Claiming the Mark of Cain

Claiming the Mark of Cain

by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times. Genesis 4:24

We left Cain having grandsons for 5 generations in 2 verses and the fifth generation was Lamech. Now there was a whole lot of other begetting going on through those years because all 5 generations had wives and quite likely many other sons and daughters than just the five mentioned, enough so that Lamech had two wives and three sons and one daughter. He probably had more but these were mentioned.

Lamech’s son Jabal was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock.
Lamech’s son Jubal was the father of all who play the harp and flute.
Lamech’s son Tubal-Cain forged tools out of bronze and iron.
Lamech’s daughter Naamah sister of Tubal-Cain

I’m thinking that Jabal and Jubal were fathers in the same sense that Hippocrates was the father of medicine. They may have had children but they were also fathers by teaching their crafts to others not necessarily their own children.

The Mark of Cain

The Mark of Cain

by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

“Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” Genesis 4:9

The Bible isn’t laid out on a neat little calendar. It doesn’t even mention the years between stories. Genesis 4:1 covers the conception and birth of Cain. And in verse 2 we learn that ‘later’ Eve gave birth to Abel. How much later? The Bible doesn’t say. Were there other children in between Cain and Abel? It’s possible. Later could mean two years or ten. I mean Abel goes from birth to keeping flocks in the same verse. That had to be years. And those years were jumped in a single verse.

The whole story isn't there - just the important bits.

Curses and Consequences
Cain murdered his brother. Because he did not confess when asked by an all knowing God where his brother was he was cursed. There are always consequences for sin. It causes problems and heartache and death. And those problems and heartaches and death are not only what we suffer but what others suffer because of us. Yet we are always given the opportunity to confess. Adam and Eve were given the opportunity, so was Cain.

The Crouching Tiger

Picture courtesy of 

Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleimages.org

The Crouching Tiger
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it. Genesis 4:7

The first few chapters of Genesis are packed with meaning for anyone wanting to know God.

In the story of creation God makes His great love for and care of His creation abundantly clear.

In the story of the fall of man we can see a clear description of how temptation operates and a clear description of our own natural inclinations when we give in to sin.
Which brings us to The Story of Cain and Abel another clear description of how we are naturally inclined to react this time when we are confronted with our own indifference.

What was wrong with Cain’s gift?

Cain was a farmer. Abel was a herdsman. They each brought gifts from what they grew. Cain brought fruit and Abel brought meat. Cain’s gift was rejected and Abel’s was accepted. Why? It wasn’t because of the kind of offering that each brought. God wasn’t looking for meat over vegetables. It was because of the heart of the giver that God accepted and rejected.

Some fruit
Cain brought something to the meeting. He didn’t want to come, he didn’t want to bring anything but he choose something from the crop, keeping the choicest parts for himself.

Abel came to the meeting because he wanted to honor God. He wanted to come, he wanted to thank God for the blessings he had enjoyed so he choose the choicest meats from his provisions.

Meeting God
This was not a mandatory meeting. God had not decreed the sacrificial offerings. God hadn’t even demanded a thank you for his provision. But Abel was grateful and wanted to clearly acknowledge the one from whom all blessings flow. Cain could barely be bothered.

They brought these offerings to the Lord and the Lord’s reaction to each was immediately known. God spoke to Cain and Cain knew the sound of His voice. God was not in some far off distant place, He was close enough to reach – and talk to.

Cain KNEW who he was bring his fruits to, he knew God, but he wasn’t particularly grateful.

The Bible doesn’t say why
The Bible doesn’t give us a psychological background for Cain or Abel. We don’t know why one was grateful and one was not. But I can imagine the scene.

I can just imagine Cain sweating in the hot sun, digging trenches, planting seeds, lugging water, weeding, and weeding and weeding. Finally a crop! Of course now he has to pick it.

Meanwhile there was Abel, sitting in the shade of the trees, playing his flute while his flock grazed on the grass around him.

Cain never saw the blessing in his crop and he never saw the effort in Abel’s flock.

Cain never saw the wolf attacks or the searching for the lost lamb. He never saw the back breaking shearing sessions or the bloody slaughter and butcher of the meat.

Cain was jealous of Abel’s ‘easy’ life. He was not grateful.

Cain’s reasons do not matter.
It sounds harsh but if Cain’s reasons mattered they would be in the story. What matters to the story is Cain’s actions and reactions. We are living under the curse of Adam. Life is hard. Life is also a gift that comes with a multitude of blessings. We can bemoan the curse or we can be grateful for the blessings. We are going to live this life either way.

Why are you angry?
And God is gracious. When we start moaning about the life we live He will ask us why? He gives us every opportunity to stand up and look around, and be grateful.

And God is loving. When we start moaning about the life we live He will warn us of the danger waiting to consume us. Sin is crouching.

Cain was given this opportunity and this warning. He chose to ignore both. But we can learn from his mistake. We can recognize our own angry reaction to getting caught, and hear the voice of God: “Why are you angry?” Even if we have chosen poorly, we can hear the voice of God: “If you do what is right will you not be accepted?” And we can choose again.

Simple – Ain’t – Easy
Sometimes it requires a U-turn
Wendy

The Devil Made Me Do It! And It's All Your Fault!

The Devil Made Me Do It! And it’s all Your fault!
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

The man said, “The woman you put here with me – she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it. Genesis 3:12

My last post dealt with the temptation and fall of man. Now let's look at what happened next.

The Devil is sneaky

I have been sorely tempted even as I was writing this blog. My computer caught a cold, a nasty virus that delayed my posting Monday’s blog and this one. It is all better now but for four days I was in the land of frustration. 

I was frustrated by the necessity of hurriedly backing up files, and relearning the roads through an old operating system on an old computer. And the whole way through I kept hearing that verse that I mentioned in a recent blog: “Fear not, I’m right here with you.” 

And miraculously my anxiety level was minimal, the whole way though the process. I got Monday’s blog uploaded! Yeah! I got my computer to the computer doctor and got it back not only healed but all shiny clean. Double Yeah!

I even congratulated myself on trusting God through out the whole process. And then…

Temptation in a Nutshell

Temptation in a Nutshell
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

"For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good from evil." Genesis 3:5

Have you ever ordered something that looked really great in the catalog but when it arrives it is a lot smaller than the catalog made it look, it is cheaply made and it breaks the first time you try it out?

That is what the promises of the devil are like. Man ate the forbidden fruit, his eyes were opened, like God he now knew good from evil, BUT he was not like God. And now he was less than the man he was before.

In the Beginning God!

In the Beginning – GOD!
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

In the Beginning God... Genesis 1:1

My Memory Verse Book begins with this beginning of the first verse of the first book of the Bible. I love these four words. They are the reason for all that follows. Before the beginning of anything THERE was God.

I began my new Bible reading schedule with the idea that the Bible was written for me personally and that I would concentrate on this personal message. I took the books of the Bible in Biblical order and assigned a chapter of Isaiah and one or more Psalms to each book.

I began with the Gospel of Mark, which is a good overview of the Gospel.

Mark – 16 chapters
Isaiah chapter 41
Psalms chapters 96-99

Now I am moving on to Genesis – a good overview of where everything started.

Genesis – 50 chapters
Isaiah chapter 1
Psalms chapters 1-3

In the Beginning God
Everything starts with God. Now I am a Trekie and I cannot read the first verse of the Bible without hearing Carol Marcus saying “Can I cook or can I cook.” She was talking about the creation of a planet full of life from a lifeless chunk of rock. It only took her science hours to do this, which makes me laugh at the science that scoffs at the 6 days of creation.

This is Not Justice

This is Not Justice

by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

Let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the people with equity. Psalm 97:9

Following my reading plan I read Psalm 97 on May 27th.

Justice
How many of us found ourselves condemning the looters when we should have been condemning murder? This is not Justice.

How many of us would have joined a peaceful protest but were, instead, forced to seek shelter from rioters? This is not Justice.

When Fear Sounds Like Anger

When Fear Sounds Like Anger

by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

So do not fear, for I am with you: do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

Following my new Bible Reading Schedule I read Isaiah 41 on May 25th The day George Floyd was murdered. It reminded me that fear sounds like anger.

What does fear have to do with anger?
What does fear have to do with anger? I asked God that very same question. In my early 20s I had a serious anger issue. The stupidest things would set me off and my blood would boil, I would scream myself hoarse and nearly broke my hands beating the floor. I was always alone when this happened because no one deserved to be the brunt of this rage. I nearly broke my hands beating the floor because I didn’t want to break anything that would have to be replaced just because I was having a tantrum.

I cried out to God “Help me with this anger!” and God whispered, “Fear Not”

Mark Part Four: The Point of the Fig Tree

Mark Part Four: The Point of the Fig Tree
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

“Have faith in God.” Mark 11:22

There are two parts to the story of the Fig Tree and they sandwich the cleansing of the temple in between them.

In the morning Jesus was hungry. He saw a fig tree full of leaves but no fruit. It looked healthy and plentiful from a distance, but it was empty when closely examined. It wasn’t the season for figs so its leaves were doubly deceptive, not only did it look full but it wasn’t ready to be full.

Jesus cursed the fig tree and went on to the temple.

In the temple Jesus drove out the merchants who were using the house of God as a marketplace rather than a house of prayer.

The next morning as they passed the fig tree the disciples noticed that it was withered and pointed out to Jesus that this was the fig tree he had cursed.

Mark Part Three: Who Then Can Be Saved?

Mark Part Three: Who Then Can Be Saved?
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” Mark 10:26

Who Then Can Be Saved?

I found several answers in my reading of the Gospel of Mark. The distressed (5:30); the unworthy (7:28) the ‘not us’ among us (9:41); the burdened (10:21) the spiritually immature (10:24); and the spiritually blind (10:47) and it all boils down to this: “all things are possible with God.” Man can’t. God can!

“Who touched Me?”
First there was a woman in distress. She had a bleeding disorder which means that she was unclean. People avoided her, if they did not out right shun her. She had spent all her money on treatments that had only increased her misery and had not solved the problem.

She sneaked up behind Jesus, unwilling to face him in her shame. She reached out to touch, not to gain his attention or garner his favor, but to contact the source of healing, contact but not connect.

She only touched the hem of his cloak. The crowd was pressing in around Him, he was being touched by many but He knew the instant faith reached out to Him. (5:30)

And He did not allow that faith to remain anonymous. He kept looking for the faithful touch until the woman stood before him and confessed. Then he took the woman’s fear and suffering and turned it into peace and freedom.

One trembling touch of faith and Jesus responded immediately.

The crumbs of God’s forgiveness
Then there was a woman from Syrian Phoenicia who had faith that even the crumbs of God’s forgiveness held the power to save. She called Him “Lord” She was the only one in all the gospels who called Him “Lord” For such a faith her request was granted. (7:28)

This woman was humble before Christ. She recognized her unworthiness, she was a Gentile after all and the Jews were known for their self-satisfaction as the chosen people of God. She also recognized the authority of Jesus; she called him “Lord” she was, in fact, the only one in the entire Gospel to address him as Lord.

When Jesus told her that she was asking for the bread that belonged to the children she acknowledged that this was so – but – even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs, and with the crumbs she would be satisfied.

In heaven there are many mansions prepared for us, but personally I wouldn’t mind if I had to live in a broom closet, just so long as that broom closet was in the Kingdom of God.

The crumbs of God’s forgiveness are more powerful than the poisoned feast of Satan’s table. And we receive more than crumbs; we are invited to Christ’s banquet in heaven, when we call Him “Lord”

He isn’t one of us
And the man who wasn’t “one of us” as far as the disciples were concerned was “one of mine” as far as Christ was concerned.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.” (9:41)

The church is not an exclusive country club. There is only one path to heaven, and that is through the blood of Jesus Christ, but there are many paths to Christ. Peter was not a seminary graduate and this man was not one of the disciples, but Peter was a rock solid preacher and this man was a believer in the power of Jesus' name.

God wants all of us to be one of us. We cannot limit the scope of the works of Christ to the confines of our group.

The Burden of Outrageous Fortune

And that rich young man who wanted to know what to do to inherit eternal life. He already knew the answer before he asked the question. He knew the commandments and had followed them since he was a boy. He knew the laws of God and obeyed them and yet he felt that there must be something more that he could do.

Jesus looked at him and loved him. (10:21) He did not shame him for his lack of spiritual maturity. He recognized the young man’s earnest desire and loved him for it, but Jesus then went straight to the heart of the matter, the young man was wealthy and that wealth hindered him. So Jesus told him to get rid of it.

The young man went away sad because he had great wealth. He chose his wealth over Christ. That young man was earnest in his desire, despite his spiritual immaturity. Jesus looked at him and saw a child of God. Jesus loved him and I have personal experience with the love Christ has for the spiritually immature. Once you approach Christ, once He looks at you and loves you, it is not so very easy to just walk away.

In verse 24 Jesus doesn’t single out the rich but says “Children, how hard it is to enter the Kingdom of God.” For there are many burdens which hinder us. Not just wealth, but anything that we hold onto like grudges and envy and power or position. There are many burdens that Jesus would have us get rid of and follow him.

Who then can be saved?
The disciples asked Jesus, “Who then can be saved?” and Jesus answered, “With man this is impossible.” Man cannot save himself.

But

“With God all things are possible.”

God can save man; in fact God can make the eye of the needle so large that even a camel can walk through it. What we have all that we have, is on loan from God. Once we realize that the bounty of life is not ours to possess, giving it away becomes easier. Not easy – Simple ain’t easy – But easier.

What the blind man saw
Which brings us to Bartimaeus the blind man. When he heard that Jesus was passing by he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And when the world tried to silence him he shouted louder, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (10:47)

Jesus sent his disciples to call the blind man who was searching in the darkness. When they brought him to Jesus he asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”

Bartimaeus replied, “Rabbi (teacher) I want to see (understand).

And Jesus said, “Go, your faith has healed you.” And where did he go? He followed Jesus because what the blind man saw was the road home.

Simple - Ain't - Easy
But it does get easier
Wendy

And in case you’re just joining us here are the links to:
Mark: An Overview of the Gospel
Mark Part One: One Good Hour With God
Mark Part Two: What Jesus Said to Me

Is anyone out there currently reading the Gospel of Mark? I would be interested in what God is saying to you.

Mark Part Two: What Jesus Said to Me

Mark Part Two: What Jesus Said to Me
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man, “I am willing,” he said, “Be clean!” Mark 1:41-42

The Bible was written for all men but it is also an intimate message for you personally. When I read the Bible I am always looking for that intimate message. 

Throughout the entire Bible God tells us what He is going to do and then He does what He says. God said “Let there be light” – and then there was light. God told Noah that there would be a flood and then there was a flood. God told Abraham that he would be the father of many nations and then God made him the father of many nations.God means what He says and He says what He means and as I was looking over my notes from Mark, I was struck by what Jesus said to the people who came to him.

Mark Part One: One Good Hour With God

Mark Part One: One Good Hour With God
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

“I tell you the truth…” Mark 3:28 and “Listen!…” Mark 4:3

How I Study

I make my reading plan, so I don’t miss a thing, and then I read one book at a time and take notes. I take notes in long hand and on notebook paper. When I finish the book I'm reading I read over my notes. Sometimes I reread passages or travel through the rest of the Bible, searching for passages that may shed light on any questions I may have about what I read.

I try to make sure God is finished talking to me before I move on from one book of the Bible to the next.

One Good Hour With God

I spend a good hour with God every morning. I am not a morning person. I get up and make my coffee and spend a good 30 minutes prying my eyes open in the morning. I eat breakfast, check my e-mail and shuffle through my stack of stuff to do today, writing down the first few things to DO NOW on a list that I leave on top of my stack of stuff to do. Then I close the computer, set aside my stack of stuff and open the Bible and spend one good hour with God.

Mark - An Overview of the Gospel

Mark - An Overview of the Gospel
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Mark 1:1

I usually start my Reading Plan with Mark. He is the lickedy-split Gospel. Things happen ‘immediately’ in Mark. He moves quickly form one episode to the next and covers the life of Jesus from the beginning of his ministry to his death and resurrection in 16 short chapters. He hits all the high points: miracles, parables, teaching, the humanity of Jesus and the divinity of Jesus.

The early church unanimously credited John Mark with writing the Gospel of Mark and generally agree that he was an associate of the apostle Peter. Peter preached, Mark wrote it down.
Mark serves as a good overview of the Gospel

If you have never met Jesus this is probably the best place to do it. John Mark’s mother opened her home as a meeting place for believers. When believers got together the stories of Jesus flowed forth, and John Mark was there, listening.

Bible Reading Plans

Bible Reading Plans

by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

I don't want to miss a thing

I use Bible Reading Plans because I don't want to miss a thing.I just worked out my Bible Reading Plan for the next while. I don’t put a time limit on my Bible reading, I especially do not try to cram the whole Bible into a single year. That means reading 3 or 4 chapters a day and some of those chapters have really meaty chunks to digest. I am a voracious reader, but the Bible I ponder, I savor, I think about and talk things over with my father. I don’t want to miss a thing so I don’t try to hurry through the chapters. I don’t want to.

So what I do is I list the books of the Bible and how many chapters each book has and I mark them off as I read them.

Biblical Order: Genesis through Revelation
The books of the Bible are put together in groups:

God's Psychiatry

Recommended Reading – God’s Psychiatry
God’s Psychiatry by Charles L. Allen

I love this book. It is the application of scripture to the healing of the mind and the soul. It does what I love to do – it ponders each verse in a passage, specifically Psalm 23, The Ten Commandments, The Lord’s Prayer and The Beattitudes.

I like his subject titles as well.
How to Think of God – Psalm 23
God’s Rules for Living – The Ten Commandments
How to Talk to God – The Lord’s Prayer
The Keys to the Kingdom – The Beattitudes

In How to Think of God he prescribes the 23rd Psalm 5 times a day for 7 days. Its power is not in memorizing the words, but rather in thinking the thoughts.

I love his descriptions of the sheep and the shepherd throughout Psalm 23. The idea of Christ as The Good Shepherd is much more powerful if you fully understand the intimate relationship between a shepherd and his sheep.

In God’s Rules for Living you come to understand that when you break the law the law stands. What lies in broken pieces is the man.

In How to Talk to God the words become more than something to say they become something to pray.

In The Keys of the Kingdom you find that unless the keys are used they are useless.

How you think matters.
What you store in your heart matters.

“If we really desire God we will do those things which will cause us to experience God.”
            Charles L. Allen

Simple – Ain’t – Easy
Reading Helps
Wendy

Who Controls What You Think?

Who Controls What You Think?
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45

Who Controls What You Think?

If you think the obvious answer is YOU then think again. Superstition, tradition, what you learned at home, what you leaned in school, what you learned in Sunday school, and what you learned in at the office gossip party 20 minutes ago all play a part in what you think.

Garbage In – Garbage Out
There is an old computer saying, “Garbage In – Garbage Out.” It means that if the code you write is garbage then the computer program will spit out garbage. It works for the mind as well. Your mind is a huge and complex computer that accepts every piece of data from every source that you encounter.

Whatever is Lovely

Whatever is Lovely
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Philippians 4:8

I’ve been reading about Mindful Meditation lately. I can’t get the image of a crossed-legged person with their eyes closed attempting to empty their minds and let their minds float. Actually they are supposed to be concentrating on a single thing, like breathing, and bring their minds back to that single thing when the mind wanders away.

Mindful or Mind Full

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance - Recommended Reading

Recommended Reading – Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance

Do you know how many times the word ‘fear’ appears in the King James Version of the Bible? I do, because Dr. James Strong spent 35 years counting them. He had help, more than 100 colleagues, but no computer. These men had the Bible and they made a list of every word in every verse. Then they listed the words in alphabetical order and then they listed every verse where each word appears.

Their work was first published in 1890: Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible.

Why Believe in God?

Why Believe in God?
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. 1 Corinthians 14:33

I have been researching the history of isms. Catholicism, Lutheranism, Calvinism, Baptism… Actually I started by looking up the Puritans and why they came to America. Religious Freedom led me through the different isms and why they became chasms. Which led me to start thinking about why I believe what I believe.

Awestruck

Awestruck
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” Hebrews 11:3

I am a Wikipediate! I admit that I can spend days happily tracing all of the connections between articles on the Internet. Anyone can use Wiki but to be a true Wikipediate one must be an avid reader and I started early, way back before the Internet. Way back then I was an Encyclopediate. You know - the book form of Wiki. Encyclopedias come in sets, one book for nearly every letter in the alphabet. My mom got us a set when I was in grade school and I devoured them. It was in the Encyclopedia that i first met the duck billed, web footed, beaver tailed platypus.

His picture looks like a lot of left over parts joined together, but look him up, he is no mash up of spare parts. He is in fact, a really cool individual.

Z is for Zeal

Z is for Zeal
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! Luke 12:49

What does it mean to be 'on fire' for the Lord?

We had to cut a tree down two years ago. The trunk was cut up and hauled away for firewood. The limbs were piled in the back of the yard. This year we began burning up the limbs. Pile after pile of twigs and small limbs. Seasoned wood, two years dead and dried out, and it burns pretty well. At the end of the day we hose the pile down, rake through the coals and hose it down again. 

Getting the embers in the center of the pile exposed and hosed is a bigger chore than hauling the limbs down to be burned. Ashes cover embers and keep them warm. If we don’t get the whole thing hosed down it could blaze up again in the night.

Y is for Yield

Y is for Yield
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:29-30

If what you want to do is different from what God wants you to do, YIELD to God, He has the right of way. This is one of the hardest lessons of Christianity. It is one of the hardest parts of being a Christian. 

X is for e(X)ample

X is for (e)Xample
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 

John 13:15
 

Jesus lived...Jesus was...Jesus did...Jesus never...Jesus offered...

Jesus is a living example of how we should live. Jesus is God, who walked away from the glory of heaven to live in the dirt with us so that we may live in heaven with Him.

Here is a short list of the qualities that Jesus set for us to follow.

Jesus lived…

A Life of Obedience – Philippians 2:8
A Life of Service – Philippians 2:7
A Life of Prayer – Matthew 14:23

W is for Witness

W is for Witness
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 1 John 5:11

Witness for the defense
There are four gospels. Each has expert testimony concerning the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Matthew and John were with Jesus throughout his ministry. Matthew was a tax collector, an analytical man. He testified to the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the Messiah. John was more empathic, he wrote concerning the great love of God fulfilled by the coming of the Messiah.

Mark and Luke weren’t with Jesus throughout his ministry. Mark was an associate of Peter’s. Peter testified and Mark wroth it down. Luke was an associate of Paul’s He was a physician, a learned man. Luke gathered eyewitness testimony and wrote detailed instructions on the way of salvation.

All four gospels agree on one thing: Jesus is Emanuel – God with us.

U is for Understanding

U is for Understanding
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

Proverbs Chapter 2

Proverbs chapter 2 isn’t very long but it develops the ideas of wisdom, knowledge and understanding. All three parts of active thought must be applied to life. The Bible uses physical descriptions to explain spiritual truths. Developing a spiritual understanding requires the application of the physical to the spiritual.

Should we fear God?

T is for Trust

T is for Trust
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Isaiah 12:2

How well do you know the layout of your house? If you think you know it pretty well then try walking from room to room blindfolded. Go ahead, try it, I’ll wait.

Well how’d you do? Did you remember where all the chairs were? Did you know how many steps there were from the kitchen to the den? Did you stumble or run into any walls? Was the journey frustrating? Was it a little bit scary?

Now try it again, only this time have your best friend help you. You wear the blindfold and they talk you around the house. If you start to trip or walk into a wall they can draw you back, otherwise they just tell you where to go.

S is for Self-control

S is for Self Control
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16

Be prepared
Self-control in both our actions and our reactions requires that we decide before hand how we will act and react to any situation. We must decide before we get punched in the face that we will turn the other cheek because our natural reaction is to punch back. When we are yelled at we yell back.

When we are hurt adrenaline floods our systems and we are prepared for fight or flight. We must be prepared, in advance of this flood, to stand. This is our third option and it is a conscious choice, in spite of the adrenaline, to stand.

R is for Repent

R is for Repent
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. Ezekiel 18:21

Life is not fair and it’s all God’s fault!
You can do everything right, live a good life and still wind up paying for the sins of others.

You can be a good person, go to church every Sunday, and keep the Ten Commandments and still wind up with cancer.

The children of Israel were in exile because of the sins of their fathers. They blamed their fathers and they blamed God. They were fond of saying, “The father eats sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” and in Ezekiel chapter 18 God said “ENOUGH!”

V is for Victory

V is for Victory
By Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 5:5

How to claim victory in the middle of the lion’s den
It looks like the devil is winning. Evil is everywhere, churches are shutting down, anxiety is our bedfellow, and we are locked in our homes in fear of the day.

But look again

Fellowship has sprung up all over the Internet, and people who haven’t been to church in years are listening. This was not the devil’s plan. His plan was to confuse us and shake our faith. But God is in control and He has taken the devil’s plans and turned them upside down.

Q is for Quietness

Q is for Quietness
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. 

1 Thessalonians 4:11

Make
This is an action word. In order to make something you have to work on it. In order to make a cake you have to gather the ingredients, mix them together in the proper order, bake the cake at the proper temperature for the proper length of time, and apply the frosting. This takes effort. It also takes thought and planning.

P is for Patience

P is for Patience
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. James 5:7-8

I don’t know about you but my green beans come in a can. I’ve never planted a garden and even my air plants died. But my house is sitting on what used to be my grandfather’s garden. He grew corn and green beans and tomatoes. My grandmother canned the food grown in the spring and served it during the winter.

Plowing, sowing, harvesting, and canning, they did a lot of hard work in a short amount of time, but they fed their family for a whole year from their combined efforts.

O is for Obedience

O is for Obedience
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?” Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:21-22

You can never earn heaven. There is nothing that you can do to make yourself good enough. Salvation is a gift freely given. Grace comes from the abundant mercy of God. But…

There is proof that the gift has been accepted. There is proof that the Holy Spirit is dwelling in the life of the believer. Believing is not enough. Even the demons believe – and shudder. (James 2:19)

N is for Neighborliness

N is for Neighborliness
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10: 37

Mercy and Neighborliness go hand in hand. Both examples come from the same parable, the parable of the Good Samaritan. That parable started with a question. “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” and Jesus answered with a question “What is written in the Law?”

Love God with everything you’ve got and love your neighbor as yourself. It really is that simple.

M is for Mercy

M is for Mercy
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

Jesus replied, “Do this and you will live.” Luke 10:28

Mercy and Neighborliness go hand in hand. Both examples come from the same parable, the parable of the Good Samaritan. That parable started with a question. “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” and Jesus answered with a question “What is written in the Law?”

Love God – Love others. It really is that simple.

“Do this and you will live,” Jesus said. Then he gave us an example of what 'this' looks like:

L is for Love

L is for Love
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. 2 John 6

Love is not a mere emotion.
Love is a conscious decision.
Love chooses to obey.

Love is not a mere emotion.
Love is not the warm fuzzies of affection. Love is not the giddy butterflies of attraction. Love is not the heady appeal of flattery, and Love is not the cozy feeling of friendship.

K is for Kindness

K is for Kindness
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 4:29-32

Acts of kindness shouldn’t be random they should be consistent.
Our words should encourage. Rather than dishing the dirt we should be dishing compliments. Find something nice to say, and if you can’t, at the moment, then keep your mouth shut until you can.

J is for Joy

J is for Joy
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 15:11

I choose Joy.

The world wants us to be terrified and is trying its best to destroy the peace that comes with the assurance of salvation. But even in the center of a crisis we can claim the joy and the peace of Jesus for it is His joy and His peace that he has given us.

My joy, My peace, I do not give to you as the world gives John 14:27; 15:11 The world gives peace when times are peaceful, Jesus gives peace when times are hectic. The world does not understand this peace and this joy because they do not know Jesus. But I do know Jesus and so in the times of crisis – I choose Joy!

I is for Indwelling

I is for Indwelling
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 

Ephesians 3:16-19

In your inner being, that is where Christ dwells. He is the center of the Christian life, He lives inside of us, in such a way as to show Him clearly through everything we say and do. He is the vine and His firm roots support us, the branches. We know this love and this love surpasses knowledge. This love is so great we will never see the height, or the width, or the depth of it. This is a love so great that we will never know the end of it.

H is for Humility

H is for Humility

by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before, God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:10-14

Humility is not humiliation. Neither is it poverty of spirit. Like a child, Jesus said. (Matthew 18:4) So the question is how is a child humble?

G is for Gentleness

G is for Gentleness
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 

1 Peter 2:23

Meek is not mild, and gentleness is not weakness. The ‘he’ of 1 Peter 2:23 was Jesus, the Son of God. 

If you insult a tyrant the tyrant is likely to have you shot. If you insult a bully the bully is likely to break your nose. 

If you insult the Son of God he is likely to turn the other cheek. 

Jesus had the power of God in the palm of his hand. He could have ended them, instead he willing died for them.

Gentleness takes strength of character.

F is for Faithfulness

F is for Faithfulness
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? Luke 16:10-11

Can you be trusted? Do you keep your word? Do you cheat on your taxes? Are you proficient with the little white lies of life? Do you live beyond your means? Do you live on credit, spending money that you do not have? Do you gamble with money that you do not have?

E is for Endurance

E is for Endurance
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:4

Christianity is a marathon, not a sprint. Salvation is the beginning, not the end. When you invite Jesus into your life your old life is over and your new life has just begun, and this relationship will live and grow for the rest of your life. Whether that is 9 minutes or 90 years you must “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1

D is for Discipleship

D is for Discipleship
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

A new command I give you. Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:34-35

This is a Command-ment. And it covers 6 of the big 10. If you love one another you will not kill each other, cheat on each other, steal from each other, lie about each other, envy what each other has, and of course you will honor the parents that you love.

And this is not the temporary warm fuzzy kind of love. This is the love of Christ, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” No ifs, ands or maybes about it, we must love one another in the same way that Jesus loved us. This is discipleship, this is what a disciple of Jesus does. He loves people, he cares about their circumstances here on earth and he cares about their eternal condition.

C is for Courageous

C is for Courageous
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them for the Lord your God goes with you: he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

Sometimes it is the little negative voice in the back of our minds that we must fight. “Who do you think you are?” “It can’t be done, better to not even try.” “Do you honestly think that God could use you, you are worthless, a failure – Loser!”

The more we head in God’s direction, the louder the devil shouts in our ears, throwing up imaginary road blocks that we must have the courage to walk through. It’s a smoke screen, one of Satan’s most powerful weapons, but it is nothing more substantial than smoke. The fog looks solid, and we can’t see what is on the other side – but God can see and if you follow Him then the fog swirls around you with no power to stop you – none at all.

B is for Boldness

B is for Boldness
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

The world hates Christians. There are places in this world where Christianity is a death sentence. Christians have died for their faith since the very beginning. Before Saul was Paul he got permission to drag Christians from their homes and throw them in jail. Then he met Jesus and his whole world changed.

There was an active conspiracy to destroy Christians, apostles especially. Like Paul, when he was still Saul, there were Jews who went from town to town, stirring up trouble for Christians. Paul had to sneak out of town on more than one occasion. But nothing, not threats of stoning, not being jailed, not being whipped, nothing stopped him from telling the good news of salvation to everyone he met.

A is for Adoration

A is for Adoration
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:30

There are a few different Greek words that got translated into English as ‘love.’ Some mean affection, some mean a mother’s love for her child. The word Jesus used was agape. This is more than affection, more than the love a mother has for her child. This is devotion, commitment – Adoration. 

And on top of this Adoration Christ adds all – all – all – all.

Do You Know Your ABCs?

Do You Know Your ABC’s?
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

A: Admit
B: Believe
C: Confess

These are the ABCs of Salvation. They are the foundation of the Christian Life. Accept the gift of Salvation and you are born again, born into a new life that is completely different from the life you had before.

Welcome to the Kingdom of God on earth where your soul is secure and eternal blessings await.

But if you were expecting happy days and sunshine from here on out think again. In this world you will have trouble… this world will hate you because this world hates Christ …But take heart! I [Christ] have overcome the world. John 16:33; Matthew 10:22

How to Sandwich God Into Your Busy Schedule Part Four: Who Has Time to Volunteer

How to Sandwich God Into Your Busy Schedule
Part Four: Who Has Time to Volunteer
by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton

There are different Kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
You are a child of God, the beloved child of the King of the universe. As a child of the King you have certain obligations and responsibilities whether you like them or not, and mostly we tend to not like chores.

The world has made obligation and responsibility into dirty words to be ignored. But all actions have consequences. Doing what you shouldn’t do, and not doing what you should carries a price. Satan will tell you that you can only be free if you ignore your responsibilities. Be foot loose and fancy free… But if you do not make your car payments they will come and take your car away.