8.13.15 "Be Reconciled to God!"

Be Reconciled to God 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.  And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.  21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

On a cool summer day high in a green mountain meadow, with tiny yellow flowers everywhere and surrounded by mountains, I sat in awe of God and his magnificent creation.  I was at peace and felt God’s Presence with me.  We shared a wonderful morning together in that beautiful place and I came away renewed and refreshed.   I recently had this wonderful experience because on another summer evening long ago in chapel service at Baptist summer camp, I gave my heart and my life to God, through Jesus Christ my Savior.  I was reconciled to God that night.  He woke me up and got my attention. I felt his Presence for the first time and my life was changed forever.

Being Reconciled to God is exciting!   From when we first wake up and realize that the One and only God loves us, that He sent Christ to redeem us through the cross, and that we desperately need Him to make it through this life on earth and to receive eternal life with God.  We seek forgiveness of our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  We begin a new and exciting life with God.

Well, at first our life with Jesus is exciting.  We feel alive and willing to give ourselves to God.  We study the Bible and go to church regularly and get involved in every ministry and mission we can to show God and others how faithful we are.  I’m speaking of my personal experience here.  This is how I was when I was first saved.  I couldn’t get enough of reading the Bible, I even stayed up late some nights to watch Jim Baker on the PTL club.  But as time went on I felt alone in my new-found faith.  My family didn’t understand me and teased me when I talked about Jesus and being saved.  My mom thought I had been brainwashed at the Baptist camp that I had gone to.  I didn’t know how to defend my new faith or explain how I was changed inside.  ( I realize now, that I was not brainwashed. By Jesus and through him; I was cleansed and made whole.)

Through this reconciliation we also begin a relationship with God that continues forever!

Where you are, you can be reconciled to God.  You don’t have to climb a mountain or go to a beautiful place.  If you are far from God, just call out to him.  Seek him.  Surrender your self fully to him; mind, body and soul.

In addition to being reconciled to God ourselves, He calls us to be Christ’s Ambassadors, in helping others to be reconciled to God too.

We all have a part in this ministry of reconciliation.  We can pray for others, we can talk with those people whom God brings into our lives and share our own reconciliation stories with them.  We can reach out to those who are in need, lost, hurting, or sick.   We can encourage them daily to seek God to help them through what ever they are going through.  As they come to accept Jesus and the gift of reconciliation that He has for them, they begin to trust him for themselves and come into their own relationship with God.

So What is your story, have you reconciled with God yet?  If not, what are you waiting for?  If so, are you growing in your faith and helping others find theirs?

Don’t miss out either way.   Seek God for what He wants you to do to grow closer to Him and for who He wants you to help be reconciled to Him.

Father God,

Help us today to be reconciled to you.  Help us to live the life that you intend us to live, with you living in us and through us each and every day. 

Thank you Jesus,  for the gift of love, mercy and salvation through grace that you have given to each of us and continue to offer to those who haven’t yet joined up with you.  Help us to let go of our old broken selves and to live in our new fresh, born again selves.   We surrender ourselves to you God; Body, Mind and Spirit.  For your Glory.   Amen.

Patrice

8.12.2015 “The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

2 Corinthians 5:14-17 ¹⁴ Either way, Christ’s love controls us.^[a] Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.^{[b] 15} He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

¹⁶ So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! ¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

I am reminded of two occasions when I read and process this passage.  One comes from a bible study I was attending with a friend.  The leader described the transformation outlined in this passage as a three part theological journey; Justification, Sanctification, and Glorification.  Very eloquently the leader explained that our brokenness is a cycle of sin and guilt.  We sin.  With that sin comes guilt.  Guilt is not comfortable so we seek relief.  We medicate so to speak and that often leads us right back to the sin we were trying to avoid in the first place.

In our humanness the obvious answer is to work on avoiding the sin.  But GOD in HIS wisdom chose to work on the guilt.  HIS Son has provided the relief.  HE took on the sin so that we are held blameless, forgiven.  This beautiful revelation is Justification.   When we accept and acknowledge it we can no longer live as we did before.  We try to live for CHRIST and as CHRIST did, sanctified.  This is Sanctification.  Finally when we make it home the journey is complete, we live in glory with our GOD, which gives glory to our GOD.  This is Glorification.  Believe it or not this all made sense to me when the leader explained it and I think about it when I read this passage.

The other thought that comes to me is of Stacy.  Stacy was the daughter of a boss that I had a few years ago.  I first met her in her father’s office as a promiscuous teenager being punished for sneaking out of the house to go to a party.  Stacy was a beautiful young lady with so much going for her including successful loving parents, but she was totally wild.  Unfortunately she never grew out of her passion for all the wrong things.  A failed marriage and two kids later she was still making the same mistakes drugs, alcohol, and bad relationships.  Then came the call my boss and his wife feared.  Stacy was in a horrible traffic accident leaving a bar on the back of a motorcycle with someone she had just meant.  With massive head injuries the family was informed that the only option was brain surgery.  The surgery they were told would save her life but that if she lived she would most certainly not be the same person.  The doctors where correct.  The surgery changed Stacy in a way they did not see coming.  She no longer needs alcohol, drugs, or the company of men to feel good about herself.  My former boss said she has a completely different personality and although she is the same girl, she is a completely different person.  Today she is clean, sober, and gainfully employed with only faint memories of the person she left on the pavement at that traffic accident.   “The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

Heavenly FATHER, thank you so much for taking our place in the darkness.  When we are tempted today to seek medication remind us that YOU have already provided the relief and wiped the slate clean.  Remind us LORD that in YOU we are brand new!  In CHRIST name we pray. Amen

8.10.15 "Behold, I make all things new!".

Before getting into the reading for today, please pray.  Use the prayer below or other words to invite God into this time of reflection on His word. Dear God, Maker of heaven and earth,

I love you!  I pour out my heart to you and I love you.  I know you already know everything about me - every wound, every sin, every failure, and every thought.  But I need to hear myself telling you that my heart belongs to you.

Thank you for loving me before time began.  I love you, worship you, trust you.  Thank you for this time of intentional connection with you.  I ask you to speak to me through your Holy Word and help me to be a good listener.

In Jesus' name I pray, Amen!

Genesis 42:18-24

¹⁸ On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God: ¹⁹ If you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay here in prison, while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households. ²⁰ But you must bring your youngest brother to me, so that your words may be verified and that you may not die.” This they proceeded to do.

²¹ They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come on us.”

²² Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood.” ²³ They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter.

²⁴ He turned away from them and began to weep, but then came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes.

I'm wondering what was going on in Joseph's mind as this reunion with his brothers was taking place.  Did he have a plan or was he just winging it?  How many times had he thought and wished for this day?  Was he receiving pleasure in seeing his brothers squirm?  Or was he in utter anguish, eager to reveal his true identity and restore his relationship with his brothers?

We have all been in similar situations.  We have the chance to forgive someone and restore a relationship.  How long do we wait?  The lesson I receive from this account is that God is calling me to forgive, 100%, as soon as possible.  To do anything less than that is to continue the pain and suffering that all parties experience when there is a lack of forgiveness.  Think about how long it took for Jesus to forgive those who crucified him.  The crucifixion wasn't even finished and Jesus is already asking, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do".

What about you?  Is there anyone out there who is waiting for you to fully and completely forgive them?  If so, Jesus urges you to do it, NOW!!!  He says, "Behold, I make all things new!".

May God grant you the strength and love to forgive as He has forgiven us!

Mark

Saturday's Blog

Welcome to the POG Blog! Today is Saturday which means YOU get to start the discussion on today’s scripture!  What is it saying to you today?  How does it relate to your life right now?  How does it relate to the message from Sunday?  Enjoy reading, meditating, and sharing your thoughts with others today!

Today’s Scripture is:    Psalm 90: 1-4, 17

A prayer of Moses the man of God.

¹ Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. ² Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

³ You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.” ⁴ A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.

¹⁷ May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.

8.7.15 "Living Your Divine Purpose"

Ephesians 5:15-17 (NIV) ^15 pLook carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ^16 pmaking the best use of the time, because ^qthe days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what^rthe will of the Lord is.

Living Your Divine Purpose

These verses from Paul to the Ephesians remind me of all the questions and uncertainty that must have plagued Joseph during much of his life.  When he was seventeen years old, God blessed him with dreams of future power and of purpose … dreams that seemed so clear and real (see Genesis 37:5-8).  But then things went terribly wrong.

Beginning with his brothers selling him into slavery, evil descended on Joseph and God’s purpose for his life seemed to vanish.  He had to survive the evil and fight the temptations that came his way.  He had to keep the faith and trust that God’s will was being done and his plan would one day be revealed.  This waiting took a large part of Joseph’s life.  However, he made good use of that time as he built his character and God provided him with the life experiences that would someday allow him to be a success in the role as the second most powerful person in Egypt.

Using Joseph’s life as a perfect example … and following Paul’s guidance, we should be confident that God has put us on this earth for a purpose.  Yes, we will face difficulties and challenges in our life.  Yes, the future may not always be clear.  But keep the faith!  We should live our life in a way that brings honor to God and always be seeking his divine purpose for us!

jdh

God is Never Late

2 Peter 3:8-9

“Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years; a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with His promises as some measure lateness. He is restraining Himself on account of you - holding back the End because He doesn’t want any one lost! He’s giving every one space and time to change.”

Warning – this will be long.

And – it’s “late”!

I woke up this morning and realized it was my turn to do the PoG blog. So, I hurriedly read the passage – thought of something I might write, and worried that if I didn’t hurry up and write it – it would be really LATE.

I had not spent any time yet with God this morning. Should I skip my morning time and do the Blog first? Should I do my morning time with God and do the blog LATER!?

I opted for not skipping time with God – and oh, my – am I so glad. God took every scripture, every thought, and this PoG Blog “thing” I had to do and transformed it into a Holy Time with Him.

Ever since Jordan preached a few weeks ago, I have been un-learning old thought patterns. He helped me to look at “wrestling with God” in a new way – that wrestling is not bad. Time spent wrestling with God is a beautiful thing, as He molds and shapes us.

Then I un-learned old thoughts about trials.  That trials are not bad things either.  Trials will never go away – it is a part of our life here on earth.  So, Dawn, stop being shocked when trials happen – and stop seeing them as a bad thing.

Then this week, un-learning my thoughts about God being slow, or late.  First of all, how dare I question the God of the universe and His timing?  God isn’t late with His promises as some measure lateness. This doesn’t say God isn’t late answering my prayer the way I want Him too!  No, it says He isn’t late with His PROMISES – which are His presence, His love, doing what is best for me, etc. An image of a 2 year-old on the floor having a temper-tantrum pops in my head – not getting her way – getting what she wants – right now!   Perhaps my new mind should think, “God isn’t late – I am just too early!”

My sister had a stroke a few years ago, and I went to help her.  Many obstacles occurred – but the one that pops in my mind relating to this thought of “God being late” involved getting her out of Beaumont and into Round Rock where she could recover closer to my mom and I.  Days passed trying to come up with any kind of plan to hire an Ambulance service – over $3,000 dollars.  Nothing was working.  Someone said, “why don’t you just drive her?”  “Impossible!  That's ridiculous!,  I thought.  She has lost the use of her arm and both legs.  What if she has an accident?  What if she falls over in the back of the van and I cannot move her?  What if she has another stroke?" 

At the same time, we were searching for a facility near my home that would be the best chance for her to recover.  Days passed.  No answers.  My morning time with God – and very helpful advice from my husband kept saying, “God will give you what you need for today – and just for today."  So if the facility isn’t working out today – then it’s not the right time.  If the Ambulance isn’t working out for today – then it’s not the right time.  I remember clinging to these thoughts and trying to trust  God and His timing.

Then one day – after many days of “God being so slow”  - all of a sudden the phone rings – the facility has space for her!  "Out of the blue"  (LOL) I brilliantly came up with the idea – “why don’t I just drive her myself?  What’s the worst that can happen?  Another stroke?  I’ll just call 911 or drive to another hospital!”   Within hours, we are on the road – and in God’s timing – every detail “fell” into place.  God isn’t late with His promises as some measure lateness.  No, every detail did not just "fall" into place.  God had been working all the time - putting all the pieces together - He wasn't late getting us out of there - I was just too early - trying to hurry Him up!

I must share with you the Scriptures God gave to me this morning – with all Glory to HIM. Just read how He enters into this transformation of our minds regarding His timing – and to stop thinking that He is “late”!

Psalm 130:5-5 “I pray to God – my life a prayer – and wait for what He will say and do. My life’s on the line before God, my Lord. Waiting and watching ‘till morning. Waiting and watching ‘till morning.”

Romans 12:1-2 “So, here’s what I want you to do – God helping you. Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work and wandering-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the Best thing you can do for Him.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 “We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies – tearing down barriers erected against the Truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ – our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.”

My old ways of thinking that "wrestling with God" is a bad thing; that "trials" are bad things; and that "God’s timing" is a bad thing are very dangerous.  The devil can use these thoughts to raise doubt about God’s love for me.  “Where is your God, now?  Why isn’t He finding a way for you to get your sister home?  Maybe He doesn’t care?  Maybe He is mad at you…..”   Just look at how those old thoughts create obstacles between us and our Loving, Wonderful God!

I need to use my powerful God-tools to smash these warped philosophies; to fit every loose thought and emotion and impulse of that two-year-old temper tantrum reacting to my disgruntlement of  God’s timing; and let God build me into maturity!

So, like I said – this was very long.  And very LATE.  But was it late?  Or was it God’s perfect timing for me today?

“Father, please forgive me for all the times I have been mad at You for your timing.  Thank You for Your Word today regarding lateness.  Thank You for transforming my old philosophies lately regarding wrestling with You, trials, and Your perfect timing.  I don’t want to remain a two-year-old.  Help me to mature into the life You want for me. Help me to use the tools You have given me against satan and his attempts to put obstacles between You and me.  I love You.  I love wrestling with You.  I love learning new things about You and trials.  And I trust YOUR perfect timing.   Amen”

8.4.2015 “Why do you look sad today?”

8.4.2015 “Why do you look sad today?” Genesis 40:6-15

⁶ When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. ⁷ So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?”

⁸ “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”

⁹ So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream. He said to him, “In my dream I saw a vine in front of me, ¹⁰ and on the vine were three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed, and its clusters ripened into grapes. ¹¹ Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into Pharaoh’s cup and put the cup in his hand.”

¹² “This is what it means,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days. ¹³ Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. ¹⁴ But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. ¹⁵ I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.”

How often these days do you look around and notice your surroundings?  I know I get preoccupied and pay far too much attention to my phone and many times when I do take a second to look up it’s to see others looking down doing the same thing.  Joseph, by paying attention to his fellow prisoners, and recognizing that something was wrong saved a nation and all nations that followed.  Don’t miss the simplicity and the importance here, the fate of many nations hinged on Joseph asking a simple question – “Why do you look so sad today?”  Isn’t it amazing how God weaves these stories throughout our history providing examples of simple truths that can have such profound impacts!!

After hearing their dilemma and directing them to God, Joseph, through divine help, provided the interpretations of their visions.  Recognizing the cupbearer would be returned to Pharaoh’s service Joseph appeals for his own freedom which reveals a lot about God’s timing and our desires.  Up to this point in the story Joseph has been sold into slavery by his bothers and wrongly accused of a crime he did not commit, forcing him to spend years in prison.  One can only imagine the amount of pain and suffering Joseph sustained throughout this period, yet Joseph remained faithful, and very modestly requests the consideration of the cupbearer.  All the while God was not done molding him into the man he needed him to be.  Can you look back at a time in your life that was just a wreck and see God’s provision for your heart molding you into the person you are today?  Or maybe you’re in the middle of a train wreck and you can relate to the place Joseph is here at the end of the verse…wanting to be free.

Be encouraged because Joseph’s story doesn’t end here and God can change the lowest of stories to the highest of victories, sometimes overnight.

Heavenly Father we thank you for being a God that knows exactly what we need to be transformed into your image to do the work you’ve uniquely laid out for our lives.  We pray Lord that we would suffer well and have the faith of Joseph leaning on your promise to never leave our side.  God open our eyes and pull us away from those things preventing us from seeing those simple opportunities to love your children every day.  In Jesus name, Amen.

8.3.15 "The Inside Story"

The Scripture for today is Genesis 41:28-40 ^28-32 “The meaning is what I said earlier: God is letting Pharaoh in on what he is going to do. Seven years of plenty are on their way throughout Egypt. But on their heels will come seven years of famine, leaving no trace of the Egyptian plenty. As the country is emptied by famine, there won’t be even a scrap left of the previous plenty—the famine will be total. The fact that Pharaoh dreamed the same dream twice emphasizes God’s determination to do this and do it soon.

^33-36 “So, Pharaoh needs to look for a wise and experienced man and put him in charge of the country. Then Pharaoh needs to appoint managers throughout the country of Egypt to organize it during the years of plenty. Their job will be to collect all the food produced in the good years ahead and stockpile the grain under Pharaoh’s authority, storing it in the towns for food. This grain will be held back to be used later during the seven years of famine that are coming on Egypt. This way the country won’t be devastated by the famine.”

³⁷ This seemed like a good idea to Pharaoh and his officials.

³⁸ Then Pharaoh said to his officials, “Isn’t this the man we need? Are we going to find anyone else who has God’s spirit in him like this?”

^39-40 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “You’re the man for us. God has given you the inside story—no one is as qualified as you in experience and wisdom. From now on, you’re in charge of my affairs; all my people will report to you. Only as king will I be over you.”

“God has given you the inside story—no one is as qualified as you in experience and wisdom.” As a child growing up in a military family and continuing to move throughout my life – I was often “the outsider”.  I have lost track of all of the various schools that I attended growing up, but I do remember many first days.  I remember the feeling of not fitting in, not knowing anyone, being uncertain of whether or not I would find a friend.  I remember being awkward and uncertain – not speaking from the common experiences of the kids that had gone to school together and lived in the same neighborhood for years.  That pattern continued into adulthood as I pursued a military career.  Moving every two to three years made it easy to live a very transient life – packing up and moving on when the time came.  But that is only part of my story.

My Father in heaven has given me another identity.  In God’s kingdom – I am an “insider”!  My personality and life story qualifies me with experience and wisdom that is unique to me.  Jesus redeemed me.  Jesus loves me.  Jesus leads me to the people and ministry that I am uniquely qualified for.  God uses my experience of being that uncomfortable outsider in a new place to give me sensitivity for people seeking connection and friendship, whether it is at work, in my personal life or at church.  God uses my experiences of living in many different places and experiencing other cultures to help me to appreciate and relate to people who are different from me.  God uses the pain that I feel over the brokenness and dysfunction in my extended family to give me compassion toward people experiencing this brokenness and pain in their own lives.

There are many examples of how God uses my unique story to help me to connect with others, but that isn’t really what I want to focus on.  My story is just one example of how God can use our “inside story” to minister in his kingdom.  When we drop the façade and open our hearts to how God desires to use us, we can be powerful forces for good in his kingdom.  We don’t have to be perfect in any way – we just have to be obedient.  Our messy, imperfect struggle and God’s faithfulness in redeeming it may be just the thing that someone else needs to hear.  Our story may be just the thing that encourages them to seek a redeemed life in Christ.  Ask God to show you how YOUR story can have impact in HIS kingdom!

Lord Jesus, thank you for my story.  Thank you for the good times, the bad times, the struggles, the trials and yes, Lord – even the hurts.  Thank you for redeeming me and my story.  Help me to reach others with the good news that you love them and can redeem their story.  I love you, Lord Jesus.  Amen.

Kelly

Saturday's Blog

Welcome to the POG Blog! Today is Saturday which means YOU get to start the discussion on today’s scripture!  What is it saying to you today?  How does it relate to your life right now?  How does it relate to the message from Sunday?  Enjoy reading, meditating, and sharing your thoughts with others today!

Today’s Scripture is:    Philippians 2:12-16

¹² Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ¹⁶ as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

7.31.15 "What does Paul mean by 'anything' and 'in every situation'?"

"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."  Psalm 118:24 It's a brand new day!  Admittedly, it's the last day of the work week and the last day of a very hot month of July.  But it is still a brand new day!  Good for you for getting into God's word and taking the time to check in to see what God might be saying to you this Friday.  Before you read today's verses from the Scripture & Meditation Guide, please pray God would help you to focus and that He would speak to you through his Holy Word.  One of this week's PRAYfor100 text messages encouraged us to pray with diligence, fervor, constancy, perseverance, determination, and conviction.  If you don't feel those words describe your prayer life, maybe a good prayer would be that God would open up that kind of prayer for you today.

Philippians 4:6-8

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

The first thing that struck me when I read these verses from Philippians was the phrase, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation…".  I thought, what does Paul mean by "anything" and "in every situation"?  I think it is so easy for me to try and put limits on those words.  I'm convinced the words "anything" and "every" include all the big stuff:  Anxiety and worry come in all sizes and circumstances, but God provides an opportunity to "take an exit toward Jesus!" Just considering the following statements, my own anxiety increases and fear springs up! I'm looking for a job and it's been tough, I was just at the doctor's office and was told I have cancer, my spouse and I have been having terrible arguments for what seems like a very long time, I'm feeling distant from God, etc.  You get the idea.  There are just some really big situations in our life that are way bigger than we are.  We need to go to God in those situations.

But then there are other situations that aren't on the same scale and don't seem as urgent, like: we need to purchase a new car, I think I might have said something that offended a co-worker, the lawnmower won't start, our daughter is dating someone we aren't crazy about, it always seems our money runs out before the month runs out, etc.  If you're like me, you're tempted to think…I've dealt with situations like these before, I know what to do, no need to bother God right now.

And then there are those situations that just seem downright puny, like: should I go shopping now or after dinner, do I buy the red dress or the blue one, black shoes or brown, do I take chemistry 1^st semester or 2^nd, which route should I take to get home, etc.  Again, I'm tempted to think there's no way God cares about that so I shouldn't even bother him.

Paul is saying that we should not be anxious about ANYTHING and that we should come to God in EVERY situation.  Christians should be the most relaxed, joy-filled people on earth.  Doesn't mean we don't care about what's going on around us.  Paul is talking about going through life in a meaningful and personal relationship with God, where we go to Him for everything - anytime, anywhere, about anything.

May He grant us that kind of day today!

Mark

7.29.15 “I told you. You just have to believe!”

James 1:2-8 New International Version (NIV) ² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

If you are a parent the day will come when you will have to deal with the dog question.  My parents did, in fact more than once.  But when I left home and started my own family my trusted friend and canine had long since passed on.  Now it was my turn to look into those little sad eyes and hear those magical words…please!  In spite of all the logical and well thought out reasons against it, the greatest of which is, “who” will ultimately care for the creature, we usually weeny out and get the kid(s) a dog.

So I’m sure you are asking, how on earth does this relate to today’s passage?  Well and I am reminded of my youngest, and of course, daddy’s little girl, who spearheaded a particularly aggressive campaign for her dog.  We made the usual demands and set out the usual prerequisites, all of which to our surprise she completed.  Backed into a corner of our own creation we gave in a brought home Emmitt, named after a certain football player.  One of the prerequisites was that I got to name the dog.

I have to admit they were good together.  Their relationship blossomed and these two were just made for each other.  My daughter and Emmitt became the best of friends and were pretty much inseparable.  Then one day the unthinkable happened.  Emmitt got out of backyard during one of his potty breaks and my little girl’s world came crashing down.  She was devastated.  Parents you know the drill.  We posted and searched and posted and searched some more, to no avail.  As the days passed we began to try and move my daughter out of denial and into acceptance.  She would have none of it.  Every evening after school we searched and searched some more.  One week, two weeks…  We were becoming very concerned.  The more we gently tried to push her forward the more she insisted Emmitt was out there and we would find him.  Three weeks later as my wife and I discussed how our daughter might react to us bringing home another dog we heard a familiar yelp at the back door.   Miraculously it was Emmitt!  It was as if he had never been gone.  In fact he looked as though he had been to the pet saloon.  As my daughter leveled her eyes at her Mom and me and squealed with joy she said something I will never forget, “I told you.  You just have to believe!”

Over the years Emmitt would repeat this periodic sabbatical and every time he would return.  Sometimes as the days stretched to weeks my wife and I would begin to doubt, but not my daughter.  She grew tougher and more resilient with each episode.   As I read the passage today these memories came back to me and while it may seem like a story about a dog and a little girl it about more; it’s about trial, it’s about faith, it’s about believing.

Heavenly FATHER what peace we enjoy when we know that the key to all that worries us, all that threatens us, all that is important us, is believing.  LORD, show us the way.  In CHRIST name we pray. AMEN

7.28.15 "The Lord Is With Us"

Heavenly Father, thank you for a new day in which to thank, love and serve you.  Thank you for your word and for the precious true stories it contains. Thank you for your precious promise to never leave us or forsake us.  Amen Genesis 39:11-23 (NIV)

11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.

13 When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, 14 she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. 15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”

16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18 But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”

19 When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. 20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.

But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

This passage reminds me of one of the reasons it is so important to read the Word of God and to live in His presence every day. All of us experience hard situations and circumstances in life. When that happens our first response tends to be, ‘God, where are you?’ Between last Sunday and the time I’m taking to write this reflection, that question has been on my mind at least three times.

Knowing and hearing again the true story of Joseph is a great help to me because as I reflect on this passage of scripture, I realize that like Joseph, God has been with me in my troubling circumstances.

When difficulties come, being in the in Word helps me realize two things. First, God will be with me and walk with me through the situation so that I am not facing my current circumstances alone. Second, God will use my current circumstance for His glory and my good because He is a God who can redeem any situation.

Our God, the one who was with Joseph and “gave him success in what ever he did” is the same God who in His word promises never to leave us or forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:6)  As one of my Alpha friends might say, ‘you can take that promise to the bank!’

Lord, thank you for loving and caring for each one of us. Help us to fix our eyes and hearts on you. Help us, by your Spirit, to encounter you in the Word each day. Help us to keep your life sustaining promises before our eyes. Remind us that regardless of our circumstances, you are with us. Amen.

jhf

Saturday's Blog

Welcome to the POG Blog! Today is Saturday which means YOU get to start the discussion on today’s scripture!  What is it saying to you today?  How does it relate to your life right now?  How does it relate to the message from Sunday?  Enjoy reading, meditating, and sharing your thoughts with others today!

Today’s Scripture is:    Genesis 33:9-10

⁹ But Esau said, “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”

¹⁰ “No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.

July 23, 2015 “What a Night…and a New Day”

July 23, 2015 “What a Night…and a New Day”

Genesis 32:31-32 (NIV)

³¹ The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. ³² Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

What a night...to wrestle with God and survive the encounter…and to come out blessed!  I’d be willing to bet that as this new day began, there was not only warmth on his back…but a new warmth in his heart…even as he limped away.  I can’t help but think about Paul and his infirmity…

Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.

⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NIV)

What has the Lord used to keep you humble “so that Christ’s power may rest on” you?

How has God blessed you…warmed your heart, lately…even in the midst of a struggle?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Blessings to you and yours!

jwb

7.21.2015 "Wrestle with God and then ask for a Blessing?"

Wrestle with God and then ask for a Blessing? Genesis 32:26

New International Version (NIV)

²⁶ Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

I had to do some real soul searching and research on this verse.  First, the way the story is told confused me.  Instead of just saying the man Jacob was wrestling with was God, we have to figure that out.  Then, the concept of arguing or wrestling with God goes against my upbringing and personality.  I avoid conflict AT ALL COSTS.  I was raised to “be nice”…   Why on earth would someone want to wrestle with the Creator of the universe, our Redeemer, the King of Kings???  We’re told to praise him, worship him and thank him always.  Fighting with HIM seems sacrilegious!  Then it occurred to me that the very act of wrestling or arguing is communication.  You have to be CLOSE to someone to wrestle with them. And what does God want from us?  Relationship.  He wants us to seek him, to be alone with him.  He wants us to talk, ask, argue, fuss, praise, and i.e. communicate with Him!

Jacob was in a scary place.  He had deceived his father and brother, and was on the run.  When a mere touch on his hip made the socket go out of the joint, he guessed this was no ordinary man.  And I imagine that out of his shame and guilt, when he realized the man was God, he must have known that the only thing left was to cling to God, and finally, ask for a blessing.  What is that old saying?  “You can’t get if you don’t ask”?  Jacob was in a place where he was willing to even risk the opposite of a blessing.  He’d messed up, alienated his family, and now was fighting with the God he was supposed to respect.  Asking for a blessing must have taken courage, and faith.  He must have known, deep down, that our God is a God of love, even when we make a mess of things.

Father God, I want to be close to you.  I want to be able to “wrestle” with you to make my purpose on this earth to become clear.  Send your Holy Spirit to make my heart yearn to be with you, and to remind me of the abundant love you have for me and all of your children.  Thank you for your patience and your persistence in seeking me.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

kristi

7.20.15 "Eyes Like Jesus"

The Scripture for today is 2 Corinthians 5:16-18 (The Message)  ^16-20 Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.

Some of you may have seen a beautiful video on Facebook recently.  A baby girl received her very first pair of eye glasses.  Her mom speaks to her and Piper’s little face turns toward her.  She breaks into a huge smile.  Then her dad speaks to her and again, Piper turns that tiny face.  Her eyes light up and another big smile illuminates her face.  She looks back and forth between her parents, her eyes and face so full of all the emotions that she is experiencing.  I have to admit that I was moved to tears – seeing Piper’s joy and wonderment.  I wonder what Piper saw previously when she viewed the world.

When I read the beginning of this passage, I thought of Piper.  How our vision as humans is clouded by our perceptions and experiences of others.  Maybe we’ve been hurt – the inability to trust distorts our lenses.  Maybe we’ve experienced incredible loss – grief distorts our lenses.  Maybe we are disappointed in our circumstances – bitterness and self pity distort our lenses.  Maybe we are proud – judgment distorts our lenses.  Maybe we are selfish - love of self distorts our lenses.  Maybe we are lacking in self-esteem – anxiety distorts our lenses.  There are so many ways that our view of people can become distorted.  Our distorted lenses hold us back from seeing – we are blinded to the needs of others.  This blindness keeps us from moving into the opportunities that God has planned for us.  We miss opportunities to connect, to share, to comfort, and to encourage – opportunities to see the vulnerable hearts all around us.

When Jesus walked the earth, people failed to recognize him as the Messiah.  Their vision was clouded by their expectation of who their Redeemer would be.  Their expectation was clouded by their vision of how he would act.  But there were some, humbled by sickness, death, sin, loneliness and alienation that were able to see Jesus in a new light.  As they focused on him – they saw clearly.  They recognized that this Jewish carpenter from Nazareth was no ordinary man.  He was the very source of LIFE!  They were transformed!

I am challenged to look beyond the surface when I encounter people.  I need to overcome any personal issues that distort my lenses.  In my own human weakness – I will always struggle to view people through Jesus’ eyes.  But I am encouraged that as I pray – the Spirit will give me clarity of vision.  He will reveal his children to me and guide my thoughts, words and actions toward them.  As I seek to see with Jesus’ eyes – I am renewed.  I can be an effective witness in a world that desperately needs light and hope.  I can help others discover the LIFE that I have in Jesus Christ!

Lord Jesus, teach me to see with your eyes!  Let my eyes fall on others with kindness and mercy!  Help me to see through to the vulnerable heart inside that needs you!   I love you, Lord Jesus.  Amen.

Kelly

Saturday's Blog

Welcome to the POG Blog! Today is Saturday which means YOU get to start the discussion on today’s scripture!  What is it saying to you today?  How does it relate to your life right now?  How does it relate to the message from Sunday?  Enjoy reading, meditating, and sharing your thoughts with others today!

Today’s Scripture is:    Psalm 51:7-12

⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. ⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. ⁹ Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. ¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. ¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

7.17.15 "The Sweet Spot"

Philippians 4:6-9 ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

There was a turning point in my life that occurred more than twenty years ago that forever changed the course of my life and the lives of people that were connected to me.  To understand how significant this change was I need to take you back to the year I graduated college.  It was both a great year and a tough one.  Not long after receiving my degree the glue that held our family together my beautiful and beloved Mom went to be with the LORD.  I will always believe she held on and battled through that awful final year of her life just to see here youngest finish school.  Now she was gone and school was complete.  It was time for me to grow up and move out of the world of part-time jobs and summer breaks into the real world, the adult world.

I remember searching through the want ads looking at all the different job opportunities and thinking none of them perfectly fit my background.  So I changed the way I looked at the ads.  I stopped looking for the job that appeared to best suited for me and began looking at jobs that appeared to be the most sought after by employers.  Two stood out more than any others at the time, sales and credit/collections.  The sales positions were hugely attractive, great salaries and benefits.  But the downside was they were commission based.  No sale meant no rent, no car, and no food.  The safe bet was credit/collections and there were plenty of those jobs.  That there might be a reason there were plenty of those jobs never crossed my mind as I put on my tie and jacket for the first day of work…it would many times later in the years to come.  I do remember my Dad looking at me after I told him that I had a job and what I would be doing.  He shook his head and said “all that education so you could be a collector?”  He obviously did not have a good impression of the industry.

Many years later and many different companies and positions later I recall visiting with my brother about the pain that accompanies going through yet another layoff.   Now I had a family to support and the fear and anxiousness was gripping.  It seemed to happen over and over again.  Good jobs were only as good as the economy and the economy…well.  So I had opened and closed many branch offices for a number of different companies and here we were again.  In another room where I’m sure she felt she was out of ear shot I heard my sister in law say in a gloomy tone, “He’s in his late thirties and still hasn’t found his sweet spot.”

Then the day finally came.  A friend had shown me an ad in the newspaper for a job, the job.   The ad read like I had written it for myself.  The odds of actually getting that job were as long and the line to interview for it.  Before leaving the house for the interview I was so nervous I was physically ill.  I pulled off my tie, knelt and prayed.  “LORD, I’m so tired of this merry-go-round, I need YOU.”  I then opened my bible and read this portion of Mark 13:11;

“…do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.”

At that very moment the “peace” came and I knew.   My life would never be same.  Even in the face of enormous odds, the fix was in.  The job was mine.  I received so much more than a job that day.  GOD revealed HIMSELF to me.   Through HIM and HIS word I indeed found my sweet spot.

Heavenly FATHER of the universe.  Thank you for always having us in the palm of your hand!  Reveal YOURSELF to us when the times make us fearful and anxious.  Bring us that peace that only YOU can provide.  In JESUS name we pray.   Amen

7.16.15 "Created ... To Do Good Works"

Created ... To Do Good Works Ephesians 2:10

¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

There are two types of sins.  Most of us are keenly aware of the first type … sins of commission.  These are sins where we do what we are not supposed to do.  We know something is wrong and yet we do it anyway.  While we are all sinners, we may be able to delude ourselves that we are basically good people because we don’t [often] do sins of commission.   This last section in Ephesians 2:10 is talking about the other kind of sin, the sin of omission.  They are things we don’t do that we’re supposed to do.  I contend that we do these kinds of sins all the time.  The classic example is the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37).  Recall the actions of the priest and the Levite.  God had provided them the opportunity to do good by helping a man in need, yet they both crossed to the other side of the road and passed the injured man by.  Clearly this was a sin of in-action.  It was made all the worse by the professions of the two men … men of the faith.

Throughout our lives, God provides us with many opportunities to do good, in Christ’s name.  We should always be aware and be prepared to act on such opportunities.  An important thing to remember is that our motivation to perform these good works should not be in an anticipation of getting anything from God … he has always given us the ultimate gift … Christ’s death on the cross for our sins.  We should be doing these good works in response to this ultimate gift already provided.

Blessings, JDH

Ps.  Check out these additional verses on the subject of “sins of omission”.  James 4:17; Matthew 25:31-46; Galatians 6:9; Matthew 12:50; Romans 12:1-2

7.14.2015 "God is for Me!"

Genesis 28:16-22 The Message

^16-17 Jacob woke up from his sleep. He said, “God is in this place—truly. And I didn’t even know it!” He was terrified. He whispered in awe, “Incredible. Wonderful. Holy. This is God’s House. This is the Gate of Heaven.”

^18-19 Jacob was up first thing in the morning. He took the stone he had used for his pillow and stood it up as a memorial pillar and poured oil over it. He christened the place Bethel (God’s House). The name of the town had been Luz until then.

^20-22 Jacob vowed a vow: “If God stands by me and protects me on this journey on which I’m setting out, keeps me in food and clothing, and brings me back in one piece to my father’s house, this God will be my God. This stone that I have set up as a memorial pillar will mark this as a place where God lives. And everything you give me, I’ll return a tenth to you.”

We have been learning what a deceptive person Jacob, son of Isaac, was.  His brother, Esau, had been tricked out of his birthright by Jacob, and in the verses before these, is running for his life from his own brother.  He has a dream where God promises an awesome future for him and his descendents.  He really messed up, or in today’s vernacular, made some really bad choices.  I’m sure he felt the guilt and shame of deceiving his father and brother.

We all have made some really bad choices in our lives.  And if we know Jesus, we also know that we are forgiven by Jesus’ death and resurrection.  As Pastor’s message on Sunday reminded us, we have the luxury of “hindsight”.  In verses 16-22, Jacob, in “real time”, he wakes up, and we see his response.  He praises the Lord, and makes his own promises.  I imagine he was so relieved to hear the good news that he had a God, knew THE God, who is so gracious to forgive our “bad choices”, and redeems us.  He didn’t show up in a dream to lecture or fuss at Jacob, he gave him an awesome, undeserved promise instead.

Jacob responded with praise, thanksgiving, and promises of his own.  He promised to follow this gracious God, to worship Him, and to respond tangibly via a tithe.

I am so spoiled.  I’m not running for my life, AND I have the “hindsight” knowledge of Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection.  Jacob in these verses reminds me to praise, thank, and respond to God’s outrageous grace in a tangible way!

Father God, please send your Holy Spirit to remind me daily to thank and praise you for the grace you give me, so outrageously, every day!  Like Jacob, I declare that you are my God, and I’m so happy that you are FOR me, a sinner!  Amen.

kristi