Recovery without 'roids (or HGH)

One of the nice things about being in a closer walk with God is quicker recovery. I didn't enter church tonight in the right frame of mind. As the drumsticks cracked to open the time of worship, I realized how sinful my thoughts and attitudes were and was quickly able to throw that up to God in prayer. Before the words of the first song were sung, I had done enough business with God to truly worship Him in spite of my recent faults.

Not only did He help me worship by quickly taking my junk from me, but He used that junk to teach me a lesson. Whenever I'm unhappy, it's almost without fail because I'm being selfish and self-focused. In times of being down, the antidote is to take my eyes off of myself and focus on the Lord and the needs of those around me.

"The art of losing myself in bringing You praise..." The words of that worship song rang true in my life tonight.

"Lord, enable me to lose myself so that I may be unhindered in bringing You praise and bringing light to the lives of others. Thanks for showing me that there is more to life than my personal happiness. Open up my eyes to things unseen--soften my heart to know that bringing You glory is all that matters in life. Thank You for Your patient teaching, Amen."

The Lord Keeps His Promises

I Samuel 30: 8, 18 - 19: (emphasis added)

So David inquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?" And He answered him, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all."

So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all.

Whenever David turned to God for direction, the answer was sure and the blessing was great. Don't let that lesson be lost in your own life: go to God for all decisions and be willing to follow Him as He leads. The road may be uncanny, but He will not lead you astray.

Worth the Wait

And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him...then Saul said to his servants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her." I Sam 28:6-7

When God doesn't answer, wait. Wait, and if necessary, get right with him. But by all means, do not go off looking for answers on your own. In Chapter 28, Saul seeks the counsel of a medium when he doesn't get an answer from God on how to fight the Philistines. The chapter mentions that he had earlier cast "the mediums and spiritists out of the land" (v. 3). Yet in desperation, he turns to a medium, and even promises her safety in spite of the Levitical laws that required stoning such a person (Lev. 20:27). He gets an answer in v.19, but it's not the one he wanted: he would die in battle the next day.

I don't struggle with consulting mediums for battle plans, but there are plenty of applications for waiting on the Lord in my life. It can be painful to sit and wait for the Lord to lead. However, it sure beats the misery of running away on my own and running head-first into His wrath.

Peace Out

So I'm rocking the morning quiet time on Christmas Day, and I come across an awesome connection between the familiar Christmas verse about "peace on earth, goodwill toward men" (Luke 2:14) and the OT (Isaiah 53:5): "...the chastisement for our peace was upon Him..."

In front of the family manger, it struck me that the only reason we can have "peace on earth" is that our punishment was on Christ. This connection definitely brought new life to the old Christmas cliche and gave me a deeper appreciation for the moments of "peace" I experience in my daily life.

Really?

I Sam 23:2-5
Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" And the Lord said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah."

But David's men said to him, "Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?"

Then David inquired of the Lord once again. And the Lord answered him and said, "Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand."

And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.


In v.4, David gives God a "really?". God had told him in v.2 what to do. However, when David's buddies question God's plan out of fear, David double checks with God again...you know, just in case. Silly. God's answer was no different the second time around, yet this time He was more direct in His answer: "I will deliver the Philistines into your hand."

So often, I want the full scoop before I'm willing to move forward in anything. However, when it comes to following God's leading, may I not be so presumptuous as to question Him. I may not get it, I may fear it, but I better do it. How can I glorify God when I question Him? "Lord, help me not to question You or hold out for more information when You prompt me to go. May my focus be on You--not on myself or others. May I obey You fully and without question, for Your glory. Amen."

God didn't mislead David, and He won't mislead us. Trust Him without question.

Band of Brothers

"David...escapted to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them." I Sam 22:1-2

The amazing power of fellowship. It doesn't matter if every guy is a first round draft pick or a McDonald's All-American. Even the motliest of motley crews can bring tremendous power and encouragement to an individual. Reading the verses above, David's "brothers" seem more like a band of losers. However, their presence seems instrumental in David's turnaround: he went from fearfully hiding in a cave at the beginning of the chapter to bravely assuring a shaken priest that "with me you shall be safe" at the end of the chapter. More importantly, in the beginning of chapter 23 we see David returning to his Lord--seeking His will for his next course of action ("David inquired of the Lord, saying, 'Shall I go and attack these Philistines?'" I Sam 23:2).

I'm thankful for my small group brothers who give me the encouragement and boldness to take chances, make a doctor's appointment, leave work at a reasonable hour, own my junk, make morning time with God a consistent part of life, stay out the ditch of self-pity, manage my time better, persevere in running, and push on to greater service of others for the Lord's glory.

Thanks brothers!

Avoiding the need for an escape hatch

In the end of I Sam 21, David goes mad. He literally feigns insanity to avoid a risky situation in front of the Philistine king in enemy territory. Was it a wise move? Should he be commended for taking the only escape hatch available to preserve his life--and the lineage to our Saviour?

Not so fast my friend!

What was David doing in enemy territory by himself, holding the sword of the Philistine champion he had previously killed? Why did he even need an escape hatch? If he had focused on God instead of continuing to run from Saul, I would venture to say that he would not have ended up here. Was he wrong for running for his life? Not necessarily. Was he wrong for not looking to God and trusting Him for deliverance? YES. David already experienced God's divine protection and deliverance when he took Goliath one-on-one--why couldn't God do the same again?

As I apply this to my own life, I had the thought that I need to follow God at every turn. If I keep my focus on Him that consistently, I can trust that I'm in His will and protected as He sees fit. Following the protection He provides, I will not need resort to my feeble efforts--I will not need to create my own escape hatch.

I wanna be, I wanna be like Paul. Like Paul, if I could be like Paul!

5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.
6 As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8 And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.

Wow, I want to be able to say what Paul does in vs. 7 at the end of my days! While it's a work in progress until then, I can focus on sharing my light with others through relationship building, and being a "light" Lord, am I fully poured out for you? Show me where I need to keep tipping over! Help me to fully carry out the ministry you have called me too. Lord, thank you for the disciplines you are growing me in, and how what I do everyday is the basis for fully carrying out ministry.

Focusing on our Focus

Scene 1: "And the Philistine said to David, 'Come to me and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!' ... So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine." I Sam 17:45 and 48.

Scene 2: "And David said to Jonathan, 'Indeed tomorrow is the New Moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. But let me go, that I may hide in the field until the third day at evening.'" I Sam 20:5

What a difference a few chapters makes! In I Sam 17, David was the young buck boldly running to defeat a large enemy in the name of the Lord. In I Sam 20, the same David is running wildly away from his own king and father-in-law. What is behind this difference? What stands out to me is the lack of focus on God. In chapter 17, David was all about defending God's glory with no thought to his own life. In chapter 20, David's primary concern seems to be that his life is imminent danger.

We all wax and wane in our boldness and strengths. It's good to see that David is human just like we are. However, is the waxing and waning simply a natural part of life or naturally the result of a wrong focus in life? When we focus on God, we are strong enough in Him to face every obstacle that comes our way--every time.

"God give me the grace to keep my focus continually on You. Smooth out the ups and downs in my boldness by enabling me to consistently move forward in the the boldness that comes from following You. Amen."

Wise up!

"David behaved more wisely than all the sevants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed." I Sam 18:30.

Whether it's a well-timed witty comment or keen insight, I often find myself wanting to come across as "wise" so people will like me. I see in today's verse that wisdom can lead to high esteem...at least in the eye's of some. One verse earlier, this same wise guy (not wiseguy) David earned an enemy for always being "spot-on" (for our friends across the pond): "So Saul became David's enemy continually." This animosity was not because of something that David had done against Saul, Saul was just jealous of his position (I Sam 18:8-9, 28)

So, no matter how awesome you rise to be, there will always be someone who can't stand you. I guess the lesson here for me is to not worry about what people think of me...for good or for bad. My Lord and Saviour is the only one who I should seek to impress with my wise behavior.

Talk to the Owner

"...the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's..." I Samuel 17:47



Except for the medieval enthusiast, swords and spears are not something we interact with on a daily basis. However, it's a great reminder that the Lord is not limited to physical items to accomplish victory in our lives. The Lord is owner of the battles in which we are involved. It's almost like God participates in our daily lives like the kid with the cool electronic football game--He's in control and can intervene at any time. What a comfort that the Owner of the game of life is on our side!

Underdogs

App St. vs. Michigan, Diamondbacks vs. Yankees in the 2001 World Series, David vs. Goliath, ...everyone loves the underdog, and it seems like everyone knows this particular Bible story (especially the SportsCenter anchors). But what makes David's case unique?

Besides challenging a 9 foot 9 inch warrior to a fight to the death with the freedom of his countrymen riding on the outcome, there was something greater: David was standing up for God's honor. "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (I Sam 17:26).

Not only did he fight for the honor of God, he fought by the power of God. "Moreover David said, 'The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine'" (I Sam 17:37). David wasn't insane. He wasn't cocky. He wasn't insanely cocky. He was supremely confident in the Lord's ability to deliver him in this noblest of pursuits.

Living as a Christian in a secular world, I often feel like the underdog. Am I willing to stand up for God's honor? Am I ready to trust His power enough to step out in faith?

Mourning the past, missing the present

I Samuel 16:1
"Now the Lord said to Samuel, 'How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.'"

How many times do I need to hear this message? Don't mourn over what God has taken away--keep your head up and see the new direction in which He's leading you. Unfortunately, things aren't as direct for us as they were for Samuel. Can you imagine if God said to you "I am sending you to Hottie McHotterson the Arlingtonite"? I would love the clarity, but alas... Even without the obvious direction, the lesson is still obviously there: Don't miss the open door God has for you because you are so worried about the one that He has just shut. In applying hindsight to this passage, the closed door of a self-centered, man-pleasing king was no loss compared to the opened door of a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22, I Sam 13:14).

Close doesn't count when it comes to obedience

I Sam 15:

When God calls you to do something--no matter what--obey completely. In v. 3, God told Saul to "go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey." However, in v.9 we see that while Saul and the people had no problem obeying the command to kill the babies, they stopped short at killing "the best of the sheep, the oxen, the falings, the lambs, and all that was good." The telling part comes next: they "were unwilling to utterly destroy them."

When we are unwilling to completely obey God's command, there are consequences. Saul's consequence comes in v. 26: "the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel." Though he had a reasonable excuse of sparing those animals for sacrifice to the Lord, it was not the sacrifce that the Lord desired--He desired obedience. "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice" (v.22).

What is God calling me to do? Will I respond with complete obedience?

Looking for Bibical encouragement

After getting home this evening I was feeling in need of a little encouragement. I found it in Psalm 66:16-20. When the Lord speaks to you and gives you that life when you need it, it's such a good thing.

This kicks my A, but there's hope!

1 Cor 13:4-7
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

When I read this passage, I'm always humbled; Ifeel that I basically fail at love. But the spirit pressed on my heart earlier this week that GOD is LOVE. So if we substitute GOD where LOVE appears in this passage, we get a reassuring reminder that HE is patient, kind, he gives us free will, he doesn't hold our sins against us (since we have accepted his son), he rejoices when his truth wins out. He'll never give up on us, or lose belief in us, and is always hopeful that we'll turn to him in every circumstance. WOW. Also, I may not be good at loving, but I can set my sights to be good at knowing and becoming more like Jesus, and by doing that I'm by default, going to become more loving as a result of the spirit's sanctification work inside of me. Dear Lord, thank you for your Love that transforms me from the inside out, help me grow in your love and share that with others, AMEN.

Comforting words for troubling times

Romans 12:12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;

Coming off a hectic week that at times felt like professional tribulation, I was in the right place to connect with this verse. Three key things to keep in mind for the next hectic week that comes along:

1. Rejoicing in hope: this means, rejoicing before we get what we want. Hope implies that it's still not obtained or achieved. I am usually only willing to rejoice when I get what I want, not when I still waiting for it.

2. Patient in tribulation: to me, this basically means that I can expect hard times--whether minor inconveniences at work, struggles with personal health and relationships, loss of a loved one, spiritual persecution, or [insert issue here] . However, as believers, we can also expect that they will come to end in God's timing--just be patient.

3. Continue steadfastly in prayer: steadfastly is one of those familiar Bible words that you can't define. I found out today that it implies something that you lean on for stability or something that you can rest on. Is this how I view prayer during troubled times? Do I continue in prayer in such a way that I rest on it. Sadly, I don't. I usually see prayer as a "check the box" thing or a "break glass in case of fire" thing. Maybe I need to start seeing communication with the almighty God as something on which I can continuously trust to support me--no matter what is going on in my life.

It all makes sense why it doesn't all make sense

A lot of my bloglessness in September came not from an absence of quiet times, but an absense of understanding what I was reading. When I really went in depth into Romans 9 - 11, there was a lot of theology that I had a hard time sorting out. It got to the point where it was a little frustrating, but then I hit the summary by Paul in Romans 11:33-36:

33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! 34 “ For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?” 35 “ Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” 36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

The morning that I turned the page and read these three verses was a huge moment. Four things that really hit home:

1. It seemed that Paul--the author, the one to whom this was divinely inspired--couldn't figure it out either! At least I was in good company.

2. In my struggles through chapters 9-11, I often found myself questioning God and being frustrated with how He had set things out. So, it was good and humbling to be reminded in v. 34-35 that I have nothing to add to God but praise.

3. Maybe the purpose of not being able to grasp everything is an issue of trust. If I could fully know and understand everything about God, would I really be trusting? Following Him even when I can't understand Him--that is trust.

4. The chapter ends with v.36 stating that all things (whether I can understand them or not) are created by God, sustained by God, and for God's glory.

I closed my Bible that day no longer worried about what it all meant, but satisfied knowing that the bottom line is that all glory goes to God--that makes sense.

Diligence

Romans 6:11a

"not lagging in diligence"

In the context of this phrase, I don't see any clear indication for when or where we are supposed to be diligent. I take that to mean that diligence is supposed to characterize everything we do. Whether it's quiet time, serving, going to work, cleaning the house, writing a book...whatever it is that is before us, we should do it with diligence for the glory of God.

It's easy to think that diligence is synonymous with doing more and more and achieving bigger and better. However, that only leads to burnout, which is not a very diligent use of our time and resources. No, sometimes diligence is doing less to achieve more...like only reading 4 words of scripture so I can finally get back to blogging about what God is teaching me.

The Sermon on the Mount

Focusing in on Matthew 5:3 I needed to be reminded of this today. In some ways I am at the end of my rope, I do rate myself as insignificant, I am weak in spirit. The application of this verse is going to be the real struggle with me. I can see that I am in a place for serious application, I just cannot see how to apply.

1 Peter 4 Points

1 So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.[a] 2 You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. 3 You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. . . .
7 The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.
10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
Vs1- When we daily decide to obey God in a fallen world, and pick up his cross daily, we are essentially deciding not to live in sin today. Lord, help us to be disciplined in focused in maintaing this. Vs7- Prayer discipline is important to our walks with Christ. Vs10&11- God's given us a gift, let us exercise it for his glory with strength and energy, with passion. let's not hide our light, but use it. AMEN

Ashamed?

Romans 10:11 pulls a hybrid quote out of Isaiah 28:16 and Isaiah 49:23: "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." That's cool...but why do I often feel shame as a Christian? It's easy for me feel ashamed when my lifestyle is so different than that of my unbelieving friends. However, if I stop and think about it, it's NOT that I'm put to shame for believing on Christ, it's that I am ashamed of Christ. How ridiculous. When I am ashamed of Christ, it's because my focus is on pleasing man and not pleasing God. If I go about my life with a God-centered, eternal perspective, I will have no reason to fear and no reason to be ashamed. That doesn't mean that others will always love me and never criticize me, but it means that my hope is placed in something that will not let me down, that will not shame me. When my life on earth is over and I stand before God, I won't be put to shame because I have believed in Christ!

Some Hebrews 4 Takeaways

HEBREWS 4:12-16
12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.
14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Several good reminders here. 1) In vs. 12, a good reminder of the importance of reading God's word consistently, to tap into his power, to understand him and also our OWN THOUGHTS AND DESIRES. Much like a dating relationship is like a mirror into ourselves, I believe really studying the word of God can be that for us as well- exposing our true selves and our need for a savior on a moment by moment basis. 2) In vs. 16, encouragement in realizing how our High Priest wants to be intimately connected to us. He understands us, and wants to continually give us mercy and grace WHEN WE NEED IT MOST, especially. Amen. Think about that and really let that soak in. Praise you Lord for your word, and for your Great High Priest, AMEN!

Unsettled but undaunted

I haven't been blogging my recent quiet times because I haven't been able to wrap my arms around them. Reading through Romans 9 with a deeper study has actually been disturbing. Trying to understand how God can predestine people to accept or reject Him doesn't fit with what I want to believe...that people choose to accept or reject God on their own. However, that is a dangerous view, because it gives too much power and authority to man. Maybe one of the lessons that God has for me in all of this is to enlarge my view of Him and shrink my view of myself. So, while it's been frustrating to not "get" all that I'm reading, there are some things that have been clear:

1. I do not believe that I, nor anyone else, will fully grasp the infinite concepts of an eternal God's prerogative with our finite, carnal minds.
2. I do not believe that my inability to understand everything about God's character and actions jeopardizes my salvation or my determination to follow what I do understand--that my main goal is to bring glory to Him.
3. I have less time to focus on myself and my silly earthly distractions when my mind is occupied with trying to understand the eternal God! For that, I'm thankful.

The Mystery of God's Blessing

So often I try to tie God's blessing to my actions: "if I do good, God blesses; if I do bad, God withholds blessings." I tend to micromanage this down to, "I did good this week, that's why God blessed me with a good weekend." I'm sure at some level this principle works, but today's passage really opened up my eyes to the fact that God's blessing on a global scale is up to His sovereignty, NOT our merits. Romans 9:10-12 makes it clear that God chose to bless Jacob in a way that he did not bless his brother Esau--not, because of their merits, but because that was how He had planned it.

Who can understand why God would chose to bless one brother and not the other? Does this make God some cosmic bully? No, I'm sure the context of the passage will show otherwise. Yet, it did really put me in my place this morning: my life is less about "me" and my decisions than I often think. My life is in God's hands. He allows me to participate and make choices and bring glory to Him; but on the whole, He has planned and prearranged the whole of my life by His own choosing.

I don't feel that I can fully grasp this concept--God's ways truly are higher than our ways. However, what I can understand is my need to have a smaller view of myself, a bigger view of God, and a thankfulness for all He has chosen to bless me with--not because I'm a good guy, but because He's a gracious God.

A reminder of who and where I am in Christ

1 John 2:28
It'll never replace run your race to the finish for me, but the reminder that I am a child of Christ and I need to continue with him, not the other way around, is always a good thing. I'd like to appear unashamed before my Savior at His return, and I'd like to see you guys there too.

Crazy or Christ-like?

In Romans 9:3, Paul basically says that he would rather be condemned to hell by Christ in place of his unbelieving friends and relatives. Wow. I've heard of being willing to die for someone else, but this seems to take it up a notch...to be willing to be separated from Christ, to be willing to spend eternity in damnation. Is he crazy for saying this? Does this expose some sort of weak love of Christ that is overpowered by his love for fellow man? Or, is he Christ-like at this pinnacle of self-sacrifice? What Paul is "wishing" for is really what Christ did for us--He was condemned in our place.

Although the switch isn't possible, maybe this is the heart attitude that it takes to truly be an effective witness for Christ...to love others and want to spare them from condemnation so much, that you'd be willing to take the hit for them. Again with the wow. Would I honestly be willing to make that switch for the sake of an unbeliever?

A Trinity of Help

Just read Romans 8:26-27: Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

That's a familiar passage of comfort, but upon closer look with the help of a commentary...man, this passage has a depth of comfort that I have overlooked!

1. Intended translation: "God helps our weaknesses." He doesn't just help periodically when we need it, the idea is that we are weak consistently, and He is there to consistently help.

2. "Weaknesses" refers to physcial, emotioan, and spiritual needs. God's help is well-rounded and wholistic.

3. The Spirit "makes intercession for us with groaning" and the Father "knows what the mind of the Spirit is." This wordless exchange really shows the intimate intricacy of the Trinity. To complete the picture, the Son also intercedes for us (v.34).

How amazing is it that the entire Trinity is at work in helping me!

So often, I end up trying to live life alone in an attempt to please God. Instead, I need to realize that the Triune God is right there with me every step of the way--enabling a weakling like me to live strong for His glory.

Dirty Hands Can't Serve Anything. . .

This passage is traditionally thought of as the "I gotta go out and serve more passage" but I have a little bit different angle on this one.
John 13:1-17
. . . 4 So Jesus . . . began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. 6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” 8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” 9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!” . . . 12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. . . .

We need to allow God to "wash" us first before washing others feet. This washing is not only accepting his salvation, but also accepting his cleansing of our hearts on a daily basis. The simple fact is the more we allow him to cleanse us of, the better we are able to help serve others through biblical encouragement, prayer, loving attitudes, service with a joyful heart, etc. Our hearts more free of our selfish ways and desires when we are cleansed. So if we want to be the best servant leader we can be, as Jesus has commanded us, let us start with accepting and asking for His "washing" each morning of everyday. Then we can truly go out and wash other's feet--without dirty hands. Lord, thank you for cleansing, and help me to remember to accept and allow you to cleanse my heart everyday, Amen.

Hope

Romans 8:22-25

We were saved in hope of being adopted and of having a redeemed body. The word hope gives us a clue that it hasn't fully happened yet, because it goes on to say that you don't hope for something that you already see or have. That helps me make sense of the futility issue from earlier in the passage. Sure, there's futility--but we also have the hope of exchanging our fallen, futile body for a redeemed one!

One more word on hope that I recently learned in chapter 5 of Romans...it is not intended to be the flimsy word we use today: "I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow!" There is nothing uncertain about the Biblical use of hope--it is characterized by a confident trust that what has been promised WILL happen in time. That is why we should "eagerly wait" for our redeemed body with "perseverance."

The Hope of Futility

Romans 8:18-21

Whenever I had previously read about "creation being subject to futility", I only thought of inanimate creation...that's why trees die, that's why glaciers melt, that's why earthquakes and forest fires happen. This morning it struck me that I am also creation, and I am also subject to futility. Hmm...that makes sense given the frustrating last two weeks of my life. Cheater notes say that futility refers to the inability of all of creation (including me, I take it) to entirely fulfull God's original purpose because of man's sin. So three thoughts to carry with me into this day:

1. I should not be surprised when life seems completely futile--it's part of the effect of sin and under God's control (v.20). That realization can help stop the snowballing effect that Scott mentioned last night.
2. I should not lose heart when life is futile--v.18 reminds me that the sufferings of the present can't compare with the glories of what God will reveal (both in heaven and on earth). Realizing life's frustrations should immediately trigger the counter-thought of the glories God has in store.
3. In contrast to the "bondage of corruption" from sin...there is "glorious liberty" in being a child of God (v.21).

Fuel

This morning in the midst of my week of avoidance and snowballing laziness, I pulled away to reluctantly give God 5 minutes of my time as I ate a bowl of cereal. Spurgeon's Morning and Evening from the morning of August 28th stemmed from Exodus 25:6, "Oil for the light." Basically, the idea is that we need fuel from the Holy Spirit to shine brightly for God in this world. Spurgeon's last sentence resonated with me and definitely gave me the fuel that I needed for this day:
"Truth, holiness, joy, knowledge, love, these are all beams of the sacred light, but we cannot give them forth unless in private we receive oil from God the Holy Ghost." I desperately want to be a source of truth, holiness, joy, knowledge, and love in my daily life...but I can never do it on my own.

"God, help me to draw daily from the fuel of the Holy Spirit, that I may be equipped to bring You glory in every decision I make. Amen."

Thoughts from John 15

John 15
“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
5 -8 . . . 9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14-17...

Thought 1) God is the source of all true "fruit" in our lives. Fruit being personal growth on all fronts, as well as fruit in evangelism and increasing his kingdom in that way.

Thought 2) Obedience leads to overflowing joy. Why do I struggle with obedience then? Heartcheck on aisle 7. . . . how's my loving sacrificial service going?

Isaiah 55:10-11

The reading that I have been doing recently hasn't really done anything for me. I'm going into these times, not with a heart of doing it out of duty, but seeking wisdom. Unfortunately I'm not receiving the wisdom that I seek; at least not in the manner I expect to. This verse is encouraging to me that although I'm not getting the wisdom that I seek, I am soaking up knowledge that will be of use later.
Who knows better than God what I'll need in the future and prepares me for that need ahead of time.

I miss blogging

It's great to be back! I don't know why I can waste hours on the internet and not find my way to blogspot to post for 5 minutes. To me, that shows the power of spiritual blogging (splogging?). More often than not, things that are worth doing are not easy to do, especially from a spiritual perspective.

Romans 8:14
Although the contrast in Romans 6 about being a slave to God now that we are not slaves to sin makes sense, it feels like a concept that could use a sweater (creds to Waldo for the clever saying). Romans 8 brings the warmth by showing that we are actually adopted by God, and in a position to intimately call Him "Father." What a great picture. In a healthy father-son relationship, there is definitely an element of obedience and submission to authority, but it is not to the level of bondage or slavery. How great to know that that is our position with God--not a slave, but a son!

Did sleeping until evening help this man?

2 Samuel 11:1-2
1 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.
2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"

This passage shows me how dangerous it can be to become idle or lazy. Not that it's bad to have downtime, but as David did here, it can be very dangerous for us to be lazy or bored in our lives. Often times it's these bored times that we get tempted and often as David did take the next step toward sinful destruction. His sin with Bathesheba led to murder, the death of their first born, and a curse upon his household. Lord, pray that we learn our lesson from this. Lord,
help me not to be lazy or idle in times where I should be active for you. But, if I do find myself in this state help me to resist the temptations that may come my way. In your name, amen.

God is faithful

I had a post about Deuteronomy 8:17-18 typed up for yesterday but it felt too forced, it felt false.
Today I'm not really thinking about any particular verse, I'm just thinking about following God's lead. Following Him when he tells you to do something, not telling you what you'll receive when you do it.

Psalm 3

My focus was mostly in the area of 3-5 but I read the whole chapter. Today I am feeling as though I took a misstep with God and these verses encourage me. The truth is I did what I felt led to do by God, so my feelings are misleading. That is the trouble with following your feelings, they can be manipulated and faked.
By acknowledging that the Lord is a shield around me I am acknowledging that I need protection. Just like salvation it is a free gift, however I feel as though you should still be aware of you need for protection so that you don't take it for granted. There are so many things in my daily life that I am protected from without my knowledge. It seems so trivial then when I whine and complain that I feel left alone and unprotected without knowing how much He truly is protecting me from.
Thank you God for protecting me against the unknown.

My plans vs. Gods plans

Jeremiah 29:10-14
There are actions and decisions that I look back on and wonder why. It seemed like such a good decision at the time, but looking back with clearer vision it blows me away on how wrong I was. Most of these decisions are the result of implied urgency. So, as opposed to going to God or seeking wise counsel, I decide with my human wants; Wanting to be liked, wanting to be a part of the group, to be on the inside. As opposed to taking a stand for what I would know is right, given time to think it over.
Verses like those I read today give me comfort in knowing that despite all my bad decisions, God still has a perfect plan for me. Plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future. We should all rejoice knowing God has these plans for us.
Lord, remind me daily to seek your plan for me. Encourage me in my search for that plan. Thank you God.

God knows you better than you think

Saturday & Sunday I was suffering from a downturn in chemicals. My depression had crept up on me and was making me unhappy. I decided to fast and pray about this on Monday and had a fantastic response, both in mind and socially. So when i cracked open my reading for today I was pleasantly surprised to read Isaiah 55:8-9.
This section was telling me that God's thoughts and ways are not mine. Thank goodness! It's telling me that His ways are higher than mine. The studying of this passage just continued the encouragement and learning from yesterday, which was totally unexpected.

Psalm 130:5 with a Daniel 4:34-35 chaser

Just one verse, but so much encouragement. In His word I put my hope. There is nothing you can count on more than the Word of God and all things will come to pass in His perfect timing. I was planning to and am praying over some things today and to wake to this verse...It was so targeted to me. It's awesome.
The amazing story of Nebuchadnezzar and today's reminder of how God used him gives me hope. It's hard to explain or put into words, I just find it comforting.

Practical to very practical!

Ephesians 5:16-20
16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This just makes sense. MAXIMIZE our Christian walks here people! The problem is that I don't always understand his will and often decide my will then try to make it his. He clearly says this is foolish, and to understand his will first and foremost. Lord, help me to remember in each life decision to not be foolish and to seek your will first. Amen.

This a post, I'm posting this, this was posted by me

Romans 6:5-9
I'm not usually a fan of Paul's technique of saying the same thing 3 times in 5 straight verses. By the time I got to the end, I was like, "okay, I get it already, 'alike in Christ's death, alike in Christ's resurrection'...wait a minute...now I get it!" If our life with Christ comes through our death with Christ, what a sweet death that is! No doubt, dying to sin and dying to self on a daily basis can be tough. However, anything that causes me to die "in the likeness of His death" should NOT be seen as a somber end, but a glorious opportunity to "live with Him." I guess sometimes our finite minds need to hear something 3 times to really grasp it--especially when it's something as counterintuitive as rejoicing in our own death!

Hebrews 13:1-6

The entire chapter is written as a closing to a letter; as if the author made all his points and just wanted to make sure some things were emphasised. It's very reminiscent of heading out the door as a child with your mom shouting those last few words of reminder, "Don't forget to say thank you. Don't forget....."
It might just be due to my prep for tonight's study, but there are also subtle echos of caution against judgement. The verses about those in prison, about strangers, they suggest to me an open heart. Full of love and compassion, free from judgement.

Proverbs 3:1-8

The way David wrote in metaphors in the section I was reading today really spoke to me. The tablet of your heart, binding character traits around your neck; both of those phrases bring up a certain mental images. Binding something around your neck could be seen both as a yoke and as a sign, one controlling your actions and the other advertising your beliefs. If there is something to be known for you can pick less attractive traits than love and faithfulness.
Do not be wise in your own eyes is a great cautionary word to Christians. So often we decide that we know God's will, that we know what is best both for ourselves and others. 'Small' risks are incidental, temptations that we can handle. Too often it is the seeds that these risks and temptations plant that grow into faith-choking issues.
The best defense against leaning on human knowledge in my experience is surrounding yourself with brothers that you can be open and honest with. Brothers that do not fear telling you what needs to be said without having to worry if you will take offense. Brothers that are committed to you and your growth as much as you are committed to theirs.
Thank God I have such brothers!

KC or JC Masterpiece?

Ephesians 2:1-10
"1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, . . . obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.[a] He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. . . 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

So, I'm sinful and tend to always want to follow my passionate desires and inclinations of my sin nature. Sometimes we see things that seem unfair or easy to slip into from our sin natures' perspective and it's hard to reconcile why we need not pursue that "low hanging fruit." For me the key is in vs. 10 we are God's MASTERPIECE. Not because we're perfect or even pretty, but because of our inate failure in all areas of our lives, are we masterfully painted into a work of art by God as we allow our Holy Artist to mold us and paint us into his work. His use of us makes us a masterpiece. So, in that tempting "low hanging fruit" moment, be reminded that God can't create a masterpiece if the paint tries to place itself on the master's canvas.

Lord, thank you for reminding me to patiently wait on you. Thank you for reminding me that a masterpiece am I as I allow you to work your creation in me and through me. Thank you for your peace upon me as I see others around me not wait on you for I know your masterpiece will be better than anything else created by human hands. Amen.

Colossians 3:12-14

The line that I have meditating on today has been verse 14, Love which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
The depth of meaning in that verse alone is astounding. Imagine if we actually lived that verse out. Imagine if anyone tried to live that out. I hang my head in shame with the degree to which I fail that daily. And still there is forgiveness abundant for me.
Forgiveness in abstract has been on my mind for the last two posts. Perhaps I'll have to put a study together about that also.

James 4:11-12

It's good to come back after an awesome week and know God has more in store for you. Last week I felt I was walking a thin line between slandering a brother and guarding hearts. I'm still not sure what side of that line I came down on, however if I'm unsure it means I have more learning and growing to do.
It is not my responsibility or duty to judge another, that is entirely God's providence. It is one thing to rebuke a brother, to help correct an action, but it is an entirely other thing to pass judgement. I have passed judgement many times in the past, and as I sit here I find more and more moments springing to mind. The Lord had already forgiven me, some of these people I need to seek out and ask forgiveness for, but all of them I need to let go of and just remind myself not to do so in the future.
Praise our forgiving and loving God!

New Every Day

I've been going through Romans at a snail's pace, trying to make sure that I can grasp each topic, rather than reading it with "professional Christian" eyes. I'm so used to knowing what a passage is supposed to say, that I often fail to dig deep and make sure that I really can connect with it and get the most out of it. Today's passage, Romans 6:1-4, was a little difficult to get my arms around, but one thing did stand out as applicable to my daily living: "walk in newness of life." I've been a Christian a long time--long enough to often forget that the new life I live wasn't just new after I first put my faith in Christ, but it's new every day. I need to keep this simple idea in mind as I wake up on Monday, and Tuesday, and Wednesday, and so on and so on, week after week, month after month, year after year. When I forget this concept of walking in newness of life, that is when life becomes stale and frustrating. If I genuinely seek to walk in the newness of life in Christ each day, then each day would be more fulfilling, more enjoyable, more efficient, more effective eternally, and more glorifying to God.

Beyond Definition

Romans 5:13-14a
For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses.

When the law was handed to Moses, sin was defined. However, this did not bring sin into existence, it only brought it to light. The concept that sin exists independent of it's definition has implications for our lives as well.

It is possible to be living in sin--that is, living in a way that is in opposition to God's law--without even knowing it. Just because we can't define something as wrong in no way excuses us from guilt before a holy God. So what are we to do? Are the cards impossibly stacked against us? No--but it does call us to a life of careful self-inspection. Is there any hidden sin in my life that I am overlooking?

We are not left alone to discover our hidden sins. Others can help point out the faults we can't see (Matthew 7:5). In addition, Ephesians 5:8-9 encourages us that if we walk as children of the light (i.e. biblical truth or holiness), we will find out what is acceptable to the Lord. So as we mature in our walk with the Lord, we become more aware of the sin that keeps us from drawing nearer to Him.

If we are serious about removing all sin from our lives--whether or not it's presently definable--it is imperative that we seek honest self-assessment, accountability with fellow believers, and a closer walk with our Lord.

Conflicting emotions?

Romans 5:8-9
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

The plethora of personal pronouns can make the passage a little tricky to follow, but in back to back verses, we see the love and the wrath that God the Father has towards us. In vs. 8, His love is demonstrated by the fact that He sent His own Son, Jesus Christ to die for us. One verse later, we see that it is the death of Christ that saves us from the wrath of God. Does this make sense? Can God be that loving and that wrathful towards us all at the same time?

We have to view this in light of God's deity--not simply in light of human emotions. Because He is perfect, He can love perfectly; but because He is righteous and just, He must hate sin. So as natural-born sinners, we've naturally incurred His wrath. However, His love is perfect enough to find a way to spare us from the wrath we've brought upon ourselves. Praise God for making a way through Christ so God's wrath could be satisfied while we were spared in love!

Right on Cue Part 2

A few weeks ago when I was really impacted by the timing of my devotional for the day, there were actually two big things that stuck out to me. Here is number two:

Romans 4:20-21: "He [Abraham] did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform."

On the surface, I would look at these verses and take encouragement that, like Abraham, God will give me what I'm hoping for (i.e., a wife) if I just believe and have patience. But as I looked at this verse deeper, I realized that there was a BIG difference between Abraham and me: God has not promised me a wife. He did promise Abraham that he would be the father of many nations (Genesis 17:5) and that his descendants would be as many as the stars (Genesis 15:5), so Abraham had every right to believe it would come true. However, the hard reality is that God has not promised me a wife. If I try to force the truth of believing God's promises into a box of my wishes, disappointment is inevitable.

So as I looked at this verse that morning, trying to gather some hope out of the bleakness of my realization, God pointed me to what He has promised me: that all things will work together for good (Romans 8:28). Basically, God has promised that He will do what is best for me. So wife or no wife, either way I am assured of God's best for me--and who knows better how to give good gifts than God? (Matt 7:11).

Now if I can just put this into action... When I focus on God's Word and believing His promises, I have every reason to have certainty and contentment in my life as God has planned it. However, if I take my eyes off of Him and His Word--looking to compare myself to others, worrying about the expectations of others, focusing on my own will and desires above God's--then I'm going to struggle with contentment. "Lord, put blinders on my eyes so that I may focus only on Your promises and be fully contented in seeing them fulfilled in my life, Amen."

Psalm 51:1-4

Too many times I find myself knowing how I have just sinned and submitting to the inevitable reaping what I have sown. Seldom do I go to the One I have sinned against and beg His forgiveness, requesting, as David does in this passage, for Him to blot out my transgressions. Not that I believe that those actions will save me from what is coming to me, but it is righteous and holy to do so.
Last night after study I got a phone call from a brother that I am helping through some morality issues and the passage this morning seems especially apropos. Pray that I am able to help him in love and understanding.

Backing Away or Running Away?

Galatians 4:8-12
"8 Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. 9 So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? 10 You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years. 11 I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing. 12 Dear brothers and sisters,[f] I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws."

This passage reminds me of a very true saying for us Christians, "Why do we slowly back away from Hell, rather than turn our backs and run as fast as we can toward Heaven?" I have many bad habits and sin temptations that I can easily return to, and often am tempted to fall back in because I deep down am lazy and tired of working so hard to maintain. I think I focus TOO much sometimes on how hard it is, rather than realize how much pain/agony/self-loathing/negative consequences/HELL I'm saved from by persisting in keeping my guard up. I should be thankful, and not feeling like I'm missing the party so to speak. Lord, strengthen my resolve and attitude to see the blessings in continuing to run this race for you. Amen.

Proverbs 16:12,13

It is my understanding that these verses were not intended to be describing attributes of God, but that is how I took them in my study today. As servants of the King, doesn't our wrongdoing diminish the glory of His throne in the eyes of the unsaved? If we truly wish to increase the kingdom we need to keep a sharp eye on ourselves and ask others to do the same. The speck in my eye still needs to come out. I don't care if a man with a plank in his helps me do it, I will be that much better for other's efforts.
Contrasting that with the concept of a well-behaved and honest citizen. As ambassadors of the Kingdom if we are well known for the honesty and truth that we speak, our council will be sought out and valued.
Goals to shoot for.

Romans 12:9-12

So many good things in today's passage, I just had to cut it down to the parts I want to talk about.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love is the start of verse 10. I have seen and felt that devotion many times in our small group and in the body of believers at large. I also have seen a lack of that love more often than I would like. If we are to be a light to the world and an encouragement to each other we need to work on that more. Honor one another above yourself, go that extra mile not just for me who you know, but for those you don't know.
Never be lacking in zeal is the area that I think I could use the most improvement at this time. My 'zeal-o-meter' is seldom pegged, often hovering around the mid-point mark dependant on how my day is going. That isn't right, my joy for the Lord shouldn't depend on what I feel He has done for me lately or my earthly worries.
Lord, thank you for your faithfulness even in the midst of my unfaithfulness.

Is He in you?

Galatians 2:20-21
20 My old self has been crucified with Christ.[a] It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

"Often I've skimmed over this passage, but on wednesday I stopped and really meditated on this. Specifically that I no longer live but Christ in me - to literally picture my will, desires, attitudes, motivations, etc. all being controlled & inline with God. Such an intimidating seemingly impossible task (why didn't he just ask me to cure cancer, seriously?)! However, I know he's growing me and conforming me to him as I continue to submit. So I plan on trying to meditate and pray on this more regularly. I think alot of my frustrations, pain, struggles, and joy all will be best served to "dying" and living in him. Lord, although a sinner, help me to press in to dying to self, and living in your Holy Spirit, amen."

Deuteronomy 32:44-47

[Moses] said to them, "Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live...

How is it that sometimes I'll read the Word and not think there is much in it for me? Seriously, I have to admit that I'll read certain things and ask, "Does this relate to me?", "Do I really want to live this out?", "Why should I even care?". But the truth is that when I do live out the Word even when there isn't much expectation, God reveals to me that there is nothing more satisfying... that it was not an empty word for me... that it is my very life... and that it is the life I am to live...

Right on cue

I had just been journaling about how I feel so helpless to pull the right "fish" out of the Christian dating pond. I finished up the journal entry with this comment, "I know that I need to pull some faith out of the bag for this one, but right now I seem to be grabbing more doubt than faith." Slightly discouraged, I opened God's Word to the next verse on my trek through Romans: "And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old)...he did not waiver at the promise of God through unbelief" (4:19-20a). So amazing how God spoke to me about faith just seconds after I was lamenting my lack of it! If Abraham was keeping the faith for a son at 100 years old, why can't I keep the faith for a wife at 30?! "Thank you Father, for giving me a timely word from the Bible this morning. Thank you for what you taught me in those 2 verses, and for the way that turned my whole day around."

Romans 5:1-5

Focusing in on the first two verses, the phrase 'justified through faith'. The idea here is that we have been declared guiltless, washed clean of sin, due to our faith in our relationship with Christ. Nothing groundbreaking for those who are on to the more 'meat' of the relationship but still good to be reminded of when you are feeling attacked, feeling unworthy of salvation.

Holy Wedding: Our role reversal

2 For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride[a] to one husband—Christ. 3 But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent.

So in my quiet time my paradigm shifted. I started thinking about how as a man I want my bride to look and be ideally. Radiant, captivating, pleasing to me in everyway. . . This is what as Christ's bride I need to strive to be for him. I'm Christ's bride, so how do I want my Lord to see me? My purity I know was accomplished at the cross; however my devotion to Christ - this is what I do control. Lord, help me to truly be your Pure Bride. Show me areas that maybe aren't so pure in my devotion to you. Thank you for the purity you gave me on the Cross, and Lord help me to strive to keep my devotion to you pure as if each day was a new wedding ceremony. Amen.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

Often times I prefer to "work independently" because I believe that I can handle the task on my own. I don't always consider the benefits of having a helper or the possibility of failing. I wonder if this is a result of self-sufficiency and pride on my part. God's Word tells me to work with others because it produces a greater result and a helping hand when in need.

Isaiah 60

Verse 5 hits me. I'm sure you all have had that 'swelling of joy' feeling, and the way it is written in the NIV brings that feeling back to me. That is how we should feel while in fellowship with the Lord!

Romans 3:4

"Let God be true but every man a liar."

How many times are we sure that we are right--that it's the other guy who's off-track and not seeing things clearly? Well, we can never pull this card with God...He's ALWAYS right. When I read this verse, I sense the urgency of His superiority. It says to me, "even if it FEELS that you might be right on a given issue, if your view clashes with God, then it's no contest--He is right." It's so important that He be right, that it's better for me to see myself as nothing but a liar if my views don't square with His. This is a slap in the face to my pride, but maybe that's what my pride needs. Beyond a slap in the face to my pride, I actually take great comfort in knowing that He's always right. There's a comfort in constancy. Knowing that He is right all the time means that He is the ultimate measuring stick, and that He can ALWAYS be trusted.

Galatians 5:22-23

This passage hit me with two things today, one being the Fruit of the Spirit line. All of the listed attributes are fruit of the Spirit. They are not things that we can force or fake. If you 'hot-house' the fruits of the Spirit they will appear fake as real hot-house fruit tastes fake. It will be missing something; a real earthiness that honest fruit has.

As we work towards closeness with God we will begin displaying more of these. When we see another brother displaying these attributes we should not get discouraged, down on ourselves, or jealous. We should rejoice in their faith and walk. We should be encouraged by the progress that our brother has made.

The other part that stuck out to me was the statement 'Against such things there is no law'. It seemed ridiculous until I thought about what it would look like if these fruits were outlawed. It has happened in the past and it will happen again in the future. When it does happen, that should be a warning to Christians and non-Christians alike that our leadership are rebelling against God and we, as God-fearing people, should withdraw our support lest His wrath fall upon us.

Housekeeping! Want me fluff your pillow?

2 Corinthians 7 (new living translation)
1 Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

I love this verse! I ask myself how's my house cleaning going? I know in terms of lust, I'm doing well, but what about my heart attitudes towards others? My language? Bad habits? I'm almost SCARED to ask God to bring me to complete holiness because there are some things I'm unwilling to give up right now.

Lord, help me to move toward complete holiness. Help me to cleanse myself of EVERYTHING that can defile me, give me the courage and willingness to clean those things out no matter what they may be. Amen.

Isaiah 48:11

For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this.
How can I let myself be defamed?
I will not yield my glory to another.

Romans 6:3-4

One aspect of this passage that didn't strike me until today was the idea that we were baptized into death. Sure it is Christ's death, and without it you wouldn't have the resurrection, but it is still death. Death is a scary and usually painful thing. Our baptism, either spiritual or physical(there is debate on this), ties us to that. So if we know that we are tied to Christs death shouldn't that be a freeing thing?
Sometimes I find the thought of death to be very peaceful. I know where I'm going and I feel secure in that. I feel sorry for those who will mourn me, but I'm not going to have any more pain or worries. No more feelings of rejection. No more chemicals that aren't quite working the way they should.
Just a series of rambling thoughts today.

Thoughts and Meditations

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (New Living Translation)
17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”.

Acts 1:8 (New Living Translation)
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The subject of last night's sermon at Frontline is something that I've been meditating on lately. I picked a couple bible passages here, but there are plenty of others that convey the same message. From these passages I gather that God saved us, reconciled us, and gave us His Spirit for the expressed and sole purpose of being witnesses/ambassadors for Christ. Rhetorically, I've been asking myself... "If God made me a new creation for the sole purpose of witnessing for Christ, yet I am comfortable with my concealed/under-cover faith, then am I really a new creation? If I were a new creation, I would live differently -- and not in the same way as I had previously, right?"

Lord, thank you for reconciling me to you through your Son and granting me the Holy Spirit. I pray that I would live a new life as a new creation -- as an ambassador of Jesus Christ. I pray that the Spirit will fill me with boldness and confession as I share my faith with this world. Amen.

Romans 2:25-29

"but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter;"

Spiritually, it's what's inside that counts. I can get so focused on how I look to others or doing all the right things, but what really pleases God is the condition of my heart. My focus should not be on what I do, but what drives what I do. If my heart is well taken care of and on-track with God, then my life will reflect that. Living a life for God's glory starts from the heart.

Isaiah 16:5

5 In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it — one from the house of David — one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness.

This made me think about how fine a line there is between judging others rightly versus judging others wrongly. Do I judge others out of a desire to edify them, or do I do it out of selfish ambition or conceit? It's so easy for me to judge others because it boosts my own ego, makes me feel better about myself, or validates deficiencies I see in myself. All of us have been on either side of this -- we know how painful and destructive it can be to be judged wrongly by someone, but on the other side of the coin, how helpful and encouraging it can be for a friend to judge us out of care and concern.

Lord, help me to discern properly the situations and relationships where I am to judge others. When I do so, let me be motivated by a selfless desire to edify others rather than for my own gain. Amen.

2 Corinthians 4: 13-18

"13It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken."[a]With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, 14because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. 15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

The bolded parts are what sticks out to me and encourages me most. Praise God for his daily renewal through his word & holy spirit! I'm encouraged in vs. 17 to honor God even in the midst of dealing with my relational recovery/pain, in bringing down difficult and frustrating strongholds, etc. Honoring him in my response to this adversity increases his Kingdom by bringing glory to him, both through the way he answers and grows me, and also by how his work in me can encourage others. Our lives in this way are also a ministry to others. Thanks be to God for using us, perishable containers-wasting away, to accomplish his purposes. I feel when I reflect on his purpose, my needs and pain really do seem so, so small. . .

Forgiveness for the Sinner

2Corinthians 2:5-11
5If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent—not to put it too severely. 6The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. 7Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. 9The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. 10If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Kind of extrapolating from this, the thought I believe the H.S. was laying on me was that we need to forgive to bring glory to God, even if we don't want to. It increases God's Kingdom (grows us and frees the other person) . For me, this makes it easier to forgive, because I'm better motivated to grow His kingdom than to forgive someone that perhaps I don't even like or want to like.

2 Cor: 1:15-end of 1 (To Rebuke or not rebuke?)

Paul seeemed to think that the Corinthians deserved a "strong rebuke" but for some reason he decided not to go them and give them one. Instead he decided "to work along with them" to encourage them in their pursuit of truth in their own faiths. This was a learning point from me, especially when it's so easy to be critical of others especially when we know they need it. The learning point for me is let the holy spirit guide how to approach others, it's not always a strong rebuke that's needed, even though I WANT to give one.

Lord, when it comes down to it, help me to encourage and/or rebuke others in each situation based off your leading not my own. Help me not to subtly insert my will over yours. Amen

1 Peter 4:12-13

I know what the traditional thought is in regards to the suffering that Peter is referring to here, but I wonder if Christ longed for human love and marriage as we do. As he was completely human when he was here, I cannot imagine him not feeling those feelings. Did he watch his friends and siblings get married and have kids and feel rejected? How much of his life plan was he aware of as he was living it? Did he know that, as the Son of God, marriage wouldn't be a part of his life?
I wonder if these things are things that concerned him.

1 Corinthians 13:4-6

My mantra for the last few days has been 'Your will, not mine, Lord.'

Patient and kind are the two aspects of love that are mentioned first in this passage, and for me that is especially apropos. Patience in love, both in wanting to express it and in wanting to receive it. Kindness in a general sense I do well with, but in the moment I certainly could use more work.

Envy of love that others is something that I have also struggled with. As happy as I am for others when they have or are in love, I still have that little bit of resentment that it isn't me.

I guess that's why I'm a work in progress.

Romans 1:21-23

"because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man..."

Sometimes it seems like it's enough to know God. Not so. This passage shows that there is a big difference between knowing Him and glorifying Him as God. If we fail to glorify Him and be thankful towards Him, it's a downhill slide into idolatry. It doesn't paint a pretty picture: "futile" thoughts, "darkened" hearts, and giving up God's "incorruptible" glory for a mere "image." May we all avoid the dark futility of idolatry by willingly, consistently bringing glory to God and being thankful for all that He is to us.

Romans 1:17

"For in it [the gospel of Christ] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith.'"

"Faith to faith" and "shall live by faith" both seem to point to the ongoing nature of faith in our lives. It will not be enough to have faith at one point in time and then go on our way. We need to have an active faith moment by moment--an ongoing faith that spiritually sustains us just as we are physically sustained by each ongoing breath.

Just prayer

Today my verse wasn't inspiring any particular thoughts, so I'm going to do some prayer. My mood isn't the greatest mostly due to work and home pressures.
So I'm starting off with those.
Lord, I give these up to you:
My job
My relationships
My family
My friendships
My emotional state
All these things are in your hands

Thank you for sheltering me
Thank you for guarding me from the unknown
Thank you for Your fellowship
I love you Lord

Romans 1:12

"that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me"

Mutual encouragement flows from mutual faith...sounds like Tuesday nights

Psalm 139:7-10

No matter how alone I may feel, He is always there. Guiding, securing, making sure that my feet are on His path for my life, as long as I let Him guide me. Sometimes it's a challenge to allow myself to be guided; my ego rebels against the idea that I am not in charge of my life. Then I look at some of the decisions that I've made on my own and I reach out like a little child, grasping at my Fathers hand to guide me.
At least that's my hope.

Romans 1:9-10

"For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you."

1) What does it mean to "serve...in the gospel of His Son"? Serve for, serve because of...those make sense. But what about serving in?
2) Who is the focus of my prayers?

Romans 15:14-end

I won't rewrite this passage, but I took away from it that Paul was an example in his speech and in his faith in action. The challenge and prayer for me after reading this was that the Lord would help me so that my speech and my faith/actions would bring others to the Lord.

1 John 2:24-25

24See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25And this is what he promised us—even eternal life.

This sorta confused me. Too many 'he' and 'him's that tend to confuse who it is the author is talking about. The section that I got the most out of was verse 28; an encouragement to keep the faith, keep strong in the Lord. It appeals to our humanistic side by cautioning against embarrassment when we stand before the Lord. I find that interesting.