I've been thinking about several Point of Grace Christmas songs and the sermons at church this month. I am encouraged by the words of both. Their common denominator is glorifying God. That term is used all the time in our churches, in God's word, and in Christian literature but I wonder if we really know how to do that? Here are snippets of the lyrics from three songs that move me every Christmas to focus on Christ at Christmas and all year long and they all glorify God.
Let there be light. Let it shine bright. Piercing the darkness with dazzling light. Hope for the hopeless was born on that night when God sent His son. We who are His have this calling to
PRAISE HIM AND MAKE HIS NAME KNOWN so one day the presence of Jesus shines in every heart and every home.
Oh Emmanuel, God with us. Spirit revealed in us. That we may be your hope to the world. Oh Emmanuel, God with us. With a light to break the darkness that we may show your hope to the world.
We're alive. We can breath. But do we really care for this world in need? There's a choice we must make each and every day. So close your eyes and share the dream. Let everyone on Earth believe. The Child was born, the stars shone bright and love came down at Christmas time. Love came down at Christmas time. The time has come to celebrate so let your voices fill the air. Everyone, watch and pray.
Paul Reese brought to our attention that we have the same ministry as John. His assignment was to prepare the people for the King and we are to prepare them, also. We have been given the tools. We have God's word. It shows us how to praise and shapes our thinking and our lives if we let it. We must believe in our hearts and trust His word then we must use words to prepare others. Use God's words. Use God's words to praise. Use God's words to pray. Use God's words to teach. Use God's words to comfort. These all glorify God. They make Him known. Words are necessary.
Rob Crust reminded us that we want glory but God deserves glory. He is magnificent in all things. God sent Christ His son to save us and this sacrifice points us further to His glory. Everything about Christ teaches us about God and shows us how to make God known to others. Christ served humbly for our benefit. He is our model for all godly living. Are we servants to others? Are we willing to take the burdens of other people as Christ did? Are we willing to serve gladly for those around us?
What does humble service look like? As you go through your day are your eyes and ears listening for ways to serve? Here are some examples? If you are married, when you're done with your shower do you take the best, dry fluffy towel for yourself or do you think to leave it in just the right place for your husband to reach it? Do you have room mates? Do you take the last yogurt in the fridge and leave your trash and dirty spoon on the counter or do you eat something else not as appetizing to yourself, empty the dishwasher, and run to the store at the first chance to get more for the fridge? At work are you looking to get the respect you deserve or do you do a couple of extra things for your coworker who is laid low with a cold this week? At the grocery store do you park further away because your legs are strong and nimble so those whose legs are weak can park closer? Do you notice what might needs to be done at church. Do the shelves need to be straightened? A meal delivered? A card sent? There are thousands of ways to serve.
In it all you are not looking for glory for yourself as such a nice person but serving as a loving sacrifice to God in an effort to MAKE HIS NAME KNOWN. This is glorifying God at Christmas and all year long.
Merry Christmas everyone and may you know and make known our Savior each day you are given.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Be Joyful Always
I was thinking more about 1 Thessalonians 5:16 - 18 again. "Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. How can we really understand that God is with us in all circumstances?
The only way I know to do that is to be where He is. If you spend each day walking in the world with no conversation with God how would you know He is with you? In that situation you are fed what the world has to say, which is often a distorted perspective, or you are having conversations with yourself that get you nowhere. How do you have conversations with God instead?
We have His Word and we have prayer. God has already given us these ways to communicate with Him. There are many precious nuggets of truth to guide our perspective right on our nightstands or coffee tables. The bible is not for Sundays only. Here is a method that will help you hear better when God speaks in His Word.
Meditate on what you have read. If you just read it and close the book God has not had time to speak into your situation. There are many ways to meditate on a passage. When you meditate on the words you absorb them into your mind. You can start with the guide in the back of your bible to find passages about trials or love or Jesus whatever you are needing to hear. The Psalms are great to meditate on. Read the words then pray through them with your situation in mind. Rewrite them in your own words. Repeat the words with emphasis on different words each time and see how the verse speaks differently.
These ideas came from the book "Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life" by Donald Whitney. It is a great resource to help us spend more time with our God who loves us and promises to be with us in all things.
The only way I know to do that is to be where He is. If you spend each day walking in the world with no conversation with God how would you know He is with you? In that situation you are fed what the world has to say, which is often a distorted perspective, or you are having conversations with yourself that get you nowhere. How do you have conversations with God instead?
We have His Word and we have prayer. God has already given us these ways to communicate with Him. There are many precious nuggets of truth to guide our perspective right on our nightstands or coffee tables. The bible is not for Sundays only. Here is a method that will help you hear better when God speaks in His Word.
Meditate on what you have read. If you just read it and close the book God has not had time to speak into your situation. There are many ways to meditate on a passage. When you meditate on the words you absorb them into your mind. You can start with the guide in the back of your bible to find passages about trials or love or Jesus whatever you are needing to hear. The Psalms are great to meditate on. Read the words then pray through them with your situation in mind. Rewrite them in your own words. Repeat the words with emphasis on different words each time and see how the verse speaks differently.
These ideas came from the book "Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life" by Donald Whitney. It is a great resource to help us spend more time with our God who loves us and promises to be with us in all things.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Give Thanks
I was thinking about Thanksgiving and this verse came to mind while I prayed. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
I imagine, if you are like most people, your reaction is to question this perspective. How in the world can you give thanks for all circumstances. Well here is the key word in this passage that trips people. The verse says "in" all circumstances not "for" all circumstances. There are many things that come into our lives that will not inspire thanksgiving but grumbling and understandably so.
When you understand the difference in the phrasing it makes all the difference. We can always be thankful that God is with us through or "in" our circumstances. He will walk with us, give us wisdom, peace, comfort, love, and guidance each step of the way.
On this Thanksgiving weekend whatever circumstance you find yourself "in" remember your all powerful, all knowing, gracious God who loves you and truly give thanks.
Holy, holy, holy are you God, our God, the God of all comfort.
I imagine, if you are like most people, your reaction is to question this perspective. How in the world can you give thanks for all circumstances. Well here is the key word in this passage that trips people. The verse says "in" all circumstances not "for" all circumstances. There are many things that come into our lives that will not inspire thanksgiving but grumbling and understandably so.
When you understand the difference in the phrasing it makes all the difference. We can always be thankful that God is with us through or "in" our circumstances. He will walk with us, give us wisdom, peace, comfort, love, and guidance each step of the way.
On this Thanksgiving weekend whatever circumstance you find yourself "in" remember your all powerful, all knowing, gracious God who loves you and truly give thanks.
Holy, holy, holy are you God, our God, the God of all comfort.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Reflections
I've been thinking again. This time it was while kayaking on the lake and beholding God's glorious creation. The air was perfectly still, the sun warm with a few clouds here and there, and the water became a mirror reflecting the glorious work of God's hand. It reminded me of Romans 1:20 "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."
Specifically, I was reminded of God's unchanging nature. Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever." This is an important concept when we are on the hard road of life. It is easy to be drawn into thinking God is not good anymore or is absent or changed His mind in His care for you. Imagine this scenario if you will and contemplate what God can teach you from observing nature.
On that beautiful day on the lake the Autumn trees reflected almost perfectly in the lake as well as the clouds and colors of the sky. I could look straight ahead and see them or look down and see them. Praise poured forth from my mind and mouth at the beauty of that sight. Then something changed.
A boat passed by in front of me leaving a wake of waves and ripples in its path. All of a sudden I could not discern the trees or the sky but just a jumble of colors mostly silverish in the chaos of the water. Had the trees moved? Had the sky vanished? Was the beauty gone?
You know the answer. The trees were still there as well as the sky and beauty but the change in the waters surrounding me changed my view. The mirror was disturbed and could no longer reflect the beauty.
Our lives are like that. When circumstances are going well we can "see" God and feel His beautiful hand in our lives. When situations get rough our view is distorted by those circumstances and we tend to think God has changed. He has not. He is still there like those mighty trees with their colorful leaves and the sky is still in its place with God on His throne in heaven. This is when faith must be used. We can no longer rely on our feelings or sight but must rely on what we know is true. God is the same today, yesterday, and in the future and He cares for His children. 1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all of your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." Galatians 3:26 "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."
Dear children, believe in your Father. He is always there.
Specifically, I was reminded of God's unchanging nature. Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever." This is an important concept when we are on the hard road of life. It is easy to be drawn into thinking God is not good anymore or is absent or changed His mind in His care for you. Imagine this scenario if you will and contemplate what God can teach you from observing nature.
On that beautiful day on the lake the Autumn trees reflected almost perfectly in the lake as well as the clouds and colors of the sky. I could look straight ahead and see them or look down and see them. Praise poured forth from my mind and mouth at the beauty of that sight. Then something changed.
A boat passed by in front of me leaving a wake of waves and ripples in its path. All of a sudden I could not discern the trees or the sky but just a jumble of colors mostly silverish in the chaos of the water. Had the trees moved? Had the sky vanished? Was the beauty gone?
You know the answer. The trees were still there as well as the sky and beauty but the change in the waters surrounding me changed my view. The mirror was disturbed and could no longer reflect the beauty.
Our lives are like that. When circumstances are going well we can "see" God and feel His beautiful hand in our lives. When situations get rough our view is distorted by those circumstances and we tend to think God has changed. He has not. He is still there like those mighty trees with their colorful leaves and the sky is still in its place with God on His throne in heaven. This is when faith must be used. We can no longer rely on our feelings or sight but must rely on what we know is true. God is the same today, yesterday, and in the future and He cares for His children. 1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all of your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." Galatians 3:26 "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."
Dear children, believe in your Father. He is always there.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Are You Content?
My sister-in-law sent us notes she had taken at a conference led my Linda DeMoss. The conference focused on the subject of contentment and the notes are worth sharing with you. I pray you will benefit from these thoughts.
Characteristics of DIS-contentment:
Discontentment is a heart condition that is not satisfied but craves for more. This can be a craving for sinful things or good things. Usually temporal not eternally-centered in its focus. Comparison to others often involved. Doubts the goodness, love, promises, power, presence of God. Forgets past provision, rejects present provision, doubts future provision of God. Fails to see and accept the purposes of God upon our lives. Goes hand in hand with rebellion.
How it Comes Out
See it most in our thinking about: possessions, where we live, family and other relationships, health and other unchangeable characteristics/circumstances of us/our lives.
The Choice to Make:
Too often our mindset is this: We have what we don’t want. We want what we don’t have. We think that getting what we think is missing from our present situation will change us/fulfill us. But, if we are not content with where we are now, getting what we think we need won’t fix it. The problem - and solution - is deeper. It’s in our view and attitude towards God and in whether we really think God is “for real” in having HIS specific purposes for everything in our lives. And that He is always 100% successful in achieving what He wants in all the circumstances in our life - no mistakes, no errors. When we truly believe this, everything done God’s way all of a sudden becomes all that we want. It is very important and very exciting when we really believe that His good, perfect, loving hand is in it all down to the finest details. How we respond to each and everything comes down to responding to Him, not just to whatever temporal situation we’re in. “Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers and principalities.....” That’s where contentment lies: in understanding where the real battle is fought and won. Therefore circumstances are the skirmishes in the battle the Lord has us in. We need His direction in the battle He chooses for us and then we get on with the skirmishes, realizing that every situation, every person, every even small job or choice becomes primarily orders from His hand. It is not change of circumstances that brings true contentment. It is change of view of what’s really going on, what’s really important in our circumstances. What great things God is doing even in what appears to the world to be small, seemingly meaningless, inconsequential events of our lives. But the world doesn’t get what it’s really all about. True significance, true purpose is seen only by the Holy Spirit-opened eyes of a child of God.
The Fork in the Road
Unfilled longings/desires are a spiritual fork in the road: will we complain or will we look to God for however He chooses to fill our desires by giving us our hearts desire, something different, or simply sufficient grace to endure with no change? Will we be so serious about Him as to give up our lives to His purposes in this way?
God knows His plan... God fulfills His plan... He provides for our needs but knows our deepest need is for Him to reveal Himself to us, to know Him and for us to glorify Him with our lives as He sees fit, as He always intended. This he WILL do in the lives of His children. Our discontent comes from not wanting this but other things more. Discontent is unnecessary, as hind-sight from heaven will clearly confirm. But more than that, discontentment is sin especially grievous for Christians. We knew better of God and we still chose to complain against Him.
This doesn’t sound good enough?
Pray for God to change your heart to delight more in Him and His ways. Remember that God does not love in abstract, but personally. By His very own choice, for His own delight, to fulfill His plans he loves blemished, wrinkled lives that look more like something that belongs in the laundry pile. His love nurtures, cherishes, sacrifices for sinful people who could never be punished as much as we deserve. He makes us His bride.
When someone asks, “How are you?” The most appropriate answer is ALWAYS: “Better than I deserve.”
Characteristics of DIS-contentment:
Discontentment is a heart condition that is not satisfied but craves for more. This can be a craving for sinful things or good things. Usually temporal not eternally-centered in its focus. Comparison to others often involved. Doubts the goodness, love, promises, power, presence of God. Forgets past provision, rejects present provision, doubts future provision of God. Fails to see and accept the purposes of God upon our lives. Goes hand in hand with rebellion.
How it Comes Out
See it most in our thinking about: possessions, where we live, family and other relationships, health and other unchangeable characteristics/circumstances of us/our lives.
The Choice to Make:
Too often our mindset is this: We have what we don’t want. We want what we don’t have. We think that getting what we think is missing from our present situation will change us/fulfill us. But, if we are not content with where we are now, getting what we think we need won’t fix it. The problem - and solution - is deeper. It’s in our view and attitude towards God and in whether we really think God is “for real” in having HIS specific purposes for everything in our lives. And that He is always 100% successful in achieving what He wants in all the circumstances in our life - no mistakes, no errors. When we truly believe this, everything done God’s way all of a sudden becomes all that we want. It is very important and very exciting when we really believe that His good, perfect, loving hand is in it all down to the finest details. How we respond to each and everything comes down to responding to Him, not just to whatever temporal situation we’re in. “Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers and principalities.....” That’s where contentment lies: in understanding where the real battle is fought and won. Therefore circumstances are the skirmishes in the battle the Lord has us in. We need His direction in the battle He chooses for us and then we get on with the skirmishes, realizing that every situation, every person, every even small job or choice becomes primarily orders from His hand. It is not change of circumstances that brings true contentment. It is change of view of what’s really going on, what’s really important in our circumstances. What great things God is doing even in what appears to the world to be small, seemingly meaningless, inconsequential events of our lives. But the world doesn’t get what it’s really all about. True significance, true purpose is seen only by the Holy Spirit-opened eyes of a child of God.
The Fork in the Road
Unfilled longings/desires are a spiritual fork in the road: will we complain or will we look to God for however He chooses to fill our desires by giving us our hearts desire, something different, or simply sufficient grace to endure with no change? Will we be so serious about Him as to give up our lives to His purposes in this way?
God knows His plan... God fulfills His plan... He provides for our needs but knows our deepest need is for Him to reveal Himself to us, to know Him and for us to glorify Him with our lives as He sees fit, as He always intended. This he WILL do in the lives of His children. Our discontent comes from not wanting this but other things more. Discontent is unnecessary, as hind-sight from heaven will clearly confirm. But more than that, discontentment is sin especially grievous for Christians. We knew better of God and we still chose to complain against Him.
This doesn’t sound good enough?
Pray for God to change your heart to delight more in Him and His ways. Remember that God does not love in abstract, but personally. By His very own choice, for His own delight, to fulfill His plans he loves blemished, wrinkled lives that look more like something that belongs in the laundry pile. His love nurtures, cherishes, sacrifices for sinful people who could never be punished as much as we deserve. He makes us His bride.
When someone asks, “How are you?” The most appropriate answer is ALWAYS: “Better than I deserve.”
Are You Happy?
I would like to share with you excerpts from a book given to me when I was coming out of a very hard time and could not get my feet under me concerning being happy. The title is very simple , “Learning to be Happy” by Jeremiah Burroughs. It is an abridged version of” The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment” published in 1648. That was a long time ago. We really all struggle with the same things from century to century!
Here is the explanation in its own words. This book is about happiness. Not just any kind of happiness, but the special kind of happiness that comes from being a Christian. We use various words such as happiness, joy, or contentment. What all these words describe is the deep inner satisfaction that Christians feel about what God has done for them. This inner satisfaction enables them to remain happy, and not to start complaining about God, even when things seem to be against them.
Some of the chapter titles in this book are: Christian Happiness, The Great Secret, The School of Happiness, Happiness is good for you, Complaining is Bad for You, Time to Stop Complaining. They each explore what God wants for us and how we should try to behave while we are here. For instance, lesson three in the school of happiness is this:
“Everything is meaningless”says the Preacher. “What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:2,3) Those who are unhappy with the things this world provides are not, as they tend to think, unhappy because they do not have enough, but because the things of this world simply cannot bring happiness. Mankind was made to know and enjoy God. The great theologian Augustine wrote “Yea made us for yourself, and out hearts are restless until they rest in you.” “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?” (Isaiah 55:2) Nothing is worth having without God.
Lesson five: Christians are travelers. They are just passing through this world, just camping in their bodies. They are preparing for an eternity in heaven when God will give them perfect resurrection bodies. So it is foolish to get too unhappy about the state of our bodies. The people we read about in Hebrews 11 “admitted they were aliens and strangers on earth..... they were longing for a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them” (verses 13,16). Christians must learn to think like this. Travelers who are away from home accept some inconveniences, such as poor food, or difficult traveling conditions. Christians have an eternal home, and the inconvenience of their stay on earth should not worry them unduly.
Happy Christians are those who make best use of the spiritual gifts God gives them, such as faith, humility, love, patience, wisdom, and hope. God wants to see these things develop in his people, because the lives of happy Christians are often a helpful influence on non-christians. For example, people who suffer without complaining are unusual: Christians who do so give a good testimony which gives glory to God.
The opposite of happiness is a bitter, complaining spirit that sees the worst side of everything. Complaining is both sinful and unhelpful. A complaining spirit is like a bad wound that has gone septic. The infected flesh cannot be treated: it must be cut away or the infection will spread through the whole body. A tendency to complain, if it is not checked, will spread through the whole of our lives and blight everything.
Chapter 8 is called no excuses. It gets to the heart of the excuses we use to rationalize our complaining and unhappy spirits. It is well worth your time to read!
So, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” (Philippians 4:1)
Here is the explanation in its own words. This book is about happiness. Not just any kind of happiness, but the special kind of happiness that comes from being a Christian. We use various words such as happiness, joy, or contentment. What all these words describe is the deep inner satisfaction that Christians feel about what God has done for them. This inner satisfaction enables them to remain happy, and not to start complaining about God, even when things seem to be against them.
Some of the chapter titles in this book are: Christian Happiness, The Great Secret, The School of Happiness, Happiness is good for you, Complaining is Bad for You, Time to Stop Complaining. They each explore what God wants for us and how we should try to behave while we are here. For instance, lesson three in the school of happiness is this:
“Everything is meaningless”says the Preacher. “What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 1:2,3) Those who are unhappy with the things this world provides are not, as they tend to think, unhappy because they do not have enough, but because the things of this world simply cannot bring happiness. Mankind was made to know and enjoy God. The great theologian Augustine wrote “Yea made us for yourself, and out hearts are restless until they rest in you.” “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?” (Isaiah 55:2) Nothing is worth having without God.
Lesson five: Christians are travelers. They are just passing through this world, just camping in their bodies. They are preparing for an eternity in heaven when God will give them perfect resurrection bodies. So it is foolish to get too unhappy about the state of our bodies. The people we read about in Hebrews 11 “admitted they were aliens and strangers on earth..... they were longing for a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them” (verses 13,16). Christians must learn to think like this. Travelers who are away from home accept some inconveniences, such as poor food, or difficult traveling conditions. Christians have an eternal home, and the inconvenience of their stay on earth should not worry them unduly.
Happy Christians are those who make best use of the spiritual gifts God gives them, such as faith, humility, love, patience, wisdom, and hope. God wants to see these things develop in his people, because the lives of happy Christians are often a helpful influence on non-christians. For example, people who suffer without complaining are unusual: Christians who do so give a good testimony which gives glory to God.
The opposite of happiness is a bitter, complaining spirit that sees the worst side of everything. Complaining is both sinful and unhelpful. A complaining spirit is like a bad wound that has gone septic. The infected flesh cannot be treated: it must be cut away or the infection will spread through the whole body. A tendency to complain, if it is not checked, will spread through the whole of our lives and blight everything.
Chapter 8 is called no excuses. It gets to the heart of the excuses we use to rationalize our complaining and unhappy spirits. It is well worth your time to read!
So, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” (Philippians 4:1)
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Anyone Listening
I was thinking about this blog today and remembered a piece I had written along time ago. It seemed worthy of repeating so I am sharing it with you in this blog. I hope it is edifying and helpful to anyone who is reading this.
“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 have been 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 us.
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 4:29 - 5:2
My friend Joy Casey challenged me to memorize scripture along with her that we may hold each other accountable. It worked great as I have only memorized one other line of scripture in the 6 months since then. God’s word comes alive as you memorize it and study a few lines at a time. Both the do’s and do not’s have very practical application . We do not learn scripture to just spout it off when we feel a need to “show off” for someone. It is to be quickly brought up and applied in our daily lives.
How many times a day do you talk to someone or in the presence of someone? You probably can’t even count the occasions. We talk in our homes. We talk at work. We talk at play. If you are around other people you are probably talking. Do you know who is listening?
Shortly after committing these to memory I had coffee with my dear friend, Christie Roberts. We discussed women’s ministry things as well as personal and goofy friend stuff. We had been in a local coffee shop for an hour and a half talking and laughing when a gentleman in the shop came up to us. He introduced himself and said politely, “I couldn’t help but overhear. Are you members of a church around here?”
Quickly my mind began to race. I should be friendly. We should invite him to our church. What in the world have I said in the last hour and a half?
We did introduce ourselves and invite him to attend. He was from out of town but thanked us for the information and went on his way. Oh how we hoped we did not shed bad light on Bethel, on the name of God, or even on ourselves. I don’t think we did but we were not purposeful in thinking of that ahead of time. When you are in a public place like that, do you even consider that others are listening? You probably want to shift blame by accusing them of eavesdropping but what does God say? “ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths...” If no unwholesome talk comes out of your mouth do you have a problem when someone hears? Obviously, there are occasions when the subject is private so you had better meet in private. At all other times you cannot know who is listening. Oh, and guess what? God is always listening!
We can grieve the Holy Spirit by the way we live, which includes our talk. Do we have bad attitudes toward others that comes out in our talk? Do we complain and ignore the many blessings God has given us? Or do we build others up with our words and benefit those who listen?
This is challenging stuff. I cannot live up to this and neither can you without the help of that same Holy Spirit. Maybe we should start our day with prayer for a guard on our tongue before we even speak because out of our mouths come the words that reveal our hearts and our hearts are deceitful above all things. “You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” Matthew 12: 34
May the overflow of our hearts be out of our gratefulness to God for all He is and has done for our salvation and the salvation of others.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Practically Perfect in Every Way
I was thinking about household things I do to make life a little easier and decided to share this little tip. Also, a guest asked me why my lettuce and spinach were wrapped in paper towels and a tea towel. Here is the answer. If you want to have a salad or nice lettuce to put on a sandwich a trick to save you time and money is to wash your greens, spin them with a salad spinner or dry well with paper towels, wrap in dry paper towels and a 100% cotton towel, put in a Ziplock bag with the air squeezed out or a tupperware and store in your fridge.
The reason you do this is that the greens will be practically perfect when you need them to make that salad or sandwich in a hurry. It has been my experience that when I do this step on the day I bring home the greens they will be washed and crisp for at least a week and I will be more likely to use them than to let them rot or turn brown. Since they are practically perfect they look good, taste good, and are good for you. Because you can just take them out and go you will be much more likely to eat salad.
This same trick works for celery. Cut off the ends, wash, dry and store wrapped in paper towels or the 100% cotton tea towels like before. This keeps them from turning brown longer also and you have immediate access to things to dip in your ranch dressing or hummus or add to your recipe.
Why do I say 100% cotton tea towel? Cotton will absorb moisture much better than a synthetic. It is as simple as that.
You might ask why I would go to that much effort. As part of our design to be helpers to our husband and family we should find ways to present good nutrition to our families and to save money where we can. Throwing out your vegetables or greens is a waste of money. This is a very simple way that "helping" is practically worked out.
Genesis 2:18, 20 - 24 "The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." "But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken our of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh."
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Pray Continually
I've been thinking about what tool allows me to walk each day of this life with some sort of peace and strength. I knew it right away and you may know it already in your life. It is so important and powerful that it is worth talking about here. Prayer is that tool.
Prayer is not just any tool, it is an unimaginable gift from God. Prayer is not repeating a chant that somehow brings us into a peaceful state but conversations with the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. You and I have the privilege as sons and daughters of God, brought into relationship with Him by the sacrifice of His son Jesus Christ to approach the throne of grace and talk, plead, ask, thank, interact with our Father who art in heaven.
A couple of the scriptures that I use daily are these:
Matthew 6: 5-15 The Lord's prayer and Jesus teaching on prayer.
1 Thessalonians 5:16 "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by petition and prayer with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."
James 5:13 "Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise."
Matthew 7: 11 "If you, then who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"
Now here is the important part. These are not magic genie requests that get you whatever you want whenever you want it. The heart behind your prayer has to be complete reliance on the wisdom of God to do what is best in your situation. You must understand His sovereignty in your life and His constant work to conform you to be more like His son, Jesus Christ. Sometimes the answer will be not now or no. God always has a plan for your life and may be bringing you through something hard or refusing you something because it is not His best for you.
I can say this from experience that God's answers to some of my prayers have not made sense to me but I also know that He has taught me reliance on Him not me. He did not choose to save my dad from death at an early age in spite of my complete faith that he would save him in answer to my prayer. I shunned God for over ten years but am now telling you with full assurance that I know what God has planned for my life is better than what I have planned and that He will bring me through all things by these conversations with Him in all circumstances.
All circumstances does not mean just the hard stuff. My goal is to ask Him every morning what is the best use of my day and to guide me in it. I am human so that does not always happen. I ask for wisdom often even in small stuff like what to purchase for a gift or how to answer a question someone has asked. I am always in need of wisdom. I pray for perspective on my daily situations and on world happenings. Anything and everything means just that. God asks us to pray about anything and everything. By reading Psalms you will come to understand that you can even fuss and complain and God will turn your heart back to what really matters, Him and His work in the world.
This is such a big part of a successful walk in this world it would be more than advantageous for you to do a study on all of the scripture regarding prayer. You will have to wrestle with theology and scripture in context. For instance: "Ask for whatever you want in Jesus name and it will be given to you." Really? Whatever I want? I don't think so. So what does that mean?
These are important things for you to know and burn deep into your soul. I encourage you to study and commit to memory at least one of the prayer scriptures.
Prayer is not just any tool, it is an unimaginable gift from God. Prayer is not repeating a chant that somehow brings us into a peaceful state but conversations with the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. You and I have the privilege as sons and daughters of God, brought into relationship with Him by the sacrifice of His son Jesus Christ to approach the throne of grace and talk, plead, ask, thank, interact with our Father who art in heaven.
A couple of the scriptures that I use daily are these:
Matthew 6: 5-15 The Lord's prayer and Jesus teaching on prayer.
1 Thessalonians 5:16 "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by petition and prayer with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."
James 5:13 "Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise."
Matthew 7: 11 "If you, then who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"
Now here is the important part. These are not magic genie requests that get you whatever you want whenever you want it. The heart behind your prayer has to be complete reliance on the wisdom of God to do what is best in your situation. You must understand His sovereignty in your life and His constant work to conform you to be more like His son, Jesus Christ. Sometimes the answer will be not now or no. God always has a plan for your life and may be bringing you through something hard or refusing you something because it is not His best for you.
I can say this from experience that God's answers to some of my prayers have not made sense to me but I also know that He has taught me reliance on Him not me. He did not choose to save my dad from death at an early age in spite of my complete faith that he would save him in answer to my prayer. I shunned God for over ten years but am now telling you with full assurance that I know what God has planned for my life is better than what I have planned and that He will bring me through all things by these conversations with Him in all circumstances.
All circumstances does not mean just the hard stuff. My goal is to ask Him every morning what is the best use of my day and to guide me in it. I am human so that does not always happen. I ask for wisdom often even in small stuff like what to purchase for a gift or how to answer a question someone has asked. I am always in need of wisdom. I pray for perspective on my daily situations and on world happenings. Anything and everything means just that. God asks us to pray about anything and everything. By reading Psalms you will come to understand that you can even fuss and complain and God will turn your heart back to what really matters, Him and His work in the world.
This is such a big part of a successful walk in this world it would be more than advantageous for you to do a study on all of the scripture regarding prayer. You will have to wrestle with theology and scripture in context. For instance: "Ask for whatever you want in Jesus name and it will be given to you." Really? Whatever I want? I don't think so. So what does that mean?
These are important things for you to know and burn deep into your soul. I encourage you to study and commit to memory at least one of the prayer scriptures.
Friday, August 12, 2011
What Do I Read?
I was thinking about last week's blog and thought it would be a good idea to share with you some of the books and bible studies I have done over the years that made a difference in how I think about God and how I act in response to God. I decided not to include the parenting or marriage series but to save them for another time. The following is not an exhaustive list as there were too many to include and I also seem to be missing a section of books. We moved two years ago and in every move something gets misplaced. Possibly a box of books headed for our house ended up in the used book store. This is a little sad because the books that are missing are some of the ones I used when in a deep, dark spot of depression that helped me gain a healthier view of God, prayer, and life as a Christian. We all hold deep held beliefs that we want to be true but may not be and they affect how we think and behave.
These are not in any particular order but all taught me much. Also, I have been in and taught many studies on books of the bible which are obviously essential in growth in knowledge of the Lord. Just add some of these to strict book studies.
The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel If you have objections to Christianity or want to help someone who does this is a book for you.
Praying the Names of God by Ann Spangler Helps you know more about who God is.
Lord, I want to Know You by Kay Arthur More about the attributes of God.
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God Great for sorting out divine sovereignty and human responsibility.
Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon A daily devotional with deep theological insight and warm pastoral concern. (So the intro says and I believe it to be true.)
Safely Home by Randy Alcorn (a novel) Wow!! This book blew me out of the water. In reading this you must grapple with suffering in our lives and what faith really is and what God has really promised.
Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper Piper says you are in one of two groups : a Christian or God is calling you to be one. You would not have picked this up if God were not at work in your life. Christ has bought you at a price. Your life is not your own and God has a plan for how you are to use this life.
Lost in the Middle (Midlife and the Grace of God) by Paul David Tripp Although this book is targeted at those who are struggling with the issues of midlife, it has a broad appeal to anyone struggling with life in this broken world and have lost their way.
Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow An amazing book for anyone struggling with contentment and anxiety. I have read it more than once and refer to it often.
Holy Habits by Mimi Wilson and Shelly Cook Volkhardt A great book for learning to walk intentionally with God in prayer, belief, trust, and wisdom. Great!
Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss An amazing book teaching us how to train our hearts to respond to all of life with a thankful spirit, even in situations and seasons that we find unpleasant or difficult.
Living Intimately, Lessons from the Upper Room by Lenya Heitzig and Penny Rose These are lessons learned from what Jesus taught on His last evening on Earth talking with those He loved the most.
A Woman's Journey to the Heart of God by Cynthia Heald We are all on a journey through this life. How do we choose daily this right path to take?
A Woman's Call to Prayer by Elizabeth George This is a practical book on how to make prayer a reality in your daily life. Remember we are told to pray on all occasions from scripture.
Learning to Be Happy by Jeremiah Burroughs This is about the great secret to Christian happiness written by a pastor in 1648. It is an abridged version of The Rare jewel of Christian Contentment.
Beth Moore Bible Studies I have done many and all have affected and encouraged my greatly. I will list a few. A Woman's Heart Gods Dwelling Place, Breaking Free Making Liberty in Christ a Reality in Life, A Heart Like His, The Patriarchs Encountering the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Living Beyond Yourself Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit. All are great.
Well, there you go. If you are saying to yourself that you can't possibly read all of these books you are not alone. If I had looked forward in my life at this list I would have said the same thing. However, I am now 55 looking back and starting at 27 God just led me along day by day and here I am. All of these books and more were answers to prayer that I issued all of the time for God to help me. He did and He always will.
These are not in any particular order but all taught me much. Also, I have been in and taught many studies on books of the bible which are obviously essential in growth in knowledge of the Lord. Just add some of these to strict book studies.
The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel If you have objections to Christianity or want to help someone who does this is a book for you.
Praying the Names of God by Ann Spangler Helps you know more about who God is.
Lord, I want to Know You by Kay Arthur More about the attributes of God.
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God Great for sorting out divine sovereignty and human responsibility.
Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon A daily devotional with deep theological insight and warm pastoral concern. (So the intro says and I believe it to be true.)
Safely Home by Randy Alcorn (a novel) Wow!! This book blew me out of the water. In reading this you must grapple with suffering in our lives and what faith really is and what God has really promised.
Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper Piper says you are in one of two groups : a Christian or God is calling you to be one. You would not have picked this up if God were not at work in your life. Christ has bought you at a price. Your life is not your own and God has a plan for how you are to use this life.
Lost in the Middle (Midlife and the Grace of God) by Paul David Tripp Although this book is targeted at those who are struggling with the issues of midlife, it has a broad appeal to anyone struggling with life in this broken world and have lost their way.
Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow An amazing book for anyone struggling with contentment and anxiety. I have read it more than once and refer to it often.
Holy Habits by Mimi Wilson and Shelly Cook Volkhardt A great book for learning to walk intentionally with God in prayer, belief, trust, and wisdom. Great!
Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss An amazing book teaching us how to train our hearts to respond to all of life with a thankful spirit, even in situations and seasons that we find unpleasant or difficult.
Living Intimately, Lessons from the Upper Room by Lenya Heitzig and Penny Rose These are lessons learned from what Jesus taught on His last evening on Earth talking with those He loved the most.
A Woman's Journey to the Heart of God by Cynthia Heald We are all on a journey through this life. How do we choose daily this right path to take?
A Woman's Call to Prayer by Elizabeth George This is a practical book on how to make prayer a reality in your daily life. Remember we are told to pray on all occasions from scripture.
Learning to Be Happy by Jeremiah Burroughs This is about the great secret to Christian happiness written by a pastor in 1648. It is an abridged version of The Rare jewel of Christian Contentment.
Beth Moore Bible Studies I have done many and all have affected and encouraged my greatly. I will list a few. A Woman's Heart Gods Dwelling Place, Breaking Free Making Liberty in Christ a Reality in Life, A Heart Like His, The Patriarchs Encountering the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Living Beyond Yourself Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit. All are great.
Well, there you go. If you are saying to yourself that you can't possibly read all of these books you are not alone. If I had looked forward in my life at this list I would have said the same thing. However, I am now 55 looking back and starting at 27 God just led me along day by day and here I am. All of these books and more were answers to prayer that I issued all of the time for God to help me. He did and He always will.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
What Do You See?
I purchased a classic children's book for our grandaughter called Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See. Each page opens with a beautiful drawing of an animal and asks what do you see. The brown bear sees a redbird, the red bird sees a yellow duck, the yellow duck sees a blue horse and so on. Each animal "sees" another animal and you ask the same question. She loves the book and so do I.
It got me to thinking about something. Several times someone younger than me has asked me if I could meet with them to talk about living life or has mentioned something they see in me. I want to ask this, "What do YOU see?" I would even ask it in the sing songy voice I use at nap time.
If what you see is commendable I would suggest to you that what you see is not naturally me. It is the work of Christ in me through His Holy Spirit. I am the same sinful fallen woman as any other woman without the work of sanctification or change that the gospel of Christ has done in me. Christ has taken a self-centered young woman who had ideas of what was good and bad and begun a good work. This older woman you see now has been worked on for a long time. I made some colossal mistakes. Even in those God in his grace has used them for my good. This older woman still has work to be done. I get angry, selfish, discouraged, impatient, proud, hateful, etc.
Here is the good part. Though there is still work to be done I know that God is faithful to complete His work. Look at these scriptures.
Philippians 1:4-6 "In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident in this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
The work God began in his children he will finish not just for their good but for his plans to pass on good to others. He has a vested interest in making sure we become less and less of our former selves and more and more like his Son, Jesus Christ. There is years of work to do.
Often we would like to be good at something immediately. Take, for instance, the piano or guitar. I have known many people who really wanted to play but then after taking only a few lessons were frustrated because they did not sound great. You can't learn to play an instrument quickly. If you want to play well it takes years of lessons and decisions to practice day after day.
Your spiritual life is the same way. Yes, a huge step has been made when you accept Jesus Christ as your savior but to be changed through and through takes the rest of your life. You make that first decision to believe then you make daily decisions to walk with Christ.
What does that look like? It is attending and participating in a healthy body of believers Sunday after Sunday year after year. It means choosing to go to Sunday School and bible studies when they are offered and doing the homework. It means reading good Christian literature recommended by those you know to be solid mature believers and comparing it to the word of God. It means grappling with those times that what the bible says does not agree with what you thought you knew and trusting God over yourself. It means practicing prayer and devotions regularly.
Years ago God gave me what I call a life verse to help me in this process. A bible study I was in at the time suggested asking God for one and having the eyes of your heart open to see what he gives you. For me it was Philippians 4:6-7. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by petition and prayer, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Don't just find it but memorize it so that it readily comes to mind whenever you need it. I use this almost daily because it says anything and everything and I take God at his word.
Another is James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." To me this was a prayer I could always ask and get an affirmative answer. God wants us to have wisdom and I can rely on his kind of wisdom over what the world has to offer.
There are many other things that over the years have become habits that I just do because I have done them for many years. My desire in writing this is for you to know you will also grow and mature in Christ and display the fruits of the Spirit. It is the work that God is always doing in us in everything we experience.
I have much more that I would like to say and will in a later post. What I would desire for you to consider now is this: When someone looks at you and you ask them "What do YOU see?" what would you like their answer to be? There is no better compliment in Heaven or Earth than for someone to see Christ in you.
It got me to thinking about something. Several times someone younger than me has asked me if I could meet with them to talk about living life or has mentioned something they see in me. I want to ask this, "What do YOU see?" I would even ask it in the sing songy voice I use at nap time.
If what you see is commendable I would suggest to you that what you see is not naturally me. It is the work of Christ in me through His Holy Spirit. I am the same sinful fallen woman as any other woman without the work of sanctification or change that the gospel of Christ has done in me. Christ has taken a self-centered young woman who had ideas of what was good and bad and begun a good work. This older woman you see now has been worked on for a long time. I made some colossal mistakes. Even in those God in his grace has used them for my good. This older woman still has work to be done. I get angry, selfish, discouraged, impatient, proud, hateful, etc.
Here is the good part. Though there is still work to be done I know that God is faithful to complete His work. Look at these scriptures.
Philippians 1:4-6 "In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident in this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
The work God began in his children he will finish not just for their good but for his plans to pass on good to others. He has a vested interest in making sure we become less and less of our former selves and more and more like his Son, Jesus Christ. There is years of work to do.
Often we would like to be good at something immediately. Take, for instance, the piano or guitar. I have known many people who really wanted to play but then after taking only a few lessons were frustrated because they did not sound great. You can't learn to play an instrument quickly. If you want to play well it takes years of lessons and decisions to practice day after day.
Your spiritual life is the same way. Yes, a huge step has been made when you accept Jesus Christ as your savior but to be changed through and through takes the rest of your life. You make that first decision to believe then you make daily decisions to walk with Christ.
What does that look like? It is attending and participating in a healthy body of believers Sunday after Sunday year after year. It means choosing to go to Sunday School and bible studies when they are offered and doing the homework. It means reading good Christian literature recommended by those you know to be solid mature believers and comparing it to the word of God. It means grappling with those times that what the bible says does not agree with what you thought you knew and trusting God over yourself. It means practicing prayer and devotions regularly.
Years ago God gave me what I call a life verse to help me in this process. A bible study I was in at the time suggested asking God for one and having the eyes of your heart open to see what he gives you. For me it was Philippians 4:6-7. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by petition and prayer, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Don't just find it but memorize it so that it readily comes to mind whenever you need it. I use this almost daily because it says anything and everything and I take God at his word.
Another is James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." To me this was a prayer I could always ask and get an affirmative answer. God wants us to have wisdom and I can rely on his kind of wisdom over what the world has to offer.
There are many other things that over the years have become habits that I just do because I have done them for many years. My desire in writing this is for you to know you will also grow and mature in Christ and display the fruits of the Spirit. It is the work that God is always doing in us in everything we experience.
I have much more that I would like to say and will in a later post. What I would desire for you to consider now is this: When someone looks at you and you ask them "What do YOU see?" what would you like their answer to be? There is no better compliment in Heaven or Earth than for someone to see Christ in you.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Extraordinary Women
The Thursday morning bible study has been studying the book by John MacArthur titled "Twelve Extraordinary Women". I was privileged to talk on the opening day of the study and think that this lesson might be a good one for others, also. I will adapt it a little for a reading audience but it is mostly the same lesson I taught that day.
What is faith and what is trust? Webster's Dictionary gives more than one meaning but the two that most closely fit here are these: 1) belief and trust in God 2) complete trust. These both apply to extraordinary women but let us look at complete trust.
Trust is defined as 1) assured reliance on the character, strength, or truth of someone or something 2) to be confident in (hope) or to rely on the truth of (believe). The twelve women in this study eventually had complete belief, hope, confidence in, reliance on one uniting person - the God of the bible. The one and only Yahweh and His Son sent on their behalf, Jesus Christ.
To have trust a person must have knowledge of the truth which is defined as "the real state of things". Their God was real to them and it changed their perspective - their view of things in their true relationship or relative importance.
These women all had struggles and set backs but because they knew the truth about who God is they were able to live out their lives in a faith-filled way. They knew an extraordinary God.
This extraordinary God whether they knew Him as the Creator of the world they lived in or the Warrior who could bring down the walls of Jericho with the sounds of trumpets or the Life-giver who gave a pregnancy to a woman 90 years old or a Savior who saved their people from the Egyptians by parting the Red Sea or saved the world by sending His one and only Son through a virgin birth and resurrection from the dead or the Healer who raised their brother from the dead - this God was their God. They had faith and trust in an extraordinary God.
This truth changed their lives and allowed them to live life with a different perspective. They lived their lives believing God was in control.
Hebrews 11:11 says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews goes on to say that this faith gives people (a whole lot of them) the ability to obey God though His plan seemed impossible. The scripture says Sarah and Abraham considered him faithful who had made them a promise.
God, as it turns out, is the perfect model of faithfulness. He can and will do what He says He will do. These women trusted their faithful God and became extraordinary women.
Because of your saving faith - if you believe in your sinfulness, the need for a savior, the graceful provision of Jesus Christ to die and rise again to pay your debt to satisfy God's perfect judgement so that you could approach the throne of grace - you can also be extraordinary. If you believe those things you are already extraordinary in many ways. You are an heir to a kingdom of another world. You have the Holy Spirit of God living in you. You are different than this Earthly world because the truth is being revealed to you. You have the power and authority of the creator on your side. More than that you have been adopted as one of His beloved children. This should give you a different perspective on life.
In Joanna Weaver's book "Lazarus Awakening" she talks about the tombs we live in that keep us from being all that we could be. Their are stones rolled in front of the door of our lives that keep us from living the extraordinary life God has for us. She goes on to say that Satan isn't nearly as concerned about losing you from his kingdom as he is committed to keeping you from being effective in God's kingdom. He has as many different methods as there are individuals, but his one goal is to contain and restrain you. To entomb you so he can consume you. To incarcerate you with so many lies, insecurities, and guilt feelings that the gift God intended your life to be remains undiscovered. Tightly wrapped and left forgotten in a corner cell. How does he do it? Doubt by doubt, insult by insult, Satan puts backward binoculars to our eyes and distorts our worth and potential until we forget to factor in God.
Do you factor in God? When you do you will live an extraordinary life like the women of this book or the list of the faithful in Hebrews 11. As Beth Moore asked us to do in her "Believing God" study I want you to add an extra verse in Hebrews 11. It would be Hebrews 11 verse 41. By faith ... (your name inserted) ...
By faith Tricia spoke in front of a class of believers because she knew God would give her the words.
By faith Rachelle will care for her beloved, ailing child because she believes God gave her to them to care for and He has a plan.
By faith Donna will carry on after the loss of her spouse because she believes she will see him again as God has said and that God will carry her through.
By faith Jenny will get up each day not knowing when the last day will come because she believes God has the plan laid out for her life. Her days were numbered for her before she was born.
By faith Jackie would love and follow her God even though she thought she might never be a mother.
There are many, many examples that go right here.
What will you do by faith? Do you hear God speaking to you? Do you walk close enough to Him to understand His truth and His way? Will you obey and live an extraordinary life?
To obey you must know. To know God you must walk closely with God. To believe you must put in the work to understand theology and scripture as it really is not as you want it to be or as the world wants it to be. You must be seeking to know Him better each and every day.
Interestingly enough the second definition in Webster's for extraordinary is this: employed on special service - an ambassador. Extraordinary women are ambassadors. They bring a message from the king to the people of another world. It is a message of power, strength, and hope. An extraordinary message. You can bring an extraordinary message to people around you about an extraordinary God in the way you faithfully live your life.
Well, this was a longer post but I pray it will encourage and empower you in some way today. May the peace of God fill your hearts as you go on your way.
What is faith and what is trust? Webster's Dictionary gives more than one meaning but the two that most closely fit here are these: 1) belief and trust in God 2) complete trust. These both apply to extraordinary women but let us look at complete trust.
Trust is defined as 1) assured reliance on the character, strength, or truth of someone or something 2) to be confident in (hope) or to rely on the truth of (believe). The twelve women in this study eventually had complete belief, hope, confidence in, reliance on one uniting person - the God of the bible. The one and only Yahweh and His Son sent on their behalf, Jesus Christ.
To have trust a person must have knowledge of the truth which is defined as "the real state of things". Their God was real to them and it changed their perspective - their view of things in their true relationship or relative importance.
These women all had struggles and set backs but because they knew the truth about who God is they were able to live out their lives in a faith-filled way. They knew an extraordinary God.
This extraordinary God whether they knew Him as the Creator of the world they lived in or the Warrior who could bring down the walls of Jericho with the sounds of trumpets or the Life-giver who gave a pregnancy to a woman 90 years old or a Savior who saved their people from the Egyptians by parting the Red Sea or saved the world by sending His one and only Son through a virgin birth and resurrection from the dead or the Healer who raised their brother from the dead - this God was their God. They had faith and trust in an extraordinary God.
This truth changed their lives and allowed them to live life with a different perspective. They lived their lives believing God was in control.
Hebrews 11:11 says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews goes on to say that this faith gives people (a whole lot of them) the ability to obey God though His plan seemed impossible. The scripture says Sarah and Abraham considered him faithful who had made them a promise.
God, as it turns out, is the perfect model of faithfulness. He can and will do what He says He will do. These women trusted their faithful God and became extraordinary women.
Because of your saving faith - if you believe in your sinfulness, the need for a savior, the graceful provision of Jesus Christ to die and rise again to pay your debt to satisfy God's perfect judgement so that you could approach the throne of grace - you can also be extraordinary. If you believe those things you are already extraordinary in many ways. You are an heir to a kingdom of another world. You have the Holy Spirit of God living in you. You are different than this Earthly world because the truth is being revealed to you. You have the power and authority of the creator on your side. More than that you have been adopted as one of His beloved children. This should give you a different perspective on life.
In Joanna Weaver's book "Lazarus Awakening" she talks about the tombs we live in that keep us from being all that we could be. Their are stones rolled in front of the door of our lives that keep us from living the extraordinary life God has for us. She goes on to say that Satan isn't nearly as concerned about losing you from his kingdom as he is committed to keeping you from being effective in God's kingdom. He has as many different methods as there are individuals, but his one goal is to contain and restrain you. To entomb you so he can consume you. To incarcerate you with so many lies, insecurities, and guilt feelings that the gift God intended your life to be remains undiscovered. Tightly wrapped and left forgotten in a corner cell. How does he do it? Doubt by doubt, insult by insult, Satan puts backward binoculars to our eyes and distorts our worth and potential until we forget to factor in God.
Do you factor in God? When you do you will live an extraordinary life like the women of this book or the list of the faithful in Hebrews 11. As Beth Moore asked us to do in her "Believing God" study I want you to add an extra verse in Hebrews 11. It would be Hebrews 11 verse 41. By faith ... (your name inserted) ...
By faith Tricia spoke in front of a class of believers because she knew God would give her the words.
By faith Rachelle will care for her beloved, ailing child because she believes God gave her to them to care for and He has a plan.
By faith Donna will carry on after the loss of her spouse because she believes she will see him again as God has said and that God will carry her through.
By faith Jenny will get up each day not knowing when the last day will come because she believes God has the plan laid out for her life. Her days were numbered for her before she was born.
By faith Jackie would love and follow her God even though she thought she might never be a mother.
There are many, many examples that go right here.
What will you do by faith? Do you hear God speaking to you? Do you walk close enough to Him to understand His truth and His way? Will you obey and live an extraordinary life?
To obey you must know. To know God you must walk closely with God. To believe you must put in the work to understand theology and scripture as it really is not as you want it to be or as the world wants it to be. You must be seeking to know Him better each and every day.
Interestingly enough the second definition in Webster's for extraordinary is this: employed on special service - an ambassador. Extraordinary women are ambassadors. They bring a message from the king to the people of another world. It is a message of power, strength, and hope. An extraordinary message. You can bring an extraordinary message to people around you about an extraordinary God in the way you faithfully live your life.
Well, this was a longer post but I pray it will encourage and empower you in some way today. May the peace of God fill your hearts as you go on your way.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Getting Started
Hello anyone who is looking. For many years I have felt a tug at my heart to share the things that God has been teaching me and some of the things I have learned just by being alive. No one is editing this and it will not be a college paper so don't expect perfect grammar or punctuation.
This started out as an idea based from Titus 2:1, 3-5 "But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine... Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind and submissive to their own husbands, that the work of God may not be reviled."
Another scripture also inspired me to act. Hebrews 10:24-25 "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
I realize that the day that this scripture is speaking of is the day of Jesus' return. However, isn't the day always approaching? Each day we are walking this Earth is one day closer to the day of His return. Each day is the day that the air conditioner breaks and it is 95 degrees or you are misunderstood at work once again or the paycheck doesn't go quite as far as it needed to. So day by day we are to encourage one another and spur each other on to love and good deeds.
To that end, with the Spirit working within, I hope to bring you encouragement. It may be spiritual or it may be practical. It may help you today but not tomorrow. Know that each post will be prayed over and I will do my best to follow His lead. I may or may not be older than you but I know for sure that you are older than someone else so reach out and encourage one another.
This started out as an idea based from Titus 2:1, 3-5 "But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine... Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind and submissive to their own husbands, that the work of God may not be reviled."
Another scripture also inspired me to act. Hebrews 10:24-25 "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
I realize that the day that this scripture is speaking of is the day of Jesus' return. However, isn't the day always approaching? Each day we are walking this Earth is one day closer to the day of His return. Each day is the day that the air conditioner breaks and it is 95 degrees or you are misunderstood at work once again or the paycheck doesn't go quite as far as it needed to. So day by day we are to encourage one another and spur each other on to love and good deeds.
To that end, with the Spirit working within, I hope to bring you encouragement. It may be spiritual or it may be practical. It may help you today but not tomorrow. Know that each post will be prayed over and I will do my best to follow His lead. I may or may not be older than you but I know for sure that you are older than someone else so reach out and encourage one another.
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