spiritualsnippets.com

Seeing life's events in the light of God's Word.

Oct 12

Coming Into Focus

by Brenda Poulos

I Corinthians 13:12- For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

Yesterday, I had my yearly eye exam. As we neared the end, the doctor had me compare a series of letters. He wanted to know which seemed clearer, “Row A or Row B.” Over and over, he presented examples until he felt certain that I’d chosen the one that helped me see the clearest.

Driving home, I thought about the Bible, God’s Word. I remembered reading about seeing through a glass, darkly, in I Corinthians.

Here is the conclusion I drew:

We read a verse or passage in the Bible by ourselves. Maybe the meaning is not all that clear.

We hear a sermon which helps us understand the words a little better.

We consult a commentary. Ah, now we begin to see a deeper meaning.

We have an opportunity to study the scripture, in depth, at a group Bible Study. Now, we have even better insight.

Finally, as we apply the principles we’ve learned, the Holy Spirit enlightens us even more.

Things come into focus.

We learn, I submit to you, in layers, over repeated exposure.

We may hear/read a certain passage multiple times and then one day we are reading at home or sitting in a church pew and all of a sudden the light dawns. “Eureka!”

Given our human limitations, we think we have uncovered a golden nugget of understanding. Even then, God’s Word tells us that we often cannot even fathom the deeper meaning He has for us.

But, He promises that we WILL someday. We WILL know Him—we WILL see Him—as He truly is.

Until then, we continue to grow and learn as we seek Him through His Word…until one day we arrive in Heaven and it all comes into focus and we SEE CLEARLY because we see Him face-to-face.

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Oct 5

A Good Name

by Brenda Poulos

Proverbs 22:1–  “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.”

As a child, I remember wishing my name were Debbie, Linda, or Karen.

Now that I’m nearing the publication of my first book, I find myself wishing for a name that would be more memorable. One that would sound “author-ish”.

I’ve thought of changes I could make to my name to make it more visually appealing….for example, not capitalizing it, like the famous poet, e.e.cummings.

brenda poulos

Or, dropping my last name and using my middle name as the last:

Brenda Carol

No? How about changing the spelling of my middle name?

Brenda Carolle

Perhaps using just my initials:

B. C. Poulos

I asked God to help me be content with my name just the way it is:

Brenda C. Poulos

He reminded me today that the name, Jesus—the sweetest, most wonderful name to Christians—was a very ordinary name in those days. Nothing particularly special about it…but it was the name God told Joseph and Mary to give the baby.

Matthew 1:21 says, “You shall call his name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” And it is the name praised by millions every day.

Of course, there are many other names that Jesus has in the Bible—names that reflect who He is, His role, His personality: Savior, Messiah, Adonai, The Good Shepherd, The Bright and Morning Star, The Rose of Sharon, The Lord, The Lamb of God, Light of the World, and on and on. Two hundred of them in all.

I told myself that maybe I would be more content with my own name if I knew what it meant. Somewhere, I had a bookmark with its meaning. I searched in a couple of drawers before I came up with it:

“BRENDA: Enthusiastic…fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.”

Maybe it doesn’t sound like a name that will draw people to pick up a book, but maybe it is a good name, after all.

Maybe those reading the gospel message woven into the pages of Runaways: The Long Journey Home will be led to it by Jesus…our God with an ordinary name who would allow someone with a name like mine to be an instrument to point the way

HOME.

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Sep 21

24 Hours

by Brenda Poulos

Matthew 6:27- Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

 

I was frazzled. I had just unloaded the groceries from the car, realizing that I only had an hour to finish straightening up the house and make dinner.

Do you ever feel like if you had just one more hour in the day that you could accomplish everything you had set out to do?

That if you could squeeze another day into the week, or another month into the year, you wouldn’t feel the anxiety of not completing all “there is to do”?

Do you feel constantly “behind” schedule?

When I feel like this (and I confess I often do) I take a deep breath and calm myself down.

I think about this verse and just why I think God included it in His Word.

He gave us twenty-four hours in a day to get things done. Twenty-four hours to eat, sleep, visit with others, read—and hundreds of other things that “take up our day.”

Since I know he wants the best for me, I have to believe He knows that, in a given day, this is all the time I really need.

But, perhaps He is saying something so simple that we often miss it. Maybe, He is saying that He wants us to lead the kind of lives that fit nicely into the realm of His 24/7 established time frame.

Maybe He’s saying that filling up our day to overflowing isn’t part of His plan for us at all.

Maybe He wants us to enjoy life more and not try to pack it so full of endless activities that have no lasting value in the “big scheme of things.”

Maybe He’s telling us to take more walks and watch more sunsets.

Maybe He’s telling us that He’ll take care of the rest.

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Sep 14

Tell Me a Story

by Brenda Poulos

Deuteronomy 6:7–  “Impress (God’s Word; commandments) on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

 

“Mommy, tell me the story about how I was born.”

My husband and I recently saw a movie featuring these words several times within an hour and a half film. It brought back memories of my own children asking me to repeat favorite stories to them—and of myself asking my own parents to relate a favorite one to me.

We all love a good story. And, we never get tired of hearing our favorites over and over again.

There are a lot of them in the Bible: David and Goliath, Ruth and Naomi, the birth of Jesus and the visit of the Kings and Wise Men afterward. I could go on and on, but you get the point.

Sometimes the morning message in a church service contains a Bible Story that some of us have heard a dozen times. However, if you’re like me, I find that there is always something “new” when I hear it again.

I gain a new insight.  It touches my soul in a deeper place.

Like His Mercies, His Word Is New Every Morning.

It has the power to touch us, heal us, encourage us, speak to us.

His Word is Alive.

When I was a child, we sang a song in church that you may remember. The name of it was: Tell Me The Story of Jesus. It started like this:

Tell me the story of Jesus, Write on my heart every word;

Tell me the story most precious, Sweetest that ever was heard.

It is an old story, isn’t it? But, it is one of which I never tire.

How about you?

Is there someone in your life that needs to hear that story, today?

 

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Sep 7

Reminders

by Brenda Poulos

Psalm 111:3,4:  “Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate.”

 

I am the Queen of Post-It-Notes.

They are all over my bathroom, office, and kitchen counter.

If I want to remember to DO something…CALL someone…SEND something…PURCHASE something…GO somewhere…

I have to write it down, or I forget it.

So far, the colorful Post-Its, are the best way of insuring that I remember things.

As I get older, the more reminders I seem to need.

I buy them in bulk. I buy them on sale. I even have Post-Its reminding me to purchase them when my supply is running low.

And, yes, I always have a few around to remind me to do my Bible Lesson.

To me, God’s Word, The Bible, is the ultimate Post-It Note.

Every page reminds me of His love, His mercy, grace, goodness, righteousness,  faithfulness, and forgiveness.

I read it, daily, lest I forget that

I am his child

and I belong to Him.

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Aug 31

Character Arc

by Brenda Poulos

Acts 9:27– “(Barnabas)…brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.”

Yesterday, at a writing workshop, we discussed the “character arc”. This simply means the change that happens within the character, over the course of a movie or book. In other words, the growth resulting from what they learn along their journey…the transformation.

Real life is like that, too, isn’t it? It’s a journey. Hopefully, we learn a lot along the way so that, by the end, we are not the same person we were when we started out.

We’ve changed.

Paul was someone with a HUGE character arc. He went from being a persecutor of Christians to being called of God on the road to Damascus.

What made the change?

It was the experience of meeting Jesus.

He was transformed from being a person filled with hate to a man so filled with compassion and love for others that he spent the rest of his life as a missionary, taking God’s message wherever he was led.

The change on the inside was manifested by a change on the outside—in his actions and behavior that everyone could see.

Because of this, he was beaten, thrown into jail, and eventually martyred.

This is character arc of the highest degree. A person so changed that he willingly gives his life for the cause.

There are brave people in our world right now who are being persecuted and killed for their belief in God. When asked if they are Christians, they bravely answer “yes”, giving their lives for the sake of the cross.

We may not ever face death for our beliefs, but let’s ask ourselves if we are willing to give our lives for our beliefs…an hour or two a week to help those in need…60-90 minutes to share the gospel?

If we know Jesus—if we have met Him and allowed Him to change us as we journey our own Damascus Road—then we will be willing to help bring His message to a lost and dying world.

One hour, one day, one compassionate act at a time.

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Aug 16

Timeless, Relevant, Eternal

by Brenda Poulos

Genesis 28: 12-14  “(Jacob) had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it[c] stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.”

 

 

On July 4th, Chinese artist, Cai Guoqiang, put on a stunning fireworks display featuring a 1,650 foot long ladder made of steel and gunpowder in the sky over Quanzhou, China. He created the fireworks in tribute to his grandmother turning 100 years old. It was a dazzling thank you for supporting his dreams as a young man.

Although this is one of the most impressive things I have ever seen with my own eyes (via U-Tube), it reminded me of Jacob’s Ladder and a Bible story I heard as a young child. In his dream, Jacob saw an even more spectacular display: angels ascending and descending a ladder that reached all the way to heaven! Through the dream, God gave Jacob a promise of land, descendants, and His protection.

It must be pretty awesome to receive a promise from God, you say. It sure is—and  although we may not receive a promise through a vision or a dream, the Bible is packed full of promises for each of us from our Heavenly Father.

The Bible is more than just a collection of old stories handed down through the ages. Each entry was included for God’s intended purpose. The verses weave together truths learned by those before us to help us in our own lives today because His Word is timeless and is just as relevant to our present situations as it was theirs hundreds of years ago.

Hebrews 4:12 says that God’s Word is “alive and active.” It’s not just a bunch of stale writing that has long since lost its appeal or relevance.

Since it can be challenging reading, however, you may find it helpful to get a Study Bible with added historical and geographical information. In addition, you may want to use a commentary. What the Bible is All About, by Henrietta Mears is easy to understand. I have used it for many years. If you want more in-depth information, your neighborhood Christian Bookstore has many to choose from.

Being involved in a small group Bible Study is another good way to gain understanding of God’s Word. Through discussion of passages/verses led by experienced leaders, we gain valuable understanding we might otherwise miss.

God’s word is TRUTH. It is ETERNAL. It NEVER RETURNS TO HIM VOID, or without accomplishing it’s intended purpose.

May He bless you, richly, as you let His Word speak His timeless truths to your soul today.

Brenda

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Aug 10

God Working Through You

by Brenda Poulos

Psalm 128:6a – May you live to see your children’s children—

I attended a Christian conference this week and was blessed by every speaker. I basked in a lush oasis of truth and love from God during that time. It is no secret that one way Christians hear from God is through other Christians.

One of the speakers talked about the time a friend sent him the words to a song. It was the perfect one for him to hear that day. He played it over and over again, letting it minister to his parched soul until he was refreshed and overflowing with joy.

Yesterday, I talked with a friend who shared a struggle their family is currently going through regarding visitation of her baby granddaughter. My heart broke, hearing that the baby’s father and grandparents had not seen this precious one for more than three months!

How can my friend possibly be smiling—finding peace—amid struggles like that? How can she sleep at night when her days are filled with law enforcement and legal issues?

After three months of prayer, God spoke to her through His written Word. She read His promise from Psalm 128 (above). Her heart leapt for joy with the assurance that she would see her granddaughter!

Moments after reading this verse, she received a telephone call from a relative, directing her to look at a specific Facebook page. Imagine her unspeakable joy when she saw the beautiful face of her granddaughter smiling back. The child’s mother had posted the picture and God used it to fulfill His words to her grandmother, my friend.

Her granddaughter is safe and healthy. God had not only heard her prayer, but blessed the reading of His Word by supplying tangible evidence of His love.

God can use our words of encouragement, our prayers, His Word, His people—in any way and any form—to bring hope, healing, and peace to those around us.

Pray for someone today, share a scripture, remind them that we worship a God who cares.

The encouragement they need, today, just may come from God, working through you.

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Jun 22

“What Exactly Does ‘Eternal’ Mean?”

by Brenda Poulos

Revelation 1:8– “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

“Grandma, I know who lived longest in the Bible,” my youngest grandson stated as we drove in rush hour traffic last week.

“Who was that, Owen?” I questioned, prepared to hear him say Methuselah (he’s pretty smart and does attend a Christian grade school.)

“God,” he replied with a big smile on his face.

Those kids trip me up all the time. I had to chuckle. “You’re right. He is eternal, isn’t He?”

“Yep.” He paused a moment. “What exactly does ‘eternal’ mean, Grandma?”

Now it was my turn. A teachable moment. I could answer my beautiful grandchild without interruption in the confines of my vehicle, creeping along in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

“The Bible tells us that God always existed. That’s hard to comprehend because everything else we can think of was made—had a beginning—but not God. He always was. Everyone else—was made by Him.”

He joyfully joined in the discussion. “He created the world and everyone in it. He made it all.”

“True. But, there’s more to that word ‘eternal’. There’s the part that explains that He will have no end, either. He had no beginning and He will have no end.”

Owen’s eyes opened wide. “He’ll never die?”

“Nope. He won’t. But here’s a wonderful thing for us to realize. We don’t die, either!” I flashed him my biggest smile.

Owen’s eyes widened. “We won’t?”

I paused a moment before continuing. “Well, our bodies will die. That happens to everyone doesn’t it?”

He bit his lip. “Like Great Grandpa.”

“Yes. Like Great Grandpa.” I reached over to playfully tug on the bill of his ball cap.

“But our souls will live on in Heaven after our bodies die. If we accept Jesus as our Savior while we are still alive on this earth, we can be absolutely certain that we’ll spend the rest of eternity—forever and ever—in Heaven. God had no beginning and will have no end. Even though we did have a beginning, specially designed by God, we will have no end, just like Him!”

So, there you have it. You’ve been privy to a private conversation with my grandson.

God created you, just like Owen and me. You had a beginning. You can know everlasting life, too.

You can know and abide with your creator, the ETERNAL KING and LORD OF LORDS…forever! His gift of eternal life is free to “all who will believe.”

This is the GOOD NEWS of the GOSPEL!

Brenda

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Jun 6

Small Beginnings

by Brenda Poulos

Zechariah 4:10– “Do not despise this small beginning, for the eyes of the Lord rejoice to see the work begin.”

 

I’ve been trying to learn how to navigate through Facebook. I even read the book, The Idiots Guide to Facebook. That should tell you just what I think of my technological abilities!

The day I actually started posting on my page, I received an outpouring of encouraging messages advising me to try not to get overwhelmed. “Just take it one step at a time and you’ll be able to do it.”

How nice it was to know friends were cheering me on!

 

Start small.

Take your time.

Just keep at it.

Take it one day at a time.

Rome wasn’t built in a day.

 

As a baby learning to walk toward his parents’ outstretched arms, we are reminded in the Bible that our Lord wants to encourage us, too.

Let’s say you are wanting to lead someone to Christ. God knows your heart. He is pleased just to have you start by asking a new friend to coffee. A small beginning. Maybe in your next conversation, you will have an opportunity to share your testimony.

Baby steps.

Steps of obedience.

It doesn’t all have to happen today. God is pleased just to have you begin.

As time goes by, ask Him for additional opportunities.

In the end, you may not be the one who is there when your friend comes to faith in Jesus. That’s okay. Maybe your part is to plant the seed.

Whether it is organizing a Bible drive, teaching a Sunday School class or building a bookshelf, the important thing is to take that first step.

The verse from Zechariah, though written about Zerubbabel and the laying of the foundation of the temple, reminds me that God rejoices over our small efforts, too.

I came across this verse  when I was struggling to begin writing my first book. I read it often, especially on days when it doesn’t seem I’ve made much progress. I know that each day He’s rejoicing to see my small beginning evolve into a book that will honor Him.

Have you recently started taking some first steps? Would you like to share the story of your small beginning?

Brenda

 

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