7.16.12 Monday's Blog

Please read today’s passage, 1 Corinthians 15:54-58. ⁵⁴ When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” ⁵⁵ “Where, O death, is your victory?     Where, O death, is your sting?” ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God!He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁵⁸ Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Here are a few thoughts concerning the passage assigned for today, and the sermon text yesterday, Matthew 9:18-26, I would love to read yours.

It comes as no surprise that the passage from Corinthians is one of the most frequently read texts at Christian funerals. It brings great comfort to the grieving heart of a believer to know that Jesus, through His suffering, death and resurrection, has won the victory over death.  Through His selfless sacrifice, He promises to cloth us in garments that are imperishable and immortal.  Hard as death might be, its sting is gone. Death does not have the last word because of Jesus. There is hope; death brings life beyond life.

When Jesus lived, the Jewish people had many rules to guard against becoming defiled or unclean. Two things to avoid if you wanted to remain ‘pure’ were dead bodies and women with internal bleeding.  In the Matthew text, we see Jesus violate both prohibitions. But with Jesus things are different.  When the cloak of Jesus touches the women and when Jesus takes the hand of the little girl, rather than becoming ‘unclean’, healing and life happen.

In his commentary on this passage, N.T. Wright suggests that in His ministry, “Jesus was beginning His whole work of rescuing the world, saving the world, from everything that polluted, defaced and destroyed it.  And those who would benefit would be those who would believe.”  It is a tremendous motivation to remain close to Jesus.  Like the ruler, the women, the blind men and the mute, seeing the power of Jesus increases our faith and grants us the certain knowledge that with Jesus all things are possible.  Life beyond the grave is assured.

Lord, help me to live closely to you. Help me to see your healing ministry as a way of authenticating of your magnificent gift of salvation.

-john frahm

7.15.12 - “Barrier Crossing Compassion!!!”

Welcome and thank you so much for joining in!Our guide for the blog this week will be the scripture text that was the basis for today’s message at PoG!   

Matthew 9 “ ¹⁸ While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” ¹⁹ Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.²⁰ Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. ²¹ She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” ²² Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment. ²³ When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, ²⁴ he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. ²⁵ After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. ²⁶ News of this spread through all  that region. ²⁷ As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” ²⁸ When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”       “Yes, Lord,” they replied. ²⁹ Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; ³⁰ and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” ³¹ But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region. ³² While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. ³³ And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” ³⁴ But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”

There is a great deal in these stories!  What really captures my heart as we begin this week is the deep and personal nature of Jesus’ compassion.  He crosses over tremendous barriers to connect with the people who desperately need His help! 

I don’t know about you but many times I won’t even cross the room to help someone out!  No kidding – I will get in these “I’m tired and I deserve some veg-time” moods and become almost oblivious to simple needs that people have around me!  As I think about this I recall just last week how I was crashing on the couch with something on TV that was adequately sedating me into oblivion and … now that I think about it… my wife was in the kitchen cleaning dishes, counters etc. and I was checked out!  I crossed no boundaries to help out when the opportunity was right there!

Now I know the scripture accounts we are considering are much deeper than my story but it is one of the places my mind went when I considered the “barrier-crossing compassion” of Jesus!  He crossed the barrier of “uncleanness” by touching a dead girl, and celebrated the touch from a bleeding woman!  It was also the compassion of Jesus that touched some blind men – making them whole!  And it was His “barrier crossing compassion” that ultimately conquered death for more us!  Praise God!

Sometimes I get stuck on trying to figure out the “quality of faith” that the people had by which they received healing.  As if there were some “need a miracle” faith formula!  Perhaps that is the wrong starting point!  Perhaps that would put me too much in charge!  I think the best starting point for me is engaging the reality of Jesus - His compassion, power, love, forgiveness etc.  I also need to identify and celebrate how He has shown himself strong in my own life - already!  Then, having my faith a bit more surrendered and a bit more Jesus - focused maybe I will be open to all “He” wants to do in my life!  I get to come to Him fully confident of His grace and truth, compassion and love for me and “ask” boldly for all of my needs!

There is a mystery here – but I think being amazed at His “barrier crossing compassion” is the absolutely best better starting point for me this week!  Otherwise, I am sure to get bogged down right off the bat!

What grabbed you from this text or the message today?  I look forward to the conversation this week!

delton

7.14.12 Saturday's Blog!

Welcome to the POG Blog! The Saturday blog will be different than the others.  Instead of a staff person beginning the discussion, we are asking that YOU begin the discussion on what today’s scripture is saying to you and how it relates to Sunday’s message!   Enjoy praying, digging in, sharing thoughts and responding!

Have a great Saturday!    Denise

Today’s scripture is:      Acts 4:5-12    New International Version (NIV)

⁵ The next day the rulers,the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. ⁶ Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. ⁷ They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! ⁹ If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lameand are being asked how he was healed, ¹⁰ then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead that this man stands before you healed. ¹¹ Jesus is

“‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’

¹² Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

What's God saying to you?.......

7.13.12 "Living in His Fullness"

Today’s reading is Colossians 2: 9-17 ⁹ For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. ¹¹ In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, ¹² having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. ¹³ When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴ having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.   ¹⁵ And having disarmed the powers and authorities,he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.¹⁶ Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷ These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

As I read the scripture for today my mind went to, “What does it mean to be given fullness in Christ (old NIV)  or to be brought to fullness in Christ (new NIV )”?    The opposite of full is empty - so without Him and the fullness of all He has for me, I am empty.  It’s the same as the new wine skin and patches.  If I’m not truly living in the fullness of Jesus, then I have to do patching here and there as I need Him, rather than accessing His power and authority over every aspect of my life and in every moment.   I looked up the meaning of “full” and this is what Webster’s says:   1. Filled  2. Complete  3. Rounded   4. Having an abundance of something ; entirely; utmost degree.    I love “utmost degree” by the way...

So, practically, I’m thinking, how do I live in this fullness, abundance, utmost degree of Christ, that’s been given to me?   How do I see myself living with His life in me everyday?  How do I access and live under His authority and power... the same authority and power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead.  The same authority and power that disarms the devil and triumphs over him by the cross!   My mind is totally capable of receiving this information and believing it and believing I have His life and power in me... but my heart has difficulty knowing how to receive it and put it into practice and then see myself under Him and full of Him (and all that comes with that) every moment of every day.

Repetitiveness is helpful for me... so remembering daily who I am in Christ, what He’s done for me, remembering  I’m forgiven and how much He loves me, are first steps.  And for me personally, I need a way to ask for it, receive it, speak it, claim it, catalyze it.   So for the past couple of months I have been praying the Daily Prayer by John Eldredge.  Pastor has spoken of this prayer many times, so I’m sure many of you are familiar with it, but if not, here is a link to it. http://www.ransomedheart.com/sites/default/files/assets/prayers/daily_prayer.pdf   I actually have a CD version of this prayer in my car that I listen to every morning on my way into work.  This prayer helps me to center my thoughts and heart on HIM.  The words in the Daily Prayer help me to put myself under His authority at the beginning of my day.  It helps me to speak out all the truths that my heart needs to believe about what it means to live in the fullness of Christ.  Phrases like, “You alone are worthy”,  “I honor you as my Sovereign”, “I come to be restored in You”, “I surrender every aspect of my life to You”, “You alone are Life”, “I renounce all other gods, and idols”, “Grant me healing and deliverance and true repentance”, “I now take my place in your cross and death”, “Apply to me the fullness of your cross, death, blood and sacrifice.  I receive it with thanks and give it total claim to my spirit, soul and body, my heart, mind and will”.    Wow... this kind of praying is powerful!  It prepares me to live in the fullness of Christ each day!

Well, this is where the scripture took me today.  Lord help me to not use you as a patch, but to fully embrace and receive all you have for me and want to do through me every day.  Amen

What are your thoughts for today?

Denise

7.12.2012 School's Out!

Whenever I read my Bible, I am often using an app on my iPad. Using the iPad makes it easy for me to switch through various versions of the Bible fairly quickly, and it's helpful for me as one translation may use certain words or phrasing that others do not - words that catch my attention or give me insight into what God is trying to say to me on a particular day. Today is no different - as I looked through various translations and paraphrasings on Colossians 2:6-8, certain words and phrases caught my attention.

First, here is the complete reading in the NIV translation - So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught,and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy,which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

What caught my eye in this one?

• "continue to live your lives in Him"
• "rooted and built up in Him"
• "overflowing with thankfulness"
• "no on takes you captive"
• "elemental spiritual forces of this world"

Some others found in other translations that caught me:

• "you must continue to follow Him" (NLT)
• "let your roots grow down into Him" (NLT)
• "let your lives be built on Him" (NLT)
• "walk [regulate your lives and conduct yourselves] in union and conformity to Him" (Amplified)
• "Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving." (Amplified)
• "See that no one carries you off as spoil" (Amplified)
• "idle fancies and plain nonsense" (Amplified)

The Message stated a portion of this reading in a really understandable way for me: "School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving."

What are you trying to say to me, God? Why these words and phrases?

I think ultimately, I am being called to move on - school is out on gathering and storing up knowledge, and filling my brain with all I can gather about doing life in Jesus' name. I need to now trust that, through my faith in Him, I'm equipped and more than able to live life out of that faith. I can see, do, say, act, think - and be confident that it comes from Him if (and this is a big IF) I stay deeply rooted in Him. When I stay to connected, rooted, fully absorbed, I am able to discern what the callings, temptations and distractions of this world are vs. what the Holy Spirit is calling and leading me towards. AND (and this is a HUGE AND) it all spills over into thanksgiving!

As I'm absorbing this truth, I'm also grasping that this is a continual process - learning, growing, doing, AND giving thanks. As I learn more, I grow more deeply rooted. As I do, I grow more deeply rooted, and I am able to discern the world from the Spirit. As I live, it all spills into thanksgiving.

Hmmmm......and as I write this, I find myself more and more drawn to the portion about overflowing with thankfulness.

Why didn't I originally seen that as a main step? I went and added it into the paragraph above after processing a while? Why can't I leave that topic now?

Is it because my old wineskin has parameters on what "thankfulness" looks like? feels like? Is it because I am pre-determining what thankfulness can be?

I think I'm going to stick with this phrase a bit longer -- "and you will overflow with thankfulness".

God, what are you trying to say to me? What do I need to do about it?

How did today's reading impact you?

Lisa

7.11.12 - Trying to control the Creator

Please begin with prayer for an open heart, before you read the passage below. Colossians 1:13-20 - 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption,[a] the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Control is something that I struggle with and it’s the antithesis of Christianity.  In thinking of the wineskin conversation Sunday, I think the religious leaders struggled with control as well.  They could deal with Jesus, as long as they ended up playing the ‘god’ role as far as religion went and He played by their religious rules.  They had taken the relationship God gave them and twisted the Mosaic laws to become performance metrics to show our righteousness.  In Exodus, we see God prescribe laws to govern society, but the sequencing is the profound part of the story.  God chooses the Israelites, saves them, and brings them out of slavery.  Then, God gives them the Law, which were the parameters to the relationship.  The teachers of the law perverted the law, negated the trust/submission role with God, and then controlled the people through fear, by using religion as the weapon.

Jesus, the creator of all things and author of the Law, came back to pay for the sins of humanity and the religious elite could not give up their control and surrender to Jesus.  They were attempting to fit the Messiah into their perversion of the relationship that God initiated and shut out and eventually murdered God, in human flesh.

The Colossians passage has amazing language and portrays the awesomeness of Jesus in all the glory He deserves.  We limit Jesus to a beauty sash wearing, product in His hair, blue-eyed, Swedish model that is at our beck and call---look at the words---rescued from the dominion, brought us into the Kingdom, image of the invisible God, firstborn, all things were created by Him and for Him, He is before all things, He holds all things together, head of the church, beginning and firstborn, supremacy, God’s fullness dwelt in Him, reconcile, and peace through His blood---incredible!!   He is central and refuses a lesser role in our lives.

We have wineskins also and limit the magnitude and majesty of who Jesus is and the transformation He so desires for us that’s only found through relationship with Him.  We attempt to hold Him at bay and run our lives while we attempt to patch Him into our lives (old wineskin), where He deserves nothing but full submission, allegiance, praise, honor and glory!  We cannot allow Him to be the add-on, like the religious leaders of the day had hoped for, and place a leash on the Savior of the world---He won’t allow it.

How do you limit Jesus through your ‘wineskin’?  If Jesus had the place in your life that this passage gives Him, how would your life be different?  What words or phrases really caught your attention?  I was overwhelmed with the words in this chunk of Scripture and volumes could be written on each portion.  Blog away!

mike

7.10.2012 "Love His Child as well."

So, it’s my day to write a blog.   I am excited because I have had so many “aha” moments since Sunday about “patches” and “wineskins” and I thought this would be an easy topic to write about.  Then I look up the verses for today: I John 5:1-5   “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves His Child as well.  This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out His commands.  This is love for God:  to obey His commands.  And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world.  This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.  Who is it that overcomes the world?  Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”

My excitement has been momentarily diffused because I have NO idea at first glance what this has to do with patches and wineskins.   I think I better pray!

“My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I come to You now, and ask that You would fill me with Your Holy Spirit in such a way that my eyes would be open, that my ears would be open, and that my heart would be open to understand what You want to teach me this day.  Help me to not “run away” when Your Word is confusing.  Help me to be patient and wait on You to reveal to me what You have in store for me this day.  Amen.”

I John 5:1  “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves His Child as well.”   

Our church has been studying the Book of Matthew and the sad fact that many of the religious leaders of that day could not grasp that Jesus was indeed the Son of God.  They were experts in their field of religiosity.  They studied the Scriptures and knew the chapters, paragraphs, sentences, commas, and periods.  They could debate, argue, and quote for hours.  Yet, they just could not “see” that this was The One!  He was The Ultimate Subject of all their debates.  And since they were unable to believe this – they were unable to love Him as God’s Child – and ultimately they put Him to death.

“God, I am still stuck.  I still do not know what to blog about.  I spent hours writing – then deleting – then writing- and then deleting.  I am racing down so many complicated trails.  Please help me. I am only on the first verse.  I will look at it again.”

The religious leaders had their own “old wineskins”  - their own beliefs – their own ideas of how God would work – what the Messiah would be like.   When Jesus Christ came in the flesh – right in front of their very eyes – their old, tough, unbendable, thick-skinned wineskins could not hold the New Wine.  Their wineskins burst apart at the seams and they had nowhere to “put” Him.  They got angry.  They yelled at Him.  They mocked Him.  They spat upon Him.  They whipped Him.  They ............... were...................full....................of.....................Hate...................

“…and everyone who loves the Father loves His Child as well.”   

“ I find myself crying.  And whenever I read Scripture and start to cry – I stop – and ask myself why I am crying.  I have learned to follow the hurt and tears because those are the times that God is really "talking" to me.  Why am I crying?”

Because I am hurting for those leaders who did not see Jesus for Who He really was.  They were so very smart.  But they were not smart enough to figure out that He was the Son of God.  He was right there.  They missed Him. They did not love Him.

I ache for them.

I ache for God.  I ache because He loved those stubborn leaders.  He has loved His very stubborn people since Adam and Eve sinned in the garden.  He loves all of His people so very much that He sent His One and only Son… but sometimes His people do not love Him back.  And that makes me cry.

I ache for Jesus Who tried so hard to open their eyes – to reveal to them Who He was.  He was tender when He needed to be tender.  He was tough when He needed to be tough.  He healed hundreds of people.  He even raised people from the dead!  He yearned for them, loved them, and forgave them as He hung on the cross.  He was the New Wine – yet they had no wineskins to put Him in.

I ache for people I know today who have nowhere to put this Jesus.

And I ache for myself – when Jesus is right in front of my very eyes – trying to pour Himself into my life – and I am stubbornly holding onto an old wineskin.

“Lord, please forgive me!  Help me to throw out my old wineskins – my old beliefs – the ways I stubbornly refuse to see You when You are right in front of my eyes. Give me new wineskins!  Oh, how I do not want to miss You. I love You!”  Amen.

Well, I only Blogged about  I John 5:1.  I guess that leaves the other four verses for you all to Blog about!

Have a “new wineskin” day!

-dawn

7.9.2012 “Simplicity!”

Welcome! The Scripture foundation for this whole week is Matthew 9:14-17! Matthew 9 ¹⁴ Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” ¹⁵ Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. ¹⁶ “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. ¹⁷ Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

What grabs me now as I read this again is the idea that I can treat Jesus as an “attachment” to my life like a patch on an old pair of jeans!  He so repudiates that idea through this illustration!  Jesus is either the center of things or nothing at all – He doesn’t leave “attachment” to my life as an option!

The scripture reading  chosen specifically for today comes from the Apostle Paul as He describes when Jesus blew apart his old wineskin and gave him a brand new one!  He had been a faithful Jewish Pharisee and then he met Jesus – the old stuff that use to be so important to Him became nothing – Jesus became everything! Philippians 3 ⁷ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in^[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. ¹⁰ I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

These verses are such an encouragement to “let everything else be less valuable” than Jesus!  New wineskin living leads me to a radical reprioritization within my life.  Paul says all that was considered valuable is like “garbage” to him now compared to Jesus!  That’s a bold statement!  I think what is grabbing my heart as I read this today is the “simplicity” in a sense of this life Jesus is leading me into.  I think I get worn down when I find myself trying to “please” multiple people or forces or voices in my life.  Paul has One person to follow, One force to respond to, One voice to listen to and he says he considers all those competing people, forces and voices as distant seconds compared to Christ!  That is new wineskin living!  Whether it is family, marriage, career, boss, children, finances, bills, health etc – they all have to take a back seat to “knowing Christ and being found in Him!”  Other things might be important – but not that important!  I need Jesus as “most important” and then the other stuff will more easily fall into place!

There is a radical simplicity to that! Lord, I deeply desire to grasp a little more of the “simplicity” of this new wineskin living today! Amen

How do these verses strike you?  What is God saying? How is this week’s message topic playing out in your life today?

Your insights and comments are so valuable!  Thank you for sharing!

delton

7.8.2012 - “Bachelor Parties, Old Clothes and New Wine!”

Today we launch into another week! Our scripture guide for the blog this week will be from today’s message at PoG!  Everyday will include an additional related scripture and comments from a PoG staff member or leader!

Matthew 9 ¹⁴ Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” ¹⁵ Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. ¹⁶ “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. ¹⁷ Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

What is Jesus saying here?

I think it takes a while to get at what He is saying and then another little while to grasp the ramifications for our lives!

It seems to me that Jesus is making the point that He is the point of true religion!  The practice of faith and the forms we use to practice our faith are not the point – He is the point?

It is our tendency as humans I think to focus on the “forms of faith practice” instead of the “center point of faith”!  I think it may be that inner need we have to control and contain – ourselves and others!  Control is one of the main ways I express my “trying to be my own god”-ness!  I have to admit – as a pastor in an established denomination for 21 years now, most of the energy I have seen wasted is on senseless arguments having to do with differing “forms of faith practice”!

Bottom line I think Jesus is saying to me today –“delton, you can’t just add Me on to your life and it is senseless to try to contain Me in your box so why don’t you just surrender in faith everyday and let the adventure begin!”  Right now that sounds like really Good News!

How does this scripture account strike you?

If you heard the message today on these verses – what grabbed your attention? How did God speak to you?

These are just some “starting point” thoughts for me – I intend to live with these verses all week!

Your comments are really so beneficial to all who read!  Please share as God leads! We all look forward to a peek into how God is working in your life?

Enjoy,

delton

7.7.2012 “Chosen, Holy, Royal, Special”

1 Peter 2 ⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.¹¹ Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. ¹² Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

So Peter is pouring it on thick here with regards to “who” we really become through Jesus!  This relates powerfully to the message theme this week (see yesterday’s blog) about Jesus calling a sinner like Matthew to be His disciple and then having dinner with his friends.  A bunch of  “nobodies” became a bunch of “somebodies” because Jesus waltzed into their lives!

Peter knows we need constant reminders, big over the top reminders of “who” we really are in Jesus Christ.  If we could each fully claim those above listed titles as our own – WOW! – chosen people, royal priesthood, holy nation, God’s special possession!

I simply love these verses because the more I meditate, ingest, absorb and contemplate them the better person I become in the sense that my attitude shifts, my esteem rises, clarity begins to come, confidence grows, my heart softens, criticism and control lessen … it’s not magic it’s just “truth at work” in a nobody like me.

Everything I do and every action I take flows from “who” I am or more clearly “who” I perceive myself to be at that given moment!  Who I perceive myself to be informs how I act!  This identity/worth/esteem question is huge for every person of every age in every culture – and God has settled the issue through Jesus!  (Can you tell I feel passionately about this!)

It’s just that most people in our world do not know – I mean really know- how and why God has settled the “Who am I? What am I worth? Questions "!  And the cool thing is His “answer” is so good for us and free of charge!  No wonder Peter, after dousing us with our true identity, sends us out to “declare the praises of Him… and live such good lives… that the pagans end up glorifying God!"  A world of people end up getting it – really getting who they really are in Jesus - because a bunch of nobodies turned somebodies got all excited about following Jesus!

What is going through your heart and mind as you read these verses?

What is God saying?

Post your comments and thoughts – we all benefit – you are chosen, royal, holy and incredibly special!

Enjoy, delton

7.6.12 "Jesus Eats with Sinners"

Thanks for coming to the blog today! Join me in a short prayer to start!

“Jesus, Open the eyes of my heart that I might see and hear and take in what you want for me this day! I surrender to and invite your Holy Spirit to lead my mind and heart to receive well from you! I am expectant, open and listening!" Amen

Take a few minutes to contemplate a passage of scripture from this week’s message! Matthew 9 :9  Passing along, Jesus saw a man at his work collecting taxes. His name was Matthew. Jesus said, "Come along with me." Matthew stood up and followed him. 10-11Later when Jesus was eating supper at Matthew's house with his close followers, a lot of disreputable characters came and joined them. When the Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company, they had a fit, and lit into Jesus' followers. "What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riffraff?" 12-13Jesus, overhearing, shot back, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: 'I'm after mercy, not religion.' I'm here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders." (MSG)

Who did Jesus hang with, get to know, do lunch with – the riffraff, the sinners, the nobodies! It’s not because they were holy and perfect but because they were broken, messed up and didn’t have life all figured out! Jesus takes notice – He gives them the “honor of His presence, His attention!” He took time, got to know Matthew and his buddies and didn’t mind being seen with them! That is really good news! Maybe, grace means He doesn’t mind being seen with me. With Jesus, a nobody is a somebody! When someone important takes notice – it matters!

I remember when our Josh was 5 or 6 I was marrying a couple who lived in D.C. and had come into town while on vacation to plan the wedding. In the bride’s high school years I was her pastor and now she was the travel secretary for Laura Bush in the White House! Pretty cool! She brought visitor packets from the White House for me to give our kids which included a signed picture of President and Mrs. Bush. When Josh opened up his packet and realized who was portrayed he exclaimed with full confidence and delight, “I had no idea George Bush knew who I was!” He was thrilled! Josh relished in the status of “being known” by the President who sent him a personalized gift! We never told Josh any different!

Matthew must have been blown away when the reality ever hit him, “God came to earth and is in my living room!” He was known by God! This is one of the great “delights” of being a Christ follower! Don’t miss it today! Dwell on that reality! We can all say with faith - filled confidence, “God knows who I am!”

Finally, I am inspired by what God did through Matthew for all his friends! They got to know God that day because they knew Matthew! Will people get to know God today, because they know me? I hope so! This reminds me and encourages me to keep praying for my neighbors and other families as we were taught during the “Why Pray?” journey! I truly want the people I know and care about to get to know the God that already knows them! Keep praying!

Please post your comments about these verses, this blog, and message reflections or your journey this week! What God places in your heart and mind is helpful for us all.

-delton