3.15.13 "A Different Sort of Kingdom!"

Welcome!Get ready – these are some awesome verses you are about to read!

1 Corinthians 1 ²⁰ Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. ²² Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

In these verses God is reminding me that things work differently in His Kingdom – under His rule and reign.  No wonder Jesus’ opening line for His earthly ministry was “Repent, the Kingdom of heaven is near!”  The kingdom or reign of God is so different that it takes “Repentance” – literally a change of mind and thinking to embrace it.

At the heart of this different kind of kingdom is sacrifice!  Jesus truly came into His kingdom – His rule and reign - when He sacrificed Himself on the cross for the world.  Paul seems to indicate that this message is foolishness to human thinking.  Maybe that is why Peter responded the way he did in the verses we covered in Sunday’s message.  Jesus began to tell the disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and be handed over to the leaders and be killed – Peter said, “No way – not on my watch you’re not!”  Jesus straightened him out real quick, “Peter, you have in mind the things of men – not the things of God!”

In these awesome verses from 1 Corinthians Paul seems to have run into the same problem.  The message that victory over sin and brokenness came through the self-sacrifice of God for the world is foolishness and nonsense – to a broken world.   In God’s kingdom that which seems weak, foolish, and un-scholarly is actually quite powerful.  The fact that God would win the victory of sin, death and the devil by humbling Himself to even death on the cross - might seem ridiculous – but it is God’s way! And God’s way is always wiser than man’s way!

I think it is that last line in these verses that I hope sticks with me today! “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”   I get to live today trusting in God to lead me in His ways – His wisdom - even when it contradicts my wisdom!  His wisdom in Christ has made life and hope possible for me today and His wisdom will sustain me, grace me, fill me and energize me for this day!

Awesome!

delton

What grabbed you from these amazing verses? Let me know – I would love to hear!

03.14.13 What I KNOW to Be True

Lord, I'm learning this week how to journey to the Cross, through the Cross with You, to Life on the other side in Your Resurrection. To not only believe what I know to be true, but to OWN it and LIVE it. Help me to see the truth in your Word for me, and lead me on how to absorb it and act as you lead me to today. Amen. Today's Reading is from 1 Corinthians 15:12-14: But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.

Have you heard of the Law of Syllogism? Basically, it is a mathematical law or law of logic that states that if p leads to q, and if q leads to r, then p leads to r. In other words, if I say that if it snows today (p) that I will use my gloves (q), and that if I use my gloves (q) that my fingers will get itchy (r), then I can also say that if it snows today (p), my fingers will get itchy (r).

Let me add another piece of information to our discussion today - an impacting statement that Delton made during his message on Sunday -- that Jesus was reacting in Matthew to not only what Peter had said to him ("'Never, Lord!' he said. 'This shall never happen to you!'"), but to the eternal implications of this trajectory if what Peter declared were true. We, as humans, cannot fathom the massive scope of God's plans and how our "twist" or understanding can do harm on an eternal scale.

Okay, so we have (1) Paul's letter to the Corinthians, (2) Delton's insight into the eternal implications of a simple statement by Peter, and (3) the Law of Syllogism.

I want to look at each part separately.

First, in this passage in 1 Corinthians, Paul is pointing out the "God View" of resurrection. Evidently, contemporary Greek beliefs held that the body could not be resurrected - only the soul - and that was being absorbed into the teaching of the Greek Christian Churches. Others were arguing that the resurrection of Christ never could actually have happened in a physical sense. In the verses above, Paul bluntly states that if this is true, that the entire foundation of the Christian faith is called into question and found to be false as well.

On Sunday, Delton went on to explain that Peter couldn't understand the implications of his statements on an eternal scale -- he couldn't comprehend the enormity of the situation if Jesus really did not follow His path to the cross. If Jesus did not follow that path, then none of us would be saved -- we would all be lost to sin.

Finally, the Law of Syllogism  - at the time that Paul had written his letter to the Corinthians, Syllogistic Logic would have been commonplace. Aristotle identified this form of logic back in the 4th century B.C. With Corinth being the Greek cultural hub it was at the time of Paul's writing, I presume that the questioning of the "resurrection of the body" had become commonplace in the contemporary Corinthian culture, and - most likely, absorbed into the mainstream culture of the Corinthian Christian Church. In today's reading, Paul was actually using Syllogistic Logic to take a general premise (that resurrection of the body cannot happen) and showing how it affects specific premises and conclusions that the Corinthian Church professed and built their faith upon (specifically, that Christ had risen from the dead). He is showing them that one small human idea or statement can have profound consequences on the eternal scope of our being. In order to fully understand what Paul was saying, I needed to take Paul's statements in Corinthians and follow through (IF p THEN q; If q THEN r;  THEREFORE, IF p THEN r) to see the logic in the conclusions.

IF resurrection of the body is not possible, THEN Christ's Resurrection is not possible. IF Christ's Resurrection is not possible, THEN our preaching based on that Resurrection is false. THEREFORE, IF the resurrection of the body is not possible, THEN our preaching is false.

IF resurrection of the body is not possible, THEN Christ's Resurrection is not possible. IF Christ's Resurrection is not possible, THEN our faith based on that Resurrection is false. THEREFORE, IF the resurrection of the body is not possible, THEN our faith is false.

I actually intended to go further with applying the statements, because in Verse 15 Paul says that we are all guilty of lying because we have confessed that Christ has risen from the dead. So we are liars if resurrection is not possible. And in verse 17, he says that if resurrection of the body is not possible, then our faith is futile, all who die or have died are lost, and we are still very lost to sin. He says that all hope is lost. Wow.

But I couldn't continue - I actually got angry. These statements are all very logically derived BUT they ALL stem from the "truth" that the resurrection of the body cannot happen. These statements require that we check what we KNOW to be true through the small lens of a cultural question or idea. In fact, the statement that the resurrection of the body is not possible is the only element in question by the Corinthians - they DID believe in Christ's resurrection. They confessed it, preached it, believed that they were forgiven for their sins because of it, that they received a new life, and that they lived full of HOPE. Yet, this one "small" idea was about to derail the eternal scope of all they KNEW to be true.

Why is it that human quandaries always seems to stem from little things we question and that we then allow to call into question what we KNOW to be true, when in reality all things should be sifted through the lens of what we KNOW to be true, rather than vice versa?!?

I am really hoping that it made the Corinthians just as angry, and that Paul was able to make his point.

So what is the point for me today? I started thinking about various cultural "truths" that circulate around now. Things like : - the definition of marriage - the expectation and norm of sharing a bed/home before marriage - the idea of Christ being only one of many paths to heaven - that belief in a God is being spiritual enough - that the ultimate goal in life is happiness and success

I'm not trying to start a debate on any of these topics, but these topics have really caused contemporary Christians to question what they KNOW to be true. To try to view what they DO KNOW through a small lens of a human idea or thought. When, in reality, they should be viewed from the opposite direction - from the eternal scope of what we KNOW.

What do I KNOW? That BECAUSE of Christ's Resurrection, I have hope. I can tell others of this hope. I have been freed from sin. My faith is not pointless. It is because of this that I do believe in the resurrection of the body.

I think I need to rehearse, absorb and act out of this statement of what I KNOW more often.

Some of the questions I will be asking myself today -- What "small" things do I allow to derail me from what I KNOW to be true? What idea or question has the power to affect the eternal scope of my life and those around me? What is God calling me to see from His perspective rather than my own small one?

Thanks for journeying with me today.

Lisa

03.13.13 - Confident enough to be humble...

Please begin with prayer for an open heart, before you read the passage below.  Scholars believe that Paul may have adapted a known Christian song at the time into his letter to the church at Philippi, due to the format that he used. Philippians 2:5-11 – ⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; ⁷ rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

As I have gotten older, I have found that one of my favorite qualities in the people I want to be around is humility.  We tend to think that humility is thinking poorly of yourself or lacking confidence and I think that’s far from the truth.  Some definitions that I like include modest, deference, a spirit of submission, not arrogant or proud.  We think that humility and confidence are opposed, but confidence is the basis to be able to be humble.

Proud people (which I frequently display!!) are uncertain of themselves and their worth or status in the eyes of those around them, so they have to continually prove themselves or talk about themselves.  Watch---people love to talk about themselves and how awesome they are.  Especially when you meet someone new, they will tend to overinflate their job, family, education, abilities, etc. and then we tend to do the same in return.  Why is that?  It’s because we are uncertain of how we measure up in their eyes and we want to have a favorable position.

This is one of my favorite texts in all of Scripture and it shows the true heart of Jesus---a humble servant.  Jesus was in Heaven, next to His Father and gave that up to be born in the worst circumstances (an unwed mother, a family without status, horrible setting, insignificant town of birth and growing up).  He gives up His place in Heaven and clothes Himself in humanity and goes through the same temptations, emotions, hungers, etc. that we face.  (Hebrews 2 & 4)  He associated with the outcasts and known sinners of the community, another mark of humility!  He valued women and children before they were seen as valuable, and chose religious rejects to build the church upon.  Then, He willingly gave His life for people that have and would reject Him so they could be reconciled to His Father.  The cross was the worst and most humiliating form of torture known to the time and you were nailed up there naked as a way to further shame you before your peers.  He could have called angels down upon those crucifying Him, but His love, mercy and humility triumphed as He prayed for those murdering Him---simply amazing!

We need to adopt this attitude; because there is no room for pride in the Kingdom of God---‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ (James 4:6)  Pride in some ways is an unwillingness or a failure to recognize your need for help or to recognize it, but not ask for help.  The journey of the Christ follower begins with an admittance of need and brokenness.  It takes humility to recognize our own sin and need for a Savior---a prideful person does not do this.  I remember a PhD professor that would come to our church when I was in college and clean the floors and toilets on a weekly basis to remain humble.  Maybe we all need to find ways to practice humility and continue to be molded and shaped into Jesus’ example.

The text from Sunday talked about ‘if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’  (Matthew 16:24)  Following Jesus means that you stop following yourself and you are admitting you don’t know what’s best for you and you can’t save yourself!  In humility, you put His desires ahead of your own desires and allow Him to lead you on a daily basis.  This flies in the face of the American, do-it-yourself, self-made man/woman, me-centric, Facebook culture that glorifies self-promotion.  We are so sufficient on our own that we think we don’t need saving.  This culture will poison our hearts and shutdown our receptivity towards the Gospel if we are not careful.

Notice, every other major religion in the world is centered on a person’s performance that makes them right with God.  Christianity is the opposite and calls us to turn from our ways and realize we cannot save ourselves, which is a humble plea for help.  We receive Jesus and all His grace, which in turn gives us security in identity, so we can live our lives as humble servants and not like those that must continue to pridefully prove who we are.  We receive our identity and live confidently, yet humbly.

I pray that we can imitate Christ’s humility in our lives by denying our self, taking up our cross (which means someone else is in charge!!), and following Him as leader.

Are you a humble person?  How would you know? (Watch your thoughts and conversations)  What caused you to recognize your need for a Savior?  What does it mean to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him?  I would love to hear your journey and how this passage impacted you.

mike

3.12.13 "Can you hear Me now?"

Welcome to the PoG Blog!  Before reading the Scripture, please pray the Holy Spirit will guide and direct your meditation on God’s word. Psalm 19: 1 – 6

¹ The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. ² Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. ³ They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. ⁴ Yet their voice^[b] goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. ⁵  It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. ⁶ It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.

This is probably my all-time favorite Psalm.  I think it is because it so powerfully describes the way in which God communicates with us through nature.  This weekend I had the opportunity to just get away.  The place I visited was a haven for all kinds of birds.  The beautiful sound of the birds was louder than anything else I could hear.  It was great because their singing helped me to slow down and listen to God.  It reminded me of the Scripture in which God says, “Be still and know that I am God”.

Take a moment to slow down and ask yourself this question: “What is God saying to me?”

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

mark

3.11.13 "From that time on..."

Matthew 16:21-23 21From that time on, Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. 22Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” 23Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

What was Jesus saying to his disciples? Why did Peter respond this way? Why did Jesus have a seemingly “over the top” reaction to Peter’s statement? Remember, prior to this, Jesus had asked his disciples who do others say that He is. He then asked them, who his disciples say that He is. Peter had answered, correctly, that He is the true son of God. By acknowledging who Jesus is; making the connection that He is the Messiah, the Lamb of God who had been foretold in the Old Testament, Peter first laid claim to affirming his faith in the divinity of Jesus. This acknowledgement by Peter was crucial. Without it, Jesus could not have proceeded any further in His ministry or teaching of His diciples

Peter had a very human response to Jesus’ revelation of things to come. Peter instinctively asserted that the fate Jesus spoke of would surely not come to pass for the Son of God. Peter failed to understand the heavenly plan, which was for Jesus to suffer and die for our sins. Peter also didn’t hear the resurrection Jesus mentioned, which would be the good news after the suffering!  But why did Jesus respond so vehemently? What was it that Peter said that caused Jesus to call him Satan? Pretty strong words! Jesus knew that the only way to take on the sins of the world, the only way to forgive sin and wipe the slate clean was through the cross. Jesus had already been tempted by Satan at the beginning of His ministry. He was tempted three times in the desert. Three times, Jesus resisted Satan’s attacks by quoting Scripture. Surely, Jesus felt that Satan was behind Peter’s words as well. Jesus not only called out Peter for His lack of understanding, but called out Satan as well. For Jesus, there was no plan b. He knew what He was sent to do. There could not be, and would not be, anything that would stand in the way of Him dying on the cross.

What would the implications have been had Jesus bypassed the cross? Had he not suffered for our sins? Had He not fulfilled His ultimate promise of rising from the dead after three days? In our brokenness  would we have had a God that knows what suffering is like? Would He have been able to relate to our struggles as we lay them at His throne of grace? Would He have been able to meet us at that place, where our source of pain and brokenness resides so that we can deal with it through grace and mercy? Would we have had the hope of redemption and healing after suffering in a broken world?  Would He have been able to fulfill His ministry and lay claim to His divinity without the resurrection? Surely not.  Peter’s reaction upon hearing Jesus reveal his fate is not unlike how we treat the pain in our own lives. We would rather bypass the pain than deal with it. It is definitely the easier way. Yet it merely masks our pain and doesn’t heal it. By going to the cross, Jesus shares our suffering. This allows us to trust our deepest hurts to His care because he understands. He’s been there.Through the resurrection we get the promise that on the other side of the pain and brokenness of life, there is healing and redemption. That’s the good news!

I sit in wonder at such strength and conviction to ministry and fulfillment of His Father’s plan that Jesus had to have. In considering what would have been had Jesus not died on the cross, I thank Him daily. It is in His strength that we are able to lay our troubles at His feet. In His strength are we able to rest in His presence. In His strength are we able to resist Satan and all his empty promises. In His strength are we able to believe in His promises of forgiveness of sin, grace, mercy and unconditional love. In His strength are able to believe in eternal life and salvation for those who believe in Him, as Peter proclaimed, in faith.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your sacrifice. Thank your for the strength and courage it took to face the cross and take on the sins of a broken world. Thank you for wiping the slate clean of our sins which gives me the freedom to live each day knowing my sins have already been bought and paid for. Thank you that I can rest in the truth that when I fall, I am forgiven and you have the authority to restore me and renew me in you daily. Praise God!

Kevin

3.9.13 "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 34

¹ I will extol the Lord at all times;^(B) his praise will always be on my lips. ² I will glory^(C) in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.^{(D) 3} Glorify the Lord^(E) with me; let us exalt^(F) his name together.

⁴ I sought the Lord,^(G) and he answered me; he delivered^(H) me from all my fears. ⁵ Those who look to him are radiant;^(I) their faces are never covered with shame.^{(J) 6} This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.^{(K) 7} The angel of the Lord^(L) encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers^(M) them.

⁸ Taste and see that the Lord is good;^(N) blessed is the one who takes refuge^(O) in him. ⁹ Fear the Lord,^(P) you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.^{(Q) 10} The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.^{(R) 11} Come, my children, listen^(S) to me; I will teach you^(T) the fear of the Lord.^{(U) 12} Whoever of you loves life^(V) and desires to see many good days, ¹³ keep your tongue^(W) from evil and your lips from telling lies.^{(X) 14} Turn from evil and do good;^(Y) seek peace^(Z) and pursue it.

¹⁵ The eyes of the Lord^(AA) are on the righteous,^(AB) and his ears are attentive^(AC) to their cry; ¹⁶ but the face of the Lord is against^(AD) those who do evil,^(AE) to blot out their name^(AF) from the earth.

¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears^(AG) them; he delivers them from all their troubles. ¹⁸ The Lord is close^(AH) to the brokenhearted^(AI) and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

¹⁹ The righteous person may have many troubles,^(AJ) but the Lord delivers him from them all;^{(AK) 20} he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.^(AL)

²¹ Evil will slay the wicked;^(AM) the foes of the righteous will be condemned. ²² The Lord will rescue^(AN) his servants; no one who takes refuge^(AO) in him will be condemned.

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

3.8.13 "Do I Help People Access God?"

Welcome to the PoG Blog! The scripture for today is:

Matthew 23  ¹³ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. ¹⁵“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

Whoa! Jesus is really ticked!  These verses sit inside a chapter of Matthew that is largely committed to this kind of discourse.  Jesus is coming down hard on the religious leaders for adding all kinds of rules and requirements to “connecting with God” that simply do not exist.  Jesus is saying that their teachings and actions actually shut the door of heaven on people and keep them out.  I think this has something to do with the teaching last Sunday on the keys to the kingdom of God as if Jesus is saying, “Don’t lock the doors of heaven by your wrong teaching and leading of the people!”

This catches my attention in a very practical way today.  Jesus empowers people like me with His Good News to make life with Him “more” available to others – not less available.  I am supposed to “get the word out” that God is radically available and accessible to His broken world through Jesus.  When people look at my life today I want them to get a glimpse of what connecting with an available, accessible God looks like!   Jesus did not make people jump through hoops to get to God but rather said, “Come to Me!”   

I hope I keep this challenge in mind today.  How can I more clearly communicate through my words and actions that my God is real, accessible and available to me and to the world.  No hoop jumping just accessing Jesus by faith.  It’s not about what I have to do to connect to God it’s about what He has already done to make that connection possible.  I truly want people to “get” that Good News from me today!

It’s going to be a good day – not only do I get to live in my available and accessible God’s presence today; I get to help someone else live in it as well!

Delton

What are your thoughts and feelings?  Would love to hear them!

3.7.13 "Dead - QUITE Dead!"

Romans 6:5-8⁵For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our bodyof sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; ⁷for he who has died is freed from sin. ⁸Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him…

The notes from Sunday’s message at Point of Grace say, “When Jesus came to humanity, He was on a mission to set us FREE – to invade the world of men that was in bondage to the evil one and to set them free.  Mmm – doesn’t freedom from bondage sound wonderful?    And that’s exactly what the reading today from Romans promises – freedom from bondage to sin.

It says that my old self was crucified with Him! It says that I should no longer be a slave to my sin! It says I am freed from sin. It says that if I have died with Christ, then I will also live with Him!

The Message says “your old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, an end to that sin-miserable life – and you are no longer at sin’s every beck and call.”

Oh – to no longer be at sin’s beck and call!  I want that – don’t you?

Sadly, I think that I walk around looking and acting like a zombie - like I am dead - like I am still a slave! Sometimes I don't look or act like I am free!  I look and act like my “old self.”  I looked up the word “old” in the Greek Study Bible and it said: "Old –antique; not recent; worn out;  in the past; long ago, former man."

I bet it makes Jesus sad, to have died for me – to have risen for me – to free me from my sin – only to see me still walking around looking like an old, worn out antique, insisting on wearing the shackles He freed me from!

Verse 7 says “for he who has died is freed from sin.”   I looked up "died" as well and it made me chuckle. "Died - to die out; to become quite dead."

This means that the old Dawn isn’t just dead – she is “Quite Dead!”

Ok – I am going to be super theological – Ready? You know how --- when you step on a bug --- sometimes it’s just “kinda” dead?  Especially a wasp that has a crusty, hard shell of a body?  You can’t just “step” on it a little bit – you have to really stomp on it – crunch it – crush it – grind it with your heel - whatever it takes – because those pesky things may look dead – but if you’re not careful -- and walk away – they can get right back up and sting you again – so you make really sure a wasp is dead before you walk away. You know what I'm talkin' about?

Perhaps that is how I need to truly think of my old self -  crucified with Christ –that she who has died is freed from sin -  no longer a slave -  that the old Dawn is not just dead, but  really, really, really dead – “Quite dead!”

I'm ready to walk around and look like I am "alive" - free - not dead! I need to go back and re-read verse 5 - "If I have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly I shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection!"  I can walk around alive in His resurrection!   "No longer a slave to sin!"

Do you struggle with this, too?  Do you still act like the old you isn’t dead?  Are you still wearing the shackles that Jesus set you free from?

-dawn

3.6.13 "We are Anointed"

Today’s Scripture is:     Isaiah 61: 1-3  (The Message) The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because God anointed me. He sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, Announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners. God sent me to announce the year of his grace— a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies— and to comfort all who mourn, To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion, give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, Messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit. Rename them “Oaks of Righteousness” planted by God to display his glory.

On Sunday, Pastor talked about the meaning of Matthew 16:9 where Jesus says, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom (reign) of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.”  That verse has always been confusing for me.  It’s a huge responsibility to be given the keys of the kingdom and the ability to bind and loose!  And what does that exactly mean anyway?  How do I even have the wisdom to bind or loose?

This scripture from Isaiah helps me put a tangible experience on the binding and loosing.  It’s as if this Isaiah passage should immediately follow the Matthew passage...kind of like this,  “..........whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven, so........go preach the good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, announce freedom, pardon, celebrate, comfort those who mourn, care for people’s needs, give a message of joy instead of doom, have a praising heart, put God’s glory on display!”  These are all the things God desires for His people and I can be the tangible bearer of these blessings to those around me.  And if I am going to bind something...I don’t want to bind up those blessings and keep them from those around me, I want to bind Satan and his power at work in this world.  He’s the one who doesn’t want God’s people to receive all He has for them - and God has given me (us) the keys... the anointing.. the power.. the authority to bind satan and loose the goodness and mercy of Jesus.

This all helps me to understand that I have been give Kingdom keys, and with that comes the responsibility of telling people about Jesus, helping them experience real kingdom life, and taking seriously the work of satan in our world.   This has already been made possible through Jesus, but He’s asking me to be the bearer, the looser of His work into the lives of others here on earth.  I am anointed for this task and you are anointed for this task... and by His work on the cross, through our confession of Him, by His power in us and through us, we help set people free...and the gates of hell will not prevail!

Lord, teach me more about what it means to bind and loose!  Help me put action to my understanding Lord.  Give me boldness, courage, compassion and love.  Give me a soft heart and hard feet.  Give me the grace and ability to live out this Isaiah passage.  Forgive me when I mess it up Lord and when I make it all about me.  Thank you for your anointing and for giving me a part in your kingdom work.   I love you,  Amen.

How did this Isaiah scripture move you today?  What is God saying to you?    denise

3.5.13 What is a Christian?

Today’s reading is: John 8:31-38   The Message (MSG)

31-32 Then Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. “If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.”

33 Surprised, they said, “But we’re descendants of Abraham. We've never been slaves to anyone. How can you say, ‘The truth will free you’?”

34-38 Jesus said, “I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave. A slave is a transient, who can’t come and go at will. The Son, though, has an established position, the run of the house. So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through. I know you are Abraham’s descendants. But I also know that you are trying to kill me because my message hasn't yet penetrated your thick skulls. I’m talking about things I have seen while keeping company with the Father, and you just go on doing what you have heard from your father.”

Hmmmmm. The Jews who had claimed to believe in Him. Jesus is taking this belief a step further - if I stick with this (His Word, surrender our control, receive His control), living out what I tell you (ACT on it) I am His disciple.  Before I came to POG, I believed I was a Christian because I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Never really thought about being a disciple - that was just for the men in the Bible.  I still proclaim to be a Christian, but the definition seems to be changing or maybe getting back to what it really is. God calls me not only to accept Christ but to bring others to know and love Christ through my actions and through living out what I know to be true. Wow!

Let’s see, how am I doing with that? It depends on whether His Word or the Holy Spirit is sinking into my “thick skull”! (don’t you just love the Message version?)  Am I living according to what I want, a member of my family wants, or what this world wants?  And when I’m that slave to sin - I try to “kill” Jesus all over again.  I’m so very thankful and praise God that He came down in the Flesh to save us from ourselves.

Last Friday, I had kept clear for me.  I wasn't working or keeping my grandchildren and had planned to participate somehow in the Verge conference, which among other things, is all about disciple making. As Friday rolled around I let “worldly things” enter in to my schedule, taking priority over the conference. Well as soon as I’d left the house I caused a 2nd wreck at the intersection of Kelly Lane and SH130. (yes, the one of the two wrecks that shut down the entire intersection for over an hour) No one was hurt in my wreck and no one seriously in the other wreck. Shortly after I rear-ended the car in front of me and pushed them into the car in front of them and found out everyone was ok, I felt the Spirit “solemnly” say, “Cindy, I want you to learn more about becoming My disciple”. Go home (I had already downloaded the conference). I believe the Spirit also arranged for the 1st towing company to take hours, so I went with another and had plenty of time to see the 2nd 2 hour session of the conference.  Then, I was richly blessed with the conversation with the tow truck driver!

In this passage for us today, Jesus tells us what we need to do to become his disciple, to turn away from sin and believe that He is the one true Son of God and He has set us FREE from that life of sin through the Cross and Resurrection.  Hallelujah!

Lord, my One True Father, I’m so sorry for the times I choose to sin against You. I hate that in me. I do love You and am overwhelmed with Your Mercy, Grace, and Forgiveness. I’m so thankful for the freedom You offer me in living Your Truth. I do so much want to honor You. I adore how You allow me to start anew each day.  Please help me live in You every day thus being Your disciple! In Jesus Name I pray.

What did this passage bring out in you today? How is Sunday’s Message holding true in your life this week - again about making disciples?

cindy

3.4.13 “I Am among us”

  Today’s Reading is Luke 4:16 - 21

¹⁶ He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, ¹⁷ and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, ¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”^[a]

²⁰ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. ²¹ He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

This is the first preaching of Christ after his baptism and being tempted by Satan in the wilderness.  So it was fitting that He chose the text that speaks of His coming.  As He read I’m sure people that had no hope were thinking “when that day comes I will be free from all my pain”.  Blind people were probably thinking what they would do on that day when they could see.  I could see them wondering what He would look like.  Would the Chosen One be large, strong, good looking all things that humans would be thinking as their minds were running wild with anticipation of what this king would look like.

Did the Pharisees just scoff under their breath thinking this would never happen?  They probably thought that they were God’s chosen ones since they cared spiritually for the flock, but they didn’t realize that the years of corruption and control that had now become the “normal” was wrong in God’s eyes.  I would imagine that they had no fear, but that would soon change as Christ begins to set things straight in His house.

A gasp could probably be heard as Christ stated the prophesy he’d just read would be fulfilled through Him.  How could this simple looking person be a king that would save them and give them everlasting life?  Shouldn't a king be someone with a confidence, strength and a lineage that would make them proud for him to be their Savior?  How could a carpenter’s son be the person that would save them?  Sure he could save a broken chair or table.  How could he heal their blindness or heal the sick?  I could see in the beginning how it was difficult for the Jews to believe this person to be the Savior, but how could they not believe when they saw all the miracles that He would work?  Even today, as we see the Lord do amazing works in our lives it’s difficult for us to believe.  Do we truly have faith that He exists?  Is it hard to believe that our lives are worth His time?  If we truly have faith and feel we are worthy, then why do we continue to seek other gods to replace Him?

Dave P

3.1.2013 HIS Heart! HIS Eyes! HIS Mission!

1 John 5:19-20 NIV “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.  We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true.  And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ.  He is the true God and eternal life.”

1 John 5:19-20 Message

“We know that we are held firm by God; it’s only the people of the world who continue in the grip of the Evil One.  And we know that the Son of God came so we could recognize and understand the truth of God—what a gift!—and we are living in the Truth itself, in God’s Son, Jesus Christ.”

These words written by the apostle John are so encouraging to me today.  They penetrate my heart as a promise that I don’t have to live as “the world” does…a slave to sin.  I’m drawn to the words “we are in him who is true”.  I have always thought of Jesus living in ME… a more self- centered approach.  J  John says that by knowing Jesus, we are in HIM.  I’ve been thinking about what that really means.  I wonder if it means that we are on HIS mission.  We have HIS heart and HIS eyes.  We want what HE wants, and we mourn for what HE mourns.

It is interesting that the idea of being on HIS mission refreshes me, but so often, I’m on my mission.  Specifically, I am in sales.  The world that I work in is fueled by greed.  Many of the behaviors (selfishness, competitiveness, conceit, etc.) that I believe God is trying to reform in me are the same behaviors that are rewarded in my industry.  Many times, I forget who I am in Christ, and enter into this world…“under control of the evil one.”  I become overwhelmed with stress.  I spend much of my time fretting over people who have wronged me, or neglected to give me enough credit, or how things are unfair.  I play out all of the nasty things I want to say to them in my head, and sometimes I engage in gossip among my teammates (for which I am so ashamed). I begin looking for fault in everyone around me, and I easily find it.  And I feel miserable!!

And then Jesus will nudge me, and I will remember that I don’t belong to the world.  I remember that I live in Him, and there is freedom in that.  I don’t have to keep track of wrongs done to me, or worry about perfect performance.  I don’t have to make sure that my boss/coworkers give me credit where credit is due.  I can rest in the fact that I belong to Jesus who is “eternal life”.  Because I belong to him, I am not under control of the evil one.

Thank you, Jesus!  I pray that you give me a new heart.  I pray that you help me to love the people I work with the way that you do.  I pray that I don’t forget who my real boss is…that I would be about YOUR work… all the time.

Erin Jay

02.28.13 Personal Testimony is Powerful

Lord, in the craziness of today (already at 8am), please give us a moment to simply bask in Your Word. To soak it in, because You have a message in it for each of us, and we don't want to miss it. Not a word. Amen. Today's Scripture Reading is from Acts 4:8-12:

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

And if you don't mind, I would like to add verse 13 as well --

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

I really like Peter. I like his "acting before he thinks" personality (sounds so very familiar to me....). I also like how, even among his screw ups and mess ups, he is able to give testimony to his faith in the Living God.

In our journey through Matthew, we have seen Peter confess that Jesus is the "Messiah, the Son of the Living God". By the time we hear his testimony in Acts 4, Peter has experience miracles, rejections, praise, denial, and commissioning. He didn't come to this moment in Acts in a single moment, but after an intense journey.

Which got me thinking about our own personal testimonies. We have a lot we can learn from Peter about how to give our own personal testimony.

Get Experience. Although it most likely gets easier the more you share about your faith in Christ, that isn't what I mean about experience. The experience I mean is the day to day happenings of "doing life" with Christ. Just like Peter experiencing the day -to -day teachings, miracles, conversations he had the chance to do first-hand, we need to experience Christ in all methods available to us now - prayer, worship, time in the Scriptures, relationship with others, listening for His guidance in our lives, and be observant in how He interacts in our life and the lives of those around us.

Keep It Real. Our testimony needs to be something we own. It is OURS, not something that has been scripted for us. In my "previous life" in Public Relations, my career consisted of speaking to the merits of various companies or products. One of the first things I needed to do was find something to make that product or company personal and real for me - I needed to believe in what I was saying about it. If I couldn't "see it" or if the words couldn't be mine, they felt hollow and didn't ring true as I wrote them or said them. I believe that we each really need to have an un-formulaic testimony, born out of our relationship we have forged and the experiences we have encountered as we journey with Christ ourselves. Be observant and "own" those experiences. They are yours.

Make It Personal. BE OBSERVANT  in how Christ intersects in your life. (Are you seeing a trend here? Don't miss Christ's handiwork in your life!) It's there everyday, multiple times a day, I believe. It may take some practice to develop the ability to "see" it though. These personal interactions are the foundations for your testimony - how God has spoken to you through His word or in prayer, how your relationship has deepened through life experiences and pulling closer to God, how you can see His interaction in your life (even if it is a hind-sight view -- sometimes it isn't always clear in the midst of the moment) - I can't list all possibilities here because our God is BIGGER than I can even begin to imagine on how He interacts with each of us. He meets us there. That's a promise I stand on daily.

Practice. Again, telling others makes it easier and easier to share, but that isn't what I mean with this item. Our biggest obstacle in sharing our testimony is a lack of confidence in our own experiences with the Living God. Yes, we were there, we lived this, we KNOW this....yet, we doubt. We need to rehearse with ourselves our own story so we don't forget. How many times do we see this amazing sight of God in a prayer answered, or in Scripture, or in our own life or of someone around us, and then the next moment we despair that God has left us, or that we can't see Him or hear Him. We need to practice our testimony so that we are ready to give it because we remember that it is real for us. All the time.

Finally, as we see in Verse 13, Peter was known as a normal guy, and as one that walked with Jesus. He lived out his Christ relationship so that when he gave his testimony in the verses above, he had "street cred" - validation that he knew what he was talking about.

I have a challenge for you today - what is your personal testimony? If you were called upon to give it today - maybe a friend questions what is so different about you, or you are sharing with someone why you chose to stand on the side of Christ rather than the world on an issue - what would you say? Do you have "street cred" to back it up?

I pray that Christ blesses you today with the chance to reflect on all the experiences you have had with Him in your life, and how beautiful your testimony is!!!!

Lisa

02.27.13 - Freeze tag anybody??

Please begin with prayer for an open heart, before you read the passage below. Acts 3:1-10 – One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. ² Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. ³ When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. ⁴ Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” ⁵ So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

⁶ Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” ⁷ Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. ⁸ He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. ⁹ When all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

This is an interesting text and I think it links well with the Matthew 16:13-20 (read this too!!) that we looked at Sunday.  I think our culture has grown somewhat complacent with the power of names.  In 1^st Century Jewish culture, names were of great importance.  How many of you in reading your Bibles have come to a genealogy that lists dozens of names and just skipped over it?  Be honest, I know you don’t meditate on these…yes, I typically skip them too!  In studying them though, there is great intentionality and significance with each name listed.

People were given names based on circumstances and also in conferring identity to the child.  Names throughout Scripture have significance---Moses, ‘to draw out’ (of water!), Isaac, ‘laughter’ (i.e. my parents had me when they were really, really, old!), and Jesus, literally means ‘the Lord saves’.  We choose baby names for all sorts of reasons---popularity, favorite celebrity, we lost a bet (see Cowboy fan that named their baby Robert Griffin after the ‘Skins beat the Cowboys!), or at most in honor of a relative.  I can see the kid named Robert Griffin, asking his parents later in life why they chose that name...well, son, your mom lost a bet to me so I named you after the quarterback!!  How would that make you feel?  No matter what our parents named us or why they chose our name, we as believers receive new names that bring tremendous value!

Notice as Peter was speaking to this crippled man that he said, ‘In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’  There is power in the eternal and temporal realms with the name of Jesus!  No other name has this type of authority.  Peter knew that he didn’t have any power, apart from Jesus, to help this man at all.  I also love how the crippled man was expecting something, but I don’t think he was expecting what he got.  At most, he probably hoped for a few coins to get some dinner that day, but Jesus radically changed his life forever!

Back to Matthew 16, which is a deeply, disputed text.  Notice that Jesus renames Simon to Peter (meaning ‘detached rock’---significance in Peter’s life!) and then says upon this rock (different word meaning ‘bedrock’) I will build my church.  So, I don’t think Jesus literally means Peter, but more likely Peter’s previous confession, where he says, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’  Jesus goes onto say that ‘on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.’

Gates are made to keep things out and also keep things in.  My sense is the gates of Hades (Hell) had power through sin and death over humanity.  We are all in bondage and unable to get out.  Jesus was sent to save us from this and bust down the gates that were holding us captive.  Just like we saw the powerless, crippled man that needed intervention, we all need intervention by the mighty work of Jesus to break down the power of sin and death in our lives.  Then Jesus gives Peter, and all believers, the commissioning to take this confession and power in Jesus name to go and break down more gates and set the prisoners free for all eternity!  Jesus has conferred upon Peter and us the power and authority, only by the power of His name as demonstrated through His death, resurrection, and ascension.

It’s like the biggest game of freeze tag ever---we have been caught and are ‘imprisoned’, someone came to set us free, once we are freed we are called to go and free as many people as possible before time runs out!  Silver and gold we may not be able to give, but life, peace, joy, forgiveness, and identity we can give freely to all we encounter, through the name and power of Jesus.

Do you recognize the power in Jesus’ name?  Do you see yourself as one commissioned with the keys of the kingdom, to unlock the gates of hell?  Do you see yourself being renamed ‘child of God’?  I would love to hear your journey and how this passage impacted you.

mike

2.26.13 The Keys to the Kingdom

  Thank you Lord for the challenging passage you are setting before us today. Speak to us by your Spirit and guide us into all truth. Amen

Matthew 16:18-20 (NIV)

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

It is such a blessing today to realize that the gates of hell cannot destroy the church that Jesus is building.

I found it challenging to understand the thrust of what Jesus is saying in this passage about the keys of the kingdom until I realized that He was speaking to the disciples about something that would happen in the future.  They would receive the keys all right, but not before they experienced a series of events that was beyond their inadequate understanding of where the ministry of Jesus was taking them.  Those events included His crucifixion, death and resurrection.  Until Jesus won the victory on the cross, the door to the kingdom of heaven, the reign of God in the lives of many people was tightly shut.

It is not until after Jesus appears to the disciples following the resurrection that the keys of the kingdom of heaven are finally given to the disciples and eventually to all of us.

We read the following in John 20:21-23.  Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

The keys we now have in our possession allow us to unlock of the reign of God in the lives of people through the act of forgiving and retaining sin.  When we share Jesus with others, and they are moved in true repentance to the foot of the cross, we have the privilege and responsibility to use the keys as a part of our Christian walk to pronounce a word of absolution thereby unlocking the door to the kingdom of heaven.

For those who stand unrepentant before God, we have the responsibility to help them understand that God’s forgiveness is being withheld from them and that unrepented sin carries serious consequences.  In these circumstances the Holy Spirit is encouraging us to pray that God would touch their lives in a powerful way, draw them to Jesus and change the course of their lives.

In closing I would like echo a prayer that was written by Nicky Gumbel following his reflection on our passage for today.

“Lord, thank you for this amazing privilege. Thank you that you have given us the keys of the kingdom. Thank you that you have given us the power to ‘bind’ and to ‘loose’. Thank you for the amazing privilege of seeing people set free through the preaching of the good news of the kingdom. Thank you for the joy of seeing people set free from drug addiction, alcoholism, crime, and every other bondage. Thank you for your promise that whatever we bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Amen.”

I’m eager to learn how this passage spoke to you.

John

2.25.13 “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

Matthew 16: 13-17 When Jesus came to the region of Ceasarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked.  “Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.”

As I was looking at this passage again after church, I found it interesting that Jesus decided to have this conversation in this location.  My Bible’s footnotes shed some light on the significance of Caesarea Philippi.  Apparently, this was a very significant “spiritual area” referred to as a “center of worship” where for centuries, people had been traveling to worship various pagan gods such as Baal, the Greek god Pan and ultimately the Roman leader Caesar himself.

Delton told us this morning that until this moment, the truth about Jesus’ identity hadn’t been formally and openly revealed.  He came into the world in such a humble manner and spent the next 32 years very much under the radar.  But now as his ministry is in full swing, he stops to make this declaration….amidst this collection of shrines to pretend gods and symbols of pagan idolatry.  It’s almost as if he’s intentionally stepping onto enemy turf and driving his claim stake into it.

No longer do you need a god of nature (Pan), a god of rain and thunder (Baal)…no longer must you bow in worship to Caesar.  I am the Christ.  I am it….you need nothing but me.

And yet, as powerful as this declaration is, Jesus uses the moment to recognize and praise Peter.  I can only imagine how Peter must have felt in that moment…the fear in being put on the spot and then probably beaming with pride at having aced the test.  What a great way to engender loyalty.

I’m a salesperson by profession.  I read recently that one’s true worth comes from how much value he adds in excess of how much payment he requires.  This was in the context of sales but by using this definition, how valuable is our God?  Requiring nothing, He gave us everything.

And when his true identity was revealed, he used the moment to elevate another.  That’s leadership I want to follow.

Jon

2.23.13 "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 112

¹ Praise the Lord.^[b](A)

Blessed are those^(B) who fear the Lord,^(C) who find great delight^(D) in his commands.

² Their children^(E) will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. ³ Wealth and riches^(F) are in their houses, and their righteousness endures^(G) forever. ⁴ Even in darkness light dawns^(H) for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.^{(I) 5} Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,^(J) who conduct their affairs with justice.

⁶ Surely the righteous will never be shaken;^(K) they will be remembered^(L) forever. ⁷ They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast,^(M) trusting in the Lord.^{(N) 8} Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;^(O) in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.^{(P) 9} They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,^(Q) their righteousness endures^(R) forever; their horn^[c] will be lifted^(S) high in honor.

¹⁰ The wicked will see^(T) and be vexed, they will gnash their teeth^(U) and waste away;^(V) the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.^(W)

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

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