Most Misinterpreted Scripture Verses – Philippians 4:13

Posted on October 3, 2018 by Lynn

It had been a tough game.  A tough game to watch, and it was a tough game to play.  I could tell that my son was frustrated as I watched him skate to the bench after a particularly brutal shift on the ice.  His midget hockey team was up against a rival out-of-town team with some boys on defense who outweighed him by fifty pounds or more.  A finesse player, he hadn’t been able to skate or stick-handle his way past that defense.  They blocked him and hip-checked him soundly into the boards each time he got the puck.  The coach called a time-out and the players circled in to get some much-needed words of encouragement. I’m not sure what was said, but in the next shift, the boys looked fired up.  When my son was passed the puck behind our team’s net, he looked up the ice with fierce determination.  As a spectator watching the events unfold, it seemed like he was skating in slow motion.  He managed to weave his way almost effortlessly past the opposing players only to face the tallest boy on defense who stood like a sentinel barring his way.  I wished I had the presence of mind to film what happened next, because it was talked about for months after.  In a moment of desperation, my son slid the puck to one side and then ducked under and between the boy’s long legs to pick up the puck again so he could fire a wrist shot past the stunned goalie and into the net.  The home team fans, myself the loudest, erupted in one great cheer as my son skated past his bench, high-fiving his teammates as they congratulated him.

After the goal, my son excitedly shared with his team mates what had transpired on the ice that led to that spectacular goal.  “When I got the puck, I remembered my favorite Bible Verse: ‘I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me’.  I just kept saying it over and over to myself all the way down the ice!”

Through the years, my son has been greatly encouraged by Philippians 4:13 motivating him to even have the verse tattooed on his body.  As a mom, I am so thankful that my children find strength in Christ and His Word.  Still, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out, that Philippians 4:13 really has nothing to do with he or anyone else being “successful” at school, in business, or in scoring spectacular hockey goals.  The verse has everything to do with being content regardless of life’s circumstances.

When he wrote the letter to the church in Philippi, the Apostle Paul was under house arrest awaiting trial, and based on previous experiences with those who opposed his preaching, Paul fully expected that this time he would be put to death if found guilty.  Paul had faced all kinds of suffering as he alludes to in vs. 12., but he had learned to be content in any kind of circumstance whether good or bad.  He was trying to teach the young church in Philippi that he could endure any and every hardship, including a death sentence if it came to that, because he knew Christ would give him the strength to endure anything.  He could make the best of his situation because he was not focused on his personal circumstances but on Christ alone.

I have discovered that when we interpret Scripture in an attempt to prop up self and boast about our personal accomplishments, we’ve likely got it wrong.  Scripture focuses on God’s Glory, not ours.  With our misinterpretation of Philippians 4:13, we tend to focus on our achievements rather than give full credit to God.  “I can do all things” with God’s help.  While it is true, God can give us victories, the focus should never be on us, but always centred fully on God.  Let’s go back to my son’s hockey game.

Although the outcome achieved was a favourable one in that my son scored a goal, he was able to credit his achievement by giving God the Glory.  It was a way to share his faith with his teammates in a tangible way.  That said, I wonder what he might have done or felt if he hadn’t scored the goal.  Would he have lost faith in God?  Would he have been angry, dejected, or hurt that his favourite Scripture verse did not deliver a positive result?  Would he have shared the verse with his teammates regardless?

My son has grown up and has experienced both victories and defeats, but he has learned to focus on God knowing He remains trustworthy in every circumstance.  Philippians 4:13 allows us to once again yield to God’s Sovereignty in our lives.  We need not sink under times of trial because He will strengthen us.  We need not fall into temptation, as I wrote in my previous blog posting, because He provides the means for us to endure and not succumb to temptations.  We need not fear, worry or be anxious because Jesus will strengthen us, bolster us, and give us courage to face any adversity.  We can be content in any circumstance because we know He will never leave us or forsake us.

No matter what trials, temptations and challenges you may face today, friend, use Philippians 4:13 to encourage you today!

 

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Most Misinterpreted Scripture Verses – 1 Corinthians 10:13

Posted on September 28, 2018 by Lynn

I cringed when he said it.  He was using the verse to strengthen his argument but although his intention was good, misinterpreting Scripture, and using it out of context, hindered the point he was trying to make.  On Journey Thoughts some of my most popular posts are 25 Encouraging Verses that are topical in nature.  I am delighted people turn to these posts so frequently, but I also encourage people to READ THE VERSES IN CONTEXT to get the full meaning of the text!

Many times we don’t even realize we’ve put our own “spin” on Scripture until it’s pointed out to us.  This has prompted me to write a series of blogs on some of the most popular Bible verses that are often misused or misinterpreted.  The first one being the verse that had me cringing last night:

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”  1 Corinthians 10:13  (NIV)

Other translations read: “He will not allow you to be tempted more than you can take.” (NLV) or “He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can handle.” (The Voice) or “he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability.” (ESV)  I focus on that little phrase within that verse because that’s what trips up more people to misunderstand this entire passage.  Many people use that verse to claim that God will not allow them to face anything that’s too difficult a task.  Or they take comfort knowing God will not allow them to be “tempted” or “tested” beyond what they are able to handle.  The problem with that interpretation is that in my experience, God DOES allow people to be “tested” and/or “tempted” way beyond what they can bear.  If this were not so the Apostle Paul is contradicting himself when he says in 2 Corinthians 1:8 “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.”

I think about my young friend, a mom with three children, who is fighting Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.  Another friend, who is grieving the loss of her precious son to suicide.  There are people who are picking up the pieces after a tornado ripped through their neighbourhood in Ottawa.  More often than not, I hear about people going through the most difficult of times and I know it is way more than they can bear.  When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001, I faced a situation I could not handle…on my own.  The misinterpretation of that verse makes people question God, and decry the unfairness of life.  Why does God allow bad things to happen?  He promised we would never face more than we can bear!

We have completely missed the meaning and message of that Bible verse because we have completely misinterpreted it!

Read the Scripture in context to glean its full meaning.  Paul in 1 Corinthians 10, is warning the church, using Israel’s past history to prove his point, that they will face all manner of temptations but as long as they anchor themselves to God He will give them the spiritual strength to handle whatever they may face.  God will not allow any temptation to come their way that they are unable to resist.  The entire passage is about temptation and the fact that people fall into temptation when they are being disobedient and rebellious.   Verse 12 warns: “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”

Sin is insidious.  When people are not following God, when they insist on going their own way and not obeying God, sin, disguised as temptation, will lure them in.  Verse 14 says the solution to being tempted is to “flee” but if we ignore that advice and instead succumb to temptation, God will, in His mercy, help us by providing a way out.  He will ask us to repent, to be restored to a right relationship with Him first.  Leaning on Him, we can endure the consequences that follow as a result of our disobedience.  He won’t remove the consequences, but He will give us the strength we need to handle them.

The promise is not that God won’t let bad things happen, but when they happen, we are to trust that God is bigger than any problem, trial, or temptation we may go through in life.

Be encouraged, friend.  Are you feeling tempted by sin’s pull?  Flee!  God’s got your back!  With His help you can overcome any temptation.  Have you already fallen into temptation?  Don’t be disheartened.  Face the consequences, repent and ask God’s forgiveness.  God will give you the strength you need to endure.

“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

 

 

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25 Verses of Comfort For Those Grieving a Suicide

Posted on September 10, 2018 by Lynn

“Someone you know has committed suicide. And now you are facing a very hard, dark reality. You feel rocked, hurt, betrayed, and confused. You are experiencing a whole range of emotions and reactions, and each one is painful.

Your initial reaction was probably shock and disbelief. Now you are trying to make sense of what happened. How do you come to terms with the suicide of someone you know? Can you make any sense out of such a senseless act? And how does knowing God make a difference as you grieve?”

Dr. David Powlison posed those questions in an article  he wrote in 2010.  These were the exact questions I wrestled with this year when one of my former students committed suicide.  Attending his funeral, I had so many emotions churning inside of me, and the primary question, “Why?” haunted my waking thoughts.  As I have watched his parents and family grieve the loss of their beloved son, they modeled how to seek God’s comfort during the darkest time of their lives.

As Powlison states in his article, “…God, in the Bible, doesn’t offer you platitudes and pat answers. He gives you something much better—in response to your sorrow, your emotions, and your unanswered questions, he gives you Himself.”

September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day.  For those who are grieving a suicide, I offer the following 25 verses of comfort.  I pray they will be a balm for your aching heart.  For those who are contemplating suicide, I beseech you to talk to someone!  You are not alone!  You are loved and you have great worth to God, to your family, friends, and community! Reach out and ask for help!  I have listed several websites here in Canada and the U.S. for you to contact:

Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention

Crisis Services Canada (1-833-456-4566)

Kid’s Help Phone (1 800 668 6868) or Text “CONNECT” to 686868

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – U.S.A.  (1-800-273-8255)

 

Psalm 61:1-2  “Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

Revelation 21:4  “ “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Psalm 34:18 “The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Psalm 147:3  “He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds.”

Psalm 73:26  “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

John 14:1-4  ““Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.  My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Matthew 5:4  “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

Isaiah 41:10  “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.”

Romans 8:38-39  “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14  “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.   For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”

John 3:16  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

2 Corinthians 5:1  “For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.”

Romans 14:8  “If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”

John 10:27-29  “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

Psalm 46: 1-7  “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.  There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.  God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.  Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.  The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

1 Corinthians 15:54-57  “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. “Where, O death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting?”  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

John 11:25-26  “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Proverbs 12:28  “In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality.”

Psalm 23:4  “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

1 Corinthians 15:42-44  “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable;  it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;  it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.  If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.”

Philippians 3:20-21  “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”

1 Peter 1:3-5  “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”

1 John 3:1-2  “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-4  “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

Psalms 119:50  “My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.”

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

 

 

 

 

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