Do not read ahead! It's important. Great. Now I put that thought in your mind. I hope you won't act on it. I am praying for your self-control!  Hee-hee.)

224 Define what it means. (Again, no peeking.)

What is being/acting double-minded. It's having two different loyalties. In the Christian realm, it's keeping your foot in the world while trying to follow Christ. It's being part of the world and falling for all of its traps--while we try to honor and please God. 

Whenever we do this, we trip and stumble. We sin. We fall flat on our faces. So, double-mindedness never ends well.

Here's a hint. Whenever we are double-minded, we are not being loyal to our faith. Most importantly, we are not being loyal to God or hsi Word. We are going against his wishes and what he commands. No, it is not a request. He wants all of us. Period. End of story. He is a jealous God and will have no less and deserves no less. 

Yet, isn't that what we give him? We tend to give him the scraps of our lives and not the big fat morsels. 

225 What are your thoughts now? 

226 Re-answer this question. Are you double-minded? 227 How are you?

227 What has God just said to you about this?

228 What have you said to God?

229 What three things or so can you do to make sure you have single-point precision focus on God and his Word alone while you continue with your life and work and raise kids (or go to school, whatever the case may be)?

A

B

C

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

How to just be, and not act, with the Lord

It is just as important to be with God than to take action. Actually, it's probably more important.

Just be.

What does this mean? 

It is turning your heart and mind to him, but not doing anything more than that. As a matter of fact, this is how you pray without ceasing. 

You are just being with God when he is constantly in your awareness. The trick is to figure out how to put him more on your mind and heart minute by minute, day by day, month by month. 

Is there another example of what this means? You know you are comfortable with someone when you can sit in silence together and you you do not have to fill in the silence with noise. That is being with the Lord. 

Being with God is resting in him. 

It's hanging out with him non-stop. 

It's being focused on God and his Word.

Please grab your journal workbooks at this time.

219 How have you been with God today (Whether you realized it or not)? 220 This week? 221 This month?

222 How can you just be with God more? List five ways or so on how you can be with the Lord more each and every day.

A

B

C

D

E

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

A blessing list: A template

214 List 10 blessings of your life in your journal along with the reason you count them as blessings.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

215 Take each of those and write why you thank the Lord for those blessings and how they have shaped your life. 

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

Wait a few minutes and then repeat 214 and 215. Make sure to include new blessings--or ones you've listed before. (In other words, do not repeat blessings.)

Wait a week and repeat 214 and 215.. 

RECOMMENDED: I recommend doing this once a week ideally. But, one every two weeks or once a month is another option. 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

Short clips and adages

Today and yesterday, I started to add short clips and adages in order to get our attention about a topic. It's meant to get us to think.

SUGGESTION: You might want to spend time journaling about them. They provide more ways for you to grow more loyal in your faith. 

It does not matter if you do them today or tomorrow, or a month from now. They might be all you can do in a day, or they might be just the right length to add a little more time when you crave more time with God and you already did a lesson or two from this Bible study blog.

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

Lonely?

Do you ever feel lonely?

When you do, have you tried to add a great deal more alone time with God and his Word in your life? You most likely are craving time with him.

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

Some Alone Time

I do not know about you. But, I crave alone time with my spouse. It is quality time that seals the bond between us. I cherish it deeply.

Of course I feel this way. The relationship between husband and wife mirrors our relationship with God.

Do you feel stir-crazy? Blah? Like something is missing in your life? Like something just isn't right? 

Well, there is your answer. You are craving alone time with God.

Take some. Nourish your heart, mind, body, and spirit.

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal FaithFind my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

Complacency

Are you complacent in your faith?

Neutral? Not moving? Not growing? So-so? 

Grab your journal workbooks and write your thoughts. Then, answer the following question.

213 What three things can you do today to ensure your faith isn't mediocre, complacent, neutral, and not growing. 

A

B

C

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

Are you settling?

Are you settling with your faith?

Are you settling for a mediocre, at best, faith?

Journal your thoughts. Does this apply to you?

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

Have you thought how your faith impacts other lives?

Have you thought how your faith, and your lack of it at times, impacts the lives of others?

When our faith is low, we are less obedient to the Lord, and are acting more distant with him. As a matter of fact, we are more likely to be engaged in sin. 

So, if we do not lay the seed of faith in everyone around us, their faith will not be as strong either. After all, everywhere we go, we leave seeds. We leave healthy seed of the fruitfulness of faith, or we leave seeds of weeds that can take over everything around them. 

Do you hear the responsibility we have in our faith? We need to grow so we do not keep others from having as fruitful and faithful lives--as well as all of the other reasons.

Grab your journal workbooks, please.

205 Write your thoughts about what you just read. 

206 Have you thought of how your faith and your lack of faith impacts the lives of others this month? 207 This week? 208 today?

209 What did God say to you after reading this blog post?

210 What did you say to God after reading this? 

211 How faithful do you want to be now?

212 How will you live differently, starting today, because of this. List three ways you will start to apply this to your life:

A

B

C

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction 

Clean my heart, Lord

I know my heart and mind can be full of sin and wrongdoing.
Clean my heart, Lord. Purify me. Help me to only be open to You and Your Word.

~ Stacy Duplease

Question

The closer we are with God, the more intimate, the more loyal of faith we will have.
How can you know when your faith is waning? You will feel distant from the Lord.

~ Stacy Duplease

Adage of revival

A loyal faith is synonymous with revival.

~ Stacy Duplease

Adage: An ignited passion

An ignited passion in Jesus Christ and the Word is a mark of a loyal faith.
How is your passion? Ignited or blah? Or is it something in-between,

~ Stacy Duplease

An Adage: One of the many definitions of 'a loyal faith'

A loyal faith is reading the Word, studying it, applying it, and remembering it.

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith

Remember the Simplicity of Your Faith ~ The Basics of Faith ~ John 3:16

REMEMBER THE SIMPLICITY OF YOUR FAITH

Faith in Jesus Christ is not supposed to be complicated. You either believe--or you do not. 

Hence, you are either going to heaven or to hell. Either you will spend eternity with the Father or absent from him. Either you have a new self or are the same old self. Regardless, you are a sinner and you do wrong things, think wrong things, and feel wrong feelings at times. 

That's it. It is that simple.

Please grab your journal workbooks at this time and answer this question--again, please. 

195 QTP (Question to Ponder) Are you a Christian? Do you believe?

196 QTP What does it mean to believe? 

Please grab your Bibles at this time. At least three versions are suggested with one being The Amplified Bible (AMP). We are going to take a look at John 3:16. 

197 What do you learn in John 3:16 from your first version of the Bible?

198 What do you learn in John 3:16 from your second version of the Bible?

199 What do you learn in John 3:16 from your third version of the Bible?

200 What does John 3:16 mean to you?

201 Answer QTP 195 one more time, but with this new information.

202 Answer QTP 196 one more time, but with this new information.

203 What does this mean for your life?

204 How can you apply John 3:16 to your life today? 

HOW DO YOU BECOME A CHRISTIAN?

It is simply through believing what is said in John 3:16. 

Remember the Simplicity of Your Faith ~ The Basics of Faith ~ John 3:16

REMEMBER THE SIMPLICITY OF YOUR FAITH

Faith in Jesus Christ is not supposed to be complicated. You either believe--or you do not. 

Hence, you are either going to heaven or to hell. Either you will spend eternity with the Father or absent from him. Either you have a new self or are the same old self. Regardless, you are a sinner and you do wrong things, think wrong things, and feel wrong feelings at times. 

That's it. It is that simple.

Please grab your journal workbooks at this time and answer this question--again, please. 

195 QTP (Question to Ponder) Are you a Christian? Do you believe?

196 QTP What does it mean to believe? 

Please grab your Bibles at this time. At least three versions are suggested with one being The Amplified Bible (AMP). We are going to take a look at John 3:16. 

197 What do you learn in John 3:16 from your first version of the Bible?

198 What do you learn in John 3:16 from your second version of the Bible?

199 What do you learn in John 3:16 from your third version of the Bible?

200 What does John 3:16 mean to you?

201 Answer QTP 195 one more time, but with this new information.

202 Answer QTP 196 one more time, but with this new information.

203 What does this mean for your life?

204 How can you apply John 3:16 to your life today? 

HOW DO YOU BECOME A CHRISTIAN?

It is simply through believing what is said in John 3:16. 

Stacy Duplease
Bible Study Writer & Blogger
A Loyal Faith
Find my books at/store: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/hisfiction