“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Phil 3:13-14
As I rewind and review my life there are many things I would love to forget. We all have suffered as a result of our own transgressions or the pain we have suffered at the hands of someone else’s decisions. Paul was speaking of forgetting not only his sins and failures but also forgetting the things that once were of utmost importance to him. He strains toward what is ahead, which was his new life in Christ, along with privileges He was afforded through Christ.
In this verse I can’t help but notice the word strain which certainly denotes challenge and effort on our part. The definition for strain is to make extreme effort and, ‘to have to make an unusually great or even painful physical or mental effort in order to do something.’ Since we are living in a fallen world, to strain towards Christ requires extreme effort with a great deal of sacrifice. We were never created for this world but for the eternal world. All of our efforts must align with our desire to get back home. Our hearts, mind, body and spirit all must come into adjustment to truly envelop that mindset – straining towards the prize of Heaven.
Paul understood this in every sense of the idea. He understood that straining towards what was ahead in Christ meant suffering on this side of the prize. ‘There is a needs-be for us to give ourselves for the life of the world…Fruit-bearing is cross-bearing. We know how the Lord Jesus became fruitful – not by bearing His cross only, but by dying on it. There are not two Christs – an easy-going Christ for easy-going Christians, and a suffering, toiling Christ for exceptional believers. There is only one Christ. Are we willing to abide in Him and so to bear fruit?’ Hudson Taylor in Believer’s Bible Commentary, p. 1974.
To strain forward is to bear much fruit in the life of the in-between. Then, one glorious day the in-between life crosses over to the realized life for which we were created.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
All Daddy's Strength
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Deut. 6:4-5
My dad has really been on my mind lately and the impact he had on my life. He showed Christ at every veer in the road, living his life with the cross in the backdrop of every decision. It is no surprise that as I read the verse above this morning I pictured his face.
Daddy was the Director of CEF which is a ministry targeting children who haven’t come to know Jesus yet. The work is powerful and was my dad’s passion as he served for over 10 years volunteering full time work. When Daddy’s cancer came out of remission and his body began to fail, he felt that the time had come to resign his directorship for the benefit of the ministry in late 2007/early 2008.
In August, 2009 each of my sisters including myself received a phone call from him asking us to pray for his body. He had been called out of his bed much like Lazarus was called out of the tomb. God told him to get up and go back to CEF promising Daddy would have the strength to accomplish the will of God…again. Whenever his pain or nausea would overcome him, he would sit in the recliner in his bedroom and pray until it would pass. Sometimes it would pass but sometimes it would not. Either way, 90% of the time he would get dressed, climb up in that truck and drive to the office to serve God…with all of his strength.
This is the call to love God that is written of in the Bible. God pursues a continuing love relationship with each of His children that is personal and intimate. The first and greatest commandment is the standard for our response to the love that He first had for us. It is our spirit answering back to His pursuit of our love. “Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” Matt 22:37
While we cannot accomplish loving God perfectly we can be victorious in loving God passionately.
My dad has really been on my mind lately and the impact he had on my life. He showed Christ at every veer in the road, living his life with the cross in the backdrop of every decision. It is no surprise that as I read the verse above this morning I pictured his face.
Daddy was the Director of CEF which is a ministry targeting children who haven’t come to know Jesus yet. The work is powerful and was my dad’s passion as he served for over 10 years volunteering full time work. When Daddy’s cancer came out of remission and his body began to fail, he felt that the time had come to resign his directorship for the benefit of the ministry in late 2007/early 2008.
In August, 2009 each of my sisters including myself received a phone call from him asking us to pray for his body. He had been called out of his bed much like Lazarus was called out of the tomb. God told him to get up and go back to CEF promising Daddy would have the strength to accomplish the will of God…again. Whenever his pain or nausea would overcome him, he would sit in the recliner in his bedroom and pray until it would pass. Sometimes it would pass but sometimes it would not. Either way, 90% of the time he would get dressed, climb up in that truck and drive to the office to serve God…with all of his strength.
This is the call to love God that is written of in the Bible. God pursues a continuing love relationship with each of His children that is personal and intimate. The first and greatest commandment is the standard for our response to the love that He first had for us. It is our spirit answering back to His pursuit of our love. “Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” Matt 22:37
While we cannot accomplish loving God perfectly we can be victorious in loving God passionately.
Friday, October 29, 2010
What Can I Do To Help?
“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” Matthew 25:21
When my children were very young they would want to help me around the house. In an effort to satisfy their desire I would begin telling them what I wanted only for them to scurry off before I was finished explaining. Their eagerness to accomplish did not match their understanding of the task. This understanding required more time with me and experience in the task. Many times at the end of their job I would inspect their work only to discover their shortcuts and compromises. I was not encouraged to give them more to do since the task I did assign was so poorly carried out.
As Christians, we all want to help God accomplish His purposes in the Kingdom. We run up to Him in prayer and ask how we can help, only to dash off before He has finished talking. We ask and then we prematurely act in an effort to mark it off our spiritual list with a big pat on our back for our service. God will call us to accomplish certain tasks but the success in those tasks are both timing and understanding. Certain character traits may require molding, massaging and reworking before the task can be completed.
Over the past year I have felt that God has called me to a grief ministry but I am still experiencing grief over my sister and father. His timing is perfect and there are challenges within myself He must iron out before I can accomplish His purposes in His way. He will not give more tasks to accomplish before I have developed the character required to accomplish the present task. From kneeling beside your child at night to show prayer life to praying before a crowd of thousands God is working within you to accomplish great things for Him.
We will be given a little to work on so He can develop within us the ability to accomplish a lot!
When my children were very young they would want to help me around the house. In an effort to satisfy their desire I would begin telling them what I wanted only for them to scurry off before I was finished explaining. Their eagerness to accomplish did not match their understanding of the task. This understanding required more time with me and experience in the task. Many times at the end of their job I would inspect their work only to discover their shortcuts and compromises. I was not encouraged to give them more to do since the task I did assign was so poorly carried out.
As Christians, we all want to help God accomplish His purposes in the Kingdom. We run up to Him in prayer and ask how we can help, only to dash off before He has finished talking. We ask and then we prematurely act in an effort to mark it off our spiritual list with a big pat on our back for our service. God will call us to accomplish certain tasks but the success in those tasks are both timing and understanding. Certain character traits may require molding, massaging and reworking before the task can be completed.
Over the past year I have felt that God has called me to a grief ministry but I am still experiencing grief over my sister and father. His timing is perfect and there are challenges within myself He must iron out before I can accomplish His purposes in His way. He will not give more tasks to accomplish before I have developed the character required to accomplish the present task. From kneeling beside your child at night to show prayer life to praying before a crowd of thousands God is working within you to accomplish great things for Him.
We will be given a little to work on so He can develop within us the ability to accomplish a lot!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Written Not With Ink
“The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you…he will guide you into all truth…he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.” John 14:26, John 16:13-14
When my children were in middle school they all said the same thing about certain areas of learning. They claimed they would never need certain information ‘in the real world’ so they would learn it for the test only to forget it later. One of my kids whom will remain anonymous actually stated that the need for Math was certainly unnecessary!
Thankfully, the Holy Spirit will not allow us to forget certain lessons and truths which are learned through our circumstances. The information is burned on our hearts with each trial finding a home in our hearts for acceptance and application at a later time. Life will test our knowledge through our tribulations and beckon old truths to be applied to present circumstances. Our knowledge of the One who has authority over all of our days is cumulative and progressive helping us ascertain a fuller knowledge of God.
An important part of hearing and applying this knowledge is having an intimate relationship with God. You can ask any of my children just about any topic and they will be able to tell you what I believe. The reason for their knowledge of my character and ideas about life is from our shared experiences and intimate relationships. The same is with God. The more deeply we pursue knowing who He is the more knowledge in Him we will attain providing His mindset on every area of our lives. We can only hear Him when we know Him and recognize His voice. In John 10:2-14, Christ is described as the good Shepherd knowing His children by name and them knowing Him because they recognize His voice. We must live a John 8:47 life – ‘He who belongs to God hears what God says.’
One of my favorite Scripture verses is 2 Corinthians 3:3. It states, 'You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.'
When my children were in middle school they all said the same thing about certain areas of learning. They claimed they would never need certain information ‘in the real world’ so they would learn it for the test only to forget it later. One of my kids whom will remain anonymous actually stated that the need for Math was certainly unnecessary!
Thankfully, the Holy Spirit will not allow us to forget certain lessons and truths which are learned through our circumstances. The information is burned on our hearts with each trial finding a home in our hearts for acceptance and application at a later time. Life will test our knowledge through our tribulations and beckon old truths to be applied to present circumstances. Our knowledge of the One who has authority over all of our days is cumulative and progressive helping us ascertain a fuller knowledge of God.
An important part of hearing and applying this knowledge is having an intimate relationship with God. You can ask any of my children just about any topic and they will be able to tell you what I believe. The reason for their knowledge of my character and ideas about life is from our shared experiences and intimate relationships. The same is with God. The more deeply we pursue knowing who He is the more knowledge in Him we will attain providing His mindset on every area of our lives. We can only hear Him when we know Him and recognize His voice. In John 10:2-14, Christ is described as the good Shepherd knowing His children by name and them knowing Him because they recognize His voice. We must live a John 8:47 life – ‘He who belongs to God hears what God says.’
One of my favorite Scripture verses is 2 Corinthians 3:3. It states, 'You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.'
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Thy Will Be Done!
“Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: ‘…but a body you prepared for me;’ Then I said, ‘Here I am – I have come to do your will, O God.’” Hebrews 10:5, 7
Jesus was sold out for His Father God. He was the one earthly man since the beginning of time whom perfectly, consistently and passionately sought, pursued and was relentless to know the will of God. He was very clear as to Who was at the center of His life.
We all desire to know and do the will of God but ascertaining this knowledge can be both intimidating and challenging. We enter into fellowship with God with our own slant towards our will instead of God’s will. It is human nature to view our lives through the lens of what we would like to see happen in any given situation. In Experiencing God – Knowing and Doing the Will of God, we are given wonderful tools in discerning God’s will.
1) Seek at the beginning to get our heart into such a state that it has no will
of its own in regard to any given matter.
2) Do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression.
3) Seek the Will of the Holy Spirit combined with the Word of God.
4) Take into account providential circumstances which often indicate His will.
5) Ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to us perfectly.
6) If our mind is at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions,
proceed accordingly.
In thinking of the example for prayer that Jesus gave to His disciples in Matthew 6:9, I paraphrase as follows for my journal:
- I am to recognize God as my Father who has authority over everything.
- I am to recognize His Holiness and perfection.
- I am to lay down my own will for His will.
- I am to recognize that all things for my growth come from Him.
- I am to recognize that forgiveness for my sins can only come from Him and I am
to extend that to others.
- I am to recognize that I cannot stand against sin alone – I must remain in Him
for this.
- I recognize that everything is working towards the advancement in His Kingdom for
His glory.
Amen and Amen!
Jesus was sold out for His Father God. He was the one earthly man since the beginning of time whom perfectly, consistently and passionately sought, pursued and was relentless to know the will of God. He was very clear as to Who was at the center of His life.
We all desire to know and do the will of God but ascertaining this knowledge can be both intimidating and challenging. We enter into fellowship with God with our own slant towards our will instead of God’s will. It is human nature to view our lives through the lens of what we would like to see happen in any given situation. In Experiencing God – Knowing and Doing the Will of God, we are given wonderful tools in discerning God’s will.
1) Seek at the beginning to get our heart into such a state that it has no will
of its own in regard to any given matter.
2) Do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression.
3) Seek the Will of the Holy Spirit combined with the Word of God.
4) Take into account providential circumstances which often indicate His will.
5) Ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to us perfectly.
6) If our mind is at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions,
proceed accordingly.
In thinking of the example for prayer that Jesus gave to His disciples in Matthew 6:9, I paraphrase as follows for my journal:
- I am to recognize God as my Father who has authority over everything.
- I am to recognize His Holiness and perfection.
- I am to lay down my own will for His will.
- I am to recognize that all things for my growth come from Him.
- I am to recognize that forgiveness for my sins can only come from Him and I am
to extend that to others.
- I am to recognize that I cannot stand against sin alone – I must remain in Him
for this.
- I recognize that everything is working towards the advancement in His Kingdom for
His glory.
Amen and Amen!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Going Looking for God
“Then he said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’” Luke 9:23 “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.” 2 Co. 2:14
As I have stated I am doing a wonderful Bible Study regarding knowing the will of God. Unit 2 deals solely with our awareness of where God is working and going to Him. We have an invitation to participate in His work rather than our demands of Him to help us accomplish our work.
We cannot live a self-centered and self-focused life when following Christ. We can easily deceive ourselves that we are doing the work of the LORD, when in fact we were never called upon to accomplish certain works. Not only will our attempts not be as triumphant as if God were leading but we risk the exclusion of the chosen instrument of God to carry out that work. We must not frustrate the work of God.
The Bible gives name after name of individuals whom God sought for specific purposes. If that person was surrendered to Him great things were accomplished through Him. Moses did not approach God and ask to free the Israelites from the hands of the Egyptians. Noah did not look around and decide that his fellowmen were evil and informed he was building an ark to separate his family from mankind. God will never sit back and wait on our plans but rather invite us to join Him in His plan. We must decide to wake up each morning and ask God, ‘What can I do to join You in Your work today, Lord?’
Our focus on life should be God and not ourselves. ‘The essence of sin is a shift from God-centeredness to self-centeredness. The essence of salvation is denying self instead of affirming self. We must deny ourselves and return to God-centeredness in our lives. Then God has us in a place where He will accomplish His eternal purposes through us.’ Experiencing God – Knowing and Doing the Will of God, p. 32.
I don’t know about you but I am going looking for God today to spread some of His fragrance!
As I have stated I am doing a wonderful Bible Study regarding knowing the will of God. Unit 2 deals solely with our awareness of where God is working and going to Him. We have an invitation to participate in His work rather than our demands of Him to help us accomplish our work.
We cannot live a self-centered and self-focused life when following Christ. We can easily deceive ourselves that we are doing the work of the LORD, when in fact we were never called upon to accomplish certain works. Not only will our attempts not be as triumphant as if God were leading but we risk the exclusion of the chosen instrument of God to carry out that work. We must not frustrate the work of God.
The Bible gives name after name of individuals whom God sought for specific purposes. If that person was surrendered to Him great things were accomplished through Him. Moses did not approach God and ask to free the Israelites from the hands of the Egyptians. Noah did not look around and decide that his fellowmen were evil and informed he was building an ark to separate his family from mankind. God will never sit back and wait on our plans but rather invite us to join Him in His plan. We must decide to wake up each morning and ask God, ‘What can I do to join You in Your work today, Lord?’
Our focus on life should be God and not ourselves. ‘The essence of sin is a shift from God-centeredness to self-centeredness. The essence of salvation is denying self instead of affirming self. We must deny ourselves and return to God-centeredness in our lives. Then God has us in a place where He will accomplish His eternal purposes through us.’ Experiencing God – Knowing and Doing the Will of God, p. 32.
I don’t know about you but I am going looking for God today to spread some of His fragrance!
Monday, October 25, 2010
Why God?
“‘But sir,’ Gideon replied, ‘if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about…But now the LORD has abandoned us…’” Judges 6:13
As I previously mentioned I am involved with Griefshare at our church and each week we tackle another session trying to make sense and endure grief. This upcoming session will be difficult as it bids the question, ‘Why?’
Whether our grief is from the death of a loved one or the loss of a job, relationship or health, grief can be overwhelming and all consuming. Our grief demands answers and is sometimes fueled with anger. The underlying questions of why God allowed our pain and our belief that He abandoned us have been asked of God since the beginning of time. When pain and suffering come into our lives we look to God for answers, explanations and understanding. We immediately tend to blame God for our circumstances instead of praising God for carrying us through another day. We tend to focus on what God did not do in our lives. Thankfully, God is big enough for our questions. He didn’t respond in anger to Gideon when he claimed that the LORD had abandoned him. Rather, the LORD imparted to Gideon that he would be successful if and when He rested in the LORD’s strength.
Knowing this upcoming session would be difficult I have been reading Confessions of a Grieving Christian by Zig Ziglar. There is awesome material in this book that everyone should read in the face of any kind of grief. He writes, ‘I am truly grateful that our faith enables us to move past our questions. We need to understand that at the time of intense pain…it is natural for little seeds of doubt about our faith to creep into our minds and hearts. God understands this need…and desires for you to bring any doubts and fears to Him. Until you face these emotions in God’s presence, you will not be able to reaffirm your faith completely and accept His grace.’ P. 72-73
I remember asking God why He couldn’t have healed my sister and my dad and answered my prayers. His spirit touched my heart that day and I will never forget His words. ‘Brenda, for me to give you what you were praying for was for me to give them less than what I wanted for them. I was ready for them to have everything.’ Zig Ziglar writes, ‘Our faith assures us that God said no to our prayers for her (his daughter) on earth so He could completely heal her and give her the eternal reward He promised to those who believe. God is good.’ P. 74
The Author of our faith is writing the same truths for each of us. Our healing will come when we are honestly seeking and experiencing God. When His children seek Him, God does not pick and choose to whom He will reveal Himself. He makes Himself accessible to all who seek Him intimately. Are we giving Him the chance to comfort and reveal or are we allowing our pain to become our barrier? Ask God your questions and watch Him work in your healing.
As I previously mentioned I am involved with Griefshare at our church and each week we tackle another session trying to make sense and endure grief. This upcoming session will be difficult as it bids the question, ‘Why?’
Whether our grief is from the death of a loved one or the loss of a job, relationship or health, grief can be overwhelming and all consuming. Our grief demands answers and is sometimes fueled with anger. The underlying questions of why God allowed our pain and our belief that He abandoned us have been asked of God since the beginning of time. When pain and suffering come into our lives we look to God for answers, explanations and understanding. We immediately tend to blame God for our circumstances instead of praising God for carrying us through another day. We tend to focus on what God did not do in our lives. Thankfully, God is big enough for our questions. He didn’t respond in anger to Gideon when he claimed that the LORD had abandoned him. Rather, the LORD imparted to Gideon that he would be successful if and when He rested in the LORD’s strength.
Knowing this upcoming session would be difficult I have been reading Confessions of a Grieving Christian by Zig Ziglar. There is awesome material in this book that everyone should read in the face of any kind of grief. He writes, ‘I am truly grateful that our faith enables us to move past our questions. We need to understand that at the time of intense pain…it is natural for little seeds of doubt about our faith to creep into our minds and hearts. God understands this need…and desires for you to bring any doubts and fears to Him. Until you face these emotions in God’s presence, you will not be able to reaffirm your faith completely and accept His grace.’ P. 72-73
I remember asking God why He couldn’t have healed my sister and my dad and answered my prayers. His spirit touched my heart that day and I will never forget His words. ‘Brenda, for me to give you what you were praying for was for me to give them less than what I wanted for them. I was ready for them to have everything.’ Zig Ziglar writes, ‘Our faith assures us that God said no to our prayers for her (his daughter) on earth so He could completely heal her and give her the eternal reward He promised to those who believe. God is good.’ P. 74
The Author of our faith is writing the same truths for each of us. Our healing will come when we are honestly seeking and experiencing God. When His children seek Him, God does not pick and choose to whom He will reveal Himself. He makes Himself accessible to all who seek Him intimately. Are we giving Him the chance to comfort and reveal or are we allowing our pain to become our barrier? Ask God your questions and watch Him work in your healing.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Good & Spacious Land
“The LORD said, ‘I have indeed seen the misery of my people…I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from…and to bring then up out of that land into a good and spacious land.’” Ex. 3:2-8
I facilitate Griefshare at our church on Wednesday nights which is the backdrop for lots of pain and suffering. The emotional temperature within those walls is a scorching heat that is both uncomfortable and tough to endure. The shared love within those walls in a short period of time is nothing short of a spiritual triumph. God sees our pain and acts upon it by placing us in a spot to minister within each other’s pain. Through our giving we receive and vice versa.
God saw our little band of sufferers individually first and collectively second. Our ‘good and spacious land’ is in the confines of four little walls at our church as we share our common slave driver – earthly death of loved ones.
In the verses above when God was speaking to Moses regarding the Israelites’ suffering, God saw (misery), heard (cries in prayer), felt (concerned), and acted with a plan (came down, rescued and delivered). This is the same God whom we serve in 2010! He is not some God who has become weary over the generations, nor is He a God who has forgotten how to save. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He continuously reminds us through Scripture of this as He introduces Himself to those characters in the Bible as their Father. He does a call-out of His children from the beginning of time to remind us that we have the same family standing that those champion Christians had throughout time. He is the same God who rules from the same throne.
Whatever is enslaving you today, God sees, God hears, God feels and God will act and bring you into his good and spacious land! Cry out to your Father, the Father of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and many more siblings in Christ.
I facilitate Griefshare at our church on Wednesday nights which is the backdrop for lots of pain and suffering. The emotional temperature within those walls is a scorching heat that is both uncomfortable and tough to endure. The shared love within those walls in a short period of time is nothing short of a spiritual triumph. God sees our pain and acts upon it by placing us in a spot to minister within each other’s pain. Through our giving we receive and vice versa.
God saw our little band of sufferers individually first and collectively second. Our ‘good and spacious land’ is in the confines of four little walls at our church as we share our common slave driver – earthly death of loved ones.
In the verses above when God was speaking to Moses regarding the Israelites’ suffering, God saw (misery), heard (cries in prayer), felt (concerned), and acted with a plan (came down, rescued and delivered). This is the same God whom we serve in 2010! He is not some God who has become weary over the generations, nor is He a God who has forgotten how to save. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He continuously reminds us through Scripture of this as He introduces Himself to those characters in the Bible as their Father. He does a call-out of His children from the beginning of time to remind us that we have the same family standing that those champion Christians had throughout time. He is the same God who rules from the same throne.
Whatever is enslaving you today, God sees, God hears, God feels and God will act and bring you into his good and spacious land! Cry out to your Father, the Father of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and many more siblings in Christ.
Friday, October 22, 2010
In The Clouds
“The LORD said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commands I have written for their instruction.’ When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. Moses entered the cloud as he went up on the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.” Ex. 24:12, 15-16, 18
I am doing a wonderful Bible Study called Experiencing God – Knowing and Doing the Will of God. I am so blessed that we have so many resources on developing our relationship with God. Any bookstore in any city and state provides us with an abundance of information on knowing God, experiencing God and hearing what God desires for us. Moses on the other hand was not privy to all of these wonderful resources but had his own way of pursuing God. Even without bookstores, Christian internet websites and church Bible Studies Moses was able to know God through pursuing God. He had a surrendered heart and lived a life feeling the presence of God surrounding him. Moses recognized God’s voice when He called Moses to ‘come up to Him on the cloud covered mountain.’
We too are called to come up to the LORD and meet Him on the mountain for fellowship and invitation to participate in God’s work. God will make Himself known to us and will reveal Himself to us individually. We will be invited personally to join Him on the mountain so He may accomplish His purposes through us individually. Through these divine encounters we will experience Him and will be shown the ways to participate in His Kingdom. Notice that Moses did not get God's revelation until He pursued God, was obedient to God and went to the place of God's choosing. The three aspects that God desires from us are fellowship, invitation and accomplishments.
Moses entered the cloud where visibility was extremely limited I am sure. Scripture states that he remained in the cloud for forty days and nights, a time determined at the LORD’s choosing, no doubt. We all enter into cloud covered circumstances wherein we cannot see the future and our next step is undetermined. We must not wander away from God during these encounters that hold us dependent on God for light and guidance. If we venture out taking our own steps on our own time the chances of stepping off the mountain in a freefall are inevitable. We must ‘camp out’ on the mountain of the LORD and allow Him to fellowship and love us. Through this intimate fellowship He will invite us to join Him in His work, and through our obedience His purposes will be accomplished.
…and one sweet day the clouds will recede and the Son will shine in your life revealing His glory.
I am doing a wonderful Bible Study called Experiencing God – Knowing and Doing the Will of God. I am so blessed that we have so many resources on developing our relationship with God. Any bookstore in any city and state provides us with an abundance of information on knowing God, experiencing God and hearing what God desires for us. Moses on the other hand was not privy to all of these wonderful resources but had his own way of pursuing God. Even without bookstores, Christian internet websites and church Bible Studies Moses was able to know God through pursuing God. He had a surrendered heart and lived a life feeling the presence of God surrounding him. Moses recognized God’s voice when He called Moses to ‘come up to Him on the cloud covered mountain.’
We too are called to come up to the LORD and meet Him on the mountain for fellowship and invitation to participate in God’s work. God will make Himself known to us and will reveal Himself to us individually. We will be invited personally to join Him on the mountain so He may accomplish His purposes through us individually. Through these divine encounters we will experience Him and will be shown the ways to participate in His Kingdom. Notice that Moses did not get God's revelation until He pursued God, was obedient to God and went to the place of God's choosing. The three aspects that God desires from us are fellowship, invitation and accomplishments.
Moses entered the cloud where visibility was extremely limited I am sure. Scripture states that he remained in the cloud for forty days and nights, a time determined at the LORD’s choosing, no doubt. We all enter into cloud covered circumstances wherein we cannot see the future and our next step is undetermined. We must not wander away from God during these encounters that hold us dependent on God for light and guidance. If we venture out taking our own steps on our own time the chances of stepping off the mountain in a freefall are inevitable. We must ‘camp out’ on the mountain of the LORD and allow Him to fellowship and love us. Through this intimate fellowship He will invite us to join Him in His work, and through our obedience His purposes will be accomplished.
…and one sweet day the clouds will recede and the Son will shine in your life revealing His glory.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Marred and Molded
“So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him… ‘Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.’” Jeremiah 18:3-4, 6b
All we have to do is look around to see the work that God is accomplishing. There are so many testimonies in the world that point to God as Savior and Deliverer. We see God creating through births and working for the good of the Kingdom through His servants. We testify to His goodness and marvel at His interventions.
But, what happens when we are the marred clay in His hands? How do we respond when He is molding, shaping and dismantling through our adversities? No one likes suffering but these are the times when God refines our faith and reworks our hearts. We can settle in His hands and allow the growing pains, with faith and belief in a hopeful future or we can fight the potter’s life-changing hands.
The two behaviors essential to being molded and reshaped are the willingness to be taught by God and remaining in God through our adversities. We must acknowledge that this is a fallen world with pain, suffering and death which we will all experience. Through these experiences we have the opportunity to know God more intimately and grow in His character. The second element is to remain in Him through all of life’s trials and tribulations. We can do nothing apart from Him. ‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing.’ John 15:5
We must be the clay in His hands in all situations, trusting that our marred lower nature needs reworking and remolding. Rest in the peace that His sweet hands have the loving nature of restoration and the imperfections will be gently sculpted for our good and the good of His kingdom.
All we have to do is look around to see the work that God is accomplishing. There are so many testimonies in the world that point to God as Savior and Deliverer. We see God creating through births and working for the good of the Kingdom through His servants. We testify to His goodness and marvel at His interventions.
But, what happens when we are the marred clay in His hands? How do we respond when He is molding, shaping and dismantling through our adversities? No one likes suffering but these are the times when God refines our faith and reworks our hearts. We can settle in His hands and allow the growing pains, with faith and belief in a hopeful future or we can fight the potter’s life-changing hands.
The two behaviors essential to being molded and reshaped are the willingness to be taught by God and remaining in God through our adversities. We must acknowledge that this is a fallen world with pain, suffering and death which we will all experience. Through these experiences we have the opportunity to know God more intimately and grow in His character. The second element is to remain in Him through all of life’s trials and tribulations. We can do nothing apart from Him. ‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing.’ John 15:5
We must be the clay in His hands in all situations, trusting that our marred lower nature needs reworking and remolding. Rest in the peace that His sweet hands have the loving nature of restoration and the imperfections will be gently sculpted for our good and the good of His kingdom.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
In The Workshop
“My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working. I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.” John 5:17, 19-20
Earlier in my father-in-law’s life, Bud could accomplish any type of home project. It seemed as if there was nothing he couldn’t fix when he would come to our house. I am the beneficiary of his work as my husband is the same way. Growing up, Bruce desired to be with his father a lot of his time so he would go down into the workshop and watch his father as well as spend time with him. Where ever Bud had a project around the house Bruce seemed to be watching. As a result, Bruce picked up on a great deal of both knowledge and integrity by being with his father.
The same is true of our Father God. He has always been at work since the formation of the universe with His ultimate will for mankind as a collective whole. The will He sets for our lives must fit into the grand scheme of His will for mankind. His will for me as His child cannot contradict His will for the Kingdom which explains why I fail to receive everything for which I pray. The Father has the total view of the world and how each decision and request from all of this children work together towards the goal of His will. Instead of me asking God to come into my life and show me His will for my world I must ‘go down into the workshop’ and watch the Father work. 'The Holy Spirit and God's Word will instruct you and will help you know when and where God is working. Once you know where He is active, you will adjust your life to join Him in His activity.' Experiencing God - Knowing and Doing the Will of God, p. 17. Through this shared experience I will know Him more clearly and participate in His work…in His will…in His Kingdom.
…and yes, to my amazement, the God who is always busy creating, saving, comforting, and transforming will stop and show me great things for the Kingdom in which I may be a privileged contributor!
Earlier in my father-in-law’s life, Bud could accomplish any type of home project. It seemed as if there was nothing he couldn’t fix when he would come to our house. I am the beneficiary of his work as my husband is the same way. Growing up, Bruce desired to be with his father a lot of his time so he would go down into the workshop and watch his father as well as spend time with him. Where ever Bud had a project around the house Bruce seemed to be watching. As a result, Bruce picked up on a great deal of both knowledge and integrity by being with his father.
The same is true of our Father God. He has always been at work since the formation of the universe with His ultimate will for mankind as a collective whole. The will He sets for our lives must fit into the grand scheme of His will for mankind. His will for me as His child cannot contradict His will for the Kingdom which explains why I fail to receive everything for which I pray. The Father has the total view of the world and how each decision and request from all of this children work together towards the goal of His will. Instead of me asking God to come into my life and show me His will for my world I must ‘go down into the workshop’ and watch the Father work. 'The Holy Spirit and God's Word will instruct you and will help you know when and where God is working. Once you know where He is active, you will adjust your life to join Him in His activity.' Experiencing God - Knowing and Doing the Will of God, p. 17. Through this shared experience I will know Him more clearly and participate in His work…in His will…in His Kingdom.
…and yes, to my amazement, the God who is always busy creating, saving, comforting, and transforming will stop and show me great things for the Kingdom in which I may be a privileged contributor!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Seek First Him...
“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:33-34
I am getting to ready to go with God on the ride of my life – I can just feel it in my spirit! I am beginning a new Bible Study called Experiencing God – Knowing and Doing the Will of God. I am always so excited to crack open a new Bible Study and start marking it all up.
Abram (renamed Abraham at a later date) was told by God to go and leave the comforts of his home. God spelled out all of the blessings Abram’s obedience would bring but didn’t give him any details regarding the destination. Abram had to put one foot in front of the other in faith without the knowledge of where his feet were taking him. But he knew that God was the map and he joined God on His path – not on his own path. Obedient to God, Abram grabbed his nephew, Lot and his wife, Sarai and hit the dirt road. ‘Leave your country…and go to the land I will show you.’ Gen. 12:1. God didn’t say, ‘Hang out here until I give you the map.’ He instructed Abram to leave everything behind, seek Him and everything would be given to him. Abram didn’t question God because Abram was living his day in God’s Kingdom, not requiring God to answer for His actions in Abram’s kingdom.
God never intended on us to live a life of fear for tomorrow. He did not intend for us to be immobilized with worry about the future but instructs us to live in the power of today. ‘For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.’ 2 Tim. 1:7
So I ask God this morning, ‘What would you have me do today in Your Kingdom?’ instead of asking God to accomplish my desires in my own kingdom.
I am getting to ready to go with God on the ride of my life – I can just feel it in my spirit! I am beginning a new Bible Study called Experiencing God – Knowing and Doing the Will of God. I am always so excited to crack open a new Bible Study and start marking it all up.
Abram (renamed Abraham at a later date) was told by God to go and leave the comforts of his home. God spelled out all of the blessings Abram’s obedience would bring but didn’t give him any details regarding the destination. Abram had to put one foot in front of the other in faith without the knowledge of where his feet were taking him. But he knew that God was the map and he joined God on His path – not on his own path. Obedient to God, Abram grabbed his nephew, Lot and his wife, Sarai and hit the dirt road. ‘Leave your country…and go to the land I will show you.’ Gen. 12:1. God didn’t say, ‘Hang out here until I give you the map.’ He instructed Abram to leave everything behind, seek Him and everything would be given to him. Abram didn’t question God because Abram was living his day in God’s Kingdom, not requiring God to answer for His actions in Abram’s kingdom.
God never intended on us to live a life of fear for tomorrow. He did not intend for us to be immobilized with worry about the future but instructs us to live in the power of today. ‘For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.’ 2 Tim. 1:7
So I ask God this morning, ‘What would you have me do today in Your Kingdom?’ instead of asking God to accomplish my desires in my own kingdom.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Pondering Anger
“When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. I pondered them in my mind and then…They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.” Nehemiah 5:6, 8
One of the most difficult emotions to harness is the emotion of anger. It is one of the most powerful emotions that will instantly produce action. Most of the time, this action is to the detriment of the relationship. In the Bible, there are nearly 500 references to anger with 350 being the anger of the LORD. We must be careful to align our anger with what the Bible says about the appropriateness of anger. ‘Justified anger is purposeful and beneficial to someone who is being mistreated, hurt, or taken advantage of. Justified anger always seeks to bring a situation or circumstance in line with God’s commandments and to further His kingdom here on earth.’ Charles Stanley, Surviving in an Angry World p. 34
The verse above gives us a spiritual principle when our anger arises… ‘pondering them in our mind.’ We should not respond to our anger in immediacy and thoughtlessness. All anger should be checked at the door of our hearts. Anger should be prayed upon, lifted to God and held up for His judgment and justice. He will guide us into action if any action is required at all. Stanley gives us wonderful boundaries against which to measure our anger.
Disciplined – It does not rage like an out-of-control wildfire. For anger to have positive results, it must have boundaries and be reined in. It must be subjected to discipline.
Focused – It is directed toward a singular purpose.
Short-lived – It produces good results and it ends when positive goals have been achieved.
Within the boundaries of God’s commandments and His justice – Good anger, or righteous indignation, must always be rooted in what God calls justice.
When anger surfaces, take it to the LORD so that your anger will not result in sin. (Eph. 4:26) Anger is an emotion that is God given to recognize when God’s children are being treated unfairly or unjustly. It is what we do with our anger that can result in sin. When our anger is laid upon the altar of God, He will determine if it is justified anger and whether His will is to use us in this situation. We must trust that if we are not led to move forward in our emotions that God will justify the situation in both His own timing and manner.
“Do not be eager in your hearts to be angry, for anger resides in the bosom of fools.” Eccl. 7:9
One of the most difficult emotions to harness is the emotion of anger. It is one of the most powerful emotions that will instantly produce action. Most of the time, this action is to the detriment of the relationship. In the Bible, there are nearly 500 references to anger with 350 being the anger of the LORD. We must be careful to align our anger with what the Bible says about the appropriateness of anger. ‘Justified anger is purposeful and beneficial to someone who is being mistreated, hurt, or taken advantage of. Justified anger always seeks to bring a situation or circumstance in line with God’s commandments and to further His kingdom here on earth.’ Charles Stanley, Surviving in an Angry World p. 34
The verse above gives us a spiritual principle when our anger arises… ‘pondering them in our mind.’ We should not respond to our anger in immediacy and thoughtlessness. All anger should be checked at the door of our hearts. Anger should be prayed upon, lifted to God and held up for His judgment and justice. He will guide us into action if any action is required at all. Stanley gives us wonderful boundaries against which to measure our anger.
Disciplined – It does not rage like an out-of-control wildfire. For anger to have positive results, it must have boundaries and be reined in. It must be subjected to discipline.
Focused – It is directed toward a singular purpose.
Short-lived – It produces good results and it ends when positive goals have been achieved.
Within the boundaries of God’s commandments and His justice – Good anger, or righteous indignation, must always be rooted in what God calls justice.
When anger surfaces, take it to the LORD so that your anger will not result in sin. (Eph. 4:26) Anger is an emotion that is God given to recognize when God’s children are being treated unfairly or unjustly. It is what we do with our anger that can result in sin. When our anger is laid upon the altar of God, He will determine if it is justified anger and whether His will is to use us in this situation. We must trust that if we are not led to move forward in our emotions that God will justify the situation in both His own timing and manner.
“Do not be eager in your hearts to be angry, for anger resides in the bosom of fools.” Eccl. 7:9
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Looking Beyond
“For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.” 2 Chr. 20:12
When my children were young and we would be outside I would point out a rabbit or bird only to have them search the vast horizon unable to see the animal. As hard as I would point they were focusing on the larger picture creating the inability to focus on the smaller things. If we would try to move towards the object it would simple disappear and run away.
This is the child-like vision we should have in approaching our trials and seasons of suffering. We spend our time sneaking up on our circumstances convincing ourselves that we have the weapons required to attack and defeat our situation. As we close in on one set of circumstances with a plan other circumstances reveal that we really lack control on our own to be victorious.
In the Bible, Paul was placed in one trial after another but he never equated adversity with success. He did not allow his negative circumstances to determine his quality of life or keep him from experiencing fellowship and his relationship with God. He kept his eyes upon Jesus and claimed the victory required in every season of suffering. He lived an Exodus 14:13, 14 life, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today…The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.’ I love that! I can just hear Paul sitting in prison reciting that verse over and over as he kept his eyes upon Christ. He was looking beyond his present threats to his future deliverance.
Keeping our eyes upon Jesus is not only a beautiful song but a powerful principle in living our lives for God. There is no greater testimony than the suffering heart looking and pointing to Christ in the midst of their chaos. We must ‘keep our heads exalted above the enemies who surround us.’ (Ps. 27:6)
We must fix our gaze on the One who returns our glance and meet Him above the battle.
When my children were young and we would be outside I would point out a rabbit or bird only to have them search the vast horizon unable to see the animal. As hard as I would point they were focusing on the larger picture creating the inability to focus on the smaller things. If we would try to move towards the object it would simple disappear and run away.
This is the child-like vision we should have in approaching our trials and seasons of suffering. We spend our time sneaking up on our circumstances convincing ourselves that we have the weapons required to attack and defeat our situation. As we close in on one set of circumstances with a plan other circumstances reveal that we really lack control on our own to be victorious.
In the Bible, Paul was placed in one trial after another but he never equated adversity with success. He did not allow his negative circumstances to determine his quality of life or keep him from experiencing fellowship and his relationship with God. He kept his eyes upon Jesus and claimed the victory required in every season of suffering. He lived an Exodus 14:13, 14 life, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today…The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.’ I love that! I can just hear Paul sitting in prison reciting that verse over and over as he kept his eyes upon Christ. He was looking beyond his present threats to his future deliverance.
Keeping our eyes upon Jesus is not only a beautiful song but a powerful principle in living our lives for God. There is no greater testimony than the suffering heart looking and pointing to Christ in the midst of their chaos. We must ‘keep our heads exalted above the enemies who surround us.’ (Ps. 27:6)
We must fix our gaze on the One who returns our glance and meet Him above the battle.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Dressing Up Like Jesus
“Rather, clothe yourselves with the LORD Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Romans 13:14
When my youngest daughter Caroline was a little girl she certainly had her own ideas of what she would wear each day. I would lay out an outfit only to see her appear at the bottom of the stairs with some outlandish version of her own creation. Most of the time, it was inappropriate for school. Her undergarments usually consisted of a bathing suit while her outer garments were not temperature appropriate. More times than not she and I did not agree with her clothing…and then there was the princess tiara!
More times than not we probably do not clothe ourselves in the garments for which God lays out. His garments may vary but they will always be sewn with love, compassion, mercy, forgiveness and gentleness. They will never be inappropriate for the elements we must face daily. I remember my grandmother wrote in one of her journals many years ago that she ‘presents herself to Christ each morning with the garment of praise and presents her shoulders to Him to be clothed by Him.’ She was ‘dressing up like Jesus’ as she wanted to be Him when she grew up.
We have all seen people who catch our eye either spiritually or physically, and secretly wish to have certain character traits similar to them. When we dress up like Jesus we all have access to wear the garments of righteous living which will never wear out. God lays out specific spiritual clothing each morning but will we pick up that shirt of forgiveness? Will we slip on our feet those shoes of service? Will we place upon our head the hat of renewed and focused thoughts on Christ?
We must not go back to the closet to look for those old attitudes to slip on. We must throw out the old and put on the new. If we keep moving spiritually, we will continue to outgrow our spiritual clothing as we grow in our faith. Then one beautiful day we will be able to wear that sparkling tiara as we are awarded the ultimate crown of glory with Him in Heaven.
When my youngest daughter Caroline was a little girl she certainly had her own ideas of what she would wear each day. I would lay out an outfit only to see her appear at the bottom of the stairs with some outlandish version of her own creation. Most of the time, it was inappropriate for school. Her undergarments usually consisted of a bathing suit while her outer garments were not temperature appropriate. More times than not she and I did not agree with her clothing…and then there was the princess tiara!
More times than not we probably do not clothe ourselves in the garments for which God lays out. His garments may vary but they will always be sewn with love, compassion, mercy, forgiveness and gentleness. They will never be inappropriate for the elements we must face daily. I remember my grandmother wrote in one of her journals many years ago that she ‘presents herself to Christ each morning with the garment of praise and presents her shoulders to Him to be clothed by Him.’ She was ‘dressing up like Jesus’ as she wanted to be Him when she grew up.
We have all seen people who catch our eye either spiritually or physically, and secretly wish to have certain character traits similar to them. When we dress up like Jesus we all have access to wear the garments of righteous living which will never wear out. God lays out specific spiritual clothing each morning but will we pick up that shirt of forgiveness? Will we slip on our feet those shoes of service? Will we place upon our head the hat of renewed and focused thoughts on Christ?
We must not go back to the closet to look for those old attitudes to slip on. We must throw out the old and put on the new. If we keep moving spiritually, we will continue to outgrow our spiritual clothing as we grow in our faith. Then one beautiful day we will be able to wear that sparkling tiara as we are awarded the ultimate crown of glory with Him in Heaven.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Christ in Wait
“Growing up as the second child of four girls I was very happy and knew that I was extremely loved by many people in my family. We regularly attended church three times a week and I never remember a time when God was not an active member of our family… Looking back, it was ridiculous to think I could claim God’s peace when I didn’t really know intimately who God was and how to claim His peace. I knew Him as the God of my parents and the God of my grandparents. I had not learned who He could be for my life…Back in 2006, I stayed home from work one day due to the flu. I am not a big fan of television but my extreme boredom beckoned the company of anything. I stopped on INSP which is a station solely for inspirational viewing at which point I decided to watch. Because of that broadcast I decided to start doing daily and intimate Bible Studies, something I had never done before. Amazing how I grew up in the church, claimed to be a Christian, and never had even participated in an intimate Bible Study on my own. I had certainly been to many Bible Studies within the church, sipped on the coffee provided, hugged the ladies goodbye and traveled home for the evening. God’s spirit touched mine that day in February of 2006 beckoning something deeper from me.” Brenda Emmons, Dear Adversity…
When I think about my life and realize that I could have been experiencing God in such a greater way I am grieved. It is like I had this hidden treasure all along but didn’t even know to enjoy it. It was the complacency of living my life with an earthly focus opposed to a spiritual focus. We get lulled into the to and fro of life becoming both spiritual hypnotized and ineffective. God is on the tongue but not in the feet. He is in the mind but not in the heart. ‘For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God…For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.’ 2 Timothy 1:6
‘Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain.’ A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God.
What are you waiting for?
When I think about my life and realize that I could have been experiencing God in such a greater way I am grieved. It is like I had this hidden treasure all along but didn’t even know to enjoy it. It was the complacency of living my life with an earthly focus opposed to a spiritual focus. We get lulled into the to and fro of life becoming both spiritual hypnotized and ineffective. God is on the tongue but not in the feet. He is in the mind but not in the heart. ‘For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God…For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.’ 2 Timothy 1:6
‘Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain.’ A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God.
What are you waiting for?
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Got Milk?
“For as a man thinks within himself, so he is.” Proverbs 23:7
Ouch! This one hurts as I think about how negative I can be in some of the circumstances surrounding my life during this season. I cannot believe how easily we default to our lower nature when approaching life. Like curdled cream, negativity always rises to the top. It is spoiled and sour but we still keep it around allowing it to ‘flavor’ our perspective on our situation. We must throw out the cream and replace it with holy milk!
We must recognize the flow of the negative saturating the positive thoughts. We must make a conscious decision to replace any negative thoughts which infiltrate with the positive truths of God. We must pray to God to ask for His help in reprogramming our thought patterns as many of them have been around as long as we can remember. We must practice recognizing our negative thoughts, taking each negative thought captive and replacing them with ‘whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, good and excellent.' (Phil. 4:8)
‘If your mind operates from a positive viewpoint, seeing life’s trials as opportunities for growth and achievement, then you will experience encouragement and a greater degree of success…Once God’s truth is planted within our hearts, we begin to see life from His perspective. His light pierces the darkness of our hopeless situations, and we are no longer bound by negativity…The amount of suffering we experience due to sustained bouts of negative thinking and battered emotions is outrageous…In most cases, our lives are the results of what we think and believe.’ Charles Stanley, Success God’s Way.
We have all heard the old saying, ‘You are what you eat!’ The same is true in our thinking… ‘We are what we drink and think!’
Got Milk?
Ouch! This one hurts as I think about how negative I can be in some of the circumstances surrounding my life during this season. I cannot believe how easily we default to our lower nature when approaching life. Like curdled cream, negativity always rises to the top. It is spoiled and sour but we still keep it around allowing it to ‘flavor’ our perspective on our situation. We must throw out the cream and replace it with holy milk!
We must recognize the flow of the negative saturating the positive thoughts. We must make a conscious decision to replace any negative thoughts which infiltrate with the positive truths of God. We must pray to God to ask for His help in reprogramming our thought patterns as many of them have been around as long as we can remember. We must practice recognizing our negative thoughts, taking each negative thought captive and replacing them with ‘whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, good and excellent.' (Phil. 4:8)
‘If your mind operates from a positive viewpoint, seeing life’s trials as opportunities for growth and achievement, then you will experience encouragement and a greater degree of success…Once God’s truth is planted within our hearts, we begin to see life from His perspective. His light pierces the darkness of our hopeless situations, and we are no longer bound by negativity…The amount of suffering we experience due to sustained bouts of negative thinking and battered emotions is outrageous…In most cases, our lives are the results of what we think and believe.’ Charles Stanley, Success God’s Way.
We have all heard the old saying, ‘You are what you eat!’ The same is true in our thinking… ‘We are what we drink and think!’
Got Milk?
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The 'Mike'
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth...But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven...For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:16-18.
Yesterday as I was watching the news it was reported that a family in Buffalo, NY had discovered the value of a painting that had been hanging over their couch for years. An expert has analyzed the painting and believes it to be an unfinished Michelangelo painting of Jesus and Mary -- potentially one of the biggest finds of the century. The painting, which the Post says the family nicknamed "The Mike," found its way behind the couch after it was knocked off its post by a tennis ball. After the incident, the Kober family wrapped it up and stowed it away. This painting is believed to be valued at $300,000,000.
As I began pondering on this treasure, it blessed me to realize that we all carry within us an invaluable and unearthed treasure called Jesus Christ. We go about our busy lives reacting instead of responding, calculating instead of surrendering and worrying instead of trusting. This complete and valuable treasure hangs within the walls of all of our hearts only to hang behind our conscience living ignored and collecting dust as we live out our days.
We must make this Treasure the central part of our hearts, shining light upon its beauty and revealing the value for what it is worth. We should passionately want to show Him off to everyone in His complete splendor. The wonderful truth about this valuable find is the fact that we can all own this unique and one-of-a-kind find!
We need not look beyond our own hearts to find ourselves the recipient of one of the most valuable finds in the century, 'The Christ.'
Yesterday as I was watching the news it was reported that a family in Buffalo, NY had discovered the value of a painting that had been hanging over their couch for years. An expert has analyzed the painting and believes it to be an unfinished Michelangelo painting of Jesus and Mary -- potentially one of the biggest finds of the century. The painting, which the Post says the family nicknamed "The Mike," found its way behind the couch after it was knocked off its post by a tennis ball. After the incident, the Kober family wrapped it up and stowed it away. This painting is believed to be valued at $300,000,000.
As I began pondering on this treasure, it blessed me to realize that we all carry within us an invaluable and unearthed treasure called Jesus Christ. We go about our busy lives reacting instead of responding, calculating instead of surrendering and worrying instead of trusting. This complete and valuable treasure hangs within the walls of all of our hearts only to hang behind our conscience living ignored and collecting dust as we live out our days.
We must make this Treasure the central part of our hearts, shining light upon its beauty and revealing the value for what it is worth. We should passionately want to show Him off to everyone in His complete splendor. The wonderful truth about this valuable find is the fact that we can all own this unique and one-of-a-kind find!
We need not look beyond our own hearts to find ourselves the recipient of one of the most valuable finds in the century, 'The Christ.'
Monday, October 11, 2010
I'm Singing in the Rain
“But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” 1 Peter 2:20-21
This past weekend was such a wonderful gathering of precious women. I was invited to attend a Christian Women’s Retreat with 21 wonderful women and received more blessings with every corner I turned. I needed to ‘get outside of myself’ as I have been isolating myself in my own prison taking care of my father-in-law. This was a self-imposed prison wherein the key was tucked securely in my pocket seeing how I am blessed with wonderful caregivers to assist. This weekend was full of testimonies of women with past and present suffering…real suffering…not suffering as a result of their self-made prisons.
I started thinking about the benefits of our suffering, and as you are aware I love writing about adversity. Adversity sometimes trickles into our lives in a steady stream but other times the levy breaks and the floods engulf. Through the Bible many have suffered for the name of Christ. We tend to focus on the suffering instead of the abundant harvest. In the Bible, without Paul’s suffering we would have missed out on many books in the Bible. Our Savior came through the suffering heart of a mother and our testimonies will come from the suffering hearts of our families in Christ. We must get out of our heads that suffering is something undeserved and something we should avoid at all costs. Jesus knew He stood in the shadow of the cross, yet He stood on faith instead of running. Mary knew she had to watch the death of her perfect son so sinners could live.
Our faith is the seed planted, adversity is our rain and the abundant harvest will be the fruit of our testimonies. For as the song states, 'I'm singing in the rain!'
This past weekend was such a wonderful gathering of precious women. I was invited to attend a Christian Women’s Retreat with 21 wonderful women and received more blessings with every corner I turned. I needed to ‘get outside of myself’ as I have been isolating myself in my own prison taking care of my father-in-law. This was a self-imposed prison wherein the key was tucked securely in my pocket seeing how I am blessed with wonderful caregivers to assist. This weekend was full of testimonies of women with past and present suffering…real suffering…not suffering as a result of their self-made prisons.
I started thinking about the benefits of our suffering, and as you are aware I love writing about adversity. Adversity sometimes trickles into our lives in a steady stream but other times the levy breaks and the floods engulf. Through the Bible many have suffered for the name of Christ. We tend to focus on the suffering instead of the abundant harvest. In the Bible, without Paul’s suffering we would have missed out on many books in the Bible. Our Savior came through the suffering heart of a mother and our testimonies will come from the suffering hearts of our families in Christ. We must get out of our heads that suffering is something undeserved and something we should avoid at all costs. Jesus knew He stood in the shadow of the cross, yet He stood on faith instead of running. Mary knew she had to watch the death of her perfect son so sinners could live.
Our faith is the seed planted, adversity is our rain and the abundant harvest will be the fruit of our testimonies. For as the song states, 'I'm singing in the rain!'
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Deeply Exercised
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that which Christ took hold of me.” Phil 3:12
If Paul wasn’t perfect, why on earth should I feel that I could obtain this? When I was going through the editing part of Dear Adversity with Tate Publishing, I received the editor’s edit for my corrections/approvals. When I opened the document I was surprised to see all of the edited and corrected red marks. I felt in my heart embarrassed and lacking as I had really gone through the document with great precision. Humbly I dealt with one red mark at a time and tried to not feel defeated.
Sometimes I feel as if God is marking my mistakes with a red ink pen instead of a pencil with an eraser at the end. I sometimes dwell on the imperfect forgetting that perfection is something to be attained in the next life. I forget that as Paul was ‘taken hold’ by Christ I have been taken hold by Christ for my own walk and journey through life. Being in Christ our lives will be defined by our successes and not remembered by our failures.
‘The apostle had been apprehended by Christ Jesus on the road to Damascus. What was the purpose of this momentous meeting? It was that Paul might from then on be a pattern-saint, that God might show through him what Christ can do in a human life. He was not yet perfectly conformed to Christ. The process was still going on, and Paul was deeply exercised that this work of God’s grace might continue and deepen.’ Believer’s Bible Commentary, p. 1975
For God has not taken hold of us to expose our failures, rather to reveal His greatness.
If Paul wasn’t perfect, why on earth should I feel that I could obtain this? When I was going through the editing part of Dear Adversity with Tate Publishing, I received the editor’s edit for my corrections/approvals. When I opened the document I was surprised to see all of the edited and corrected red marks. I felt in my heart embarrassed and lacking as I had really gone through the document with great precision. Humbly I dealt with one red mark at a time and tried to not feel defeated.
Sometimes I feel as if God is marking my mistakes with a red ink pen instead of a pencil with an eraser at the end. I sometimes dwell on the imperfect forgetting that perfection is something to be attained in the next life. I forget that as Paul was ‘taken hold’ by Christ I have been taken hold by Christ for my own walk and journey through life. Being in Christ our lives will be defined by our successes and not remembered by our failures.
‘The apostle had been apprehended by Christ Jesus on the road to Damascus. What was the purpose of this momentous meeting? It was that Paul might from then on be a pattern-saint, that God might show through him what Christ can do in a human life. He was not yet perfectly conformed to Christ. The process was still going on, and Paul was deeply exercised that this work of God’s grace might continue and deepen.’ Believer’s Bible Commentary, p. 1975
For God has not taken hold of us to expose our failures, rather to reveal His greatness.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Skipping Through Life
“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” Psalm 103:8
The other day I went to my grandson, Carson’s t-ball game. Throughout the entire game, whenever he would hit the ball everyone would start screaming for him to run. We were yelling his name, clapping our hands and encouraging him to run fast to the base. Carson decided to skip. The frustration was on everyone’s face except the coach. He would walk over to him and whisper in his ear only to watch Carson skip the next time the bat smacked the ball. The coach never acted mad but only encouraged Carson to try to run. After the game, Carson professed that ‘it was a skipping day.’ Carson didn’t feel comfortable running so he stuck to what he was comfortable doing – skipping. The coach must have worked throughout the week with him, encouraging him and explaining certain truths about t-ball to him. The next week when the ball was struck, Carson ran. Occasionally, he would break his run to a skip but would return to the full run.
God targets the very things for which we struggle. He will not allow us to sit indefinitely on first base in our insecurities. We will be called to face it head on at some point, deal with it and determine the course of our lives from the revelations. God never gives up on our fears, our doubts or our refusals to obey. He watches us with His patience, His love and shares His revelations about truth with each of us according to the individual intimacy we experience with Him.
He encourages us to run but doesn’t judge us when we skip. He lays out His will but doesn’t love us less when we are not ready to accept it. He comforts us when we are scared and doesn’t shame us for our fears.
His motivation is pure love and a desire for us to ‘win the game in life’ and give us the victory…even if it means skipping.
The other day I went to my grandson, Carson’s t-ball game. Throughout the entire game, whenever he would hit the ball everyone would start screaming for him to run. We were yelling his name, clapping our hands and encouraging him to run fast to the base. Carson decided to skip. The frustration was on everyone’s face except the coach. He would walk over to him and whisper in his ear only to watch Carson skip the next time the bat smacked the ball. The coach never acted mad but only encouraged Carson to try to run. After the game, Carson professed that ‘it was a skipping day.’ Carson didn’t feel comfortable running so he stuck to what he was comfortable doing – skipping. The coach must have worked throughout the week with him, encouraging him and explaining certain truths about t-ball to him. The next week when the ball was struck, Carson ran. Occasionally, he would break his run to a skip but would return to the full run.
God targets the very things for which we struggle. He will not allow us to sit indefinitely on first base in our insecurities. We will be called to face it head on at some point, deal with it and determine the course of our lives from the revelations. God never gives up on our fears, our doubts or our refusals to obey. He watches us with His patience, His love and shares His revelations about truth with each of us according to the individual intimacy we experience with Him.
He encourages us to run but doesn’t judge us when we skip. He lays out His will but doesn’t love us less when we are not ready to accept it. He comforts us when we are scared and doesn’t shame us for our fears.
His motivation is pure love and a desire for us to ‘win the game in life’ and give us the victory…even if it means skipping.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Radical Living
“Because He forgave us, we forgive others” Ephesians 4:32. “Because He first loved us, we choose to love others.” 1 John 4:19
Forgiveness…it is the thing we seek for ourselves with a spirit of entitlement but the thing we place conditions upon when asked of us. Notice in the two verses that God comes first in both attitudes, most likely for the reason that He sets the example of how to forgive and how to love.
When left to our own wiles we say I will forgive when they…if they…because they…I will love when they…if they…because they…God doesn’t need our help in defining forgiveness and love. He has made it abundantly clear in the Bible His way. He says I forgive…I love…end of story.
Radical love and forgiveness is when we do it for the LORD not based upon the actions of others. It is a fragrant offering and sacrifice lifted before the LORD out of obedience and respect to Him. Joanna Weaver writes, ‘Choosing to forgive is an act of the will. It is a decision made completely apart from the person or people who hurt us. It doesn’t depend on whether we feel like forgiving or whether the person or people ever repent or deserve our forgiveness. It is a gift we give out of obedience to God.’
It is an 'attitude of gratitude' to God for giving the same to us. Forgiveness is not about being justified in our ‘rightness’ but rather pursuing our ‘righteousness’. It is about believing God at His word and allowing Him the right to rule without our manipulation or calculation.
While we can neither choose our life’s experiences nor 'who does what to us,' we can choose our response to these circumstances. Our responses should always be aligned with the attitude of Christ as He demonstrated while on earth.
Because He exemplified radical forgiveness on the cross for those who were still crucifying we also should. To forgive while we are still being wounded is the same radical action from a radical God. He loved while we still hated…He had no sin but died while we were still sinners…He asks God for our pardon while we still crucify others in our unforgiveness.
LORD, help us to love and forgive in the radical manner in which you love and forgive us. Amen.
Forgiveness…it is the thing we seek for ourselves with a spirit of entitlement but the thing we place conditions upon when asked of us. Notice in the two verses that God comes first in both attitudes, most likely for the reason that He sets the example of how to forgive and how to love.
When left to our own wiles we say I will forgive when they…if they…because they…I will love when they…if they…because they…God doesn’t need our help in defining forgiveness and love. He has made it abundantly clear in the Bible His way. He says I forgive…I love…end of story.
Radical love and forgiveness is when we do it for the LORD not based upon the actions of others. It is a fragrant offering and sacrifice lifted before the LORD out of obedience and respect to Him. Joanna Weaver writes, ‘Choosing to forgive is an act of the will. It is a decision made completely apart from the person or people who hurt us. It doesn’t depend on whether we feel like forgiving or whether the person or people ever repent or deserve our forgiveness. It is a gift we give out of obedience to God.’
It is an 'attitude of gratitude' to God for giving the same to us. Forgiveness is not about being justified in our ‘rightness’ but rather pursuing our ‘righteousness’. It is about believing God at His word and allowing Him the right to rule without our manipulation or calculation.
While we can neither choose our life’s experiences nor 'who does what to us,' we can choose our response to these circumstances. Our responses should always be aligned with the attitude of Christ as He demonstrated while on earth.
Because He exemplified radical forgiveness on the cross for those who were still crucifying we also should. To forgive while we are still being wounded is the same radical action from a radical God. He loved while we still hated…He had no sin but died while we were still sinners…He asks God for our pardon while we still crucify others in our unforgiveness.
LORD, help us to love and forgive in the radical manner in which you love and forgive us. Amen.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Driving Under the Influence
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
In my Bible Study this morning the question arose ‘Can fear and faith co-exist in one person?’ Upon my immediate thought my answer was no – we must choose one. Then I realized upon further contemplation that they absolutely do co-exist with fear getting life from the flesh and faith getting life from the Divine. So the follow up question I ask you this morning is ‘Since fear and faith do co-exist which one masters over you?’
Our behavior, attitudes and interactions within our relationships will expose our master. Fear and faith cannot co-exist in equal proportions – one will reign over the other according to which one we serve. Joanna Weaver writes, ‘Fear babbles. It freaks out. It searches frantically for explanations and solutions. It races around trying to fix things or, at the very least, figure things out. It fusses and fidgets, messes and obsesses. Fear sews together fig leaves to cover our inadequacies and paints bright smiles to hide our tears. It builds makeshift shelters and puts on far too much makeup… For you see, difficulties can’t separate us from God – only fear can. Fear in its purest form is really unbelief, the false conviction that ‘God can’t…God won’t…so I must. Faith, on the other hand, chooses to believe that ‘God can, God wants to, and God will…so I choose to trust Him with my life.’ Having a Mary Spirit, p. 140, 147.
We are under the influence of one which will determine how we drive our spiritual vehicles. Do we weave in and out of our circumstances creating danger and strife? Do we allow the distractions of our fear to cause us to take our eyes off our spiritual highway? When we are pulled over by the Holy Spirit will we be able to walk that spiritual line without stumbling or falling?
Through Christ we can choose faith over fear and peace over pain. One will master over the other creating a life of trust and belief in both God’s ability and faithfulness.
Fear’s frantic voice is much louder than faith’s but faith’s actions speak volumes.
In my Bible Study this morning the question arose ‘Can fear and faith co-exist in one person?’ Upon my immediate thought my answer was no – we must choose one. Then I realized upon further contemplation that they absolutely do co-exist with fear getting life from the flesh and faith getting life from the Divine. So the follow up question I ask you this morning is ‘Since fear and faith do co-exist which one masters over you?’
Our behavior, attitudes and interactions within our relationships will expose our master. Fear and faith cannot co-exist in equal proportions – one will reign over the other according to which one we serve. Joanna Weaver writes, ‘Fear babbles. It freaks out. It searches frantically for explanations and solutions. It races around trying to fix things or, at the very least, figure things out. It fusses and fidgets, messes and obsesses. Fear sews together fig leaves to cover our inadequacies and paints bright smiles to hide our tears. It builds makeshift shelters and puts on far too much makeup… For you see, difficulties can’t separate us from God – only fear can. Fear in its purest form is really unbelief, the false conviction that ‘God can’t…God won’t…so I must. Faith, on the other hand, chooses to believe that ‘God can, God wants to, and God will…so I choose to trust Him with my life.’ Having a Mary Spirit, p. 140, 147.
We are under the influence of one which will determine how we drive our spiritual vehicles. Do we weave in and out of our circumstances creating danger and strife? Do we allow the distractions of our fear to cause us to take our eyes off our spiritual highway? When we are pulled over by the Holy Spirit will we be able to walk that spiritual line without stumbling or falling?
Through Christ we can choose faith over fear and peace over pain. One will master over the other creating a life of trust and belief in both God’s ability and faithfulness.
Fear’s frantic voice is much louder than faith’s but faith’s actions speak volumes.
Friday, October 1, 2010
The Well Within
“’Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,’ Jesus told her, ‘but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’” John 4:13-14
The woman at the well is one of the most tender exchanges between the hearts of Jesus and mankind. It describes how we will seek the things of this world in an effort to satisfy, be content and be filled up. He goes on to explain that only through seeking and receiving the things of Christ can we be filled with the content of Christ. I once heard that we were all born with a ‘Christ-shaped hole’ creating a longing that only He can fill. I love this visual of our spiritual jigsaw puzzle. This passage reminds me of the old Chinese proverb that I have always loved.
‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’ This principle is paramount in our search for inner peace and satisfaction. The world gives us daily fixes with no real nourishment. We are temporarily fed by the world with no lasting contentment. But, when we allow God to teach us His basic principles for our lives we are investing in producing an inner pool from which we drink in all situations. We must allow time to drink from His well and learn His lessons so we can obtain the inner peace that continues to feed.
Don’t eat from the buffet of the world but consistently nibble on the richness of fare in the Word.
The woman at the well is one of the most tender exchanges between the hearts of Jesus and mankind. It describes how we will seek the things of this world in an effort to satisfy, be content and be filled up. He goes on to explain that only through seeking and receiving the things of Christ can we be filled with the content of Christ. I once heard that we were all born with a ‘Christ-shaped hole’ creating a longing that only He can fill. I love this visual of our spiritual jigsaw puzzle. This passage reminds me of the old Chinese proverb that I have always loved.
‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’ This principle is paramount in our search for inner peace and satisfaction. The world gives us daily fixes with no real nourishment. We are temporarily fed by the world with no lasting contentment. But, when we allow God to teach us His basic principles for our lives we are investing in producing an inner pool from which we drink in all situations. We must allow time to drink from His well and learn His lessons so we can obtain the inner peace that continues to feed.
Don’t eat from the buffet of the world but consistently nibble on the richness of fare in the Word.
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