9.14.12 "Dealing with Condemnation!"

Welcome - so glad you are here today! Father, thank you for your light and love this day!  Thank you for real truth that flows from your word - help me receive well all you have for me today! Amen

We have a really cool scripture to contemplate today!  As we read, it might be good for us to remember the theme for this week at Point of Grace - "The Danger of Missing Jesus!"

John 3:16-21, "¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹ This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

This section kicks off with one of the most familiar scripture verses of all time.  I remember as a child being taught that John 3:16 was "the Gospel in a nutshell!"  What I did not read for years and years and years was the verses right after.  What catches my attention is Jesus' use of the word "condemnation"!  He says He did not come into the world to bring "condemnation" - "condemnation" was already here - "condemnation" is a given in our world.  What the world needs is "salvation"!

This is so important for me to remember! One of the ways I will "miss" the sweetness of salvation in Jesus is if I forget that "condemnation" over me and my world is my starting point - the given! "Whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son" I believe one of the most profound evidences in my own life -that Jesus is right in saying that I sit under this "condemnation" by nature - is the reality of self-condemnation in my own life and the lives of everyone - and I mean everyone - I know.  I mostly see "self-condemnation" by the ways we attempt to cover it up.  I (we) blame, change the subject, puff ourselves up, ignore responsibility, cut others down, hide, escape, argue, get angry, control, experience depression, etc. etc. etc.   There is something deep inside of us - no matter how much we try to cover it up - that says in a convincing voice that we are really not "everything we are cracked up to be"!  That we are not all right - that we are weak, have failed, not self sufficient!  This is evidence of a divine reality - we are under condemnation - a place which is void of life and hope.  The GREATEST thing is that "condemnation" does not have to get the last word even though that is our starting point it does not have to be our ending point!  "LIFE" can get the final say through Jesus!  Forgiveness of our sins can take the full weight off each and everyone of us through Jesus!  It is true we are under condemantion apart from Jesus.  And there is ample evidence to prove our guilt - BUT - God says that in Jesus we get a new start - a new life - a clean slate of forgiveness.  That is why Jesus words are so life giving, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned...!

This is ours through the miracle of faith!  Jesus gives us a free 100% effective solution for our "condemnation" problem! It is real!  Life in Jesus freed of condemnation and self-condemnation is real - to be tapped into everyday!

Jesus, thank you -thank you - thank you - I receive Your clean slate granting forgiveness right now!

Have an awesome - "no condemnation day"!

delton

9.13.12

  “Father, please give me an open heart, open ears, and open eyes to Your Word for me today.  Help me to listen.  Help me to apply it to everything You have been showing me this week.  But specifically, help me to hear Your voice and what this Word from You means for me TODAY!”  Amen. Today’s Scripture is Psalm 1.  “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.

 Whatever he does prospers.  Not so the wicked!  They are like chaff that the wind blows away.  Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.  

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” This week’s Theme has been “The DANGER of Missing Jesus!”

Sunday’s Message revealed how God passionately reaches out to His broken, often obstinate people – but warns them of the danger of denial of Him.   Pastor gave a thought-provoking illustration using a PVC pipe and a music stand symbolizing a wall that we can build up between us and the breath of His Holy Spirit.

Next, add on to the PVC pipe illustration verses like Matthew 12:30 -  “Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me scatters.”   And  Matthew 12:35 -  “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.”  

This was scary!  My heart raced in anxious thoughts worrying if I have built a wall of rejection between me and the Holy Spirit.   I can be so obstinate – broken – stubborn – sinful –!!!  But, I certainly do not want to be cut off from His Holy Spirit!

I found myself wondering…  “Have I grieved You this way, Father?”  “Do You consider me to be one who is against You?”  “Have I sinned against the Holy Spirit?”  “Is there good stored up inside of me?”  “Am I in danger of cutting off myself from Your Holy Spirit?”    “I don’t want to end up MISSING  You, Jesus because of my hard-heartedness.”

Then the beautiful passage Jesus quoted from Isaiah brought much relief – “A bruised reed He will not break, a smoldering wick He will not snuff out!... In His Name the people will put their hope!”  What comfort!  When I am a bruised reed, barely hanging on in the stormy gale of life – He will not “break” me!   If there is even a smoldering ember left inside of me – He will not snuff me out!  I am so thankful for His patience and mercy with me.   In HIS Name – HIS Name – I will put my Hope!

As I read through today’s Psalm  at first I was filled with more fear.  "Am I walking in the counsel of the wicked?" " Will I be blown away like chaff in the wind?"  I know that I don’t “do” all the things that this Psalm says perfectly. “Yes, I am sinful.  Yes, I have done wicked things.  Yes, I mess up.   I don’t meditate on His law every day and night.

BUT I can say that my delight is NOT in the counsel of the wicked.  My delight is NOT in the way of sinners.   My heart yearns for walking in the counsel of the Lord Jesus Christ.  My delight IS  in the law (or Word) of the Lord.  As best I can, I meditate on His Word and try to receive it and let it penetrate my hardened, yet broken heart.

After reading it over and over, this Psalm actually  reassures me that if I am delighting in the Lord -  I am blessed!   If I am "blessed" then there is no fear that I have become hardened to the Holy Spirit!  It says that I am like a tree planted by streams of water… whose leaf does not wither!  There is no fear in this!

I desire and delight in the Lord!  I do not have to worry about the image of that music stand blocking me from the sweet, precious breath of the Holy Spirit.  There is no wall between me and my Savior!

How about you and your journey this week?  How is this Psalm relevant for you today as you study and chew on all that God is teaching about the danger of MISSING Jesus?

-dawn

09.12.12 - What overflows from our heart?

Please begin with prayer for an open heart, before you read the passage below. Romans 10:8-13 - ⁸ But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: ⁹ That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. ¹¹ As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” ¹² For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, ¹³ for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Wow!!! What an amazing text and also a very dense and profound text.  This is such a core passage to the Christian journey and I would encourage everyone to be familiar with it and able to locate it.  Paul uses three Old Testament texts (verses 8, 11, and 13) to show the continuity of Scripture and the heartbeat of God. 

The word ‘heart’ really stood out to me from this passage as well as from the message on Sunday.  We are seeing the continued repetition of conflict in the Gospel of Matthew with the religious leaders of the day and there is an intensification of the plot to put Jesus to death.  Jesus is definitely transitioning the practice of faith, but the core of the message in both Old and New Testament is trust, surrender, faith, and obedience because He is Lord and we are not.  Their actions reflect their heart and they don’t want to give up their places of power and authority.

To confess ‘Jesus is Lord’ (which is one of the earliest Christian confessions of faith) is to clearly delineate our role and His role.  He is Lord---we are not!  It takes humility and the recognition of brokenness to speak and truly believe that phrase.  The speaking of those words without the follow through of the heart/life is empty and hollow.  The American Church can sometimes focus too much on praying a specific prayer and then quantifying those responses, because we like to be able to measure things and make the things of faith tangible.   We think the words spoken save us and this can give us false hope that eventually leads to damnation.  It’s clearly the words spoken, believed, and lived out!

I heard about a popular pastor from a couple centuries ago that would hold huge revivals in fields---people would approach afterwards and ask, ‘How many people were saved today?’  He would reply by saying, ‘We will know in a few years.’  The pastor correctly interprets the message of Christianity to be more than an empty recitation of words, but the confession of faith and subsequent following of Jesus that results in life change.  I am not saying that what we do makes us right before God, but the Christ follower is always shown to have regeneration and life change. 

Matthew 12 states that ‘out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks’.  Well, the religious leaders’ hearts were speaking loud and clear!  They considered Him a demon and would never dare bow to Him.  The religious leaders had hearts of stone and could not fathom coming under someone else’s authority.  We also see that they (and every other human) will be held accountable for their words.    

Jesus speaks frequently about the heart as the place of denial or response and the place that guides our actions.  When we are surrendered to the Holy Spirit and come under Jesus’ Lordship, our lives produce fruit---not because of our ability, but because of the Spirit living in us.  We receive these words in Romans with joyful and grateful hearts, along with humility and we respond through confession and surrendered hearts to Jesus.  Then we are motivated to share this incomparable message to all those we encounter!

Is it easy to confess your faith, but hard to follow Him with your heart?  What do your words and actions show about your heart?  What promises from this text grab your attention?  I would love to hear how this passage, along with the message Sunday struck you.

mike

9.11.12 All Things are Possible with God

Hello everyone!  I encourage you to spend a moment in prayer before you read the text assigned for today. Reflect on what the Lord is saying and share your thoughts as you are led. Mark 10:17-27

¹⁷ As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ¹⁸ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’ ²⁰ “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” ²¹ Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” ²² At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.  ²³ Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴ The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it isto enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁶ The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?” ²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

As I read this passage today, I found myself identifying more with the disciples than with the rich young man. Like the disciples I might have thought, “That guy is asking a great question, I can’t wait to hear what Jesus has to say.”  Like the disciples, I’m sure that I would have been surprised by the response Jesus made. Like the disciples, I’m certain that my response, would have been the same. “Who then can be saved?” I love the answer Jesus gives. “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

In this passage, Jesus is pointing out to us today in very clear terms that if we are hoping to enter the Kingdom of God by our own efforts, we’re toast.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8,9)

God has made what was impossible for us possible though the death and resurrection of His son. Every aspect of the law that we have failed to keep, God has kept in Jesus.  And when by the power of the Spirit we believe that Jesus died for us, all that Jesus has accomplished has been credited to us.  The impossible has been made possible with God.

I am thankful today because God has made me a part of His forever Kingdom, not because I worked hard enough to earn it, but because by His grace He sent Jesus as my Savior to make it possible.  Are you excited to be part of God’s forever Kingdom?  How has it changed the way you are living your life?

John Frahm

9.10.12

Welcome to the PoG Blog!  Before reading the scripture, please take time to pray for the Holy Spirit to guide and direct your meditation on God’s word. Philippians 3:4-11

4b If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:  5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee  6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.  7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I consider them rubbish, 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 Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.  10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

At a presentation I once attended, the speaker repeatedly stated “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection!”  It really made an impression on me.  What a cool expression of what our lives should all be about.  Of all the things we can know and study in this world, there is nothing more important than to know Christ.  He is the center of our existence and the reason for our existence.  Every day we have the opportunity to not simply survive, but to live in the power of the resurrection.  That means that, no matter what we are facing, we have a God with us who has already proven He is bigger and stronger than even death itself.  That gives me great comfort; it’s a powerful way to start the day and the week!

Please feel free to share your thoughts as you are moved by the Spirit.

mark liebenow

9.8.12 "The Danger of Missing Jesus"

Welcome! Here is the scripture text from this Sunday's message at Point of Grace !

Enjoy reading, contemplating and sharing thoughts on the text and any observations you might have in regards to today's message!

Matthew 12  ¹⁵ Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. ¹⁶ He warned them not to tell others about him. ¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁸ “Here is my servant whom I have chosen,     the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him,     and he will proclaim justice to the nations. ¹⁹ He will not quarrel or cry out;     no one will hear his voice in the streets. ²⁰ A bruised reed he will not break,     and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory. ²¹     In his name the nations will put their hope.”

²² Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. ²³ All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?”

²⁴ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”

²⁵ Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. ²⁶ If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? ²⁷ And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. ²⁸ But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

²⁹ “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.

³⁰ “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. ³¹ And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. ³² Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

³³ “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. ³⁴ You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. ³⁵ A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. ³⁶ But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. ³⁷ For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

9.8.12 Saturday's Blog

Welcome to the POG Blog! Instead of a staff person or lay leader 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 Reading is:  Philippians 3: 7-11  (NIV)

⁷ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss^(A) for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing^(B) Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ^{(C) 9} and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,^(D) but that which is through faith in^[a] Christ—the righteousness^(E) that comes from God on the basis of faith.^{(F) 10} I want to know^(G) Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings,^(H) becoming like him in his death,^{(I) 11} and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection^(J) from the dead.

Share your thoughts!  What is God saying to you through this Scripture today?

9.7.12 "See, Love, Act"

Welcome!  So glad you are here! Today’s reading is from an incessantly practical book of the bible – the letter from James!  This James is thought to be the half brother of Jesus who was head of the Christian church in Jerusalem in first decades of the Christian movement.  He speaks from experience!

James 2:14-19 “¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. ¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

James really grasped in a tangible way the vision Jesus has that His church would make an amazing, out of this world “love impact” on the world.  To put it another way James is teaching his church the practical realities of putting God’s heart on display!  How many times have I fit into the category of actions called out by James, “If one of you says to him, ‘Go I wish you well; keep warm and well fed’, but does nothing about his physical needs what good is it?”   When James talks putting faith into action it is “acts of surprising, gracious love” that he seems to be referring to.  It is as if he envisions Christ followers to have eyes to see, hearts to love and wills to act!

That is not what Jesus witnessed in Matthew 12 (this week’s message text) .  “Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, ¹⁰ and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they (the religious leaders) asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”

There he was – a man who suffered under social and physical infirmity – who caught the eye of the religious leaders who used him as a “case in point” illustration in their battle with Jesus over how to best honor God on the Sabbath.  In an effort be good – really good – the religious leaders were absolutely blind to do good – real loving good – in a man’s life that stood before them.  Jesus saw the opportunity – He saw the man – He saw the need – He practically responded in a way that was possible for Him.  He healed the man.

As I contemplate James’ call today I am counting on the grace of God for complete forgiveness over all my failures in “seeing, loving and acting” as Jesus would!  I find myself being the man with the “shriveled hand” in need of grace, healing and restoration – in my case Jesus often finds me with a “shriveled heart”!  BUT – He doesn’t leave me that way!  Today I get to deliberately step into His gracious rest and then step out into my world to “see, love and act” like He is “seeing, loving and acting” through me! 

Jesus, I come to you in this moment to rest in You, in your gracious love – to rest – to trust in Your peace over my life no matter what my circumstances.  I surrender to Your reign over me – I receive all You have for me – and now I will step out in faith to act like it!  I pray for eyes to see, a heart to love and a will to act” putting Your heart on display to the people of my life! Amen

What an exciting, awesome, inspiring way to approach today!

Thanks James – thanks Jesus!

delton

9.6.12 "This taste's soooo good!"

This week’s theme is “Don’t Miss the REST?”  As I read the Scripture for today, I am going to take it line by line – in the NIV and then in The Message (in italics) and try to apply it to this week's  theme – and how God is going to “teach” to me through His Word how to not miss the REST for today. Psalm 34:1-8

¹I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.   I bless God every chance I get; my lungs expand with His praise.

²My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. I live and breathe God; if things aren’t going well, hear this and be happy:

³Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together. Join me in spreading the news; together let’s get the word out.

I am supposed to extol the Lord at all times?  What?  Even in traffic?  At work?  After a misunderstanding with my spouse or child or friend?  How is that going to be possible?  Yeah, right.  As I get cut off by someone – You want me to break out in song?  Or stop and bless You, God?  Sounds a bit Polyanna-ish!  I deserve to get mad!  They are wrong.  I am right!

If  I stop and think about my normal reactions to traffic jams, work issues, and misunderstandings with my loved ones, my patterns have been to blow up; or give the silent treatment; or cuss; or pout; or just be in a grouchy mood.  Have those ways actually given me any satisfaction or REST?  As Dr. Phil says, “How’s that workin’ for ya?”  But more importantly, God is asking – “Dawn, how’s that workin’ for ya?”   Uh not too well.  Those reactions are not satisfying at all.  Those patterns are not providing REST in any way.  In fact, those reactions just make my blood pressure rise, I get more agitated, and by the time I get where I am going – the rest of the world is going to pay!!!

This Psalm is challenging me to bless God every chance I get – even when life is not going well – to let my lungs expand with His praise – even in those times –  the chances of feeling REST will be so much higher than when I default with my old reactions.

⁴I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. God met me more than halfway, He freed me from my anxious fears.

When I think back to times of fear and really be honest with myself, the times that I was not delivered from the fear would be the times I did not seek God with that fear.  The times I TRULY sought God about a fearful situation, I can honestly say that the anxiety went away.  The situation did not go away. --- The anxiety went away!  It doesn’t say He will deliver me from the situation – it says that He will deliver me from the fear.  That’s a tricky one.  Maybe I did not  “seek” Him right – or “good enough” – and therefore the part that says “God met me more than halfway” is so gracious and merciful – that He always meets me more than halfway – it’s not up to me to free myself from the anxious fear– THAT is His role!  And in that assurance that He will free me from my anxiety – and that is REST!

⁵Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. Look at Him; give Him your warmest smile.  Never hide your feelings from Him.

When I am not at REST, I am definitely not radiant!  My face is taut.  My face is not relaxed or at peace.  It’s like wearing a sign that says, “back off – I’m in a bad mood – enter my space at your own risk!”   But when I go to Him - when I don’t hide my feelings from Him – when I seek Him and tell Him what is going on – then I can look at Him and give Him my warmest smile?  When is the last time I gave someone a “warm” smile? When is the last time I gave God a warm smile?  If I think about that – I realize it’s impossible to give someone a warm smile when I am not at REST.  My hard, taut, stiff, grouchy face cannot give others a warm smile now, can it?  Ouch.

⁶This poor man called and the Lord heard him; He saved him out of all his troubles. When I was desperate, I called out, and God got me out of a tight spot.

⁷The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them. God’s angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray.

How comforting to know that when I call – the Lord Almighty hears me?!!!  Insignificant, one of billions of people – He hears ME! How comforting to know that when I am praying, or when I spend the day “immersed” in prayer relationship with Him, His angel is setting up a circle of protection around me.  Now that image gives me great assurance that He is with me!  And when I feel protected, I can let down my anxieties and truly REST. This reminds me of being home alone as a teenager when my parents were gone.  Same house.  Same situation.  Doors locked.  Dogs got to come inside that night.  I slept with my dad’s baseball bat!  But I didn’t have a deep sleep that night.  I heard every noise.  I dozed.  I kept checking the clock to see when daylight would finally arrive.   When my parents returned – and when keeping me safe was once again their responsibility – boy did I sleep tight that night!  I was protected!  Someone else was in charge.  Someone else had the baseball bat!  I felt safe.  I got REST!  How comforting to know that the angel of the Lord is encamped around me!

⁸Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see – how good God is. Blessed are you who run to Him.

Mmm.  The image of tasting something delectable.  The times where I have run to Him and experienced true deliverance of anxiety and fear – that “tasted” sooo good!  That’s a feeling I want to experience again.  So I am apt to try this “run to Him” tactic again!  I want another taste!

Yelling in traffic didn’t taste good.  Giving the silent treatment didn’t taste good.  I didn’t see God in the midst of a rage or string of cuss words.  The times I found REST were when I ran to Him – when I took refuge in Him – even in the midst of horrible circumstances!   Oh, that I would remember  the “taste” of those times of deliverance –  remember those delicious times of REST that only comes from Him – and then “go there” again!  Then when God asks, “Dawn, how’s that workin’ for ya?”  I can say – “Wonderfully!  Extolling You and boasting in You tastes so good, God!  Thank You!”

-dawn

9/5/12 A Safe Harbor God

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;     my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation;     he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God;     he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people;     pour out your hearts to him,     for God is our refuge. (Psalm 62:5-8 NIV)

God, the one and only—  I'll wait as long as he says. Everything I hope for comes from him,  so why not? He's solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul, An impregnable castle: I'm set for life. My help and glory are in God —granite-strength and safe-harbor-God— So trust him absolutely, people; lay your lives on the line for him. God is a safe place to be. (Psalm 62:5-8 The Message)

The image of “refuge” in today’s reading is a strong one for me, especially as it pertains to a safe harbor. I imagine a safe harbor as a restful place and a protected place. But it is also a "sending place" - although a safe harbor is, well -- safe -- fishermen and boaters all leave the confines of its shore and jetties to venture out into riskier waters, knowing that the safe harbor is waiting for their return.

We happened to be living in upstate New York when the book “The Perfect Storm” by Sebastian Junger came out in the late 1990s, and I had just finished reading it when my husband took me on a surprise trip to an area in Massachusetts called Cape Ann. He was not aware that one of the towns on the Cape -- Gloucester -- served as the home base for the fisherman that were the inspiration for the book that, in fact, tells the story as truthfully as it can since no one survived their fishing trip off of Nova Scotia in 1991. The book graphically describes the life of a fisherman including the challenges both at home and at sea, and the desperation to make a living in a way that they know is high risk and with no prospects to be employed in any other way. These men were not new to this life and they had returned to Gloucester safely countless times; they were ultimately lost because they were caught at the mercy of one of the worst storms in history.

To visit Gloucester right after reading the book and to see life continuing on, fishermen still fishing, boats still coming and going, etc..., gave me a strong sense of the strength that fishermen and their families must draw upon day after day. A monument to the fishermen who have been lost over the decades stands in the middle of the town, and it seems to solidify the town rather than serve as a marker of fear. I really felt a sense of refuge and safe harbor, even though the men and their families still have to step out and face risk daily, as fishing is the town's main industry.

That’s what I picture when I read these words from Psalm 62 -- that God provides refuge -- the safe harbor that I can rest in as I lick my wounds, regroup to face the next day, seek forgiveness, and surrender my “stuff” to Him - the same “stuff” He’s already taken care of and redeemed, but that I seem to continue to grasp. I’m able to draw upon His strength, His steadfastness -- His “mighty rock”ness -- to go out and face risk daily in His name. What's even cooler is that my Safe Harbor goes with me. Even as I venture out into this world,  I can trust Him completely at all times that He is standing strong with me all the way. A Perfect Storm can completely damage everything physical about me, but my salvation and my honor will never be lost.

Thank you, Lord, for Your Safe Harbor!

What are your thoughts on today’s reading? The words are very powerful - what images come to mind for you?

Thanks for reading!

Lisa

Are we resting the wrong thing?

Please begin with prayer for an open heart, before you read the passage below. Psalm 62:5-8 - Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.⁶ He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. ⁷ My salvation and my honor depend on God^[a]; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. ⁸ Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah

When you think of rest, what comes to your mind first?  Sitting on the couch?  Sleep?  Entertainment?  Outdoors on a porch, enjoying a view?  I think Scripture talks about all kinds of rest and specifically that on the Sabbath---physical rest for us, physical rest for the animals, physical rest for the land, but the author of the Psalm seems to specify resting the soul.  Are we spending too much time resting the wrong thing?  (Physical rest is extremely important, but we cannot neglect the soul!)

It is easy to give ideas for someone on how to rest their body---sleep, eat better, maybe even exercise could help us rest due to endorphins, etc.  Imagine if someone asked you---how do you rest your soul?  It would strike us as an extremely strange question, but this is the goal of the author of this Psalm.  The first time the word ‘soul’ is used in the Old Testament is in Genesis 2:7, when God breathes into Adam and he is considered a living being.  Living being is the word for soul, which is the same word for soul in the Psalm passage.  So, the soul is the life possessing quality that makes us human beings!

We see Jesus talk about finding life in Him and in Him alone---He is the living water and He is the bread of life!  God is the only source for true life and rest in this world, yet we allow so many other things to wreak havoc on our souls.  Connecting to Him includes worship, prayer and word and various other ways, but I think there is also a strong connection between our soul resting and hope in God in this passage.  His promises, His reality, and our identity in Him are constants that still our soul.  Verse 8 says to ‘trust in Him at all times’---if our soul is firmly entrenched in the promises of God and we are consistently receiving life from Him, we can have comfort and hope, regardless of what’s going on around us. 

So, I think there is tremendous value in spiritual disciplines (prayer, worship, word, fasting, etc.) and the ability of those to bring rest to our soul.  Those things can also be empty rituals if we don’t know God and His life-giving message and allow His promises to consume our hearts and souls.  We are able to face the trying times, because we trust in God and His promises!  Pray that God will still your soul and give you hope through the every day events of life!

How does the idea of your soul resting strike you?  What are ways that your soul rests in God?  Is it time spent doing something?  Is it trust/belief in His promises?  How can you be better at capitalizing on ways to help your soul rest?

mike

9.4.12 "Thirsty!"

Welcome!  So glad you are here! John 7:37-43 ³⁷ On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” ³⁹ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

⁴⁰ On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”

⁴¹ Others said, “He is the Messiah.”

Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee?⁴² Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” ⁴³ Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. ⁴⁴ Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.

 The call of Jesus in this account, "Let anyone one who is thirsty come to Me and drink!" resonates with the same cadence as His invitation in Matthew 11, "Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest!"

Thirsty - weary... water - rest!    These very fundamental metaphors about life are powerful tools for Jesus as He continues to reveal Himself and our need for Him.  He says I need Him - He says I desperately need Him like water to a thirsty body I need Him for life!

His invitation is honest, passionate, intriguing and rejectable!  He knows everyone needs Him desperately in their lives but He invites all who recognize that "thirst"!  He wants us to "Come thirsty!" .  If we don't come thirsty - we will just want to argue with Him or debate some trivial issue!  No... He invites us to come thirsty!   He invites me today to come in awareness of my need for water - water for my soul!  Then I am open - surrendered - more fully recognizing His role in my life.

Another astounding thing in these verses is how this water He gives not only satisfies but is creative.  As we drink Him in He will create "rivers of living water flowing from within!"   We become, under the waterfall of His presence, not only recipients of lifegiving, thirst-quenching water but a river that flows "from within"!  John's little parenthetical note helps out here!   He says this is referring to the Holy Spirit whom they would receive.

There is something delightfully refreshing for me this day in this invitation to "Come thirsty!" and the promise "rivers of living water will flow from within!"   This is an invitation to not only survive today or even better thrive today this is an invitation to come alive and be a life-giving impact - to overflow with life into the lives of others today!

That's refreshing, visionary, exciting and brimming with possibilities!

Thank you Jesus for inviting me into life - real life today!  Come Holy Spirit - thirst quenching Spirit - fill me and overflow from me this day!

delton

9.3.12 "The Commander Cares!"

As you begin to read this blog I encourage you to pray! Jesus, Thank you for your word and the opportunity to Rest now in you!  Give me an open heart and mind to receive all you have for me this day as I rest in You!  Amen

Deuteronomy 5:12-15 "¹² “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. ¹³ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁴ but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. ¹⁵ Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day."

As I listen and read this account of Moses retelling the Ten Commandments to the people  - I am struck by how much God's "caring" for them comes through.  Typically as I read "commandments or laws" I think "rules and restrictions" not "love and caring"!  Moses is here talking about the Sabbath day command some forty years after he had originally received it from God on the tablets of stone.  He is about to die - the people (after their arduous 40 year journey in the wilderness due to their lack of faith) are being prepared to enter the Promised Land - the Land of Rest - but Moses won't be going in.  He is passing the mantle after this final series of sermons reminding the people what following God really looks like! 

Against this backdrop we listen to Moses  calling the people to faith and obedience to the One who had saved them out of Egypt and continued to provide for them everyday!  Their God cares!  Our God cares!  He cares so much He commanded them to REST!  Not only them but their servants, children, animals - everyone chill - take a rest!  I can't help but think that was a refreshing call to a people that had been enslaved for centuries.  I can't help but think they knew they served a unique and different sort of God compared to other people's gods when they hear their God say, "Take a Day of Rest -I command it!" 

Sometimes when I am not feeling to good - a little fluy maybe -  and go to the doctor I actually want to hear "don't go back to work for at least 24 hours you need to rest..."!  Then I don't have to make a decision - it has been made for me by someone in authority - rest!   God made the decision for His people - rest - REST - REST in Him - "a sabbath unto the Lord your God!"

In Matthew 11 and 12 (the message text for this week) Jesus is retelling the will of God into the lives of His people yet again.  He is the New Moses - the One greater than Moses - in fact the One who spoke to Moses - now caring deeply for His people as He reshapes the caring command, "Keep the Sabbath-Rest day!" into "Come to Me All you who are weary and burdened and I will give you REST!"  The One who has authority  - calls for REST - available any day, everyday through His command "Come to Me!"   How frustrating it must of been for Jesus to see how His Father's caring command, "Remember the Sabbath day!" had become an onerous burden steeped in nonsensical discussions about the definition of "work"!  God had lovingly called them to REST and they were consumed with how to "not work!"  There is a difference!  The path to REST is different than the path to "not work'!  REST gives birth to life and creative love - "not work" becomes new rules fulfilled often in our day through incessant entertainment!

So Jesus comes caring for me today just as he cared for Moses and the people of His day!  With authority He calls - commands me  to REST!  Come to Me  - delton - come to Me!

Enjoy inviting Jesus to caringly expand and radically overhaul your grasp of what it means to REST in Him!

Please share any and all thoughts, challenges and encouragements as you answer the " Come to Me" call to REST!

delton

9.2.12 "Don't Miss the REST!"

Here is the scripture text that was the basis of the message at Point of Grace this  morning! Matthew 11:28-12:14 ²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 12 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. ² When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.” ³ He answered, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? ⁴ He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. ⁵ Or haven’t you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? ⁶ I tell you that something greater than the temple is here. ⁷ If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent. ⁸ For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” ⁹ Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, ¹⁰ and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” ¹¹ He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? ¹² How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” ¹³ Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. ¹⁴ But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.

The goal of Sunday's blog is to give room for all of us to comment and contemplate what God might be saying through  the scripture and the message given today at Point of Grace! 

These questions might prompt your thoughts!

How did you understand the difference between the way the Pharisees understood the Sabbath and the way Jesus understood the Sabbath?

What do you think about the whole idea of calling the weekly gathering Christians something like  "Entering God's Rest" as opposed to "going to church!"?

What are some of the things that prevent you from entering God's rest?

How does the invitation from Jesus "Come to Me and I will give you rest..."  sound on a day like today?

Any thoughts?

Have a REST - full day!

9.1.12 Saturday's Blog

Welcome to the POG Blog! Instead of a staff person or lay leader 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 Reading is:    Hebrews 4: 14-16    (NIV)

Jesus the Great High Priest

¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest^(A) who has ascended into heaven,^[a](B) Jesus the Son of God,^(C) let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.^{(D) 15} For we do not have a high priest^(E) who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are^(F)—yet he did not sin.^{(G) 16} Let us then approach^(H) God’s throne of grace with confidence,^(I) so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

What are your thoughts?

8.31.12 "Entering His Rest"

Today’s scripture reading is:  Hebrews 3:12-4:1 ¹² See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.^{(A) 13} But encourage one another daily,^(B) as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.^{(C) 14} We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold^(D) our original conviction firmly to the very end.^{(E) 15} As has just been said:

“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.”^[a](F)

¹⁶ Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt?^{(G) 17} And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness?^{(H) 18} And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest^(I) if not to those who disobeyed?^{(J) 19} So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.^(K)

A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God

4 Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.^(L)

What grabbed my attention first in this scripture was verse 15: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.....”.   I generally think of people in the Old Testament as having hard hearts (like the Israelites)... or the Pharisees having hard hearts towards Jesus... but me?  Nooooo.... surely not!   I haven’t necessarily thought of myself as hard hearted towards God... disobedient maybe,  stubborn maybe, but hard hearted... ???  But I’m hearing God clearly on this now...  YES  Denise... you have hardened your heart towards me many times!     And I know it’s true....how many times have I heard his voice about something and not really listened?  My heart gets hard and I basically refuse to fully surrender to God because of a bad attitude or a sin in my life, or wanting to stay in control of a situation.  I can be unwilling to really listen and... here’s the clincher... OBEY.  When that happens, I am being rebellious and am turning away from Him.  It happens more than I want to admit, and yet an encouraging and restful relationship with Jesus is waiting for me if I would just humble myself.

God knows that we struggle with having hard hearts because He says that we should “encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”   It’s a daily struggle to surrender to Him, to lay down control, to listen... really listen to Him and be willing to obey.   We need to encourage each other daily, to surrender and listen!

So what does this have to do with REST?   In verse 19, it says that some were not able to enter God’s rest because of their unbelief.  And in 4:1, says that the promise of entering his rest still stands if we don’t fall short of it.   For me, this rest isn’t just sleep or relaxing... His rest is a lifting of burdens, an unexplainable peace, a comfort during hard times, and a release of control to Him so  I can be free of my stinky attitude, judgmental tendencies, and arrogance that keep me from connection with Him.  When my heart is soft, when I can listen to Him, surrender and humble myself... then comes the Rest and then comes Freedom.  That’s what He’s calling me to right now.  And freedom from all of that sounds so good!

I hear you Lord... I’m sorry for my hard heart, I’m sorry for my attitude, I’m sorry for not being a good listener because I allow sin to take over... forgive me.  I come now with a humble heart that recognizes my hard heart.  And I ask that you would fill me afresh, soften my heart, give me rest and freedom.  I don’t want to fall short of entering into your rest.   Thank you for speaking to me....  and helping me hear... What is your heart saying right now?

Denise

8.30.12 "Thirsty?"

God, open my eyes and ears and heart to see and hear what You want to say to me this day.For You alone, my soul waits hushed.  I come in eager anticipation to meet You today in these verses! I can’t wait to spend time with You! Amen.

The Verses for today are from Psalm 42:1-5

From the NIV Version:

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember as I pour out my soul:  how I used to go with the multitude leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng. Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.

And from the Message Version:

A white-tailed deer drinks from the creek; I want to drink God, deep draughts of God.  I’m thirsty for God-alive.  I wonder, “Will I ever make it – arrive and drink in God’s presence?”  I’m on a diet of tears – tears for breakfast, tears for supper.  All day long people knock at my door, pestering, “Where is this God of yours?”  These are the things I go over and over, emptying out the pockets of my life.  I was always at the head of the worshiping crowd, right out in front, leading them all, eager to arrive and worship, shouting praises, singing thanksgiving – celebrating, all of us, God’s feast!  Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?  Why are you crying the blues?  Fix my eyes on God – soon I’ll be praising again.  He puts a smile on my face.  He’s my God.

This week’s Message at Point of Grace centered around Matthew 11:28:

 Jesus said, “Come to ME all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.”

I also want to share the following commentary regarding the Psalm 42 reading from Eugene Peterson (The Message Translator):

     “A thirsty deer is a metaphor for us.  What water is to the deer, God is to you and to me.  We simply must have water.  We simply must have God.  And it must be the living God.  Nothing stale or stagnant.  The deer runs past all the mud puddles and swamps and marshes to clear, flowing streams.  I don’t want what is left over from God after last week’s thundershower.  I want Him fresh, flowing, living.  What I learned in Sunday School in the third grade won’t  satisfy me.  What I read in the Bible last week won’t satisfy me.  What someone told me this morning on TV or the radio won’t quench my thirst.  I want to get the water myself.  I have to have God.  Every thirst, every hunger, every longing for satisfaction is a metaphor for the fundamental longing in our lives for God.”

Wow!  I have had many satisfying “drinks” of God in my life.  Like an inspirational Sermon.  Maybe a retreat – a “mountain top” high.  A great Christian Book.  A wonderful Sunday School Flannel Board Lesson from 2^nd Grade!  Awesome Vacation Bible School memories – complete with grape Kool-Aid and Chocolate Chip Cookies!  Hmmm.

So, what are You saying to me today God? 

“Don’t settle for stale water.  You can't stay alive from water you drank 10 years ago!  You won't stay alive by drinking the water the world offers.  So, stop going to the world, to TV, to movies, to shopping, to your spouse, to your kids, to alcohol, drugs, sex, food, _____,   _____, ____.  Those water holes are stale.  Those water holes are stagnant.  Those water holes are poison to your soul.”

So, God, when I am on a diet of tears – tears for breakfast, tears for supper… when I am down in the dumps… when I am crying the blues…. When I am weary… when I am burdened…what am I supposed to do?

“Come to Me, Dawn.  Drink in draughts of Me.  Fix your eyes on Me. Come to Me.  I will give you REST.   I am fresh, living water.  Come to Me.  Find Rest for your soul.”

“How long has it been since you have taken a drink of Me?” 

 “Fix your eyes on Me, Dawn.  Soon you will be praising again.  I will put a smile on your face.  I am your God.”

A person can only survive 48 hours or so without water.  What about Spiritually?  If I am counting on those past “drinks” of God – to carry me through life – then I am dead!  I am spiritually dead from thirst!  I don’t want that!    I don’t want to go through the rest of life THIRSTY,  TIRED, WEARY, and BURDENED.  I want to finally learn this lesson – and crawl if needed on my hands and knees to this Life-giving Stream of Water that Jesus offers me ---  but not just now and then --  DAILY!

“Come to Me.”

“Fix your eyes on Me.”

“Rest.”

“Drink.”

“Soon you will be praising again!”

“I will put a smile on your face.”

“I am your God.”

How about you?

Thirsty?

-dawn 

8/29/12 Gentleness

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7 NIV) “Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

 Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” (Philippians 4:4-7 The Message)

Lord, please open our eyes and hearts to what you want to tell us today. Give us the ability to see our worldy situation from your point of view. You have chosen us. You have said “Come.” Help us to see that is precisely what we should do and what that looks like in our daily lives. Amen.

I’m so naturally a worrier - I truly seem to think that if I don’t dwell on all the possibilities of a situation that I won’t be prepared for what might happen. Yes, preparation is good, but obsessively making sure that all it taken care of...not so much.

This passage is one that I return to almost daily and I thank God for reminding me of it yet again today. It is sooo easy to sink right back into claiming control over whatever is going on, and return to worry.

I have always gone to the to the “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” For me, this is a practical, daily reminder to surrender myself and my life fully to Christ each day and to do it in praise and thanksgiving.

But today I have noticed how the passage begins with a reminder to “let your gentleness be evident to all” and then reminds me not to be anxious. I never really thought how my worry displaces gentleness, but as I think about it now, I realize that my fretting does not leave room for being present in the PRESENT and caring and interacting in the moment with those around me. Which leaves me little room to understand, care and show compassion to those around me. Gentleness.

Last year I went through months where I couldn’t swallow. Literally, one day I was driving home from a funeral and felt like a piece of a chip had lodged in my throat. A whole series of tests and medications and doctors, later, I’ve been diagnosed with an auto-immune issue that causes the dysphagia and I’ve also learned to adapt so that I don’t eat things that leave me feeling like I’m choking.

But when I first began walking through this ordeal, I was HIGHLY anxious. I didn’t know what to do. My husband travels frequently and I would preplan who to call and what the kids should do if I were to choke while he was gone. I completely freaked out my kids. My husband was afraid to leave - he knew choking was a possibility and he was anxious about me while he was gone as well.

I would plan my days so that I didn’t eat at home alone and never took any medications that might get stuck in my throat without someone present.

I was driving myself insane....and it turns out...others as well. A conversation with one willing to share God’s truth in this situation, pointed out that I was asking everyone around me to prepare for the worst as if it would happen at any moment.

In fact, I have the exact words (they were written down so I could have them and rehearse them until I believed them and lived them): “Everyone - including God - will respond appropriately to the “current” situation not the future (anxious) “possibility.”

My gentleness wasn’t evident anywhere; instead I created a wave of anxiety so that I wouldn’t be alone in my sense of urgency and emergency.

Is your gentleness evident? Have you handed your anxieties to God? Have you thanked Him and praised Him even in the midst of worries? Are you letting Christ displace the worry in the center of your life?

I’m so thankful we have a God full of compassion and love that does not leave us alone in our anxiety!

Lisa

Jealousy is good!!

Please begin with prayer for an open heart, before you read the passage below.  James 4:4-10 - ⁴ You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?^{[a] 6} But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud     but gives grace to the humble.”^[b]

⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

James is very straightforward with his readers---Adulterous!!  He is writing to Christians that have been sent all across the known world and is encouraging them in their faith in Jesus Christ.  He is calling them out for ‘friendship with the world’ and into singular commitment and action.  Now, that sounds harmless, but it’s yoking yourself with things that are not of God.  (Matthew 11:25-30 from Sunday)  It’s basically forsaking the true God for things that are not God. 

We don’t use the word ‘adulterous’ in our culture very often.  We typically say that he/she started to see someone else or maybe had an affair, but adultery is strong language and we rarely use it!  God is chasing His people throughout Scripture to follow Him and not chase other gods that were around.  He is described as a ‘jealous’ God at multiple places in Scripture. 

I heard about an interview with Oprah Winfrey who has walked away from Biblical Christianity into Oprahism or whatever her religion is now.  She apparently was in church and heard a Pastor say that God is a Jealous God---she thought that was petty and so small of God and that she didn’t want to follow a God who was like that.  My sense was that Oprah, if the story is correct, misunderstood jealousy.  Jealousy can be a really bad thing, if it’s selfish, or a really good thing if it’s selfless.  Is it wrong for my wife to not want me to date or be with other women?  No!  I committed to her and she knows it will destroy our relationship, harm her, harm our kids, harm me, and harm the other women too.  The True God doesn’t want us to find other gods, because He knows they are fake, empty and will lead us astray!  That’s good jealousy, because it’s centered on our best interests. 

James calls us to throw off the other gods that claim our attention and to surrender and follow the true God.  This fits so well with the Matthew 11 text from Sunday.  We are so often burdened and worn out because we chase other gods and they will never satisfy or love us in return.  The things of the world will never satisfy our soul and the gracious God we serve knows that.  He wants us to come to Him, rest in His love and promises, and allow Him to guide our life.   This passage also shows me His grace when I do seek other gods.  We come to Him humbly, surrendered and with singular focus on Him. 

Have you followed other ‘gods’ and what were the consequences?  How did you realize the emptiness of them?  How else did this text strike you?  I would love to hear your thoughts…

mike

8.27.12 "He Cares!"

Let's open with prayer! Jesus, Open my heart and my mind to what You have for me through Your word and by your Spirit this day!  I receive your leadership and authority as I read this text of scripture, please speak to my heart and mind!    Amen!

 Todays verses are 1 Peter 5:5-11,

⁵ In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud    but shows favor to the humble.” ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. ⁸ Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. ¹⁰ And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. ¹¹ To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Sometimes I don't want to reach out to get the help I need!  It takes humility to reach out for help - it takes humility to "be cared for"!  Sometimes I am embarrassed to reach out for help, or counsel, or advise because I think I should know how to do it myself or I don't want others to know I have a problems.  The verses highlighted above are particularly poignant when I consider they come from the pen of Peter.  Peter, writing later in his life would no doubt remember those earlier times following Jesus when he, filled with pride, boasted of how strong and vibrant a follower of Jesus he was - or at least he thought he was.  Peter knows the sting of being humbled by circumstances and by Jesus.  Now Peter, decades later, seems to be saying to me, "delton, why wait to be humbled by God or by circumstances ... why not "humble yourself under God's mighty hand"!  It is as if God is calling me to a way living that is "self-humbling - proactively humble"!  The motivation Peter provides is helpful.  Humble yourself because:       - your under God's mighty hand,      -God resists the proud,      -God gives grace to the humble,       -God will lift to up,      -God cares for you!"  Those are great motivations - this list of realities about God fuels my quest to "humble myself"!  These are all great realities to rehearse into my heart this day so I can truly answer the Jesus call, "Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest!"

How are you moved by these words from God through Peter? How does this call to 'self-humbling' resonate with you? How about the promises embedded in Peter's words!  How are they helpful for you?

Have and Awesome day! delton