Amen.

The last word of the Bible..."Amen". 

Websters defines that word as meaning "An expression used at the end of prayers, and meaning 'So be it'.  At the end of a creed, it is a solemn observation of belief.  When it introduces a declaration, it is equivalent to truly and verily.  To approve warmly, to concur in heartily or emphatically; to ratify."

After studying this book, I was surprised at the amount of hope I still have.  Revelation promises some really terrible things for those that do not believe in Christ Jesus, which is scary when I consider the people I know who are not saved.  But knowing that doesn't leave me desperate...it has, however, stirred up fresh realization that I have a part to play in God's story.  To live in a way that reflects my relationship with Jesus so that others will want to come to know Him too.  To keep studying His Word, letting it filter through my thick skull and letting it penetrate my heart.

So with only two days to go till our "challenge" is over...I decided today that I didn't want to stop.  I want to continue this daily reading with anyone who wants to continue with me!!  So I found this reading plan for the Old Testament in a year.

I'm going to start in January, so - if you want to join me on this - would you mind sending me a quick email or posting to the blog?  I'd just like to see if I should keep posting on this site.

Thanks for reading along with me this year!!  :)

Missing Anything?

So, where was Chapter 9 on the reading schedule?!?  I was a day behind on my reading, then I wake up today and saw that now I'm two days behind.  BUT, I am now caught up through Chapter 10 so all is well.  Not saying I totally understand all that's going on, but basically Earth is under massive attack from all sorts of bad stuff, and I am stunned to read at the end of Chapter 9, verse 20 "The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent..."  I guess the saying is true:  "Some men, you just can't reach."  Not saying there's necessarily a failure to communicate, I'd think it would be pretty crystal clear at this point in time that there IS a God, and He's not to pleased with his creation!

Chapter 10 was interesting.  Loads of stuff happened, but we don't know what!  At first I was wondering why even bother including that Chapter, you aren't telling us anything.  But I realized, finally, that we were being told something pretty important.  Actually, we're being reminded that some things only God knows and we don't need to know (maybe shouldn't even want to know) about the end days.

Reminders from Matthew 13:32 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father".  1 Thessalonians 5:2 "for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night."  Reminding us that we don't need to know the plans or the time...we have enough to do, just trying to live for God every day.  To take in God's Word, which is sweet...but to understand, in the end there is judgement for everyone.  Think about any unbelievers you know.  Does that not turn your stomach to think of what they are facing when that time comes?

Who is on the Throne?

Ok...I have to admit.  I did not anticipate Revelation to have anything in it that would apply to anything I'm going through right now.  I figured it would be an exercise in frustration to understand it, at best.  Head knowledge at most.  But convicting?  Never.

Let me back up to yesterday, because it started there.  In Chapter 4 John gets his first glimpse, through the Holy Spirit, into heaven.  He sees a throne, and God is seated on the throne conducting all of the things that John is writing down.  The study notes in my Bible explained that Chapter 4-5 show us "The world is not spinning out of control; the God of creation will carry out His plans...".  And then today in Chapter 5 we see "in the right hand of him who sat on the throne, a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals".  A scroll, which holds - in writing - God's plans for the world.  Only Christ is worthy to open the scroll, it's seven seals, and carry out the plan.  When one of the elders in Heaven told John not to weep, that the Lion was worthy to open the scroll, the elder was looking at Jesus.  When John looked, he saw Jesus too...but he saw Him as the Lamb.  As we read earlier in Revelation, we should not mistake Jesus (as a Lamb) to be weak.  He is alive in God's strength and power:

"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"Revelation 5:12

This brings me back to the beginning, how I found conviction, in reading this book.  I want to sit on the throne!!!  I want to be in charge of what happens to me, of what I'm allowed to do, of what my future holds.  But I am not, never was, and never will be.  Well, sometimes that just sucks, and makes me want to throw a fit.  I actually started to yesterday - I was sitting on my bed pouting...then I saw my Bible and, since I didn't do my reading yet, I opened up Chapter 4 and when I read in the study notes "The world is not spinning out of control; the God of creation will carry out His plans..."  it was like God was sitting next to me saying "Hey kid, I got this!". 

I'd be willing to bet there's a few others out there who can relate...you get an idea of how things are supposed to go, what would be ideal for you, and then it goes the complete opposite direction.  Maybe you, like me, need to be reminded of Who is on the throne.



Revelation Revealed (ever so slowly)

Here is a post from David (my Dad), and if you know him, you'll understand why I didn't make any spelling corrections.  It just wouldn't be the same.

"Yes , this book of the Bible is the one that i have the hardest time ,whats the word , understanding ? Yes ,that might be it . The first time i read Revalations was after i read the book Healter Skealter (Charly Manson) yikes, he took alot from this book in his demented way of thinking and used it to brain wash his little bunch of followers. So at first ,with no understanding with what was going on with John at the time he wrote this , i got about half way threw and stopped. I got lost big time , seven heads , lampposts golden or not , firery eyes and things, horns trumpeting names of places i hadnt heard of before , wow get me out of hear !!

 With my understanding of the bible much clearer now ,than then i still have a hard time even with a more open mind and better understanding ,of the whole story of Crist just what to do with Revalations ?? How do i put together a sterio surround sound system ,reading diretions that i dont understand ??I have read Revalations a number of times from front to the back , out in the new deer blinds i have a copy of the the new testament in each one so when im there i read alot , might be why i dont see alot of deer ? But , i do spend alot of time out there readying this book ,cause its the one i really dont have a good understandying of .So my thinking is keep reading till i do .I get a little each time ,but it is painfully slow . What i would normally do as with the surround sound system is tear the directions up in alot of small peices and call some one who is smarter than me , hey theres a idea!"

Are You Ready?

AGH!  I can't believe it's December...we are on our final month of this reading challenge.  I am so excited that, personally, I kept up with my commitment...and if you've done the same I'm sure you understand how that feels.  :-)  And if you're one who maybe started to read, then fell back for a while, but tried again...don't feel bad.  It's a start, and we all had to begin somehow!!

So, now to the nail biting finish.  Revelation. (note - singular, there's just one)  Honest opinion here...a little scary.  I've only read it once, and it's not a book we often get the chance to study.  I want to get everyone really opening up on this one - ask questions - make comments - be confused - get answers!  If you can't post to this website, send e-mails and I'll post them here for everyone.  But let's try to really dig in deep with this book and see where it takes us.

First - if you don't yet have a Life Application Study Bible - go get one!

Things I've learned today.  "Revelation is written in "Apocalyptic" form, a type of Jewish literature that uses symbolic imagery to communicate hope (in the ultimate triumph of God) to those in the midst of persecution.  The events are ordered according to literary, rather than strictly chronological, patterns.   There have been many approaches to interpreting this book...but the basic application we can use to approach it is 'Will this help me become a better follower of Jesus Christ today?' "

Verse 9 spoke to me as I read, especially when my study notes pointed out the persection going on in the time John was exiled.  The note said "If we hesitate to share our faith during easy times, how will we do during times of persecution?"  And then into verses 13-16 where we are given quite a startling description of Jesus.  It makes me rethink how I picture Jesus in my head - usually a mild-spoken, gentle looking man...or the image of him dying on the cross and suffering.  But here we see him in his full resurrected glory...full of power.  Yet He still tells John "Do not be afraid".

I know this book is going to be hard to read.  There's lots of symbolism, and there will be details that don't make sense.  Let's finish the race strong, though!  Don't give up just because it's difficult, but take encouragement from the promises this book will reveal.

"Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near"Revelation 1:3

Faith that Works!

I've loved reading James.  It's a great reminder to me that my faith is only known when it's in action.  I got a post from an online devotional (Proverbs 31 Ministries) written by Lysa Terkeurst that fit so perfectly with this. 

"If we want to know God, we have to follow Him. Follow His instructions. Follow His heart. Follow His example. Not just follow along as we mindlessly repeat the words of the Jesus songs and scribble some notes during the pastor’s sermon. No. Really follow. Follow hard. Follow passionately. Follow fully. Follow with engaged minds and willing hearts and open hands and ready feet."

I can have all the right answers about what I believe...but if I don't live it out for the world to see, then my talk is cheap and my walk is week.

"We all stumble"

James 3:2 "We all stumble, in many ways."  I've heard it said, there are no perfect Christians, only the perfect Christ.  So as I write this, I first and foremost want to clarify that I stumble - all the time - and in many ways.  Taming my tongue is one of these ways that I, just like everyone, can stumble and get myself into trouble.  Verse 6 calls the tongue "a fire".  Fire is something you cannot control, or reverse the damage it does.  But we need to be vigilant in our duty to reduce the damage our words can do.

Verses 13-18 look at two kinds of wisdom.  There is wisdom from heaven and there is also wisdom that is "earthly, unspiritual, of the devil".  My study notes in my Bible give a list of these two when regarding speech.  I want to remember this, so when I hear something said or written by another person - I can discern the true source and consider how or if I will respond.
___

When our speech is motivated by              
Satan

It is full of
Bitter envy
Selfish ambition
Earthly concerns and desires
Unspiritual thoughts and ideas
Disorder
Evil

When our speech is motivated by
God and his wisdom

It is full of
Mercy
Love for others
Peace
Consideration for others
Submission
Sincerity, impartiality
Righteousness*
___

* I'm not talking about being Self-Righteous.  Remember, righteousness is "correct by divine declaration" (1 John 1:9)  When someone is righteous in their speech, they speak as one who is seen by God through the cleansing blood of Jesus.

Satan uses the tongue to divide us from each other...to push us away from gathering as one group under Christ.  Breaking up relationships, and making us act like fools.  Wisdom from God leads to peace and goodness, restored relationships, and forgiveness.

Practice What You Preach

I am really excited to start reading James.  I think there's a lot of people I know, including myself, who will find the timing of these readings to be quite perfect.
Today, verse 26 stood out to me "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless."  I don't want to jump ahead too much, because Chapter 3 will dig deeper into this.  But I wanted to write about it because far too often we can listen to God's Word but fail to do what it says.  Do we let what we learn truly change our thoughts and most importantly our actions?  Do we seek God's wisdom when we face trials?

I looked up the word "tongue" in my concordance.  It's defined as "part of the mouth enabling speech; language; special language given to Christians by the Holy Spirit".  There are 27 verses in the Bible that reference this word.  Seems interesting that it's given so much attention there, but how often do we think about our own tongue (unless you get a pizza burn, then you think about it all the time for like three whole days)?  Here are a couple bits of wisdom about tongues....

"When words are many, sin is not absent,
but he who holds his tongue is wise."
(Proverbs 10:19)

"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and truth."
(1 John 3:18)

God's commandment is that we love each other just as He loved us.  (John 13:34)  We all need to check our actions...because love is an action, not a warm fuzzy feeling.  If the Holy Spirit has given a special language to Christians, then that language is based fully on Love.  A Love we can only know if we really KNOW God.  So we must check our tongue, because what we say is also an action that will result in a reaction...and as we're told in Romans 3:23 "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,".  When reading James 1:26, it is a good kick in the butt that no matter how awesome we think we are...it's all worthless if we fail to control the special language given to us by the Holy Spirit.

The Word of God

So last night at the dinner table, my 8 year old son was talking about the Bible to my (almost) 5 year old son.  Thankfully I had my computer on, so I typed out exactly what he said as he was saying it.

"The Bible points us to God. God knew our name before we were born, before our parents knew us. He knows what we're going to say before we even say it!" (He was so excited as he was talking...) he said "God even sent us Jesus to die on the cross for us for our sins so we didn't have to, and it hurt a lot. You know ...what's so cool about it? He had Jesus do all that, just for us. Just for you, and just for me. Do you know why? Because He loves us, in His heart. He loves everyone, even bad guys, even robbers, even people in jail."



No doubt I was amazed at his understanding, and his ability to express it verbally.  It may seem like I'm boasting, but it does correspond with our reading today.  Look at Hebrews 4:2...when people know a lot about Christ but don't combine their knowledge with their faith, anything they've learned is meaningless.  Now look at verses 12-13. "For the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight.  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."

Like Will said, 'the Bible points us to God....God sent Jesus to die on the cross for us for our sins so we didn't have to, and it hurt a lot.  Do you know what's so cool about it?  He had Jesus do all that just for us.  Just for you, and just for me.'  But what we do with it is our choice. It's all personal...God's Word is most definitely living and active, and it reveals who we are and who we are not.  It's not just there to read, recite, and use as a mask.  For it to mean anything we must let it dig deep inside and change us, shape us, and mold us into someone we could never be on our own.  Nothing is hidden from God's sight, and in the end we'll have to give an account to Him for what we've done.  Yes, thankfully He loves us anyways...but we can only hide our true selves from the world.  Who we allow ourselves to become through Christ is our decision.

Everyday!

Today I was practicing a song we're doing on Sunday for KidStuf.  When I sing, I really try to focus on the words and what they mean to me so I can be more expressive and worshipful instead of a remote controlled robot on stage.  So as I'm listening to the song, and focusing on the words I hear:

"Every day Lord I learn to stand upon your word,
and I pray that I might come to know you more,
that you would guide with me every single step that I take,

and everyday I would be a light unto the world."

The words are pretty, and the message is good.  But how often do I put these things into practice?  How often do I stand upon His word...rely on Him to guide my steps...or do I focus on my own desires and rely on my own strength too often?  Am I a light unto the world?

Thankfully, so as to avoid a downward spiral of depressive thoughts, I have a real example of how I put those words into practice.  (Which is the point of reading the Bible, and we saw in today's reading... verse 7 where Paul warns about becoming a perpetual student and never taking action with what we've learned.)  It was yesterday, and I was trying to decide whether to go to an event at church on Friday night alone.  My husband is busy with a work outing, so it's not like he wouldn't go with me if he could...but he just can't.  My friends told me plenty of people go without their spouse, and I could do that too.  At first I said yes, but after thinking about it I realized how worried I am about people judging me, my husband, our relationship...you get the picture.  Self doubt and massive anxiety sent by the big liar himself to try and talk me out of doing something to strengthen my relationship with other Christians. 

So I talked to a friend, who encouraged me to still go.  Then I prayed, and read through 2 Timothy 2.  The notes for verse 3 led me to Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."  So, I decided to rely on God's strength and "throw off all that hinders" (my anxiety, worry, etc.) and just go.

Granted, this is an extremely tame example of how one can put their learning into practice...but I thought I'd share because of it's timeliness with our readings.

Click to hear the song Everyday

Pray for this man

Came across this story today. Thought it was worth sharing. Hard to imagine what real persecution must feel like. Prayers for him, his family and his church family.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/10/03/iranian-pastor-has-greater-chance-facing-death-with-new-allegations/

Was God getting off the plane?

They showed this video in church today. It was as if these people were waiting for God to walk off the plane. Well... maybe it was! The bible is God's Word. To ignore the book is to ignore God. Pretty inspiring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=evMyOQ-vle8

Punchinello

The boys and I have been reading a new book, "You Are Mine", by Max Lucado.  Both boys love it...and it's not that short of a book so anything that keeps their interest is great by me!  If you have little kids - get this book.  There's a few more books like it, telling different stories with the same characters which I will definitely keep on my list to shop for...

Anyhoo, the reason I bring this book up is because of our reading today.

"¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength."  Philippians 4:12-13

In the book, the main character Punchinello  lives in Wemmicksville.  And, like all the other Wemmicks in town, he was carved by Eli the Wemmick-maker.  The story goes on about how everyone started to collect boxes and balls to see who could have the most.  Those that had the most, were seen by others as "good" Wemmicks...and those without were looked down on.  By the end of the story Punchinello meets Eli, his maker, and he realizes the mistakes he's made along the way during his quest to collect the most boxes and balls.  Eli is a loving maker, and said to Punchinello "You're special - not because of what you have.  You're special because of who you are.  You are mine.  I love you.  Don't forget that, little friend."  Punchinello gets a good lesson on how to be content in any situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  We, like the Wemmicks, need to rely on our maker to supply what we need (not just what we want), in the way He knows best.

Punchinello worked hard to get all his boxes and balls.  It cost him a lot.  But he didn't do all that because Eli wanted him to.  Turns out, like people, Wemmicks sometimes do silly things.  In verse 13 we read that "I can do all things through him who gives me strength".  This doesn't mean that God gives us superhuman strength to do whatever we want...what it does mean is that Christ is our source of power when we are obedient to His will and face challenges.

Confidence in the Flesh

So I know a woman.  She goes to church, bible study, and will openly talk about the Bible with me.  She gets visibly excited over scripture and, if something doesn't make sense to her, she'll talk about it.  It's fun for me, maybe because it's safe with her.  But the one thing that frustrates me is that she doesn't call herself a Christian...she's a Lutheran.  She is learning the Truth, but it's being clouded by rituals and religion.

The latest discussion I had with her was regarding baptism.  Her pastor was very upset because there was a couple at the church who lost a baby (I think she said stillborn), and he thought the baby was baptised...but it wasn't.  That got my friend thinking, because she had a miscarriage and that baby was never baptised.  She is so confused right now, because in her church they baptise babies to make sure they get into heaven.  We discussed salvation, and I talked about what is taught at our church - that children have a dedication service where the parents make a pledge to raise their child to know the Lord.  When that child is old enough to make a decision to accept Christ, then the child can choose to be baptised.  She tried bringing it back to salvation again...and I tried to just stick to Scripture and reminded her that we are saved through faith, not by what we do.  We talked about having faith like a child...and I asked her if a baby can have faith, or choose to follow Christ until it is old enough to understand?  Unfortunately we got interrupted in our discussion...so I think for now she still has a lot of questions, and I don't think her church is going to help her understand God's Word on this.  (If you want to, go back and read Romans 10.)

The reason I'm writing about this is because in our reading today Paul talks about the same thing.  In verses 2-6, the idea of "confidence in the flesh" is the same problem my friend is having.  She is so caught up in what her church does as being what makes them believers.  SO many people get this backwards...getting confused by thinking (or being taught) that what we do is a prerequisite to faith....when in reality, what we do is a result of our faith!!  She has so much confidence in the rituals of her church, but is neglecting what God has to say about this.

Do not be fooled.  Salvation only comes through faith in Christ.

Husbands and Wives

Ephesians 5:22 "Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord."
Ephesians 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her"

I know a lot of people have a hard time with wives being told to submit to their husbands.  Although, if you look at what is being asked of our husbands, I think they have the harder job!  But in all reality, these verses just tell us what we've already been told by Jesus in John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."  In my notes on that page, it goes on to say that love is more than warm feelings...it is an attitude that reveals itself in action. 

All this reminded me of a couple pictures I saw once...I think it's from the love and respect book/study.  But I thought I'd post them here because they give a great visual of how the verses above build up a relationship...and how easily a relationship can fall apart if things go in reverse.

A Secure Position

It's really easy to get angry, isn't it!?!  There are so many things that can steal my joy, tick me off, and just make me mad.  Or is it a choice?  In the heat of emotions, it's hard to remember sometimes...or maybe that's just me.  Thankfully God doesn't tell us we cannot feel angry, but He does ask us to handle it properly.  There hides the struggle...

Ephesians 4:26 says " 'In your anger do not sin': Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold."  (Psalm 4:4 is where "In your anger do not sin" was taken.)

Anytime I read something in the Bible and the devil gets mentioned, my attention is grabbed.  How important is it that we handle our anger properly, or else we risk giving the devil a foothold!  What is a foothold, exactly?  It's defined as "A secure position from which further progress may be made."  WHOA!  By holding onto our anger, we're giving the devil a secure position from which he can make further progress in our lives.  That is serious trouble....

Imagine the risks of giving the devil a secure position in your life...because if you give the enemy a secure position - guess who doesn't have one.

Gentleness

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."Galatians 5:22-23

How would you define "gentleness"?  Maybe something like overly kind...passive...mild? 

My church did a series a while back about the verse above, and one day focused only on "gentleness".  Using Isaiah 40:11, the message looked at how God is gentle using the example of a shepherd.  A shepherd guides, provides, protects, and disciplines...because a shepherd knows what is best for his sheep.  Our pastor defined gentleness as "Power under perfect control".  Take a minute...go into your Bible and read Isaiah 40:12-15.  Look at the awesome power that God has over everything.  Then go back to verse 11, and see the gentleness.

So if He is the shepherd, what is our response to God?  We follow Him, not blindly accepting, but out of trust.  "It's a decision to have a heart-attitude of meekness and humility towards God."  Maybe a better question, if gentleness is power under perfect control, would be to ask yourself where do you get your power??

For further reading, check out these verses:
1 Tim 6:11
1 Peter 3:15
Phil 4:5

New Each Day

Summer is fast slipping away, along with a few of the goals I've set for myself.  The past couple weeks, I've found renewed strength to start again in my challenge to learn a new habit...getting up early to go for a run.  I was doing pretty good for a while a couple months ago, then it was only sporadically, and eventually I stopped.  Unfortunately, I let other things take priority, and fell into my old habit of wanting to sleep in more than I wanted to exercise. 

There's been a couple Bible verses that I keep in the front of my mind since this new attempt at creating healthy habits...and today I found more:

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds."

2 Corinthians 10:3-4



For too long I've been ignoring God's desire for me to take care of my body (back in chapter 5 it's referred to as a tent...which always makes me think of Uncle Danny when he called it a carcass...).  But it's soooooo hard to make myself get out of bed sometimes.  Chapter 5 tells me I'm a new creation, the old has gone and the new has come...but this is one area that I am still living with old habits.  So each morning when my alarm goes off, I have to focus my thoughts on verses like these:

"...inwardly, we are being renewed day by day.  (2 Corinth 4:16)

"but those whose hope is in the Lord will renew their strength."  (Is 40:31)

And so I've been getting up, lacing my shoes, and meditating on those words that renew my strength each day to get out there and do something.  And when I get home, it's those words that help me make smarter choices with what I'm eating as well.  Let's just say, the scale doesn't lie...and I can see my efforts paying off.  The way I feel each day is also proof that God's strengthening me in a new way...creating new habits for me as long as I'm obedient to want he wants for me.  New each day...

Challenges into Worship

We all have them...challenges.  We face them every day, whether big or small.  It can be work, relationships, family responsibilities, physical, spiritual, mental...and whatever they are we are given Truth in 2 Corinthians 4:16 "Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." 

Before I even read this today, I was thinking about my own challenges.  I had a thought that really got me thinking.  I ask God to help me deal with them, or (more often) to take them away.  But, what if the struggles I have or challenges I face...what if it's only me who is hanging onto them, and God has already released me from it?  What do I do then?

Verse 18 continues "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."  This is not just for the biggest trials in life, but the little ones we see everyday as well.  For instance (a little one), I struggle to keep up with  housework/laundry/meal preparation/etc..  But, when I remember that I am being renewed day by day and keep my focus on what is unseen, I see my housework in God's light.  When I do that - I see my work at home as just what God has blessed and trusted me with...and if I'm serving God, my work transforms into worship.

If you have time, watch this video of the song "Do Everything" by Steven Curtis Chapman

Knowledge

I really liked reading Proverbs 18:15 today...

The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge;
the ears of the wise seek it out.



It's probably because we're entering into yet another new month of our reading challenge, and every day we open to read our Bible we are acquiring knowledge...but not only are we acquiring it - we're seeking it out, new each day!

When I looked up the word knowledge in my Bible dictionary/concordance it is defined as "the state or fact of knowing; learning; awareness; sum of what has been learned or discovered".  Not a very moving or encouraging description, in my opinion.  So I checked out the master index to see what it had to say...

Knowledge
knowing what is right vs. doing right - 1 Sm 28:3-8
different than wisdom - Prv 1:7-9
knowing about Jesus is not enough for salvation - Mk 3:7-11
knowing the Bible is not enough for salvation - Jn 3:10, 11
knowing God vs. knowing about God - Mt 15:8, 9
faith isn't what you know but whom you know - Col 1:4, 5
must be applied - Col 1:9-14
no believers have secret spiritual knowledge - Col 1:26, 27

Not sure where you guys are at these days, but I know I easily fall into the habit of making my reading each day part of a mental checklist to get through...and fail to focus on where I am in my relationship to God.  Just seeing how the word is defined, and then the coordinating Bible verses was a big eye opener to what "acquiring knowledge" is really all about.

Remaining Silent

I can't seem to pinpoint who exactly said it, but I remember an old saying "Better to remain silent and thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."  I thought of this after reading the last two verses of Proverbs 17 today...

A man of knowledge uses words with restraint
and a man of understanding is even tempered.

Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent,

and discerning if he holds his tongue.

Sometimes it's hard to keep quiet, but it's usually the wiser choice.  It gives you a chance to listen to someone else and maybe learn something...and it also gives you a chance to think before you speak so that whatever you do say will be well thought out and hopefully important.

I used to have a sign on my fridge that I used with the boys as a reminder and a teaching tool...it said:

Before you speak, ask yourself if what you need to say is

T - true

H - helpful

I  - important

N - necessary

K - kind

(It goes along with Philippians 4:8 if you wanted to read that for a comparison.)

Becoming Complacent

What really stood out to me in 1 Corinth 6 was the subject matter.  What's with all the talk about sexual immorality?  It wasn't a very long chapter, but it was a little surprising that Paul had to say the things that he did to the people of Corinth.  But after reading a little more about it, I learned that during that time the Christians were trying to live during an age that supported different beliefs...primarily the people living in that area who worshipped at the temple of Apollo.  The "male prostitutes" referred to in verse 9 was directed at the men who were employed at the temple to fulfill the sexual desires of the male and female worshipers.  The temple of Aphrodite was also in Corinth...and I learned that this temple employed more than 1,000 prostitutes as priestesses, and sex was a part of worship rituals.  All this talk about immorality was necessary because it was acceptable and popular in the culture at that time...and these believers in Christ were starting to become complacent.
That's the word that catches my attention.  When I wrote it I thought it meant something along the lines of getting bored, or just used to the same old thing.  But here's the definition of "Complacent": marked by self-satisfaction with oneself or one's merits, advantages, situation, etc., especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.

No wonder Paul was so direct in his teaching on this subject.  Sexual immorality was as pervasive in society way back then as it is today!  And how easy is it for us to accept the culture around us as normal...to become complacent.    What a tricky way for Satan to render Christians ineffective for the Church.  Makes me think how often we sit back and rely on others, or just don't think about a certain problem going on around us, and how the enemy can easily use this to keep us from our purpose in Christ. 

Just was pretty cool

Went to Lifefest today for church service and was pretty cool. I have to say those marketing for Jesus have done a bang up job in the past say 10-15 years. Be it those in the music industry, the apparal industry or just the image overall etc... It is neat that being a "Jesus Freak" can actually be considered "cool" in society today. Or at least I think it is...

Anyway here were a few pics I took. The cross idea was cool, attendees nailed their burdens on the cross, some were hard to read, made you cry. Not sure if you can read the prayer requests given the size of the pic but one was praying for their runaway son to come home, one to meet her birthmother and find out why she gave her up and one was for their mom and dad to be happy.

Sometimes things just plain ol suck

Not trying to be a downer but man, sometimes I just don't get it. Why did that dad have to die in front of his 6 year old son at that baseball game yesterday. My heart is broken for that little boy...

I know I know there is a reason and a plan and God is in the middle of all of it. But I just can't seem to wrap my mind around why that had to happen. I am drained by the news today so many horrible tragedies.... I just wish we could see more of how God is at work in them...

Romans 12:14

"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."


When someone hurts you, Paul's commands seem impossible.  The last thing I naturally want to do when someone hurts me is to be nice in return.  I want to get them back!  But what does that ever get me...just another enemy, and the enemy is strong enough in this world.  When I follow what Paul writes about in this chapter I am free to love someone as Christ loves me...an imperfect person.   I've experienced God's grace (undeserved favor).  Responding with kindness and love turns the potential bitterness into forgiveness which can lead someone else to Christ instead of turning them away...

Don't Forget

SO, my last post looked like a really good pep talk...and I have to laugh that it took me so long to post again after that.  But, Don't Forget...you all can make posts too!  IF you wanted to, but can't figure it out online just shoot me an e-mail and I'll post it for you (hey, I'll even spell check it for you.)  :-)

Anyhoo...I guess not having time for long thought out posts is a consequence of how I choose to live my life.  I've been busily working on preparing for preschool VBS at our church.  This was my second year leading in the crafts room.  For the past three days the church was invaded by 167 little kids (just the 4-5 year olds) and each day we did a different craft.  It was crazy, but it sure feels good to be a part of something like that.

There was a lot this week that I quickly realized I couldn't control.  I had made plans in my head of how things would go, and guess what - it didn't go exactly as I thought it would.  Did it work out just fine in the end, of course...there was someone bigger than me in charge.

"Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?"

Romans 11:36

It's so easy to forget that God alone is the possessor of absolute power and wisdom.  The only source (not me!).  The old me would have been a wreck over the things that happened, and problems that came as a surprise.  But at the end of the day, God had a plan too...and He worked out everything for His glory.  I was just blessed that I could honor Him by serving them.

Drought During the Storms

So as you can see from my lack of posts that Summer vacation has started!  The month started out with a bang and is almost gone in a blink...a few days off school, kids off to cousin camp, a new Bible study, hosted a rummage sale, new sports for the kids, and just like that I'm behind on my reading.  As it was pouring buckets of rain yesterday and we sat in the house without power...I was removed from the busy...cut-off from the racetrack of my day to day pace I was keeping...and reminded that ironically, despite the massive amount of rain falling outside my window, I was suffering from a drought.  I haven't visited the well to taste the living water in over a week.  And if you looked at my days, you could probably see it right away...that change that happens when you step away for too long, and forget who you are and all the blessings around you, and the whispering of His Spirit.

So I dug in deep this morning, and it's no surprise that in Romans 6:17 I found conviction (that Holy elbow in the gut saying - "Hey, where have you been?").  "But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted."  Did that word stick out to you too?  Wholeheartedly.  To give myself fully (heart, soul and mind)...but I haven't been doing that - not even close. 

Now today I'm feeling the cracks of dry skin starting to soften, and the living well rising up.  I look at what surrounds verse 17.  The words that talk about our choices and who we serve...of the consequences and the benefits from how we live our lives.  I am thankful for this reminder of my purpose.

My Refuge

There were a couple words that stood out for me today.  The first one was more of a concept: fear of the Lord, which means "profound reverence and awe toward God".  The other was refuge, which means "shelter, safety, sanctuary".

He who fears the Lord  has a secure fortress,

and for his children it will be a refuge.  Proverbs 14:26

Sounds pretty good, huh?!  It's a crazy world out there, and all I ever want for my kids and my family is a safe place to call home.  Now I understand the "what", I see from this verse the "why"...but what I don't find is the "how".  How does one "fear the Lord"?  If I have profound reverence and awe toward God I would have to Love Him first, right?  Well, love is an action...a choice.  I have to do something to show love (feeling it just isn't enough).  I could look to 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 for more about this...but those aren't the actions I'm talking about. 

For a real look at how to fear the Lord, I was drawn to reading Deuteronomy 10:12-22.  Do some extra credit today and read those verses (it will take you three minutes)!   To summarize - this is what Moses said about what God wants from us.

1. Fear God (have respect for Him)
2. Walk in His ways (follow him)
3. Love Him
4. Serve Him with all your heart and soul
5. Observe His commands (note, the ten commandments were created to make us aware of sin, nobody can keep them to save ourselves)

So if I want to create a fortress for my children, in which they can take refuge,  I need to Respect, Follow, Love, Serve, and Obey the Lord.  It might seem like a lot of work, but it's not...it's my heart's desire for my husband and children to know the Lord, so I am eager to do my part in God's plan for them, and for me.

Incomplete

I don't have a lot of time to plan out a well written post today.  I just wanted to give everyone a big "high-five" for making it through this challenge - we're starting our 6th month today!  Halfway baby...and it's not even a challenge to get in my reading each day.  I enjoy it...look forward to it...and miss it when I let the busyness of my day take priority.  I hope you feel the same way.  :-)

As for the reading today, I thought it was interesting that some early believers were called "incomplete" in that they believed in Jesus as the Messiah, but they didn't understand the significance of his death and resurrection - or the work of the Holy Spirit.  I think we all know people like this...they're well intentioned, but their knowledge and basis of their faith is incomplete.  I see it in friends who think they're doing fine because they make sure to go to church on Sundays.  I see it on Facebook when people make posts about God during hard times and don't have the ability to see who is actually in control of the situation.  (Like the men in verses 13-19 who called on the name of Jesus without knowing who He really is.)  They just don't have the whole story! 

Some Men You Just Can't Reach

Did you ever talk to someone, you think they understand you...and then they go and do something stupid and you know they didn't hear a word you said.  They might have been listening, but they didn't hear a thing.  (I see that a lot with the 7 and under crowd in our house.)  The people in Lystra were like that.  They listened to Barnabas and Paul preach the good news, but immediately their tiny little brains credited their good works to false gods and tried to offer sacrifices to the two men. 

They called Barnabas, Zeus and Paul, Hermes.  According the legend, the people of Lystra claimed that the gods had once visited their city, but nobody offered them any hospitality except for an older couple, so they wiped out the entire town except for the two old people.  When they remembered the legend, they were quick to bring gifts for Barnabas and Paul.

When they realized what was happening, I can picture Barnabas and Paul saying to the crowd "What we got here, is, failure to communicate".  They tried convincing everyone they were just men...and I really liked what they said afterwards.  In verses 15-18 they try to get the people to realize that the proof of God is all around them...it's in the rain, the crops that grow when they're supposed to, the food they eat.  That is something really easy to overlook when I'm looking for something BIG from God, or I just plain forget the "little" things.  I'm sitting here watching the rain...and when I really consider the rain, I start to think about where I'm sitting (my beautifully remodeled kitchen), my son next to me, the breakfast at our table, the flowers I have actually growing outside (despite my black thumb) that were in much need of watering - and God is taking care of that for me today...because I needed to be inside doing the laundry I've let pile up during the nicer weather we've had.      But I digress. 

So within days, the people offering these gifts turned on Barnabas and Paul...they stoned Paul and left him for dead!  But the men were consistent and committed to their mission...even to the point of returning to all of the areas where people had attacked or plotted against them.  They didn't go back for the people they couldn't reach - but for the ones they did, so they could build them up and support the new believers in faith.  We need to do the same.  If we know a new believer, we're called to support and encourage them.  When we offer Christ's message of salvation to someone, we've done our part but then it's up to the other person to make their own decision.

Part of the Club

It was last school year, and I was at the playground with the kids letting them work off some energy in the afternoon.  There were a few other moms there, and I started talking to one.  She brought up a few things about it being her first year there - she'd transferred her kids from a Christian school to ours - and it came up in conversation about kid's sports and the Upwards program.  Once she found out I went to a Christian church, she asked me if I was a believer and I said I was.  Her reaction kind of freaked me out, to be honest.  She grabbed me by the arm, and led me excitedly over to a couple other women and introduced me by name and told them I was a believer too!  It was a little strange, and I've never been able to quite figure out why she reacted that way...

Reading today about the church in Antioch kind of shed some light on that for me.  When Barnabas and Saul went to Antioch and taught the people there - it was the first time people were called Christians.  My study notes tell me that "the young church at Antioch was a curious mixture of Jews (who spoke Greek or Aramaic) and Gentiles (non-Jews who previously didn't worship God).  It is significant that this is the first place where the believers were called "Christians" (or "Christ-ones"), because all they had in common was Christ...not race, culture or even language.  Christ can cross all boundaries and unify all people."

So that's what got me thinking about that lady on the school playground...it wasn't that she was some crazy person after all.  Although I was weirded out by her reaction...she was just really excited to know she had found a connection to other believers in a school full of unknown faith.  She was probably feeling very alone at a new school and when she found the one thing that united us (being believers), she latched onto me and knew we were both part of the same club.

Do You Understand What You're Reading?

Acts 8:30-31 "...Do you understand what you're reading? Philip asked.  How can I, he said, unless someone explains it to me?..."

I often wonder that myself when I'm reading my Bible.  There's no way I could get what I do out of it without having someone explain it to me.  For me, having a Life Application Study Bible is the only way to get more out of the daily readings and not let this challenge fade into something I check off on my "to do" list each morning. 

Here's an example. 
So...after Philip shared the Gospel with the Ethiopian man, they were traveling along the road and when they came to some water he asked Philip why he shouldn't be baptized.  My Bible (NIV) actually skips from verse 36 right to verse 38.  It's only when I look at the footnotes that I see verse 37 which says "Philip said, 'If you believe with all your heart, you may.'  The eunuch answered, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."   After that Philip baptized him.

Baptism is a sign of identification with Christ and with the Christian community.  Even though Philip was his only witness, it was still an important step for the Ethiopian man.  Back in chapter 2:38 Peter says "...Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."  When we turn from our sin (repent) and change the direction of our lives from following our own selfish desires...we turn to Christ in understanding that we cannot save ourselves and rely on Him for forgiveness, leadership, and purpose.  Being baptized in the name of Christ is a sign of our faith and is a condition of discipleship...an outward sign of commitment that is accompanied by an inward change.

Without my notes/study guide, I wouldn't have been able to put all that together.  Also, I wouldn't have been able to figure out why it was so important for us to know that this random Ethiopian on a dirt road heard the Gospel and was baptized.  Turns out, because Philip was obedient, the Gospel was shared with with the man in charge of the treasury in Ethiopia...and Christianity was brought into the power structures of another government.  This was the beginning of the witness "to the ends of the earth" (1:8).  Isaiah 56 talks about this too, and I learned that eunuchs and foreigners were often excluded from worship...so for Philip to go an talk to the Ethiopian eunuch - that was a big deal back then.

Choice for Today

Yesterday, our pastor at church said "You're as close to God today as you choose to be."

I've been running that phrase through my mind all day, thinking about where I'm at in my relationship with God.  Just thought I'd share in case it makes you think about yours too...

Perception vs Persecution

Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.

Acts 4:29

How often, in the presence of those outside of church, do I speak God's word with great boldness?  Definitely not as often or in the way I would feel comfortable doing so...and I know there are plenty of times when I clamp my mouth shut during a conversation, even if the Words are burning inside me and want to come out.

So what stops me?  In a word, it's perception.  I get it all worked up in my head that my audience either doesn't want to hear it, won't understand it, or will feel like we don't have anything in common and will turn away from me.  What's funny is that those reasons seem like such a big deal in my head...but now that I'm looking at them on paper, they seem so small...and yet I know they still have power over me.  Ugh

The interesting thing about all that is the realization that I've been calling it persecution!  I don't have people like the Sadducees questioning my faith and tossing me in jail for believing in Jesus.  I don't have to worry about being judged by the same council that crucified the Lord.  Now that's persecution...being constantly harassed and oppressed.  I don't have those things...I'm just socially uncomfortable and worried that people will reject my friendship.

Then how does boldness begin?  It's defined as being "fearless before danger - self assured".  I know in my heart that God wants nothing more than for me to speak His truth to others, and be the salt and light He's called me to be.  But I need to find the boldness our reading talks about today.  The apostles didn't rely on themselves for their boldness...they prayed and received their power from the Holy Spirit.  I can look back at verses 24-30 to see how they prayed.  First, they gave thanks and told God about their problem.  Then they asked for His help...not that He would take the problem away, but for help to deal with it.  If they needed prayer and His Spirit to do what they were called to, then surely I do too!!  Guess I've got some work to do...

Spiritual Gifts

Our service last week touched on this so got me thinking... what the heck are mine? I am like a jack of all trades I like to think. Well I took a quiz and here is what it said. My top two dominate gifts were Administration and Evangelism. I guess I can see where I may fit their description. Here is a brief summary:

The results of your Spiritual Gifts Inventory indicate that your number one dominant gift is ADMINISTRATION! The Greek word "kubernesis" means one who steers a ship. This expert had the responsibility to bring a ship into the harbor through the rocks and shoals, under all types of pressures. As an administrator you have the Spirit-given capacity and desire to serve God by organizing, administering, promoting, and leading the various affairs of the church. The administrator is not a glorified file clerk.

As an administrator you are a take-charge person who jumps in and starts giving orders when no one is in charge. You will put a plan on paper and start delegating responsibility. You may lean toward organizing things, events or programs, OR toward organizing people, emphasizing personal relationships and leadership responsibilities. In the first case, you usually organize details and have people carry them out. In the second case, you tend to organize people and rely on others to take care of the little things.

You don't often admit to mistakes and do not like to take time to explain why you are doing things; you just expect the job to get done. If things in the church, office, club, etc. become fragmented, you can harmonize the whole program if given a chance. You are a person with a dream and are not afraid to attempt the impossible. You are goal-oriented, well-disciplined, and work best under heavy pressure. You are often a good motivator and not a procrastinator. You are serious minded, highly motivated, intense, and have an accurate self-image. You tend to be more interested in the welfare of the group than your own desire. You are probably a perfectionist and want things done your way now.

The results of your Spiritual Gifts Inventory indicate that your second dominant gift is EVANGELISM! That does not necessarily mean you are supposed to travel the world, preaching the Gospel. The Greek word "Euangelistes" means to proclaim glad tidings, a messenger of good. It denotes a proclaimer of the Gospel. The evangelist can either be a preacher who stands before a crowd, imploring them to be saved, or perhaps an individual sitting in a living room or on a plane, trying to persuade someone to accept Christ. As an evangelist you have the Spirit-given capacity and desire to serve God by leading people who are beyond your natural sphere of influence to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. You are sometimes classified as the aggressive soulwinner who seeks the lost.

As an evangelist you are likely very outgoing and personable. You compliment even strangers and are not afraid to ask them questions about their lifestyle - such as where they work, what hobbies they have, what's their favorite sports team, where they were born, and do they attend church. This opens the door to talk about their relationship with Jesus Christ - something you're just itching to do. Be careful not to be too overbearing or you may push some people farther away from Christ.

It does go on to explain what you need to be aware of as far as how Satan will play on these and of course how you can use these for God's purpose. So all in all very interesting and will try to focus more on this quiz and see where opportunities come up where I can really use these gifts. I am also curious of the accuracy so will be taking more of these to be sure it is consistent...

I would LOVE to see what you all come up with! So take the quiz and share your gifts!! Copy and past the following link to take the test.

http://www.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/gifts.cgi?intro=1

Acts

I always get a little excited when we start a new book.  The past 5 months we've stuck with this reading challenge daily...and surprisingly I've only had a couple times where I had to play catch-up.  I'm encouraged to know that you're still going through this with me!

Acts was written by Luke as a sequel to the Gospel.  My Bible describes it as not just an historical record of the early church, but a theological reference to living examples of the work of the Holy Spirit, church relationships and organization, the implications of grace, and the law of love.

This first chapter, in verses 4-5, mentions the Trinity.  I wanted to write what my study notes say about this, because I know sometimes it's hard to grasp the idea of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and what exactly the difference is.  So here it goes...I did paraphrase a little because it was a little long:

If Jesus had stayed on earth, his physical presence would have limited the spread of the gospel, because physically he could have only been in one place at one time.  After he was taken up into heaven, the Holy Spirit was sent to be present everywhere with followers of Christ.  We receive the Holy Spirit (are baptized with him) when we receive Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:9)  The Spirit is the power of our new lives. (Gal 3:3, Phil 1:6).  He begins a life-long process of change making us more like Christ.  When we receive Christ by faith, we begin an immediate personal relationship with God.  The Spirit unites the Christian community in Christ...can be experienced by all, and he works through all. (1 Corinth 12:11, Eph 4:4).

Doubt

When I was deciding what to write about today, the first idea was to look into the character of Thomas.  He was remembered for being the one who doubted Jesus' resurrection until he saw the nail holes in His hands and touched His side which was pierced with the sword.  I thought it was interesting how my Bible described this doubt as a good thing...because Thomas' doubts had a purpose.  He wanted to know the truth.  His faith was always strong, and he was consistent in that he didn't settle in his doubts.  Thomas was ready for action when he got the answers he was looking for - he moved on from them to decision and belief.

However, as I was starting to write and went back to read a little more, I realized something that a little unsettling for me.  In verses 21-22, Jesus said "...As the Father sent me, I am sending you...Receive the Holy Spirit".  Okay...I know this isn't making sense yet...so let me back up.

This morning I woke up, the kids were fighting about things we've been talking and talking and talking about for weeks now.  Will is struggling - his behavior at school is getting him in trouble (playing too rough at recess, lying to his teacher, calling kids names, talking out of turn in class, lack of respect for his teacher, not doing his work).  We have tried explaining to him that we know he's a good kid, that he has the ability to be loving, kind and respectful at school...but his choices are making people think he's a trouble-maker and someone they won't want to be friends with if he keeps it up.  We've tried rewards, lectures, punishments...but we know the choice has to be his.  So anyways, first thing this morning, Will gets into trouble and I sent him to his room.  While he's in there, I'm laying in bed praying for wisdom, because I just don't know what I should do with him.  I don't know what else I can say, do, or try that will help him change.  Then (oddly enough) I remember the other day Will asked me why I read my Bible every day.  It was an awesome question, so I told him that I read it because God wants to talk to me, and lots of times I find that what I'm reading has to do with the things going on in my life that day. 

SO, I opened up my Bible and looked up "Children" in the concordance.  I found Proverbs 20:11 ("Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right.")  and Eph 6:1-3 ("Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.  Honor your father and mother - which is the first commandment with a promise - that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.")  So I called Will into the room, and we talked about these two verses in detail...and read through the explanations in my study notes.  After that we prayed together about his actions, his choices, and the promise that God makes when he makes the choice to change his behavior.  I was feeling pretty good after this, like I was finally onto something.

So now this brings me back to verses 21-22.  In verse 21 Jesus sent out the disciples to do a job.  In verse 22, Jesus gave them the Holy Spirit's power to do their job.  When I became a Mother I was given a job to do as well.  But a lot of the time I am like Thomas (see, I told you I'd bring it around).  I doubt God's ability to help my son...and His ability to help me.  Even after what happened this morning, I still need to think about my doubts, and fully trust in God for what He can and will do for my son.  I have been struggling just as much as Will lately, because I've been trying to do my job with my own strength and power.  Through our reading today I am reminded that my authority as a Mother comes from God...and that through Jesus I can find the wisdom I need to accomplish my job.  I also am reminded that I constantly need to rely on the strength that God provides through the Holy Spirit, and to not rely on my own strength.

Righteousness

So what exactly is "righteousness"?  The word is defined as acting in a morally correct manner; correct by divine declaration. 

Our reading today had the following verses about righteousness (there were more, this is just a sample):

"The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them

but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness."

"The truly righteous man attains life

but he who pursues evil goes to his death."

"Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished,

but those who are righteous will go free."

When you only look at the first part of the definition...one could attempt to become righteous through their own efforts.  If you've tried that (like I have in the past), then you probably have figured out the futility involved.  And when you read in Romans 3:10 "There is no one righteous, not even one..." we have even more proof that, left to our own devices, we just can't be good enough for God.  We can't earn the ability to be called righteous on our own.  Lots of people like to act as if they are righteous, but it's only skin deep.

So, if we can't do it on our own...how do we obtain the righteousness that Proverbs 11 speaks about?  That's where the second part of the definition comes into play - to become "correct by divine declaration".  For that we can look to 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."  God wants to forgive us...confessing our sin allows us to stay connected to Him, and this verse tells us that when we do, he will purify us from all unrighteousness.  And when that happens, we become "correct by divine declaration".

Got a little confused

Maybe someone can clarify.... The first part of the reading today Jesus says the following:
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

But then later in the reading he says:
28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

I guess that confuses me because in one area he is the Father and in the next the Father is greater.

Any insights on this LMK - Just wanted to disect that a little more w/ the group.

Happy Easter!

I hope that everyone had an amazing Easter...that you were able to worship the risen Lord, spend time together with family/friends, and alone time with God.  I am enjoying the sunshine and warmer weather today, relaxing with my guys and thinking about the past week.  I spent some good time talking, reading, teaching, and answering questions with my kids about Easter and what it's all really about. 

It was interesting on Friday, I took Will with me to Good Friday services.  Thankfully I had mentioned to him that there would be video of the crucifixion and prepared him for the brutal scenes he would see.  He had a hard time watching it, hid his eyes a few times, but overall did pretty well.  He knew the story of the how and the why Christ died on the cross...but it's a different story to see the crown of thorns, the blood, the pain.  So as we celebrated today I was reminded of the difference at the church I attend now...compared to the church I grew up with.  Growing up, there was always an image of Christ hanging on the cross.  It was just always there, but I never gave a second thought to what it symbolized.  My children, on the other hand, are being raised in a church that does not have an image of Christ on the crosses that are displayed.  It's just the cross...so when Will saw the video portraying the crucifixion, it meant something!  He saw and felt an emotional response to what Christ did for him on the cross.  It was a totally different experience for him than I ever had as a child...and it was amazing to be there with him through it.  A few years ago a mentor of mine explained to me that the image of Christ is not on the cross at church because we believe and worship a risen Lord.  Praise and glory to the Lamb!

So as we celebrate Easter, and enjoy all the chocolate goodness along with it, I just wanted to share how thankful I am for this Bible reading challenge and all that I'm learning through it, growing from it, and applying to my everyday life, and on top of all that, sharing it with my children and you.  Happy Easter!

The Cross Video

Here is what I put together today... Happy Good Friday!

https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/video/video.php?v=1911692908062

He Cares

I remember back in VBS when we were kids, one summer the teacher had us all memorize a bible verse.  Lots of kids memorized John 3:16 I think because the teacher wanted us to...but we could have picked anything.  Almost everyone picked the same verse...except our brother Bill.  He picked the shortest verse in the Bible.  John 11:35 "Jesus wept".  I'll never forget the proud look on his face.  Not sure how he figured out that verse existed, but the look of triumphant victory over the teacher on his face was priceless.

It's a funny memory, but actually those two little words tell us so much.  We have a Savior who cares enough about us to weep with us in our sorrow, shows compassion when we're struggling, is frustrated with stubborn blindness, and is joyful in our success.  When we share our emotions with Him through prayer, He understands because he felt them too! 

It was this idea of emotions that is reminding me of what Jesus must have been going through today, the day before his death.  Knowing He would be betrayed by his friend, knowing that even the disciples would turn away from Him...knowing the pain of the cross that was before him.  Yet still He humbled himself in service by washing the feet of the disciples, and commanded us to Love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34).  This kind of love is more than just warm fuzzy feelings...it's action, it's intentional, and sometimes it's inconvenient and it's hard to do.  But people notice, and they want to know how you do it!

Opening Our Eyes

Over the past few years, I have experienced a gradual change in the way I read the Bible.  When I first believed in Jesus, I started to read it because I thought I should....the people I was meeting at church were doing that, so I wanted to be part of that group.  Then after a while of going to church more, taking a Bible study class or two, the reading started to make more sense.  It started to change from just words on the page and verses that were popular to have memorized, into a life changing personal message. 

John 9:35-41 is a perfect example of what I mean.  Jesus teaches about Spiritual Blindness, and how faith in Him is a growing process for believers.  First, the blind man in this chapter gains physical sight (an awareness of self), then he gains spiritual sight (recognizing Jesus as a prophet).  That turns into an awareness that Jesus is Lord.  The more he grew in his understanding of Christ, the more the previously blind man boldly shared his story of healing.  This was a great example to me, seeing how he just told the truth about what happened to him, and gave all the credit to Jesus.  Sometimes I think I have to know all the answers in order to talk about having a relationship with Christ with other people...when all I need to know is how He has changed my life, and trust that He can use that in bigger ways than I ever could.

Getting to know Jesus more and more has opened my eyes to amazing relationships, opportunities, and life change that otherwise would never have happened.  It has been a growing process that is ever changing, and the more I learn about God the more I have grown to trust in him.  2 Peter 3:18 confirms this by telling us to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To him be glory both now and forever! Amen".

I believe there is a God so I'm in right?

Pretty good question today from Pastor Dennis (and I paraphrase) ... If you can get to heaven because you are a pretty good person, you go to church, you try to live a moral life etc...what is the point of Jesus, if you really believe your good works is the ticket to heaven then Jesus becomes irrelevent. And another interesting point to ponder...He also said just because you acknowledge or believe there is a God doesn't mean you will be in heaven. Even the Devil acknowledges there is a God...you have to surrender your life AND believe. It's a combo package

What Do You Want?

"Do you want to get well?" 

I don't know where you are in your life...in your relationships, in your journey with God, in your finances, in your prayer habits, in your attitudes, in your health, in your everything and anything that might be a problem area for you.  But Jesus asks a question to the man by the pool, who for 38 years had been unable to help himself down to the water for healing (from time to time an angel of the Lord would come and stir up the water, and the first one into the pool would be cured).  The question He asked the invalid on his mat is the same question He asks of us.

Like the man stuck on his mat, we can create for ourselves a hopeless situation.  The invalid sat there, waiting for someone else to help him...but everyone else was too worried about themselves to help him.  We can do the same thing when we're stuck in a problem area.  We can rely on ourselves or even on others for help, but where human efforts fail - Jesus is right there asking "Do you want to get well?"  When we turn to the source of hope that is never failing, we are no longer trapped.  Who knows what God has planned through the things we experience, but He is our true source of healing and the forgiveness of our sins.

Another part of this I thought about today are the people who walked right past the invalid on his mat, never looking at him or offering a hand to help him get to the water.  How many times have I done this...not really looking at someone I encounter during my daily life...how many have I rushed past an opportunity to do good, only worrying about myself and my needs?  More food for thought I guess...

Busted...

Okay - I'll admit it.  This was my longest stretch of not doing my daily Bible reading.  It's been almost a full week, and I'm getting caught up today.  The interesting thing I've realized is that I really missed getting that time with God every day.  I was doing other things that sounded good - last day of my bible study on Friday...went to church Sunday.  But it just wasn't enough, is the best way I can put it, and I know that my actions and choices were a reflection of that.

As I was reading today, it occurred to me that certain things in my Bible's study notes were jumping off the page at me and slapping me in the face.  (It may seem like I feel beaten down, but I assure you - this was a much needed and refreshing slap in the face.)  Maybe you can relate...

• "How blind and foolish to call Jesus nothing more than an unusually good man or moral teacher.  Yet sometimes we act as if this were true when we casually toss around his words and go about living in our own way." (John 1:1-2:11...Jesus is the eternal Son of God)
• "God looks for steady growth, not perfection.  How well does your present level of spiritual growth match up to how long you have known Jesus?"  (referencing Nicodemus)
• "He must become greater; I must become less." (John 3:30)
• "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24)  Notes: "Is your worship genuine and true?  The Holy Spirit helps us to worship by praying for us (Romans 8:26), teaching us the words of Christ (John 14:26), and tells us we are loved (Romans 5:5)".
• "Faith is a gift that grows as we use it." (John 4:53)

So that got me caught up on John.  Then I went back and got caught up reading Psalms 39-42 and had a few more good face-slappers:

• Theme for Psalm 39 "Apart from God, life is fleeting and empty". 
• Psalm 40:6 "To obey is better than sacrifice (1 Sam 15:22)  Make sure to give God the obedience and lifelong service he desires from you".
• "Psalms is divided into five books, and each one ends with a doxology or an expression of praise to God.  The first book of the psalms, Ch. 1-41, takes us on a journey through suffering, sorrow, and great joy.  It teaches us much about God's eternal love and care for us and how we should trust him even in the day-to-day experiences of life."
• Psalm 42 "Our lives depend on God.  Feeling separated from God, this psalmist wouldn't rest until he restored his relationship with God."

I'm feeling very re-energized after going through all this today.  It feels like when you breathe in deep and fill your lungs with the new spring air outside that is being warmed by the sun and is bringing fresh life to the earth.  John 4:34 sums it all up for me today: 

" 'My food', said Jesus, 'is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work' ".

The food Jesus talks about here is exactly what I've been missing.  It's so much more than going to bible study, praying, and attending church.  Spiritual nourishment fills us as we take in the Word, in addition to nourishing us by what we then give out for God.

A Day Behind

Since I was a day behind in my writing yesterday, I'm going to stick with that today.  Yes, I've read Luke 24...but there was something cool I read yesterday that I wanted to share.

In Luke 23: 18-25 we see the story of Barabbas, who was thrown into prison but the crowd demanded that he be released instead of Jesus.  They don't tell us much about Barabbas, other than he was guilty of the same crime that Jesus was accused of in verse 14.  The particularly interesting thing I learned came from my study notes in my Bible.  So I'm just going to copy them over here for you to read:

"Who was Barabbas?  Jewish men had names that identified them with their fathers.  Simon Peter, for example, is called Simon son of Jonah (Matthew 16:17).  Barabbas is never identified by his given name, and this name is not much help either - bar-abbas means "son of Abba" (or "son of daddy").  He could have been anybody's son - and that's just the point.  Barabbas, son of an unnamed father, committed a crime.  Because Jesus died in his place, this man was set free.  We too are sinners and criminals who have broken God's holy law.  Like Barabbas, we deserve to die.  But Jesus has died in our place, for our sins, and we have been set free.  We don't have to be "very important people" to accept our freedom in Christ.  In fact, thanks to Jesus, God adopts us all as his own sons and daughters and gives us the right to call him Abba - "daddy" (see Galatians 4:4-6)"

The Broken Lamp

I am struggling with Will lately.  I sent him off to school after yet another rough morning.  He was being defiant, telling me "NO", so I sent him to his room.  When he didn't go, I got up and chased him down - as he jumped on his bed he knocked down his new reading lamp and it broke.  (Will loves to read in the morning, and this lamp was very special to him - so he was devastated.)  His choices lately worry me.  He's got a sweet spirit, is loving, supportive, generous, brave, and very smart.  But he is getting into trouble at home and at school lately because of his choices...and those choices are leading others to believe that he is rude, uncooperative, disrespectful, and lacks empathy.  His choices are bringing him unfortunate consequences, and it's heartbreaking for me, combined with feeling completely frustrated and feeling like a failure. 

Yesterday we read Proverbs 9 which compared the house of Wisdom with the house of Folly.  I can't get these words out of my head, so I guess that means I need to look at them more closely.

Wisdom:  ability to make good use of knowledge; ability to recognize right from wrong; good judgement.

Folly:  lack of good sense; foolishness; wicked or lewd behavior.

God tells us that Wisdom is primary and fundamental (see Proverbs 8:22-31), and it's the foundation that all life is built...in chapter 8 we see Wisdom as a woman who guides and makes us succeed, and was present at the beginning of creation (she sounds like a Mom).  Psalm 111:10 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom". 

In chapter 9, we are told that "Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn out its seven pillars".  Here the number seven is a figurative term for completeness and perfection.  This lets us know that Wisdom lacks nothing.  Folly, on the other hand, is deceptive and seeks to destroy...she is undisciplined and without knowledge.

When I read my Bible lately, thanks to my recent Bible study girls, I pray a personalized version of Ephesians 1:17 "God, please give me your Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that I may know you better."  And as I'm writing all of my thoughts down here I'm starting to see what God's telling me through all this.  Wisdom begins with knowing God...not knowing about Him, but to know Him better! 

I turned a few pages back and saw Proverbs 4:3-4 "³ For I too was a son to my father, still tender, and cherished by my mother. ⁴ Then he taught me, and he said to me, “Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live."  My greatest responsibility as a parent is to encourage my child to become wise.  Wisdom comes from God, and I can only urge my sons to turn to God's Word in the same way that I need to every day.

Personally, through writing all this out, I just realized that I have become like the broken lamp.  My thoughts, actions, expectations - they don't shine from Wisdom lately.  They have been foolish.  I need to encourage my sons to "become" wise.  However, I have been treating them as if they already "are" wise...instead of treating them like the little boys they are who need parents to guide them to succeed.  I haven't been doing a good job of that lately.

A friend of mine encouraged me today with 2 Corinthians 4:8, and when I looked it up, I found verse 6 "For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness", made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."  God has entrusted me with my children...and I thank Him for that gift every day.  He is the source of all Wisdom, and His power dwells in me, the power source for His light to shine through me onto my children.