The End. Over. Finished. Completed. Done. But that's not always true. The end heralds new beginnings. Today is the end of one month - and tomorrow the beginning of another. We get fresh starts - every year, every month, every week, every morning.... We can't undo the past, but we can learn from it - and God can redeem it and use it for good. I was reminded of that this morning as several of us sat chatting - and suddenly the inconsequential segued into the very important. I love that touch of God when He whispers through our lives and touches chords that can be shared for His glory. The topic of suicide arose - and in a moment of tender trusting transparency a couple of us shared how it has affected our lives. It was a God-moment. I had a distinct sense of knowing why I was there in that moment at that time, and I love that God takes the painful places in our history and uses them for His glory - redeeming them, and making them Kingdom-useful.
Matthew 10 is my chapter for today. In the listing of the 12 disciples, I noted that the punctuation groups the names by twos. I knew they were sent out by twos, but had never paid attention to the punctuation before.... Go. Freely give. Be on your guard. Proclaim.
Do not be afraid of those who can kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Sometimes I am guilty of thinking of God in too warm and fuzzy of terms...rather like a small toddler whose father is a King with the authority to lop off heads at will.... It is an image I love. Yes, one day He will separate the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the weeds.... Certainly, I want to hold Him in the proper highly esteemed place He deserves - but I also love knowing Him as El Roi, the God who sees me - - and loves me in spite of myself....
Humor for the day:
At Sunday School they were teaching how God created the whole world - including human beings. Little Johnny was especially interested in the part of the story that told how Eve was created from one of Adam's ribs.
Later in the week when Johnny's mother noticed him lying down on the couch, seemingly in pain, she asked him what the matter was. Johnny responded, "I have a pain in my side. I think I'm going to have a wife."
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Day 7 leading to Easter
I started the morning with a 3 1/2 year old popping into our bed for awhile - regaling us with her view of the world. She had her Papa (Grandpa) in stitches. Then pancakes, animal waffles (yes, it was like a short-order kitchen), braiding one's hair in french braids, teeth-brushing and off to explore for awhile....so I'm sneaking this moment to maintain my commitment to blog daily in this pre-Easter journey.
Matthew 9 is my passage for Day 7. I'm so glad I chose Matthew! And so glad I was inspired to begin a blog at this juncture. I'm not writing for an audience - but am obviously writing so others who may choose can read it.... I have one signed-up follower (my daughter) and one stated follower whose name doesn't show up - but she told me she is - and a few others who popped in for at least a day - so I know the potential is there - and my prayer is that if there are readers, they will enjoy sharing the bit of the journey that they share....
Again, so much to munch on! What the paralytic obviously wanted was physical healing - but Jesus gave him so much more - and took care of the most important issue first - the forgiveness of his sins. Next I note that in response to the man's healing, people praised God for what Jesus did. I need to remember that - to affirm the person's obedience to God, certainly, but to give my praise to God, not to man. And then there is Matthew. A Jew who worked for the Romans - an outcast to his own people, and merely used as a pawn by the other....and Jesus 'chose' him. Each of these moments is a lesson of who Jesus is - and I love the reminders, but my heart gravitates to the woman with the issue of blood.
Twelve long years she had suffered. Dr. Luke tells us that no one could heal her - a detail a doctor would pay attention to in relating the story.
This woman was desperate. After all, she barged into the procession as they were following Jesus on his way to heal Jairus' daughter. Sounds a little self-centered, actually - but her hope and her need compelled her. She had been isolated and ostracized for 12 long years. Because of her issue she couldn't go to public worship. She was unclean. No one could even sit in the same chair she used or sleep in the same bed without risk of also becoming unclean. (Leviticus 17)
She shouldn't have been in a crowd. That was against the rules, too, because anyone she touched became ceremonially unclean - - and to make matters worse, she intended to put them - - and Jesus - - at risk for uncleanness. She was desperate, desperate, desperate! It appears that she thought she could just sneak in from behind for a silent healing - - if only she could just touch the hem of his garment! How did she know that? How many times had she stayed just far enough away from the crowd to honor ceremonial law, and watched him heal others? We aren't told how she came to faith - but she did! It was no longer just a hope, a 'he could if he wanted to' belief.
Matthew just doesn't give us the whole story - so I have to go to Luke for this one.... Dr. Luke tells us that as soon as she touched his cloak she was immediately healed. But Jesus had more for her that day. He engaged her in conversation - allowed her to make a public profession of her healing - and reinstated her to society by that proclamation. She came for what she wanted. He gave her what she needed. I just love the model of His outrageous grace, and that he knows better than we do just what we need.
Humor for the day:
A teacher came up to a little girl in her class during art and asked her what she was drawing.
She answered, "God."
The teacher said, "Oh, honey, no one knows what God looks like."
And the child replied, "They will when I'm through."
Matthew 9 is my passage for Day 7. I'm so glad I chose Matthew! And so glad I was inspired to begin a blog at this juncture. I'm not writing for an audience - but am obviously writing so others who may choose can read it.... I have one signed-up follower (my daughter) and one stated follower whose name doesn't show up - but she told me she is - and a few others who popped in for at least a day - so I know the potential is there - and my prayer is that if there are readers, they will enjoy sharing the bit of the journey that they share....
Again, so much to munch on! What the paralytic obviously wanted was physical healing - but Jesus gave him so much more - and took care of the most important issue first - the forgiveness of his sins. Next I note that in response to the man's healing, people praised God for what Jesus did. I need to remember that - to affirm the person's obedience to God, certainly, but to give my praise to God, not to man. And then there is Matthew. A Jew who worked for the Romans - an outcast to his own people, and merely used as a pawn by the other....and Jesus 'chose' him. Each of these moments is a lesson of who Jesus is - and I love the reminders, but my heart gravitates to the woman with the issue of blood.
Twelve long years she had suffered. Dr. Luke tells us that no one could heal her - a detail a doctor would pay attention to in relating the story.
This woman was desperate. After all, she barged into the procession as they were following Jesus on his way to heal Jairus' daughter. Sounds a little self-centered, actually - but her hope and her need compelled her. She had been isolated and ostracized for 12 long years. Because of her issue she couldn't go to public worship. She was unclean. No one could even sit in the same chair she used or sleep in the same bed without risk of also becoming unclean. (Leviticus 17)
She shouldn't have been in a crowd. That was against the rules, too, because anyone she touched became ceremonially unclean - - and to make matters worse, she intended to put them - - and Jesus - - at risk for uncleanness. She was desperate, desperate, desperate! It appears that she thought she could just sneak in from behind for a silent healing - - if only she could just touch the hem of his garment! How did she know that? How many times had she stayed just far enough away from the crowd to honor ceremonial law, and watched him heal others? We aren't told how she came to faith - but she did! It was no longer just a hope, a 'he could if he wanted to' belief.
Matthew just doesn't give us the whole story - so I have to go to Luke for this one.... Dr. Luke tells us that as soon as she touched his cloak she was immediately healed. But Jesus had more for her that day. He engaged her in conversation - allowed her to make a public profession of her healing - and reinstated her to society by that proclamation. She came for what she wanted. He gave her what she needed. I just love the model of His outrageous grace, and that he knows better than we do just what we need.
Humor for the day:
A teacher came up to a little girl in her class during art and asked her what she was drawing.
She answered, "God."
The teacher said, "Oh, honey, no one knows what God looks like."
And the child replied, "They will when I'm through."
Friday, February 26, 2010
Day 6 leading to Easter
Matthew 8
I can't even get past the first few verses in Matthew 8 without digging deeper. Jesus came down from the mountain and large crowds followed him - but then in his path was a leper. I can see the crowds shrinking back, repelled. After all, the lepers - abandoned to the countryside - were required to walk around saying, "Unclean, unclean" so people would stay away from them to avoid infection. But not this man. He's not following the mores of his society. This man comes and kneels before Jesus. Law does not allow him to come that close to people, but he came anyway. However, it was not he who reached out and touched...oh, his words did, certainly... "Jesus, if you are willing, you can make me clean." And then Jesus touched him - a leper - an untouchable, and said, "I am willing. Be clean."
In the fall of 1970, I came to Jesus as one who had 'spiritual leprosy.' I was 'outside the camp,' ostracized (it may have been partially self-imposed, but it felt like real abandonment), and as I knelt before Him, He touched me with His incredible, forgiving, cleansing love. I was the prodigal daughter. I had known Him and walked away because He let me down (or so I thought.) I mistakenly thought that His being 'in control' meant he was a controlling God, and that nothing bad could happen to me with Him in control. He had disappointed me. He had failed to protect me. He had let me make a huge mistake (that led to more) and I was very angry with Him - so I abandoned my faith.
My healing was not wrought as immediately as the leper's appears to be (though his physical healing and his social healing are two separate issues.) Mine was more like peeling away layers of an onion - until at last, I was freed completely - even from the guilt of my sin. Don't misunderstand, I am dreadfully sorry for the sins I committed and for the mistakes I made, but God has redeemed them, and I no longer feel guilt. And, of course, now I understand about 'free will' and that God's being in control is not synonymous with controlling every situation in our lives. I also understand that we live in a fallen world and that bad things happen - but that the difference for us as Christians is that we can have inner peace - a peace the world cannot offer - a peace that gives us an inner calm no matter how stormy the circumstances we are living through. And I know that we see difficulty through different eyes because this world is not our long-range focus.
Another difference for us as Christians is that we can learn amazing lessons through times of trial. In 2000, after going through a series of challenges culminating with a plethora of issues precipitated by an oophorectomy, I learned firsthand that God deserves our praise and worship no matter what our circumstances.
In the difficult months that followed that surgery - including being in the throes of trying to handle all of the issues related to being executrix for my stepmother's will, her lawyer committing suicide, and having to start all over again - and being in the midst of building and moving, which meant no longer having my 30-years-long church support network available to me, some days all my journal stated was HELP! in very large print. But, like Peter, I knew there was nowhere else to go. I knew that because I had tried life without Jesus - and my resolve after coming back to faith was total commitment. When people say "God will never give you more than you can bear" I think 'They haven't been where I have been.' But I do know this: He will never give me more than HE can bear - and I know He is smack dab in the middle of it going through it with me, whatever the 'it' is. It is a wonderful assurance! That's the most amazing thing: He walks with us through every painful step - as well as the joyous ones. It isn't about feeling. It's about faith. He says He will be with us - and He is. No matter what.
As for redeeming the bad - He has. There are those who have walked away from God because of their own terrible circumstances who have believed one of Satan's most insidious lies: that God can't/ won't love them anymore. They believe in Him, but they have been told that 'once they have put their hand to the plow and turned back, they are no longer worthy' and they take that to mean that He won't accept them - so they live outside the gate, ostracized. A few years ago God placed me in the right place at the right time to be able to be the one who could share my story with one woman who needed to hear it. Her immediate response was, "Well, no offense, but if God can forgive you, then He can forgive me." No offense was taken - just pure joy in seeing God redeem the bad that had happened to me, and turning it to joy in seeing someone else restored to a right relationship with Him - and then later to see her be instrumental in passing that on to another....
And just an aside - for those who believe and misuse that bit about 'putting our hand to the plow' NONE of us are worthy to begin with. But - when God forgives with extravagant grace, what a testimony to His amazing love. His amazing, extravagant grace is why I call myself 'A child of God's grace.' I am.
Just after going through the worst of the terribly tough time beginning early in 2000, God gave me a chorus to a calypso beat. These are the words:
I don't deserve your love. I don't deserve the life you have reserved for me.
I don't deserve your love. I don't deserve the grace with which You set me free.
I don't deserve that you, the Son of God, died on the cross for me.
I don't deserve your love, but thank you, Lord, that you give it to me, so freely.
I don't deserve your love, but thank you, Lord, that you give it to me.
Not everyone agrees with me - or with the sentiment expressed in this chorus - but that's O K. I know that what I deserved was death - as in the 'eternal separation from God ' death - but He didn't agree. Oh, how beautiful the song of the Redeemed.
When Jesus healed this particular leper, he told him not to go talk about it - but to go do what was required by law. If you want to read the extensive process that involved, you'll find it in Leviticus 14:2-32. What touches me about that, is that Jesus wanted the testimony to be proclaimed to the Priests. They were the ones who knew the prophecies of the Old Testament. If they were paying attention they would have recognized Him as the Christ. Few did, apparently.
So - I read the whole chapter - but that's my tidbit for today. Blessings!
(I have never blogged before, obviously - and am just taking the journey where it leads me. I hadn't intended to begin sharing quite so personally so early I guess, as I'm surprising myself where my bunny trails lead - no pre-planning, no expectations. Surprising even to me!)
Humor for the day:
Following an unresolved argument a man and wife were giving each other the silent treatment. At bedtime the man realized that because he was prone to sleeping through his alarm, he would need his wife to wake him up at 5 a m the next morning for a long-anticipated fishing trip with his buddies. He had to meet them in the designated location by 5:30 a m or be left behind. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence, he left a note pinned to her pillow - where she obviously couldn't miss it - written in large letters: 'PLEASE WAKE ME UP AT 5 A M."
The next morning the man awoke to find he had slept through his alarm and missed his trip. He was furious, and was about to go find out why his wife hadn't awakened him when he discovered a note pinned to his pillow that stated, "IT'S 5 A M - WAKE UP!"
On the home front:
Lynley and Malachi are in THE WIZARD OF OZ. Their first performance was last night. Al and I are going tonight.
I had McCain and Malachi sleep here last night so I wouldn't have to get up early and go to their house to wait for Malachi to wake up. Play practices have kept him awake until around midnight this week, so I've gone over to spend my mornings there so he could catch up on his sleep - - and he has slept late... Wouldn't you know, he was awake by 8:30 this morning.... It's a no-school day so I need to go be Grandma....
Later....
I can't even get past the first few verses in Matthew 8 without digging deeper. Jesus came down from the mountain and large crowds followed him - but then in his path was a leper. I can see the crowds shrinking back, repelled. After all, the lepers - abandoned to the countryside - were required to walk around saying, "Unclean, unclean" so people would stay away from them to avoid infection. But not this man. He's not following the mores of his society. This man comes and kneels before Jesus. Law does not allow him to come that close to people, but he came anyway. However, it was not he who reached out and touched...oh, his words did, certainly... "Jesus, if you are willing, you can make me clean." And then Jesus touched him - a leper - an untouchable, and said, "I am willing. Be clean."
In the fall of 1970, I came to Jesus as one who had 'spiritual leprosy.' I was 'outside the camp,' ostracized (it may have been partially self-imposed, but it felt like real abandonment), and as I knelt before Him, He touched me with His incredible, forgiving, cleansing love. I was the prodigal daughter. I had known Him and walked away because He let me down (or so I thought.) I mistakenly thought that His being 'in control' meant he was a controlling God, and that nothing bad could happen to me with Him in control. He had disappointed me. He had failed to protect me. He had let me make a huge mistake (that led to more) and I was very angry with Him - so I abandoned my faith.
My healing was not wrought as immediately as the leper's appears to be (though his physical healing and his social healing are two separate issues.) Mine was more like peeling away layers of an onion - until at last, I was freed completely - even from the guilt of my sin. Don't misunderstand, I am dreadfully sorry for the sins I committed and for the mistakes I made, but God has redeemed them, and I no longer feel guilt. And, of course, now I understand about 'free will' and that God's being in control is not synonymous with controlling every situation in our lives. I also understand that we live in a fallen world and that bad things happen - but that the difference for us as Christians is that we can have inner peace - a peace the world cannot offer - a peace that gives us an inner calm no matter how stormy the circumstances we are living through. And I know that we see difficulty through different eyes because this world is not our long-range focus.
Another difference for us as Christians is that we can learn amazing lessons through times of trial. In 2000, after going through a series of challenges culminating with a plethora of issues precipitated by an oophorectomy, I learned firsthand that God deserves our praise and worship no matter what our circumstances.
In the difficult months that followed that surgery - including being in the throes of trying to handle all of the issues related to being executrix for my stepmother's will, her lawyer committing suicide, and having to start all over again - and being in the midst of building and moving, which meant no longer having my 30-years-long church support network available to me, some days all my journal stated was HELP! in very large print. But, like Peter, I knew there was nowhere else to go. I knew that because I had tried life without Jesus - and my resolve after coming back to faith was total commitment. When people say "God will never give you more than you can bear" I think 'They haven't been where I have been.' But I do know this: He will never give me more than HE can bear - and I know He is smack dab in the middle of it going through it with me, whatever the 'it' is. It is a wonderful assurance! That's the most amazing thing: He walks with us through every painful step - as well as the joyous ones. It isn't about feeling. It's about faith. He says He will be with us - and He is. No matter what.
As for redeeming the bad - He has. There are those who have walked away from God because of their own terrible circumstances who have believed one of Satan's most insidious lies: that God can't/ won't love them anymore. They believe in Him, but they have been told that 'once they have put their hand to the plow and turned back, they are no longer worthy' and they take that to mean that He won't accept them - so they live outside the gate, ostracized. A few years ago God placed me in the right place at the right time to be able to be the one who could share my story with one woman who needed to hear it. Her immediate response was, "Well, no offense, but if God can forgive you, then He can forgive me." No offense was taken - just pure joy in seeing God redeem the bad that had happened to me, and turning it to joy in seeing someone else restored to a right relationship with Him - and then later to see her be instrumental in passing that on to another....
And just an aside - for those who believe and misuse that bit about 'putting our hand to the plow' NONE of us are worthy to begin with. But - when God forgives with extravagant grace, what a testimony to His amazing love. His amazing, extravagant grace is why I call myself 'A child of God's grace.' I am.
Just after going through the worst of the terribly tough time beginning early in 2000, God gave me a chorus to a calypso beat. These are the words:
I don't deserve your love. I don't deserve the life you have reserved for me.
I don't deserve your love. I don't deserve the grace with which You set me free.
I don't deserve that you, the Son of God, died on the cross for me.
I don't deserve your love, but thank you, Lord, that you give it to me, so freely.
I don't deserve your love, but thank you, Lord, that you give it to me.
Not everyone agrees with me - or with the sentiment expressed in this chorus - but that's O K. I know that what I deserved was death - as in the 'eternal separation from God ' death - but He didn't agree. Oh, how beautiful the song of the Redeemed.
When Jesus healed this particular leper, he told him not to go talk about it - but to go do what was required by law. If you want to read the extensive process that involved, you'll find it in Leviticus 14:2-32. What touches me about that, is that Jesus wanted the testimony to be proclaimed to the Priests. They were the ones who knew the prophecies of the Old Testament. If they were paying attention they would have recognized Him as the Christ. Few did, apparently.
So - I read the whole chapter - but that's my tidbit for today. Blessings!
(I have never blogged before, obviously - and am just taking the journey where it leads me. I hadn't intended to begin sharing quite so personally so early I guess, as I'm surprising myself where my bunny trails lead - no pre-planning, no expectations. Surprising even to me!)
Humor for the day:
Following an unresolved argument a man and wife were giving each other the silent treatment. At bedtime the man realized that because he was prone to sleeping through his alarm, he would need his wife to wake him up at 5 a m the next morning for a long-anticipated fishing trip with his buddies. He had to meet them in the designated location by 5:30 a m or be left behind. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence, he left a note pinned to her pillow - where she obviously couldn't miss it - written in large letters: 'PLEASE WAKE ME UP AT 5 A M."
The next morning the man awoke to find he had slept through his alarm and missed his trip. He was furious, and was about to go find out why his wife hadn't awakened him when he discovered a note pinned to his pillow that stated, "IT'S 5 A M - WAKE UP!"
On the home front:
Lynley and Malachi are in THE WIZARD OF OZ. Their first performance was last night. Al and I are going tonight.
I had McCain and Malachi sleep here last night so I wouldn't have to get up early and go to their house to wait for Malachi to wake up. Play practices have kept him awake until around midnight this week, so I've gone over to spend my mornings there so he could catch up on his sleep - - and he has slept late... Wouldn't you know, he was awake by 8:30 this morning.... It's a no-school day so I need to go be Grandma....
Later....
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Day 5 leading to Easter
Day 5: Matthew 7
This is another of those chapters that covers a lot of terrain. Another sermon series.... I see some wonderful 'what if's' in this chapter: What if we lived by the guidelines suggested, that however we thought about others, God would think of us, and to whatever extent we extend grace to others, God would extend grace to us? We cannot help but observe - but we are absolutely admonished to leave judgment to the Lord, pay attention to our own shortcomings, and treat others as we want to be treated. It's nutshell Christianity where the rubber meets the road.
Then in verse 13 the message switches to admonishments about how to get to heaven and whom to believe. There is only one way. Jesus is the narrow gate. No options. No other way. False prophets were warned against in Jesus' day - and they have been surfacing ever since - and misleading people with false promises and erroneous information. Just in quick review I can think of several: The Church of Jesus Christ Christian AKA The Aryan Nations, which was/is neither Christlike nor Christian (perhaps a redundant statement - but I want it to be perfectly clear!); Jim Jones & his Jonestown, Guyana mass suicide; David Koresh and the Branch Davidians; the Bahgwan Shree Rajneesh and his compound in Antelope, Oregon; and a plethora of -isms that fail to present Jesus Christ as the only way to God. False prophets bear fruit, but it is bad fruit.... Bad fruit poisons and misleads people. It may seem appealing, but it's like trying to make a 'balanced diet' out of marshmallows. Jesus' message is a message of His love. It welcomes our taking responsibility for our choice. He wants us to choose Him, but we aren't forced to. And - it's personal.
Perhaps the most compelling verses in this chapter are 21 - 23. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father, who is in heaven...."
I just read a book written by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears: The Vintage Jesus. I read it because I wanted to find out if the teaching of Mars Hill Church was sound, and Mark is the head pastor. It is rock solid. One of his statements stuck with me. The gist of the statement is that Jesus saves us from ourselves. That's the point of Matthew 7:21-23. Are we doing our will - whatever that is - or are we doing God's will?
As for the book Mark Driscoll co-authored: truthfully, he shocked me a few times with his vernacular. He reaches people I would not normally connect with, and the 'audience' he directs himself to in his writing is not the over-60 crowd - but the theology is absolutely spot on. I have a minor issue where I disagree - - but it is not about who God is, but about who we are. I disagree on the same issue with my own church and have stated that, sometimes vociferously. The statement I disagree with is that 'we are all sinners.' I strongly object to that as our designation once we have accepted Christ so I take exception to that statement, and believe that it restrains people from living up to their best in Christ and as Christians. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.... If I think of myself as a sinner it excuses me quite easily from living up to the standard Christ sets for me. Our identity is to be in Christ - and it holds us to a very high standard. Our plumb line is straight - and it is Christ Himself. My identity is no longer 'Sinner' but child of God; dearly beloved (aka loved one); saint; redeemed; saved; friend; joint heir with Christ.
While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us - but once we accept Him, we are no longer identified as 'sinners' but as 'saved by His grace.' My daughter will ask for proof from scripture, so here it is:
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (note the past tense)
John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
John 13:33 "My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come...."
Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
John 15:14-15 You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Romans 9:25-26 As he says in Hosea:
"I will call them 'my people' who are not my people;
and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one," and,
"It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them,
'You are not my people,'
they will be called 'sons of the living God.' "
Ephesians 1:18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints
Acts 2:21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Luke 1:68 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.
We are the redeemed - our identity is not 'sinners.' That is not to say we do not sin - we do. But, just like a child, we live up to how we are identified. If you want a child to do well, you praise his strong points, rather than focus on the negatives. When a preacher says "We are all sinners" I react. It was my identity. Now my identity has changed. I realize Paul identifies himself as the chiefest of sinners - but he does us a disservice not to put it in the past tense. O K - I can get off that soapbox now....
Chapter 7 ends with the story of the the man who built his house upon the rock. When we build our lives on the solid teaching of Jesus Christ - our Rock - no storm can destroy our house - but when lives are built on anything else, it is like building on shifting sand, and when trouble comes - and trouble always will come - that house will not stand....
The children's chorus from my childhood has been wending its way through my brain all day.
The wise man built his house upon the rock....
Humor for the day:
Bill and Joe went on a camping trip. Joe took his old canvas framed tent to be their 'home away from home.' After they got it set up and organized with the cots in just the right places and all their gear appropriately stowed, they were worn out, so they crawled in and fell fast asleep. Several hours later Joe woke up, and waking Bill, asked him, "Bill - look up and tell me what you see."
Bill replied, "I see millions of stars."
"What does that tell you?" asked Joe.
Bill thought for a moment and then patiently responded, "Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies, and potentially billions of planet. Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Timewise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, it's evident the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day when we get up later today. What does it tell you, Joe?"
"Well," Joe observed, "It tells me that someone has stolen our tent."
This is another of those chapters that covers a lot of terrain. Another sermon series.... I see some wonderful 'what if's' in this chapter: What if we lived by the guidelines suggested, that however we thought about others, God would think of us, and to whatever extent we extend grace to others, God would extend grace to us? We cannot help but observe - but we are absolutely admonished to leave judgment to the Lord, pay attention to our own shortcomings, and treat others as we want to be treated. It's nutshell Christianity where the rubber meets the road.
Then in verse 13 the message switches to admonishments about how to get to heaven and whom to believe. There is only one way. Jesus is the narrow gate. No options. No other way. False prophets were warned against in Jesus' day - and they have been surfacing ever since - and misleading people with false promises and erroneous information. Just in quick review I can think of several: The Church of Jesus Christ Christian AKA The Aryan Nations, which was/is neither Christlike nor Christian (perhaps a redundant statement - but I want it to be perfectly clear!); Jim Jones & his Jonestown, Guyana mass suicide; David Koresh and the Branch Davidians; the Bahgwan Shree Rajneesh and his compound in Antelope, Oregon; and a plethora of -isms that fail to present Jesus Christ as the only way to God. False prophets bear fruit, but it is bad fruit.... Bad fruit poisons and misleads people. It may seem appealing, but it's like trying to make a 'balanced diet' out of marshmallows. Jesus' message is a message of His love. It welcomes our taking responsibility for our choice. He wants us to choose Him, but we aren't forced to. And - it's personal.
Perhaps the most compelling verses in this chapter are 21 - 23. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father, who is in heaven...."
I just read a book written by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears: The Vintage Jesus. I read it because I wanted to find out if the teaching of Mars Hill Church was sound, and Mark is the head pastor. It is rock solid. One of his statements stuck with me. The gist of the statement is that Jesus saves us from ourselves. That's the point of Matthew 7:21-23. Are we doing our will - whatever that is - or are we doing God's will?
As for the book Mark Driscoll co-authored: truthfully, he shocked me a few times with his vernacular. He reaches people I would not normally connect with, and the 'audience' he directs himself to in his writing is not the over-60 crowd - but the theology is absolutely spot on. I have a minor issue where I disagree - - but it is not about who God is, but about who we are. I disagree on the same issue with my own church and have stated that, sometimes vociferously. The statement I disagree with is that 'we are all sinners.' I strongly object to that as our designation once we have accepted Christ so I take exception to that statement, and believe that it restrains people from living up to their best in Christ and as Christians. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.... If I think of myself as a sinner it excuses me quite easily from living up to the standard Christ sets for me. Our identity is to be in Christ - and it holds us to a very high standard. Our plumb line is straight - and it is Christ Himself. My identity is no longer 'Sinner' but child of God; dearly beloved (aka loved one); saint; redeemed; saved; friend; joint heir with Christ.
While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us - but once we accept Him, we are no longer identified as 'sinners' but as 'saved by His grace.' My daughter will ask for proof from scripture, so here it is:
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (note the past tense)
John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
John 13:33 "My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come...."
Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
John 15:14-15 You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Romans 9:25-26 As he says in Hosea:
"I will call them 'my people' who are not my people;
and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one," and,
"It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them,
'You are not my people,'
they will be called 'sons of the living God.' "
Ephesians 1:18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints
Acts 2:21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Luke 1:68 Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people.
We are the redeemed - our identity is not 'sinners.' That is not to say we do not sin - we do. But, just like a child, we live up to how we are identified. If you want a child to do well, you praise his strong points, rather than focus on the negatives. When a preacher says "We are all sinners" I react. It was my identity. Now my identity has changed. I realize Paul identifies himself as the chiefest of sinners - but he does us a disservice not to put it in the past tense. O K - I can get off that soapbox now....
Chapter 7 ends with the story of the the man who built his house upon the rock. When we build our lives on the solid teaching of Jesus Christ - our Rock - no storm can destroy our house - but when lives are built on anything else, it is like building on shifting sand, and when trouble comes - and trouble always will come - that house will not stand....
The children's chorus from my childhood has been wending its way through my brain all day.
The wise man built his house upon the rock....
Humor for the day:
Bill and Joe went on a camping trip. Joe took his old canvas framed tent to be their 'home away from home.' After they got it set up and organized with the cots in just the right places and all their gear appropriately stowed, they were worn out, so they crawled in and fell fast asleep. Several hours later Joe woke up, and waking Bill, asked him, "Bill - look up and tell me what you see."
Bill replied, "I see millions of stars."
"What does that tell you?" asked Joe.
Bill thought for a moment and then patiently responded, "Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies, and potentially billions of planet. Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Timewise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, it's evident the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day when we get up later today. What does it tell you, Joe?"
"Well," Joe observed, "It tells me that someone has stolen our tent."
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Day 4 leading to Easter
Matthew 6 could be a several-week sermon series! Jesus covers a lot of territory in what has been encapsulated in this one chapter: giving, prayer, fasting, priorities, worry.... This is a blog, not an in depth study so I'm just going to choose one little nugget:
Matthew 6:22-23
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"
Today is the first time I have looked at this passage with different eyes. Always before I thought of it in terms of the Truth of the Gospel, and for those who 'think' they have truth but don't, that the light they think they have is actually darkness - - and how great the darkness is when it is misconstrued as light.... I applied that very quickly to those of specific religions that don't honor Jesus Christ as God: though light came into the world, they don't accept Him, and so are in darkness. I also applied it to those whose theology isn't sound, for various reasons.
But, today I realize it is sandwiched neatly between very distinct clarifications about our relationship with money - and if I am to truly pay attention to context, I have to wonder if the message isn't actually one reiterating that message: not of theology, but of 'stuff.' Could it be that this is saying when our eyes become so accustomed to seeing what is around us and we long for or prioritize inconsequential 'stuff' instead of a totally sold-out relationship with God, we are settling for darkness?
If nothing else, it is thought-provoking....
A few years ago I sat in a multi-million dollar home in a gathering, and the owner of the home said, "If I lose it all and still have Jesus I will still have everything." It was a stunning statement. One I have mulled over many times. I love God's blessings of home and family - and general good health (so far) - - but also have to acknowledge that the man who spoke those words spoke truth: "If I lose it all and still have Jesus, I have everything." Nothing else will leave this world with me - but Him!
Lord, thank you for your blessings. Help me always keep them in perspective, and Lord, let your light shine into me and through me. Dispel any wrong ways of thinking or feeling that could be darkness.
Humor for the day:
A little boy visiting his grandma was playing in her bedroom. "Grandma," he said, "You know how you told me we come from dust and return to dust?" "Yes, dear," she responded. "Well, Grandma," he observed, " I just looked under your bed - and someone's either coming or going."
Life today:
I had the joy of practicing last night with an awesome group who are going to be leading worship for a special 'ladies' night out' WOW night (Women of Worship) at Faith Assembly of Lacey. Piano, drums, guitars and women who demonstrate their conspicuous love for the Lord in their worship. God's presence was incredible - and this was just practice in preparation for Thursday, March 4. Practice was pure joy! I can't wait to see what God is going to do in the room full of women praising Him together!
Malachi spent the day with me today. He and Lynley were in a late night practice for this weekend's performances of THE WIZARD OF OZ - and he didn't get to bed until about midnight. Too many late nights = one tired boy and he needed some catch-up sleep. Then I picked up the kids after school - an early out day. I think snack time is calling....
Matthew 6:22-23
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"
Today is the first time I have looked at this passage with different eyes. Always before I thought of it in terms of the Truth of the Gospel, and for those who 'think' they have truth but don't, that the light they think they have is actually darkness - - and how great the darkness is when it is misconstrued as light.... I applied that very quickly to those of specific religions that don't honor Jesus Christ as God: though light came into the world, they don't accept Him, and so are in darkness. I also applied it to those whose theology isn't sound, for various reasons.
But, today I realize it is sandwiched neatly between very distinct clarifications about our relationship with money - and if I am to truly pay attention to context, I have to wonder if the message isn't actually one reiterating that message: not of theology, but of 'stuff.' Could it be that this is saying when our eyes become so accustomed to seeing what is around us and we long for or prioritize inconsequential 'stuff' instead of a totally sold-out relationship with God, we are settling for darkness?
If nothing else, it is thought-provoking....
A few years ago I sat in a multi-million dollar home in a gathering, and the owner of the home said, "If I lose it all and still have Jesus I will still have everything." It was a stunning statement. One I have mulled over many times. I love God's blessings of home and family - and general good health (so far) - - but also have to acknowledge that the man who spoke those words spoke truth: "If I lose it all and still have Jesus, I have everything." Nothing else will leave this world with me - but Him!
Lord, thank you for your blessings. Help me always keep them in perspective, and Lord, let your light shine into me and through me. Dispel any wrong ways of thinking or feeling that could be darkness.
Humor for the day:
A little boy visiting his grandma was playing in her bedroom. "Grandma," he said, "You know how you told me we come from dust and return to dust?" "Yes, dear," she responded. "Well, Grandma," he observed, " I just looked under your bed - and someone's either coming or going."
Life today:
I had the joy of practicing last night with an awesome group who are going to be leading worship for a special 'ladies' night out' WOW night (Women of Worship) at Faith Assembly of Lacey. Piano, drums, guitars and women who demonstrate their conspicuous love for the Lord in their worship. God's presence was incredible - and this was just practice in preparation for Thursday, March 4. Practice was pure joy! I can't wait to see what God is going to do in the room full of women praising Him together!
Malachi spent the day with me today. He and Lynley were in a late night practice for this weekend's performances of THE WIZARD OF OZ - and he didn't get to bed until about midnight. Too many late nights = one tired boy and he needed some catch-up sleep. Then I picked up the kids after school - an early out day. I think snack time is calling....
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Day 3 of my reading plan leading to Easter
Sunday I read Matthew 3, Mark 1, Luke 3 and John 1. Yesterday I read Matthew 4. Today Chapter 5. That makes today Day 3.... I am immersing myself in Jesus' ministry for the first period of my '40 days' of preparation for his death on the cross...then as time gets close, will follow his daily journey through reading sequentially what the Bible discloses for those final days as Jesus' time on earth as 'fully God, fully human.'
There is so much in Chapter 5. 'Do not resist an evil person' leaps out to me - as does 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.' The reality is I do pray for those who misrepresent, malign and misunderstand me - but I am not truly persecuted, though sometimes I feel like it. Sunday's message at FAL was about the persecuted church - the truly persecuted. And in the light of that comparison, this is hard teaching.... Our Christian faith teaches forgiveness. Letting stuff go.
This chapter includes the Beattitudes, and a healthy 'be' attitude is the best kind.... We cannot always affect our circumstances, but we can affect our attitude. Lord, when I need an attitude adjustment, nudge me to praise. You inhabit the praises of your people.
Chapter 5 ends with an impossible directive: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." I know I can't actually do it - but by His grace, I can press toward the mark - - and I'll get a lot further intentionally pressing forward than I will if I don't try.
Lord, help me be an intentional Christian today. I'm so grateful you impute righteousness to us, and that you see us through the filter of your Son!
Humor for today:
A young woman who was having no luck finding employment through all of the normal avenues decided to go door-to-door in a posh neighborhood and seek odd jobs. She bravely walked up to the door of the first home, knocked and asked the man who answered the door if there were any chores she could do to earn money.
The man replied, "Can you paint?"
"I sure can." She replied confidently.
"Well, then, you can paint my porch if we can agree on a price."
"How about $50 dollars," she replied, "Is that O K?"
"That'll be just fine. You'll find the paint in the garage."
He, of course, was ecstatic. He had been avoiding the project for a long time, and was getting tired of his wife bugging him about it. Now he had this drop dead gorgeous blond willing to do it for a mere $50.! He closed the door, feeling quite smug.
About an hour later, there was another knock on the door. It was the blond. "I'm all done," she reported, "I had lots of paint so I gave it two coats - and, by the way," she continued, "It's a Ferrari, not a porch."
HEAD'S UP:
I've been hearing about people falling victim to scams recently. About a month ago I received a call from a young man claiming to be my grandson. I asked him for his name, and he said scoldingly, "Grandma, you know my name...." I said, "Well, I still want to know your name." And he hung up. The reality is, I was forewarned about that one. I know someone who fell victim to it a year earlier. The young man who called her said, "Hi Grandma" and she responded with "Brian, is that you?" Then he had her hooked....told her his tall tale of trouble, and that he was going to be jailed in Canada if he didn't pay the fine immediately...and she went straight to Western Union and sent the requested money - - a couple thousand dollars, as I recall.... She truly thought she was helping her grandson.
Another scam happened to friends who helped someone in downtown Olympia because the person claimed to be a Christian - - but the reality is there was a hefty pay-off for helping that was promised. BEWARE! Anything too good to be true is! (Except Salvation through Jesus Christ). Just this morning I got an email telling me I had won a brand new BMW. I get email scams fairly often. Some even seem legit - -but I check them out.... I got an e-mail once that said my account at a certain bank had been compromised and they needed me to fill out the online form to get it cleared up. I went straight to the bank, and they were already aware of the scam....
Another one that is fairly recent is calling people acting like they are the Court system - that you are going to be arrested for failing to show up for your jury duty....and in the process of your being flustered they get your personal info from you - - and steal your identity, drain your accounts and leave you wondering how it happened.
We are told we are to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves....hopefully a word to the wise is sufficient.
There is so much in Chapter 5. 'Do not resist an evil person' leaps out to me - as does 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.' The reality is I do pray for those who misrepresent, malign and misunderstand me - but I am not truly persecuted, though sometimes I feel like it. Sunday's message at FAL was about the persecuted church - the truly persecuted. And in the light of that comparison, this is hard teaching.... Our Christian faith teaches forgiveness. Letting stuff go.
This chapter includes the Beattitudes, and a healthy 'be' attitude is the best kind.... We cannot always affect our circumstances, but we can affect our attitude. Lord, when I need an attitude adjustment, nudge me to praise. You inhabit the praises of your people.
Chapter 5 ends with an impossible directive: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." I know I can't actually do it - but by His grace, I can press toward the mark - - and I'll get a lot further intentionally pressing forward than I will if I don't try.
Lord, help me be an intentional Christian today. I'm so grateful you impute righteousness to us, and that you see us through the filter of your Son!
Humor for today:
A young woman who was having no luck finding employment through all of the normal avenues decided to go door-to-door in a posh neighborhood and seek odd jobs. She bravely walked up to the door of the first home, knocked and asked the man who answered the door if there were any chores she could do to earn money.
The man replied, "Can you paint?"
"I sure can." She replied confidently.
"Well, then, you can paint my porch if we can agree on a price."
"How about $50 dollars," she replied, "Is that O K?"
"That'll be just fine. You'll find the paint in the garage."
He, of course, was ecstatic. He had been avoiding the project for a long time, and was getting tired of his wife bugging him about it. Now he had this drop dead gorgeous blond willing to do it for a mere $50.! He closed the door, feeling quite smug.
About an hour later, there was another knock on the door. It was the blond. "I'm all done," she reported, "I had lots of paint so I gave it two coats - and, by the way," she continued, "It's a Ferrari, not a porch."
HEAD'S UP:
I've been hearing about people falling victim to scams recently. About a month ago I received a call from a young man claiming to be my grandson. I asked him for his name, and he said scoldingly, "Grandma, you know my name...." I said, "Well, I still want to know your name." And he hung up. The reality is, I was forewarned about that one. I know someone who fell victim to it a year earlier. The young man who called her said, "Hi Grandma" and she responded with "Brian, is that you?" Then he had her hooked....told her his tall tale of trouble, and that he was going to be jailed in Canada if he didn't pay the fine immediately...and she went straight to Western Union and sent the requested money - - a couple thousand dollars, as I recall.... She truly thought she was helping her grandson.
Another scam happened to friends who helped someone in downtown Olympia because the person claimed to be a Christian - - but the reality is there was a hefty pay-off for helping that was promised. BEWARE! Anything too good to be true is! (Except Salvation through Jesus Christ). Just this morning I got an email telling me I had won a brand new BMW. I get email scams fairly often. Some even seem legit - -but I check them out.... I got an e-mail once that said my account at a certain bank had been compromised and they needed me to fill out the online form to get it cleared up. I went straight to the bank, and they were already aware of the scam....
Another one that is fairly recent is calling people acting like they are the Court system - that you are going to be arrested for failing to show up for your jury duty....and in the process of your being flustered they get your personal info from you - - and steal your identity, drain your accounts and leave you wondering how it happened.
We are told we are to be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves....hopefully a word to the wise is sufficient.
Monday, February 1, 2010
The First Day
Kami just helped me create a blog! Yeah! Hooray! Erin sent me the paper explaining what to do - but I needed someone sitting by my side leading me through the process. Thanks, Kami! Watch out world! This is going to be an excellent way to share my thoughts - and no one has to come here who doesn't want to.... Until then....
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