2.22.13 "Blow the Dam!"

Welcome to Friday’s Blog! Today is a great day and God is speaking into it!

2 Corinthians 9 ¹⁰ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Last Sunday we saw Jesus being abundantly available, abundantly compassionate, and abundantly powerful as He interacted with real people like you and me!  As I read the verses above I sense a dimension to God’s plan for me that is exciting.  As He is abundant to me in so many ways (love, grace, relationships, health, finances) I am called and empowered by Him to be abundant to others.  His plan is that I am a “river” of abundance into the lives of others not a “reservoir” of scarcity. 

A river lives the abundant life because it trusts that supply will continue as it commits itself to giving itself away downstream.  A river is moving and therefore has living life giving water.  A reservoir is all about “getting” not giving.  A reservoir is constipated. 

Jesus has made us to trust in His provision for us every day, not worrying whether it will continue, so that we can be generous to those around us as God designs.  As we are rivers of generosity we become the vehicle God uses to pour abundance into others all resulting in praise and thanks to God.  Listen to that verse again, “You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”

I was a stingy reservoir in a conversation with my son last night.  He needed a bit of my help for something that he had procrastinated on – I think I spent a little too much time lecturing on the downside of procrastination (I am such a hypocrite sometimes – if you know me you know procrastination is one of my greatest vices) rather than on supplying the help he needed.  How gracious had God been to me all day yesterday, yet when grace was called on from me I was stingy.  The good news is that God graciously prompted me about what I was doing, helped me realize it before it was too late and I was able to change course and bring the help and hope that my son needed.  God does often help me by prompting me to “blow the dam” and let the living water flow turning my stinginess into generosity again. 

I do look forward now to a “river” not “reservoir” day.  I want to trust this day in God’s supply so I can be generous in every way!  I sense that is the way God’s Spirit is leading me today and I do want to be in flow with Him. 

Enjoy “River Life” Today,

delton

What is going on in your life and heart as  you read these God-words today?  Please share!

2.21.13 "From Scarcity to Abundance Thinking"

Welcome to today’s blog! Listen to the refreshing voice of God!

Isaiah 40 ²⁷ Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? ²⁸ Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. ²⁹ He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. ³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; ³¹ but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,     they will walk and not be faint.

As I look at this amazing section of scripture, think about this week’s theme of “scarcity –vs- abundance thinking” and my personal life journey I see life giving connections.  As I let God speak through these words He is showing me the root of my scarcity thinking when it happens. Perhaps when I get that “overwhelmed”, “depressive”, “in a bit of a funk” kind of feeling I am experiencing a version of vs.27, “Why do you complain, delton?  Why do you say, delton, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”? 

I get down, my thinking goes south into scarcity mode and I become less fully alive when my heart, mind will and strength forget that the “Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. ²⁹ He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. ³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; ³¹ but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.”

I begin to struggle in this life when I go it “alone” – when life and all it dishes out is bigger than I am - but that is not the end of the story – I get to “hope in the Lord” and have my strength renewed.

That is so exciting for me!  At any moment as I sense myself shifting to “scarcity” thinking I get to stop, remember that I am not alone, I get to hope in the Lord and enter by faith into a whole new set of possibilities – an “abundance’ of possibilities.  With God in the picture in every situation a plethora of resources and possibilities come into play.  The fact that I have a God who has graciously reached out to me and my world is refreshing to me this day!

How about you?  What is this amazing word from God saying to you?

delton

2.20.13 "Abundant Love"

Today’s Scripture is:     Ephesians 3: 17b - 21  (The Message) And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.   God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Glory to God in the church!   Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!    Glory down all the generations!    Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!

I printed The Message version of this portion of scripture because I love it’s use of certain descriptive words.... “extravagant dimensions”...”Reach out”....”Plumb the depths!”...”Rise to the heights!”...”wildest dreams!”    These are adventure and action words!

I’m an on the edge, give me an adventure, kind of girl.  I like change, I like taking new ground, I like trying new things, etc.  So this idea of God challenging me to live a full life, trusting His love and power and ability to do more than I could ever imagine, guess or request, is a dream for me!   My problem is that I don’t always take Him up on it.   I think it’s because although I love adventure, there’s always a scary part and a step of faith to do something out of my comfort zone.  But I’m reminded here, that I can have my feet firmly planted on the certainty and safety of God’s love, and still be adventurous.  I can reach out and receive His power for every aspect of my life, yet know that I am safe because of “this love that surpasses knowledge” (NIV).

God’s not going to “push” me into something that He won’t equip me for.  He works in me by His Spirit and power to move me into steps of faith and positions of uncomfortableness when He knows I’m ready!  I may not know I’m ready, but He does.  I believe the more I understand the depth and fullness of His love, the more available I can be for whatever He calls me to!   Maybe it’s something big like leaving everything behind to go do missionary work in another country... or maybe it’s being salt and light everyday to my neighbor next door.  Either way, life with God is an adventure and knowing His abundant love for me, helps me to trust what He calls me to do.

How is your trust level with God?  Do you trust that His love for you is higher, deeper, and wider, than anything you can imagine?   Do you believe He can do anything (not just in other people’s lives, but in your own life) that you could ever imagine... anything in your wildest dreams?  If He has so much abundant love for me and you, shouldn’t we be abundantly available to Him and His call on our lives?

Father, I want to be abundantly available to you.  I know you love me and I know you love people that are far from you.  I want a life of adventure WITH you.... focusing on your Kingdom work - not on myself.  Even though you love me abundantly, it’s not about me!  It’s about you... bringing Glory to you...and bringing people into a relationship with you so they can receive the abundant love you have for them too!   Use me Lord!  You give me all the tools I need for this adventure!    I love you,  Amen.

What are your thoughts today?  J    denise

2.19.13 "Bad News vs. Great News"

Good morning, no GREAT morning brothers and sisters. As I titled this blog, after reading the passage below, I started to write “Bad News vs Good News” - nice and “even sounding” the way we usually see it compared. Then I thought, God isn’t just good, He is Great, He is Abundant, His news overflows with His Love, Joy, Mercy, and Grace!!!  We must constantly remind ourselves of that since there are definite “bad news guys” in our physical and spiritual worlds.  Matthew 16:1-6   The Message (MSG)

Some Bad Yeast

16 1-4 Some Pharisees and Sadducees were on him again, pressing him to prove himself to them. He told them, “You have a saying that goes, ‘Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky at morning, sailors take warning.’ You find it easy enough to forecast the weather—why can’t you read the signs of the times? An evil and wanton generation is always wanting signs and wonders. The only sign you’ll get is the Jonah sign.” Then he turned on his heel and walked away.

5-6 On their way to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring along bread. In the meantime, Jesus said to them, “Keep a sharp eye out for Pharisee-Sadducee yeast.”

The Pharisees and the Sadducees were some of those “bad news guys”.  They have nothing for us - just dried up, cracked land as Dawn illustrated for us so appropriately on the cover of the bulletin Sunday. Yet Christ is “abundantly available, compassionate, and powerful” as Pastor put it in the Message Notes.  That is Great News!

I also thought of times in my life where I tried to interpret what was going to happen, like verses 1-4.  I used to read and believe in horoscopes. I planned my life with great detail filling up an 8x11 page daily with what each family member would be doing, usually a week in advance. (makes me lol at myself now). Well that is when I believed I could control my life and remain a good Christian by doing good things ..... and then I crashed and burned at 40.  Hallelujah!

So today, yes, I’m reminded in this passage that Jesus Christ has rescued me from that former life of wanting, needing signs and trying to do things my way.  He has given me the most amazing sign of His availability, compassion and power in the Resurrection which we get to celebrate corporately in 5 weeks on Easter Sunday. And when I get overwhelmed or “forget to bring the life giving bread of Christ” with me, all I need to do is to seek His Face!

Join me today as I call upon the Holy Spirit to help me surrender all of my life to Jesus receiveing His love and life and in this Lenten Season to ACT LIKE IT!

May God Bless You GREATLY,

cindy

PS. Would love to hear what God brought to your mind as you read today’s verses.

2.18.2013 The Helpers

Please find a quiet place to focus on God for a few minutes, asking His Spirit to speak to your heart, and in Jesus’ name, ridding your heart and mind of distractions, burdens, guilt, worry, etc. Today’s scripture is Matthew 15:29-32

The Message (MSG)

^29-31 After Jesus returned, he walked along Lake Galilee and then climbed a mountain and took his place, ready to receive visitors. They came, tons of them, bringing along the paraplegic, the blind, the maimed, the mute—all sorts of people in need—and more or less threw them down at Jesus’ feet to see what he would do with them. He healed them. When the people saw the mutes speaking, the maimed healthy, the paraplegics walking around, the blind looking around, they were astonished and let everyone know that God was blazingly alive among them.

³² But Jesus wasn’t finished with them. He called his disciples and said, “I hurt for these people. For three days now they’ve been with me, and now they have nothing to eat. I can’t send them away without a meal—they’d probably collapse on the road.”

These verses demonstrate in bold description the compassion Jesus has for people.  He clearly knew they would come to Him -- He “took his place, ready to receive visitors.”  Now, it also says He didn’t go to them – he climbed a mountain and then waited for them!  It took effort to get to him – and most of these people couldn’t do it on their own – the paraplegic, the blind and the maimed most certainly needed help.  That’s the point that caught my attention today in worship.  The people needing healing didn’t go on their own – they had helpers!  It says all sorts of people threw themselves at his feet – there were probably people with additional needs that Matthew didn’t describe.  Probably people who had needs that weren’t visible to the naked eye.  These helpers were sensitive and caring, and probably had the same faith in Jesus as the folks needing healing.  It makes me wonder about the people around me every day that might need the same compassion and/or healing.  Do I notice?  Do I help?  Do they even know that there is a Jesus that “hurts” for them?  Am I willing to share this compassion, or will I continue to hoard it to myself?

Father, make me compassionate towards the people in my life.  Take the blinders off my eyes to see the folks who need you.  Open my mouth to share the love and healing that you so freely give.  Make me one of your disciples, in this mission field of life.

kristi

2.16.13 "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 : Psalm 33: 1-11

¹ Sing joyfully^(A) to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting^(B) for the upright^(C) to praise him. ² Praise the Lord with the harp;^(D) make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.^{(E) 3} Sing to him a new song;^(F) play skillfully, and shout for joy.^(G)

⁴ For the word of the Lord is right^(H) and true;^(I) he is faithful^(J) in all he does. ⁵ The Lord loves righteousness and justice;^(K) the earth is full of his unfailing love.^(L)

⁶ By the word^(M) of the Lord the heavens were made,^(N) their starry host^(O) by the breath of his mouth. ⁷ He gathers the waters^(P) of the sea into jars^[a];^(Q) he puts the deep into storehouses. ⁸ Let all the earth fear the Lord;^(R) let all the people of the world^(S) revere him.^{(T) 9} For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded,^(U) and it stood firm.

¹⁰ The Lord foils^(V) the plans^(W) of the nations;^(X) he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. ¹¹ But the plans of the Lord stand firm^(Y) forever, the purposes^(Z) of his heart through all generations.

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

02-15-2013 Ash Wednesday Reminders

Colossians 2:13-17 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, 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. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

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. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

When I first read the passage above, I couldn't help but have the strong visual of the cross at Point of Grace after an Ash Wednesday service. The picture attached to this post is of the cross from this past Wednesday's service.

For those that read this blog but have never participated in an Ash Wednesday service at Point of Grace, let me explain that the service is actually an interactive experience where the worship center is transformed into stations where worshipers can experience faith and praise and grace and forgiveness and sacraments at their own pace and in ways that really help each of us connect relationally with Christ.

At one of the stations, we are asked to repent of our sins by praying about them and writing them on slips of paper that we nail to the cross. The act of nailing these sins to the cross is the act of handing them over to Christ so that they are ours no longer. So when I look at the picture, I am seeing the sins - the "legal indebtedness" -- of the individuals in our church taken away and nailed to the cross.

At this same station, participants then received the sign of the cross on their forehead in ashes. To me, that so fits the verse "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." It is impossible to miss the sign of the cross on our foreheads -- they triumphantly declare our grace and forgiveness that we have received.

So then, to me, the next set of verses gives me an image of how to live throughout this season of Lent and beyond - "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. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." To live in a reality that is found in Christ - to stay connected through prayer, worship, study -- really seeking His guidance in my life so that I can live in the reality that comes through Him. This world and the people of this world do not dictate what that reality might or should look like. Christ does.

I am thankful to be reminded of that.

Lisa

2.14.13 God's Valentine to Me - A New Heart!

Welcome to the PoG Blog!  Before reading the scripture, please pray the Holy Spirit will guide and direct your meditation on God’s word. Ezekiel 36:25 – 27

²⁵  “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from your impurities and from your idols.  ²⁶  I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  ²⁷  And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

The first thing that comes to my mind as I read these words is that God is doing all the acting here.  “I will sprinkle…I will cleanse…I will give…I will remove…I will put…”  God is saying to me that it is all about him, not about me.  One of the great things about Lent is that it gives us forty days to remember: to remember how sinful we are, to remember had badly we are in need of a Savior, to remember how deep God’s love for us is that he sent his one and only son, and to remember how painful it was for Jesus to suffer and die for us on the cross.  In all of this we are again remembering that it is all about him, not about us.  I bring nothing when it comes to my salvation – God brings everything!

Especially as we are starting our Lenten journey, I thank God that he promises to give me a heart transplant: he will remove my heart of stone and give me in its place a heart of flesh.  And that is exactly what I really need.  And note who is doing the acting.  Once again it is all about God, not about me!

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

mark

021313 - God's great wake-up call...

Please begin with prayer for an open heart, before you read the passage below. Isaiah 29:13-16 – The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.”  Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?”  You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!  Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pot say of the potter, “He knows nothing”?

You may want to read the full context of Isaiah 29---God uses the prophet to speak against Jerusalem in this chapter and warn them of impending doom, because of their disobedience.  We see throughout the Old Testament, God speaking through prophets to His covenant people.  These messages were a mixture of warning of judgment and then hope of restoration and the book of Isaiah is no different.  The first 39 chapters are warnings against disobedience and the last 27 are chapters of hope and restoration, despite the judgment.

Jerusalem (the City of David) that Isaiah was writing to had wandered from God and lived in a spiritual blindness.  Jerusalem was the center of the Southern Kingdom and they had just witnessed the destruction of the Northern Kingdom at the hands of the Assyrians.  They knew that God’s judgment was real, but paid no attention to the prophet’s words and remained in their disobedience.  The destruction was in 722 B.C. and the Assyrians also threatened the Southern Kingdom.  Isaiah’s writings were completed around 700 B.C. and he predicted the destruction of Jerusalem.  This would be fulfilled in 586 B.C., when the Babylonians (who conquered the Assyrians) destroyed the city, the Temple, and exiled the majority of the Israelite people back to Babylon.

Jesus used the text above to speak truth and warning into the lives of the teachers of the law and religious leaders in Matthew 15.  They would have been familiar with the text, history of the Israelites, and God’s repeated response of judgment and grace to humanity.  They had dismantled faith through the creation and elevation of external rituals above the word of God and lived through an external righteousness that was hypocritical and oppressive at the same time.  Jesus continues His warning of judgment in the rest of His ministry and it reaches its climax in Matthew 23.  He is calling them to submit humbly to God and turn from their religiosity.

We have to understand that God still works in this manner today and ‘destruction and exile’ are an option for God to awaken a person that is spiritually sleeping.  God was willing to subject the Israelites to great amounts of suffering and pain, because He saw the potential benefit of them turning from their ways and coming back to the True God.  In my own life and the lives of people I have seen, pain can be a huge wake-up call to turn from our ways and return to Him.  God understands that things or people, other than Himself, do not make good gods at all.  He realizes the current and eternal consequences of us following something else and will go to great lengths to turn us back to Him.

This is not God being mean---this is actually an extremely loving thing.  If my kids are into something that can hurt them in any number of ways, I would be an unloving father if I didn’t step in and do whatever I could to get them away from that and back on track.  This is multiplied exponentially when we are talking eternity!!  God would not be loving, if He did not try to bring the wayward sheep back to Him and sometimes pain is what gets our attention (Hebrews 12:7-11).  We complain about pain in our lives and the world around us, but maybe pain is God’s megaphone in speaking truth into our lives.  Finally, Isaiah ends up his writing with predicting the suffering Messiah---this is the God’s greatest demonstration of love (Romans 5:8) for us and He went through tremendous pain to allow the possibility of us to know Him and experience His love now and eternally.

Have you seen pain in your life as an instrument that turned you back to God?  Can you see how God introducing pain in someone’s life as a loving thing or is this a challenging concept?   I would love to hear your journey and how this passage impacted you.

mike

2.12.13 "Faith When Rejected!"

Welcome to Tuesday’s blog it’s good to have you! The scripture reading for today is from Matthew 15.   ²¹ Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²² A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” ²³ Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” ²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” ²⁵ The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. ²⁶ He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” ²⁷ “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” ²⁸ Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment

Even though I have studied this little story quite a bit - the way Jesus talks to this lady still astounds me.  He seems rude to her.  When I was preaching on this last Sunday I looked out and noticed some faces in the congregation displaying, confusion, frustration – even anger. I felt the same things.

As I listen to the whole story I see Jesus willing to lead the lady through some temporary conversational pain in order to draw forth a deeper confession of faith in Him from her lips and heart.  Culturally the lady was looked at by many in Jesus’ world as a “dog” – only worthy of crumbs.  By seeming to agree with this assumption about her - Jesus sets the stage to lift her to amazingly high stature by the end of the account.  She is, by the end of the encounter, a woman of GREAT faith. 

How do you handle it when it seems like you are being rejected by God?  I sometimes don’t do all that well.  Sometimes I just give in to feelings of depression or self pity.  It stretches our faith, doesn’t it,  to continue to press into our relationship with Jesus when it seems things aren’t working out well, when prays aren’t getting answered, when circumstances are getting worse – in short when we feel we are being “dissed” by God!  

This story, however, gives me such hope!  I get to step more deeply into faith even when God seems to be giving me reasons not to trust Him.  I can now see that these difficult times are actually fertile ground to grow my faith deep.  God is still in control.  As it turns out Jesus was not rejecting the lady but giving opportunity for her faith to grow deep and wide.  She, the most unlikely of all, was a powerful woman of faith and the way Jesus handled the situation let it show!   

What do you think about and feel as you read this account? 

Have a “pressing deeper into Jesus” day!

delton

2.11.13 "Hypocrites! - Ouch!"

Today’s scripture reading is from Matthew 15. Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, ² “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” ³ Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴ For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ ⁵ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ ⁶ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. ⁷ You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ⁸ “‘These people honor me with their lips,     but their hearts are far from me. ⁹ They worship me in vain;     their teachings are merely human rules.’” ¹⁰ Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. ¹¹ What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

The line that grabs my attention this morning is “Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your traditions. You hypocrites!”  Jesus goes on to quote Isaiah the prophet to drive His point home saying “Your hearts and your actions are heading in different directions – saying different things!” 

My understanding is that our word “hypocrite” comes from a Greek theatrical term referring to the mask that actors wore in Greek plays. The idea being a person uses a mask that presents a different person than they actually are – actors do that by intention – Jesus vehemently warns against “hypocrisy” as a feature of our lives.  The Pharisees were going through the motions of faithfulness to God but their hearts were far from God – Jesus knew it – and called them on it. 

In a very odd way this section gives me hope today.  I am invited by Jesus to be real – to offer Him authentic worship – to not hide behind a mask of pride or arrogance or shame or guilt or habit or ritual or religiosity or whatever.  I get to come to Him in my weariness and brokenness and my happiness and success – I get to come to Him in my authentic, transparent self in surrendering belief!  I get to be me in the presence of my God honestly and openly.  When what comes out of my heart is ugly I get to repent and receive forgiveness.  When what comes out of my heart is beautiful and pure I get to rejoice and be encouraged by what God is working in me.

Most of all I get to live today authentically and transparently in the presence of my amazingly gracious God who loves me the way I am and too much to leave me that way!

Enjoy your God today!

delton            

How does this scripture strike you today? 

2.8.13 "Owning It!"

Hello!  Welcome to the PoG blog! Todays scripture is from Matthew 16! ¹³ When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Sometimes Jesus asks tough questions!  He seems to like making His listeners think – moving them deeper into understanding themselves and Him – if they will go.  Sometimes people who listen to Jesus – both then and now- refuse to go deeper – refuse to follow His lead.  Jesus wants His disciples to put into words what they are thinking of Him.  In wise and cunning leadership fashion He starts by asking what the “people” think of Him and then moves to the big question – “Who do you say I am?” 

Jesus seemed to know He had to get their minds straight on the subject of His identity and He knew that “saying” it out loud was important.  The disciples needed to really own this truth that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  That truth when not only learned but truly owned changes the way we act in everyday life.. 

In my life truly “owning” the truth of who Jesus is for me and for the world is the critical step of faith every day.  I can know this and even consider it true but not own it.  I have discovered that “owning up” to the truth of who Jesus is to me and to the world is a daily experience of stepping by faith into the reign of Jesus over my life.  I have found daily prayer to be the most helpful tool for this.  I try to pray a prayer something like this, “My dear Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You now to be restored in You – to be renewed in You to receive Your life and love and all the grace and mercy I so desperately need this day.  I honor You as my Lord and I surrender every aspect of my life totally and completely to You.  I give you my body soul and spirit – my heart mind and will….’

I realize now after 50 years of life with Jesus that I desperately need to daily find myself with Peter answering Jesus’ question – every day each day.  “Hey delton, who do you say that I am?” I get to daily step into the reality that Jesus is who He says He is and own that for my life each day.  Stepping into my day owning the truth about who Jesus is for me and for my world changes the way I live today.  I am loved and lead by the Son of God today – I am not alone to wander aimlessly or selfishly today – I get to be loved and lead by God today – the Christ makes that possible.  And I get to treat all around me with that same kind of value and esteem – they are loved by the same Jesus whether they know it or not.  Maybe I will get to be the one to tell them about “ the Christ, the Son of the Living God” who loves them and will lead them!

delton

2.7.13

“For You alone – my soul waits – hushed.”  “Open my eyes and ears and heart to Your Voice today, God.” “What do you want to talk to me about, today, Papa?” Today’s Scripture is John 15:5-8

“I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains (abides) in Me, and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain (abide) in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain (abide) in Me, and My words remain (abide) in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples.”

There are so many parts of this verse that could be discussed. My eyes are only seeing one phrase.  Sadly, it is the condemnation part.

“If anyone does not remain (abide) in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”

My default mode is to read this and be fearful that I am like a branch that is going to be thrown into the fire because of “how bad I have been.”

This summer God brought me through a very tough time of discipline and “rebuke” where He wanted me to seek forgiveness from several people that I had wronged.  I had to confess to some very ugly parts of me that I am not proud of at all.  I have struggled for several months with the shame I had caused my Heavenly Father.  I repeatedly go to Him and tell Him I am sorry over and over again.  I do not feel deserving of His forgiveness.  I feel that He can't possibly love me the same any more.  I feel like I deserv to have Him withhold His love from me.  “How could you stand me, Lord, when I have behaved so badly?”

During the Sermon on Sunday, I remember feeling so overwhelmed with relief to learn that when Jesus rebuked Peter saying, “Little-faith, why did you doubt?” that “rebuke” does not equal “rejection.”  Jesus still loved Peter, even though Peter doubted Him.  Later, Peter would deny Jesus three times – yet Jesus still loved him.

I keep thinking about Peter – how he walked on the water - then doubted -then sank - then cried out to Jesus - who immediately grabbed Peter’s hand and pulled him up saying, “Little-faith, why did you doubt?”

And then, I remember that the story did not end with Jesus rejecting Peter or “cutting off the branch and throwing him into the fire.”  He rebuked Him, but did not reject him.

And now at 10:30 p.m. on February 6^th as I write this blog – I think I am finally “getting it!”  Jesus was “rebuking” me this summer – He was disciplining me – but He was NOT rejecting me or withholding His love for me!  That is a HUGE difference!  He was “pruning” some of my branches that were not bearing fruit – but He was not cutting me off from Him and throwing me into the fire!

Finally, the word “remain” or “abide” suggests continuous, or repeated action.  That brings much Hope to me, also.  This summer and the "messing up" it represents is not a continuous repeated action of  "not abiding!" It was a time of discipline or "rebuke."

Our life as disciples of Jesus is a journey in which we are continuously abiding in Him and constantly being stretched.   He is constantly teaching us, admonishing us, forgiving us, and loving us.  Is that perhaps what  “remaining” in Him involves?  Making mistakes or “Messing up” is so different than “not abiding” in Him.  We will continue to doubt – and to sink – and to cry out to the Lord.  And He will continue to have Mercy and Grace and Forgiveness and pull us out of the water.  This is what “abiding” looks like to me.

I know there is so much more in this passage that could have been discussed.  But this is how God “talked” to me tonight.  I think this is what He wanted me to hear.

How about you?

-dawn

2.6.13 "Missing the Kingdom Value"

Today’s scripture is:  John 20:24-29     The Message (MSG) ^24-25 But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We saw the Master.” But he said, “Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won’t believe it.” ²⁶ Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.”  ²⁷ Then he focused his attention on Thomas. “Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don’t be unbelieving.  Believe.”  ²⁸ Thomas said, “My Master!  My God!”  ²⁹ Jesus said, “So, you believe because you’ve seen with your own eyes.  Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing.” 

When I first read this, I think of how gracious Jesus is to Thomas.  He doesn’t walk into the room telling Thomas how weak he is for not believing... how upset He is at him for not believing...or how disappointed He is with him.  He directs His attention to Thomas and gives him a unique opportunity to touch Him and see for himself that it’s really HIM.  He has compassion on Thomas even in his unbelief.  But I believe Jesus knows that Thomas needs to believe!  He needs to be totally IN on this thing or he won’t be the disciple that Jesus needs him to be.  So it wasn’t just for Thomas’ sake that Jesus came to Thomas... it was for the Kingdom’s sake.

I believe He does that with us too.  I think we can hear from Jesus, or receive from Jesus, or have a powerful encounter with Jesus and “think” it’s all about us.  But even though Jesus loves us and has compassion on us and does want to reveal Himself to us... how often do we miss the Kingdom value in what He’s doing in our lives?   Do we hold those moments so close that we forget to be changed by them?  Forget to share them?  Forget to grow from them?  Forget to give God glory for them?  Forget to use them as light in a dark world?  Forget to ACT on them?

I wonder how often I’ve missed the Kingdom value of situations in my life.  How often have I celebrated what God has done... but not really done anything about it?  Maybe I told someone about it... but then tucked it away in my little bag of “thank you Jesus encounters”.    I want to think bigger than that.  If Jesus has answered a prayer, or given me a gift, or blessed me with a special connection with Him... I want to do more than just share the story with someone. I’m not saying that this isn’t good... it is and that’s where you start!  But what if Jesus wants me to do more than that?  I won’t know unless I ask Him.   I want to say, “My Master!  My God!”, like Thomas did... then go OUT and do something with that encounter.   I’m not sure what this would mean... but I have a very creative God!  Can you think of a time when you received something special from Jesus (a special touch, encounter, gift, opportunity, etc.) and were able to do more than just talk about it?

By the way... I’ve learned that according to church history, Thomas went all the way to India to bring people to Jesus!  Can you imagine witnessing and sharing Jesus there... and in those days? Incredible!  “Doubting Thomas” received a special gift from Jesus... and was empowered through it.  He went  to India and established Christianity in the South Western parts of the sub-continent.. and he was martyred for it.  Talk about making a difference for the Kingdom!

This is what the Holy Spirit brought to my mind today - so thought I’d share it and see what you think!  I would love to hear your thoughts -

denise

2.5.13 Truly Jesus is the Son of God!

Father, come by Your Spirit! Open my eyes and my heart to what You would have me learn about You today. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen Colossians 1:15-20

 15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through 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.

What a beautiful passage. If there were any doubts about where Jesus, the Son of God, receives His divinity, His inherited power and authority, it is explained here very eloquently. This series of verses defines who God is…..the Creator of all things. He was before all things. That means He has always been. No one was before Him. Jesus is the Son, mentioned in the passage. Jesus is the image of the God we cannot see.

In Exodus 3:14, God spoke to Moses. He told Moses “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I Am has sent you’.” The I Am identifies God as the creator, the one who has always been and will always be. As creator, God rules over everything in heaven and on earth. Therefore, as the image of the invisible God, the one who comes with authority over all things, Jesus is able to declare in Mark 14:62 “I Am”, in front of the Sanhedrin after his arrest,  thereby acknowledging His divinity and relationship with God. This reference to himself is seen throughout the New Testament:

John 6:51: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.”

John 8:23: And He said to them: “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world, I am not of this world.

John 8:12: Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

John 8:58: Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

John 10:9: I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”

John 14:6: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Matthew 3:17: And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.”

It is so comforting and refreshing to know that the Jesus that shed His blood on the cross for us is the same man whom God granted all power and authority over heaven and on earth as well. This is what truly separated Jesus from just being a mere man. He was in fact divine. The man whom we pray to in our brokenness and pain has the power to heal us in our brokenness. No one else can. We feel weak and unable to fix ourselves. Jesus can. When doubt creeps in, in our dark hours, and we feel we are alone, we only need to remind ourselves that through Jesus, there is the power to calm the seas, heal the sick, cure the blind, help the lame to walk. Jesus performed these miracles so that we may see and understand the awesomeness of his power for those who believe. If He can perform these, can he not heal broken marriages? Can He not help us when we despair? Can he not give us the peace that eludes us in life?

In the message this past week, we heard Jesus rebuke Peter for doubting and not believing in Him. “Ye of little faith” Jesus calls Peter. We all tend to shrink from our faith at times. We treat God as though He cannot help in our circumstances. Instead of believing boldly that He can rescue us from sin and struggles, we put Him in a box and minimize His ability to help in our daily walk. Fortunately, we have the bible and His amazing word that proclaims the mightiness of Jesus to remind us that through Him, all things are possible. Proclaim loudly that Jesus is the Son of God. Believe boldly that Jesus is the great I Am. Trust that He can take any pain and worry and provide us with what He knows we need at that moment. Live life everyday as though we are being called out of the boat in rough waters, knowing and believing that as we keep our eye on Him, He will not let us sink.

Kevin

2.4.13 Where is your heart?

  Today’s Reading is Matthew 14:22 - 33

²² Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. ²³ After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, ²⁴ and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

²⁵ Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

²⁹ “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”  ³² And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. ³³ Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

In the beginning of this text, it seems that Jesus is hurrying people away from him so that he can spend some time alone with the Father.  To me Christ is showing his human side, because it seems like he needs to plug into the Lord to gain strength, just as we do each Sunday.  He gives us a perfect example of how to handle this in our everyday lives.  Instead of going home and burying ourselves in food, TV or some other escape, we should spend time with the Father.  Maybe ask for forgiveness for some poor decisions that day, ask for some direction in dealing with a difficult person or just to share with Him.  Maybe if we did like Christ and went to prayer with our Lord on the way home we would be able to leave work at work or better yet, with Him.  Maybe our home life would become much easier and productive, because we’re giving our complete focus to home through Him.

As I listened to the sermon yesterday, I kept wondering why I only depend on Christ when I need him or it’s convenient for me.  I imagine that the reason Peter didn’t sink at first was that his eyes were trying to focus on Christ.  Maybe at first Christ was hard to see, but as Peter got closer he could see Christ better.  This meant Peter didn’t have to use 100% of his senses to make out Christ’s form, maybe he was just using 80% of his sight and mind, which allowed other outside forces to distract him.  Is it possible that as we see the Lord work in our lives, we tend to relax and look elsewhere with the extra 20% of our senses and this is where we get into trouble and don’t give 100% or our mind or heart focus to Him?

Dave P

2.2.13 "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 : Matthew 18: 23-26

Matthew 18: 23-26

²³ “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like^(A) a king who wanted to settle accounts^(B) with his servants. ²⁴ As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold^[a] was brought to him. ²⁵ Since he was not able to pay,^(C) the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold^(D) to repay the debt.

²⁶ “At this the servant fell on his knees before him.^(E) ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’

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

2.1.13 The Old Way Has To Go!

Oh Father, I come before You now to hear Your voice, to feel Your heart as I read Your Word. I rejoice in Your great compassion You feel for me and I will forever be amazed!  I humbly bow down before You and ask Your Holy Spirit to fill my mind with what You want me to hear from this passage. In Jesus Name I pray.  Amen Ephesians 4:29-32

From the Message:

29 Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.

30 Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.

From NIV

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you

In the middle of my prayer above I received a phone call from a friend who needed compassion. I told her how sorry I was, I prayed for her and her family and told her I would pass on her prayer request and that I would contact another person for her as she requested.  After I did those things I was convicted about whether I had showed her true compassion.  I’m sorry to say I did not.  Now, if we’re talking about the world we live in - yes, I was very kind and compassionate - I had told her to text me or call me to if they needed anything.  But, not anywhere near what verse 32 says, “as Christ God has done for you”.  I didn’t act, offer concrete things she needed, like transportation or a meal until after convicted.

I love the way The Message version titled this section of Ephesians 4 - “The Old Way HAS To Go”.  That is how God answered my prayer - how I was convicted, how He wants me to live.  I was trying to control the situation, just like Pastor said in Sunday’s Message, the disciples were trying to control the 5 thousand.  And Jesus said NO, you do it my way!

Part 2 of this blog is verse 30 from The Message.  Paul reminds me - don’t break His heart by not changing your ways, by doing things my way.  Cindy, treat the Holy Spirit daily as FIRST in your life, because that is the only way I can experience Kingdom life.

 My Lord and Savior, I so want to love others as You love me.  You are so welcome in my heart today and always.

May your Friday be filled with the true Love, Joy and Compassion of Jesus Christ!

Love,

cindy

01/31/13 Compassion is Hard!

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. ²     He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, ³     he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths     for his name’s sake. ⁴ Even though I walk     through the darkest valley,^[a] I will fear no evil,     for you are with me; your rod and your staff,     they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me     in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil;     my cup overflows. ⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me     all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord     forever.

Lord, please prepare my heart as I dig into Your Word today. I surrender all that I am and all that I think and do, and receive Your will and agenda in its place. I pray that I live out of this Word today and actually experience "what you mean". Amen.

Earlier today, I found myself praying, "Lord, what is wrong with my heart? Why don't I get moved to tears when others are so completely broken over situations? Where is my compassion? Maybe I don't have compassion?  Lord, did you forget to give me compassion? If I don't have compassion, or enough compassion, how do I 'get' more? How do I learn how to do this?"

Crazy, huh.

Now, it took about 10 minutes after that prayer for me to recount the compassion God has shown me over the years in ways known and unknown; and when I really examine my life and interactions with others, I'm not stone cold and heartless. I'm moved by other situations and drawn to other people or groups of people than maybe the ones that originally sent me to pray as I did. But God did create in me a compassion. It just took remembering His for me to recognize mine.

So I came to today's blog topic with that prayer fresh on my lips and my heart, and fresh in my mind were the circumstances and conversations that led up to praying that prayer, as well as the resulting remembrance afterwards.

I've always thought of Psalm 23 as a restful passage - soothing, even. Images of meadows, slow-moving brooks, words like 'refresh', 'comfort',  ideas of calm and respite in the face of enemies - I had assumed it was these elements of speech that made this passage feel so calming.

I wonder now, though, if the calmness is because the passage gives us a place to rest and remember what compassion our amazing God has given us. In these lines, we are led through our lowest moments (darkest valleys), given a chance to think on the calling he has specifically given to us as an individual, reminded of the abundance of our lives and are even told to stop and rest -- right here, right now. The passage says He leads, guides, makes, prepares, IS with us in all of those places - His compassion knows no bounds. His compassion knows no bounds. His compassion knows no bounds.

His compassion knows no bounds....

Yep, that is why these passages are calming. They remind us of the compassion He gives us that we so definitely do not deserve, and that He has never EVER stopped giving it to us.

It is from this place of remembering His compassion that I can find my compassion for others. And I also remember that even when compassion is hard, it is what He created me to be.

Lisa

013013 - Compassion that fuels compassion...

Please begin with prayer for an open heart, before you read the passage below. Matthew 9:35-38 – ³⁵ Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

In Matthew 9, we see Jesus in action.  Before this, He finished the Sermon on the Mount and then we see a series of miracles.  This passage above becomes the pivot point for a huge transition in the Gospel of Matthew---the commissioning, empowerment, and sending of the disciples!

Matthew gives a recap of Jesus’ ministry in v.35 as He is traveling around and then He shows the heart of Jesus---His compassion (Splagchnizomai!!! Greek word for gut-wrenching compassion that Delton mentioned Sun.) for the people around Him!  ‘They were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.’  I think I have grown in compassion in some ways, but I can still be very judgmental and stifle compassion because of a person’s situation.  I tend to judge someone’s situation (usually without much insight) and think that they made choices that got them there and they can get themselves out.  I also frequently lack compassion in areas that I am strong in, which is not fair.

I help manage the Love Fund here at the church and this is one way He has grown my compassion.  I have learned that it’s always so important to understand the back story of a person, who they are, and the situation.  Today, I have already answered two calls asking for assistance and have had multiple people come in asking for assistance.  The timing of this is impeccable, as I meditate and respond to a passage on compassion!  God give me a heart like yours and compassion that exceeds the appearance of a person or their situation…

He continues and references them as ‘sheep without a shepherd’---I have very little animal experience and zero with sheep, but my understanding is that they are one of the few animals on the face of this planet with no defense mechanism and they are also not the brightest animals either.  The religious/political leaders of that time left these people to fend for themselves and they were not fairing very well.  I am a numbers guy, so maybe an equation is helpful---

sheep – Shepherd = dead sheep.

Jesus’ compassion drove Him to action, because the defenseless sheep were valuable to Him.  He didn’t belittle them, criticize them, or make fun of their situation, but came in the flesh to redeem them, forgive them, and provide more than they could hope for.  We have been and are these sheep that so desperately need to be guided by a Shepherd.  Our brokenness and need for a Shepherd must remain at the forefront of our minds and fuel our compassion for those around us!  His compassion fuels our compassion…

Finally, notice if certain people/populations really stir your heart.  Maybe God has gifted you with abundant compassion for a group or demographic of people.  I know in my journey, it’s the high school and college-aged youth.  I feel like they fit in this category of sheep without a shepherd, mainly due to the breakdown of the family.  I feel called to shepherd them, by pointing them to the Shepherd!  Pay close attention to what sparks your heart and respond faithfully to the call!

My prayer begins with me---God give me a compassionate heart that sees beyond the appearance or perceived situation.  Help me begin with myself and see how I am one of these sheep that is helpless without my Shepherd!

Do you have a compassionate heart?  Is it limited?  Is it for a certain population?    Do you realize the compassion God has had on you and does this drive your compassion?  I would love to hear your journey and how this passage impacted you.

mike

Bonus comment - notice His words in V.37---‘Ask the Lord of the harvest’.  My initial step, at least mentally, is to go out and start reaping the harvest.  Jesus instructs the disciples to pray for God to send workers into the plentiful harvest field.  That’s revolutionary!  We pray…then He sends!  So, our first step is not just to run out and attempt to reap the harvest, but to humbly pray for Him to send workers.  Those are Kingdom prayers!  If you continue to read on into Chapter 10 in Matthew, Jesus immediately commissions and sends these same disciples!  So, it’s a ‘both/and’ situation---we ask Him to send workers and also go ourselves.  Prayer is not an excuse for inaction, but we pray in step with faithful action.