How Do You Know if Inspiration is from God?

~~ 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV) ~~  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

---

by Carley Cooper

Photo by Carley Cooper.  All Rights Reserved.

I had a conversation with someone one day about the bible.  This person believes in Jesus, but she doesn’t read the bible.  Her reasoning was that it was written by man, therefore you can’t trust it.  I assured her that though it was written by people every word is inspired by God.  She wasn't convinced. 

Coincidence?  I Think Not!

I know that the Bible is from God because His Word tells us so.  But I’ve had this confirmed to me this week.  The other day I wrote about being in a dry spell and wondered if it was Writer’sBlock or Spiritual Block?  I feel that my problem is the latter which is the result of me not spending enough time in the Word.  This was confirmed to me when a friend forwarded a devotional to me that said the same thing.  A devotional, called It Just Comes, which I didn’t even subscribe to, (and written by an author that is from the same city as I am) showed up in my email confirming my message right after I published my own post.

If you’re a long time subscriber of one of my blogs you’ll remember that I’ve talked before about how the words just flow from me.  When I’m done I have a great message that has meaning, symbolism, and it flows well with good format.  Often, these messages come when I haven’t even been thinking about the subject at hand.  Where does all this come from if not from God?

The same was true for my book, Cocoa with Jesus.  I wrote about my life and educated the readers about the issues at hand without a second thought.  There was so many memories that I had forgotten or blocked out of my mind and yet they all ended up in words on my computer screen in front of me.  I wrote and included chapters that I didn’t even plan on writing.  Other chapters that I wanted to include got cut from the final draft.

Inspiration Comes from God

I know my work comes from God because there’s no other explanation for how it just comes to me.  I know it comes from God because I can feel Him using and talking to me.  

Sometimes, when I don’t know what to write about, God will say to me “Just start writing.”

I’ve even said to Him “Write what?  I have no words in my mind to type.”

Again, He’ll say to me “just start writing.”  So I do.

Suddenly I’m typing words that were certainly not in my mind at that moment.  God uses me to send a message to others.  I’m honored, happy, excited, and very blessed that He chose me to be the vessel to which these particular messages get to those who need to hear or read them.

Today’s devotional as I write it right now is a case in point.  I woke up feeling groggy after a long night of weird dreams.  Yet before I could even get dressed or eat breakfast, I found myself sitting at my laptop typing out these words.  Where else could it come from but from God?

The Bible is from God

If God can use me, and others, to write messages then I know He used the authors of the bible to write the scriptures.  The Bible comes from God.  It is HIS word, not the words of the authors that fill its pages.  Trust it, believe it, fill your heart and mind with it.  Your life will be changed forever.

Let’s Pray

 ~~ Dear God ~~  You are so gracious, merciful, and loving.  So often I don’t take the time to listen to You or read Your Word as often as I should.  Thank you for your patience with me.  Please help me to engross myself in Your Word daily, so that I can be inspired to spread the gospel.  In Jesus name, AMEN.

Now It’s Your Turn

Thoughts?  Questions?  Want to share your story?  Ask for prayer?  Please consider sharing in the comments section; even if the link you clicked to get here was on another site.  (If you’re on the homepage, click on the post headline, and scroll down to find the comments section.)

Check out these other great options and join in the conversations...
RSS Feed	Facebook	Twitter	YouTube

Writers Block or Spiritual Block?

~~ 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV) ~~  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

---

by Carley Cooper

MS Office Copyright Free Images

I’m still here peeps.  I haven’t forgotten about you, my wonderful audience.  I’ve had some say they’ve missed my posts.  I haven’t written in a while, not even in my journal.  I’m tempted to say that I’ve been too busy.  Well, I have but I don’t see that as much of an excuse not to write.  I’ve moved recently.  That takes up quite a bit of time and energy.  I’m also tempted to say that it is writers block.  Truthfully, I feel stuck but I’m not sure that it’s a lack in the flow of words from my brain to my finger tips.  It’s something spiritual that I can’t put my finger on. 

So What’s the Problem? 
All I know is that I’m in between ‘seasons’ in my life.  I’ve come through the last one which contained a lot of heartache and Bipolar episodes.  It also contained a great deal of blessings.  Now, it’s done and it’s time for the next chapter and I’m not feeling the direction I need from God.  Another truth that hits me in making that statement is that it’s much more likely that I’m not listening to Him.  

If it sounds like I’m rambling that’s because I am.  I’ve finished my book, Cocoa with Jesus, and I’m waiting to hear about the results of the contest that I’ve entered my manuscript into.  No doubt during the publishing process there will be more rewrites needed, but that’s not happening just yet.  

I’ve had my mind recently on a problem with someone from my past.  For several years there’s a ‘friend’ that hates me.  I have no idea why.  It happened suddenly.  Part of me thinks that it’s none of my business what she thinks of me.  It’s not like we were ever close.  We lived half way across the country from each other for many years, and as such we were not part of each other’s lives.  Suddenly after years of no contact she cuts me off her Facebook list.  Now we live in the same city and she won’t even look at me during social functions let alone talk to me.  Part of me feels like God is telling me to let it go.  The other part of me is so curious about what’s going on that I think about it a lot.  

Read Your Bible Daily: It’s a Good Thing

I also know that God has been telling me to get into His Word to find the comfort and answers that I’m looking for.  I haven’t.  Why not?  I’m not sure.  Is this why I’m feeling so disconnected... because I’ve drifted from my routine of reading the Bible daily?  I’m thinking that there must be a connection.  

He Will Not Lead You Astray

Early this morning when I was awake and couldn’t sleep at 4:00 AM, I felt God say to me to read “Psalm 2 3 5”.  What I saw in my mind’s eye was Psalm Two Hundred and Thirty Five; which, of course, doesn’t exist.  So I started thinking.  Psalm 2 verse 35!  I grabbed my bible and looked it up.  Again, there is no such verse.  Psalm 23 verse 5?  Yes, it exists but it didn’t speak to me in this instance.  Psalm 35 two times?  Nope.  I was ready to give up.   I told God that I didn’t understand the message.  

He said “Psalm 2 verses 3 to 5”.

“Oooooooh!”, I said.  I hadn’t thought of that option.

So I read it.  The words that jumped off the page to me were “...break their chains...” .  My first thought was that I should let go of whatever it is that my ‘friend’ hates me for and forgive her.  Break the chains that have a hold on me in this situation.  Then, I read a devotional message in my morning email on my phone that encouraged the reader to Take the Plunge into reading God’s Word.

The answers to my problems are with God.  His Word has the answers and won’t lead me astray.  He will use this, as everything, without waste.  

Let’s Pray 
~~ Dear God ~~  You are so loving, kind, generous, faithful, and gracious.  Sometimes I start to stray off the path toward you.  Thank You that You love us so perfectly that you never give up on us.  Please help us to have a passion for Your Word daily that never tires or dies.  In Jesus name, AMEN.

Now It’s Your Turn 
Thoughts?  Questions?  Want to share your story?  Ask for prayer?  Please consider sharing in the comments section; even if the link you clicked to get here was on another site.  (If you’re on the homepage, click on the post headline, and scroll down to find the comments section.)

Check out these other great options and join in the conversations...
RSS Feed	Facebook	Twitter	YouTube

Why All or Nothing is Everything!

~~ Matthew 7:3 (NKJV) ~~  And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?

---

Chloe
Photo Credit: Laura Keating Photography
(Laura Keating is my cousin in Newfoundland.
She's an awesome photographer.  Check out her work here.)

God’s Word is an all or nothing deal.  There are no option or elective packages offered.  You believe Him, or you don’t.  If you accept Jesus you will be saved.  If you reject Him you will not be saved.  People choose to reject certain parts of the bible, accept others, and then accept even other parts, but only after they have chosen to twist it’s meanings.  

OUCH!  That Hurts!

Ever have a speck of something in your eye?  It hurts; doesn’t it?  Sometimes it’s no bigger than a piece of dust, yet it feels half as big as your eyeball.  Poking, washing, rubbing is futile.  Even asking someone else to look for you doesn’t produce any results to get it out.  The worst part is, it’s irritating you to no end and you don’t even know what it is.

A few months ago something like this happened to me.  Except, this time it came in the form of a conversation with a group of people.  Since then something has been irritating me about it, yet I couldn’t figure out what it was.  I mean, there was the obvious thing; that neon signs didn’t start flashing saying “Carley’s right!”, and no one bowed to my awesome wisdom.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized this wasn’t what was bugging me.  What was it?  I wasn’t sure.

You see, there were four or five of us sitting around a table chatting after a dinner party.  The subject of God’s Word came up.  Eventually the conversation worked its way into the fact one of the others said that the bible was written by man.  Three of us told her that the scriptures are all God breathed (2 Timothy 3:16 NIV84).  Her response was one I’ve heard before, ‘I’ve reconciled within myself , and this is what I believe’.  She followed up with another that wasn’t new to me, ’Other organizations, denominations and religions have their own versions of the bible or what they call their holy scripture.  Who’s to say who is right?’  Reconciled to what?  And, God tells us straight out who is right... He is, and His Word proves itself on every point.  People don’t believe that the Bible was inspired by God; that every word comes from the breath of God; even though the bible says it is.

Ah Ha!  There it Is!
After a lot of thinking, I have discovered what is bothering me about this issue.  My thinking on it is this: if they don’t believe that God is the author of the bible; that the writers of the Bible could not have been filled and guided by the Holy Spirit, then they don’t believe it can happen to themselves.

As a Christian who has come to have a relationship with Jesus; thereby being filled with the Holy Spirit, I can assure you that my life, and who I am inside has changed.  Prayer, faith, stumbles, problems, and sheer determination that I won’t ever quit has helped me to let God do His work in my heart and life.

The experiences that I have on a regular basis cannot be missed.  Take, this blog post;  or for that matter, the whole Worship Melodies website.  It started because of God was directing me to do it.  Personally I think it’s a wonderful story and testimony in and of itself.  Every time I write, I ask God to use me to write a great message.  So often; more often than not, I end up with an article to post that was not in my mind to write.  Then as I reread the end product I can see a message, flow to the logic, and symbolism built in sometimes, that I never would have thought up on my own.  I know many writers, even non-believers, have that experience.  It’s as if the piece that’s being written takes on a life of its own.  But I know, from the work that I create, that it is definitely the Holy Spirit working in me.  So therefore, I know He can work in others lives as well.  If I never knew / believed it before my relationship with Christ, I know it now.  Therefore, I know that God could have, and I believe did indeed inspire, direct, and breath the words He wanted written by Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Jeremiah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, James, Jude; and a number of others.

Now, to Flush it Out...
Because I am filled with the Holy Spirit, and I pray that I will always have strong faith, be obedient, and always let my focus stay on Jesus; I know that I am saved.  I know I am going to Heaven.  However, if I didn’t believe that God could inspire all those writers of the bible, than why would I ever assume that He would / could fill me and direct my life.  One cannot believe He can fill them and not others.  So therefore... and here’s that speck that was bothering me... if one does not believe that the writers of the bible were inspired by God then they cannot, themselves, be filled with the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, they are not saved.  Once we invite Jesus into our hearts, as our Lord and Saviour, He fills us with the Holy Spirit immediately, and His work will start to happen.  My friend isn’t saved.  That’s what was bothering me.  I love her.  I want to see her have a relationship with Christ, to know she is going to spend eternity in Heaven with God.  I want that for all those I love the most.  God is real.  His Word is His; not a fairy tale.  He loves you.  He longs to have a relationship with you.  Why are so many afraid of this?  Are you?  Why don’t you trust Him and see what happens if you were to accept all of His Word as the truth?

Let’s Pray

 ~~ Dear God ~~  You are so loving and merciful.  Your grace is something we cannot truly understand.  So often I can’t see the forest for the trees; I have a plank in my own eye while trying to see the speck in another’s eye.  Thank you for washing out the specks from my eyes.  Please help me to always get rid of my own planks before judging others.  Please help my friends who do not know you as well as they think they do.  Open  their eyes as you have mine, and let them truly see the Light and the Truth.  In Jesus name, AMEN

Now It’s Your Turn
Thoughts?  Questions?  Want to share your story?  Ask for prayer?  Please consider sharing in the comments section; even if the link you clicked to get here was on another site.  (If you’re on the homepage, click on the post headline, and scroll down to find the comments section.)

Enter your email address to get Worship Melodies posts in your Inbox:     Delivered by FeedBurner To prove you are not a robot or spammer you will receive a confirmation email. Click the link provided. . Check out these other great options or join in the conversations...
RSS Feed	Facebook	Twitter	YouTube

---

Emergency Help Numbers

~~ 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ~~ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.   

---

 

Microsoft Office
Copyright Free Photo

When I was 18 years old, suddenly one day I had an attack of pain in my lower right side that was so bad I could not even hold myself up without support.  I was home from college for the weekend when it happened.  My parents got me to the local medical clinic; and the doctors told me the list of possibilities that could be the cause of my pain.  There was some doubt about the diagnosis due to some complications from other health issues.  After a long battery of tests, the end result was that I needed surgery... immediately, to get to the bottom of what was happening to me!  They put me in an ambulance and rushed me to one of the big hospitals in the city, about an hour away, where I went straight into surgery.  It turned out that my problem was not one of the more serious possibilities.  I had a very large cyst on my right ovary.  The medical team drained 2 cups of fluid from this cyst.  Though the surgery did not cure the problem or stop the ovarian cysts from returning, it did help to rid me of the pain for the moment. 

I was very thankful that day that we have access to such wonderful medical care.  In North America we are overwhelmingly blessed to have such resources.  There are hospitals with emergency rooms in every city.  Even small towns have clinics providing medical care for just about every health issue.  Help and information is available at our finger tips.  Doctor’s offices, hospitals, surgeries, therapies, fire departments, ambulances, police services, poison control, mental health services; and so much more, are available to every citizen, right down to our pets just by dialling the phone.  We are blessed.

That is quite a list of services that are provided to us; and in Canada we are even further blessed to have access to all these things free of charge!  However, do me a favour and go back and look at that list of services.  Did you notice that there is something missing?  Physical and mental health services are only two thirds of the services we need.  There is also a vital need for spiritual care.  I believe that we cannot adjust or function appropriately without it.  We get to dial a phone number to get access to those other services; but who do we dial to get the help we need for our spiritual health?  Yes, of course, we have our pastors; and I love my pastors more than I can say for the help they give me, but there are limits to what they can do.  The only One that can help you in every situation, no matter what your condition, is Jesus. 

Whether you are a new Christian or a “well seasoned” one, sometimes we all need to hear God’s voice so much that we wish we could call Him on the phone.  Wouldn’t it be great if you could just call God’s office when you need to talk to Him just the way you can call your doctor or 911?  You could just ask Him yourself what you need to know.  Imagine… He’d never be too busy to take your calls; you would never get His voice mail; you would never get a pushy secretary trying to keep you from using up too much of His time.  Then, once you get Him on the other end of the line, you can talk forever and He will ever get tired of listening!  He will never rush you saying “I have another appointment to get to”. 

Well, God does provide this kind of help to us.  It starts by reading His Word in the Bible, on a daily basis.  I often find myself picking up my bible looking for answers, but as someone who still feels “rather new” in the Christian world I am not always sure where to look to find the answers I need.  I do know, though; that the answers are there, because God’s Word provides us with all that we need to sustain us.  (Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4, Luke 4:4).  God’s personal phone number is not 911 but all the numbers you need to contact Him are in His ‘phone directory’.

Here are a few numbers I found during my searching for answers.  (Though, variations of list can be found in different places on the internet; I have a larger list on the ‘Topic Index’ page of this site that I have compiled over time.  Please keep checking back as I do intend on adding to it as time goes on.)  When:

• You are in sorrow, go to John 14
• Men fail you, go to Psalm 27
• You have sinned, go to Psalm 51
• You worry, go to Matthew 6:19-34
• God seems far away, go to Psalm 139
• Your faith needs stirring, go to Hebrews 11
• You are lonely and fearful, go to Psalm 23
• You grow bitter and critical, go to 1 Corinthians 13
• The world seems bigger than God, go to Psalm 90
• You want courage for a task, go to Joshua 1
• You are depressed, go to Psalm 27
• Your wallet is empty, go to Psalm 37
• People seem unkind, go to John 15

So next time you need some help with your spiritual health, just call God.  Listen to His voice.  You can and will hear it.  The best part is that you can call direct, there will be no long distance charges, you will not get a cranky operator, all lines are open 24/7, and the most exciting part is that you will not get a computer operated menu (Woo Hoo... praise God, for that!)!

   

---

   

~~ Dear God ~~  Whether  I am in a spiritual emergency or if I just need a check up; please always let my first action be to turn to Your ‘White Pages Directory’, the Bible, for access to the help and the prescription that I need.  Thank You for being there for me; and for loving me so much that you saved my life when I was dying by sacrificing Your Son, Jesus.  In His name, AMEN.

   

---