{"id":27483,"date":"2015-08-31T00:15:17","date_gmt":"2015-08-31T04:15:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/?p=27483"},"modified":"2015-08-30T23:47:05","modified_gmt":"2015-08-31T03:47:05","slug":"jesus-in-disguise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/2015\/08\/31\/jesus-in-disguise\/","title":{"rendered":"Jesus In Disguise"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Ever get something in your head<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">It\u2019s nothing you heard<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">Or something you read<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Ever had a cut but you never saw a blade<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">Brought to your knees<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">But you never prayed<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em>Jesus in disguise<\/em><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em>Jehovah passing by<\/em><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em>The burden of a tear<\/em><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em>Hanging in your eye<\/em><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em>Jesus in disguise<\/em><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em>A scar across the sky<\/em><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em>You were looking for a king<\/em><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em>You would never recognize<\/em><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em>Jesus in disguise<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Ever feel like you been somewhere before<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">You hold the key<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">You know which door<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Speak the word your lips have never known<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">Because your heart<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">Told you so<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em><strong>So open my eyes wide as I can<\/strong><\/em><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em><strong>Blind as I am, blind as I am<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5AXD3Xq6Z6U?rel=0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Singer \/ Songwriter : Brandon Heath<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #800080;\">* \u00a0~ \u00a0\u2665 \u00a0~ \u00a0\u271e \u00a0~ \u00a0\u2665 \u00a0~ \u00a0*<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>{<\/strong><em>Have you ever had a thought pop into your head that made you go \u201csay WHAT?\u201d \u00a0That happened to me as I was taking a walk. \u00a0Then I had to literally stop, sit down, and make notes because the thoughts were coming so fast. \u00a0I\u2019ve waited two days just to see if this is really what God wanted me to write. \u00a0I\u2019m almost certain it is\u2026so here goes.<\/em><strong>}<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>What do the following three things have to do with one another?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>treasure<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>hurtful words<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>the bridge of this song\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Let\u2019s look at them individually then I will put it all together:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><em>Treasure<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>When<em> treasure<\/em>\u00a0is spoken of in the Scriptures it is referring to\u00a0our time, our talent(s), our motives, and our money. \u00a0Matthew 6:21 (HCSB) states \u201cFor where your <em>treasure<\/em> is, there your heart will be also.\u201d \u00a0Luke 6:45 (NASB) says \u201cThe good man out of the good <em>treasure<\/em> of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil <em>treasure<\/em> brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.\u201d \u00a0A quick review of how we spend our time and our days, where we put our talents to use, where our money goes, and why we do those things \u00a0should gives us a pretty good idea of what our <em>treasure<\/em> is (and where our heart is, too.)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><em>Hurtful Words<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Words can hurt. Criticism (constructive or otherwise), gossip, even words spoken in truth, hurt. \u00a0There is no doubt about that, especially if they are aimed towards us. \u00a0But take a look at these Scriptures:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear\u2026.<br \/>\nJames 1:19 ESV<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.<br \/>\nProverbs 12:15 ESV<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.<br \/>\nProverbs 19:27 ESV<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong><em>The bridge of this song\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u201c<span style=\"color: #800080;\">So open my eyes wide as I can\u2026<\/span><em><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Blind as I am, blind as I am<\/span>\u2026<\/em>\u201c<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em>Blind as I am<\/em><\/span>.\u201d \u00a0Oh yes, I can be blind, deaf, AND dumb when it comes to some things. \u00a0Sometimes it is because I am truly unaware. \u00a0BUT\u2026sometimes it is because I choose to be blind. \u00a0Galatians 3:1a (KJV) asks \u201cO foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth\u2026\u201d. \u00a0What keeps me from recognizing the Truth? \u00a0Often it is pride or wanting my own way.<\/p>\n<p>Now, here is how God has put all of this together for me\u2026. Perhaps hurtful words are meant to be seen as red flags\u2014and our pride keeps us from seeing. \u00a0When I hear the same type of comments from multiple sources over a period of time, I first need to examine <em>my<\/em> motives and <em>my<\/em> behavior instead of assuming they come from someone who is jealous, bitter, etc. \u00a0I need to take those comments to God and ask if there is any validity to them. \u00a0Perhaps my behavior hasn\u2019t crossed the line yet\u2026but when words hurt we should be warned of what could lie ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Ephesians 5:10 (HCSB) says we need to be \u201c&#8230;discerning what is pleasing to the Lord.\u201d So I need to ask some hard questions\u2026.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Am I doing something to fan the flames?<\/li>\n<li>Is there something in my behavior I have missed or am choosing to ignore?<\/li>\n<li>Has a relationship crossed the line into unhealthy?<\/li>\n<li>Am I putting another relationship before my relationship with God?<\/li>\n<li>Has a bad habit become an addiction?<\/li>\n<li>Am I following the lead of others instead of His leading?<\/li>\n<li>Have I chosen to go my own way instead of His?<\/li>\n<li>Am I spending money on trips, or other pleasures, instead of using that money to do His work?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Satan is wily. \u00a0He will always have people in place to encourage and support when we stray from Christ\u2019s desires for us. \u00a0Satan can whisper \u201cThere is nothing wrong with that. \u00a0After all, Scripture says, \u2018Everything is permissible\u2026&#8217;.\u201d \u00a0Yet the Scriptures which deal with this issue also include a caveat. \u00a0Take a closer look at them:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Everything is permissible (allowable and lawful) for me;<br \/>\nbut not all things are helpful (good for me to do,<br \/>\nexpedient and profitable when considered with other things).<br \/>\nEverything is lawful for me,<br \/>\nbut I will not become the slave of anything or be brought under its power.<br \/>\n1 Corinthians 6:12 (AMP)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">All things are legitimate [permissible\u2014and we are free to do anything we please],<br \/>\nbut not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome).<br \/>\nAll things are legitimate,<br \/>\nbut not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life].<br \/>\n1 Corinthians 10:23 (AMP)<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>We must always be willing to take a good, hard look at what we are doing and thinking. \u00a0And willing to ask these additional hard questions of ourselves:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Is it constructive to my character and edifying to my spiritual life?<\/li>\n<li>Or have I become a slave to its power?<\/li>\n<li>Does my behavior glorify God?<\/li>\n<li>Is my life a reflection of Christ?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I don\u2019t want to be blind to my faults\u2026hidden or not. \u00a0I want my eyes open as wide as they can be so I am aware of any tricks the enemy might use.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #800080;\">* \u00a0~ \u00a0\u2665 \u00a0~ \u00a0\u271e \u00a0~ \u00a0\u2665 \u00a0~ \u00a0*<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Lord, please open my eyes. \u00a0Do not allow me to be blind to anything that is not pleasing to You. \u00a0Help me discern if the words of others are red flags to warn me of the danger my behavior could bring. \u00a0Let my life be pleasing to You and bring You glory. \u00a0Amen \u2013 It Is So!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ever get something in your head It\u2019s nothing you heard Or something you read Ever had a cut but you never saw a blade Brought to your knees But you never prayed Jesus in disguise Jehovah passing by The burden of a tear Hanging in your eye Jesus in disguise A scar across the sky 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