10.21.13 “Who’s leading your dance?”

  Today’s Reading is 1 John 1:5 - 7

⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all^[a] sin.

If we have truly opened our heart and entered into a relationship with Christ as our savior, then we need to strive to be as much like Him as we can.  Will we be able to be perfect each and every day, no, but we should still try as best as we can to do this.  When we falter, we’re called to go to Him and ask forgiveness for our shortcomings just as you would do if you hurt a loved one or a friend.  When we interface with other people each day we are usually very careful with our words so that we don’t hurt or offend them.  If this is true, then why would we do anything different when we’re alone or at least we think that we’re alone?  We aren’t truly alone because God is with us always and sees all, so if He is our friend and you love Him aren’t we hurting God when we knowingly sin?  If we’re not sure if we’re sinning, then we should pull out the Bible to investigate our potential actions.

If we are truly walking with the Lord wouldn’t we be seeking to understand His path for us?  We would be truly in friendship with Him through prayer, reading His word and fellowshipping with others that are seeking Him.  We would also be so excited and joyful that we would want to help others move from the darkness into the light so they could feel the joy.  I have found in my own walk that it becomes easier each day that I’m in relationship with the Lord to depend on him more and more.  The other God’s that I followed start to fade away as He grows in my life.  Even during times of difficulty I have comfort and joy, because I can depend on Him to take care of me and my family.  For example, when I started my walk we had built up a pile of bills so I would give God the last money that I had left after our bills.  Sometimes He wouldn’t get anything because I needed to keep money in the account just in case something happened.  I was a slave to 2 God’s, myself and money.  I hadn’t really moved into a true relationship with Him and didn’t understand what that meant.  As I’ve grown over the years through prayer, reading the Bible and being discipled by other stronger Christians I’ve moved to giving the Lord my first $$$’s and have found that my relationship with the Lord has grown closer.  The more I give Him control the more joy and comfort I feel.  It’s an amazing feeling to let God lead.  Are you truly letting God lead your life or are you setting the pace and expecting Him to follow?

Dave

10.19.13 "Saturday's Blog"

Welcome to the POG Blog!

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

Today’s Scripture is:  Ezekiel 36:26-27  (NIV)

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.  And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

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

10.18.13 "Children of God"

Welcome to the PoG Blog! Lord, we thank you for your Holy Word.  Please speak to us through it and help us to be good listeners.  “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” 

Romans 8:14 – 16

¹⁴ For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. ¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.^[a] And by him we cry, “Abba,^[b] Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

This past Sunday we learned that God does not simply desire to be very, very close to us.  He seeks a relationship with us in which He is actually “in” us.  Examples of this include when God breathed into Adam “the breath of life”.  Or when Jesus speaks of being the “bread of life” or “living water”.  We are invited to actually ingest – to put into our bodies – this bread and this water.

This scripture from Romans reminds us again of the relationship God wants to have with us.  He desires that his Spirit – the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit – be in us.  This indwelling of the Holy Spirit allows us to truly be God’s children, his sons and daughters.  What a privilege!  What an experience!  To actually have God’s presence living within us.

This kind of relationship with God is a true game-changer.  To be a son of the Most High God will impact every area of your life.  Does God’s Spirit live in your heart?  Give praise to God if the answer is “yes”.  If the answer is “no”, I invite you to pray to God asking him into your heart.

He will hear your prayer and His Holy Spirit will come in.

To God be all the glory!

Mark

“Zombie-itis” 10.17.13

Romans 8:9-11  New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

⁹ But your sinful nature does not control you. The Holy Spirit controls you. The Spirit of God lives in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ Christ lives in you. So your body is dead because of sin. But your spirit is alive because you have been made right with God. ¹¹ The Spirit of the One Who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you. So the God who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your bodies, which are going to die. He will do this by the power of his Spirit, who lives in you.

When I read these verses, my first reaction is one of thankfulness. I am thankful to God, that when this mortal body dies, I will be raised to life and live eternally with God – just like He did with Jesus. That’s miraculous!  Eternal Life!  No more sorrow!  No more pain!  No more tears!  No mourning!  No fear of death!

But what about between now and when I die?  Does eternal life start the day I die?

There are a lot of us who say that we believe in God, who say that we are Christian, who are sure that when we die that we will have eternal life – yet some of us are walking through this life suffering from “Zombie-itis!”

“Zombie-itis” is a horrible illness!  People with “Zombie-itis” appear to have no joy.  Their mouths turn downward.  Their eyes are sad.  Their shoulders tend to sag with the heaviness of life.  They have “eternal life” but it appears that in the meantime, the Spirit of Life has left their body!

I confess – I suffer from “Zombie-itis” regularly.  And sadly, it is contagious.  My sadness and life-less-ness rub off onto my family and the people around me.  I sometimes forget – that eternal life begins NOW – and I need to reflect that!

Jesus wants us to have “life to the full” --- beginning now!  He doesn’t want His children to walk through life “breathless” like a bunch of Zombies!  We are His!

“But your sinful nature does not control you. The Holy Spirit controls you. The Spirit of God lives in you.” The Message version says, “God Himself has taken up residence in our life.”

So enough of this “Zombie-itis!”  For Heaven sake- we have the God of the Universe Himself living inside of us!  And I don’t think He wants His precious children to go through life looking like they are dead!  Shouldn’t we look different than the rest of the world?  Shouldn’t we look like we are thrilled to be HIS? So, go take a look in the mirror – see if you are suffering from this horrible illness!  If so, turn that frown around – pick up your shoulders – you are full of LIFE!  He has breathed His very life into us!  And that is an exciting thing!

The theme this week is "Can I Know God Personally?" Yes!  And when we Know the God of the Universe personally we walk around this earth FULL of LIFE - no more "Zombie-itis!"

"Oh Father, forgive me for walking around looking dead!  I want to reflect Your Truth each and every day – and stop waiting until I die to have Eternal Life!  Eternal Life begins now!  Thank You!  Amen!"

-dawn

10.15.13 Bread and Connections

Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.  This is the bread that came down from heaven.  Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.   John 6: 57-58 I really like this passage because it is one of the passages that brings the Bible – Old Testament and New Testament – together and reminds me it is a cohesive story of salvation, not just a big book divided into 2 separate parts that tell us about “before Jesus” and “after Jesus”.   In the OT, bread is a staple part of every day’s meal (sometimes the only thing available to sustain life) and blood was a very important symbol of purification.  In the NT, Jesus comes as the Bread of heaven and sheds his blood to purify those who accept Him as Savior.

Another neat bridge between Old and New Testaments is the part of this passage that says, “This is the bread that came down from heaven.”  In the OT, after God had brought the Israelites out of Egypt, He provided them with manna to eat – it literally fell from heaven.  They were to get up in the morning and gather just enough for that day’s nourishment and God would provide more the next day; they were always fed, not having to worry about whether they’d have sustenance tomorrow.  Then, in the NT, Jesus is born in Bethlehem which literally means “House of Bread” and He is called the Bread of heaven.  I mean that’s just a cool connection!  (Ya’ll know I’m a nerd and when I get jazzed about these things, please forgive me.)

Then there’s the Spirit/spirit connection.  When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God removed from them His Spirit (ruach; breath).  That caused the God and human connection to go from inside our very being to a broken, external connection and every relationship we’ve had since has been outside of us.  Sure, we can hug our friends, kiss our kids, and even have the closest of physical intimacy with our spouses, but we cannot regain that God-breathed connection man had with his Creator without intervention by God.  In the New Testament, thankfully, we have been given a way to regain that “inside” connection through Communion.  Jesus tells us to literally eat His body and drink His blood in the Blessed Sacraments of Communion!  In doing so, our once-broken relationship with God is mended and we have the promise that in heaven we will be “re-ruached” (forgive me, Pastor, if I totally broke the word) or re-Spirited by God through Jesus Christ.  What a promise!

I just love seeing connections in the Bible!  Growing up, I went to church but never really “got it”.  The Bible really was a book about “before Jesus” and “after Jesus” to me, not the whole story of God’s work of salvation of His beloved children.  He wants to draw us to Himself and breathe His Spirit into us once again.  So, let’s eat the Bread and drink the Blood while waiting to live with Him forever!

10.14.13 The Good News

Good Monday morning to you. John 1:9-14 (NIV)

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The first thing that caught my eye was the word “everyone” in vs 9.  The proclamation of the Gospel…the truth and the light of all creation…the Messiah…the provider…the way…of everlasting divine grace…was coming and is here…for all mankind.

Then John describes our sad state of affairs…of how our brokenness…our blindness…has and can keep us from “receiving” Him.  Yes, I know that the first reference in vs 11 is probably to the Jews…His chosen people, but I also believe it could be in reference to “the beginning”…just like Pastor pointed out yesterday, to better understand…we need to go back to where we were created in His image…where He breathed in us..when we were all chosen…but then made a choice…where we lost that “breath of life”.

I don’t know about you, but I think that I have trouble “receiving” at times….maybe my understanding of the word isn’t too clear…

receive:

1.   to take into one's possession (something offered or delivered): to receive many gifts.

2.   to have (something) bestowed, conferred, etc.: to receive an honorary degree.

3.   to have delivered or brought to one: to receive a letter.

4.   to get or be informed of: to receive instructions; to receive news.

5.   to be burdened with; sustain: to receive a heavy load.

Wow…I like the first four, but that last one….maybe we better leave it for another time.

For me…Pastor nailed it..and me..which is good…I need it…when he talked about our place “deep inside”…that big hole in my chest...in my “center”...and the things that I try to fill it with..things that don’t last.  Then I look at vs 12…” Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”.  What good news!  Receive…making a choice to trust in Him…to have faith in Him..a faith not born of me or any man, but of God!  A faith in the One who provides life changing restoration and grace…who restores “the breath of life”..so as to be His adopted son. Oh what good news that is!  Such good news, that He sent his only begotten Son…the Word..to dwell among us…pitch his tent, in this world…for you and me!  Our restored, yet new life...grace filled, but yet one in which He was always been there…and always will be.  Praise be to God!

How’s your “receiver” working today?

Love to hear what you think and how He’s speaking to you, today.

Blessings to you and yours!

jim

10.12.13 "Saturday's Blog"

Welcome to the POG Blog!

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

Today’s Scripture is:  2 Timothy 3: 10-17    (NIRV)

Paul Gives a Command to Timothy

¹⁰ But you know all about my teaching. You know how I live and what I live for. You know about my faith and love. You know how patient I am. You know I haven’t given up. ¹¹ You know that I was treated badly. You know that I suffered greatly. You know what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra. You know how badly I have been treated. But the Lord saved me from all of my troubles.

¹² In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be treated badly. ¹³ Evil people and pretenders will go from bad to worse. They will fool others, and others will fool them.

¹⁴ But I want you to continue to follow what you have learned. Don’t give up what you are sure of. You know the people you learned it from. ¹⁵ You have known the Holy Scriptures ever since you were a little child. They are able to teach you how to be saved by believing in Christ Jesus.

¹⁶ God has breathed life into all of Scripture. It is useful for teaching us what is true. It is useful for correcting our mistakes. It is useful for making our lives whole again. It is useful for training us to do what is right. ¹⁷ By using Scripture, a man of God can be completely prepared to do every good thing.

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

10.11.13 "Don't give up"

Today’s Scripture is:  2 Timothy 4: 1-4      NIRV

 I give you a command in the sight of God and Christ Jesus. Christ will judge the living and the dead. Because he and his kingdom are coming, here is the command I give you. ² Preach the word. Be ready to serve God in good times and bad. Correct people’s mistakes. Warn them. Cheer them up with words of hope. Be very patient as you do these things. Teach them carefully.

³ The time will come when people won’t put up with true teaching. Instead, they will try to satisfy their own longings. They will gather a large number of teachers around them. The teachers will say what the people want to hear. ⁴ The people will turn their ears away from the truth. They will turn to stories that aren’t completely true.

On Sunday, Mike’s message was on the reliability of the Bible. I don’t do well in remembering manuscript evidence or which century things were discovered, etc., so defending the Bible is definitely a weakness of mine.  Mike’s message was great though, in that it gave me information and tools to use if someone is actually questioning me or challenging me on the validity and reliability of the Bible. 

Paul is telling Timothy though, that no matter how well we defend the Word or teach the Truth, many people will be stubborn and will refuse to listen.  They will only hear what satisfies their own longings and will turn away from truth, will be rebellious, and will be incredibly hard to reach!   That’s why the encouragement is needed in verses 1 & 2.   Encouragement to not give up! Encouragement to be ready, preach, serve, correct, warn, cheer, teach, and be patient!  If we give up because it get’s hard, then we might as well give up now, because people far from God are just stinking hard to teach, to correct, to serve, to cheer up, to be patient with…and often times to LOVE! 

I’m mentoring a young girl now that has a very new faith and a very hard past.  Even though she wants to do things right, she’s fighting against the tide of her past constantly.  She’s rarely fully honest with me, she handles situations opposite of how Jesus would want her to, her language still reflects the environment that she grew up in, and she constantly frustrates me with her temper, indecisiveness and decision making skills.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to throw up my hands and say forget it… I don’t have the energy for this…I want out.  So I do that… then God draws me back in and won’t let me give up on her.  It’s by far the hardest relationship and situation I’ve ever had to deal with and my words of wisdom to her have fallen on deaf ears more times than I can count. However, God has encouraged me by His Spirit to hang in there, because the only other option is to let her go…and since he doesn’t let me go when He gets frustrated with me, I can do no less with her.   Encouragement from friends has been important for me too though.  Sometimes when I’m struggling with mentoring this young girl, I need people around me to say, “keep it up!....we’ll pray for you…we’ll support you…we’re with you…God is leading!”, just like Paul did with Timothy.

I’m still in the middle of this mentoring relationship and I have no idea what’s going to happen tomorrow or the next day, but I’m trusting God every day that what I’m doing with this young lady is  making a difference.   I’m trusting that by being patient with her, teaching her, correcting her and cheering her on, that HIS KINGDOM is coming into her life every day, even when it’s hard on me or when I can’t see it.  I’m praying that by doing what Paul commanded Timothy to do… and me to do…there will be a relationship developed that goes deeper than her ears – so even when I don’t think she’s listening to me or to the truth – her heart IS.

Thanks for letting me share my thoughts.  What are your thoughts on today’s reading?

Denise

10/9/13 "That You May Believe"

Lord, thank you for your Word.  Thank you that through it we can walk with Jesus today. Amen. John 20:30-31 (NIV)

30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 21:24-25 (NIV)

24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. 25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

As I read the text assigned for today, I was reminded of Paul’s letter to the Romans where he write, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” (Romans 10:17)

I am giving thanks today for the generations of people, including myself, who would never have heard the Gospel had not the writers of the New Testament, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, been faithful in writing down a small portion of what Jesus taught and did.

I am giving thanks today that the Holy Spirit still works through the Bible, the Word of God, to bring people to faith.  The scriptures are such a precious treasure to me and to countless people because through this means we have come to know Jesus and believing have life.

I have always found it interesting that when in Luke 17:5 the disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith, he doesn’t respond by giving them a neat formula to get there.  He says in essence, follow me. Walk with me. Live with me. Listen to me. It is in taking that journey with Jesus, that the disciple’s faith is strengthened day by day.  Like the disciple, we can rejoice that our faith becomes stronger each day as we journey with Jesus through the Word that God has so graciously given to us.

Lord, thank you for the privilege of walking through life with you. Amen.

John

10.07.13 "Hold Firmly to the Word!"

“Now brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.  By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.  Otherwise, you have believed in vain.  For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, the he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then the Twelve.  After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.  Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.” 1 Corinthians 15:1-8

As I read this text, the words that jump out at me are, “by this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to. Otherwise you have believed in vain.”  My first thought is, do I “hold firmly to the word” that has been preached to me?  Does the way that I behave make it obvious to others what I believe?  Sadly, the answer would be different depending on which day it is.  So what does this mean to me? Is my belief in vain?  Am I still saved?

I keep reading this section of Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church.  He boils down the entire Christian faith in a couple of sentences.  Christ died for our sins, he rose, and lots of people saw him. Very simple…as if they need reminding.  I wonder about those people  who were on the receiving end of that letter.  These people were given the gospel first hand from Paul the apostle. And yet, the tone of Paul’s words makes me wonder if they had been acting like they had forgotten.

I’m not sure that I have a perfect answer to these questions.  I have been on this path for many years.  I still battle with sin on a daily basis.  Sometimes I am strong, and sometimes I am overcome.  I know that I look more like a follower of Jesus than I did 2 years ago.  And 2 years ago, I looked more like a follower than 5 years before that.  The point is….I don’t think that God is finished with me yet.  And he promises me that he won’t quit on me until the work the he began in me is finished.

It sounds like maybe this very early Corinthian church wasn’t too different from me. God didn’t give up on them either.  He sent Paul to be their shepherd.  To corral his beloved sheep.   I am so thankful that my God is patient and faithful.

What does this passage say to you?

Erin

10.5.13 "Saturday's Blog"

Welcome to the POG Blog!

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

Today’s Scripture is:  John 8: 31-32    (NIRV)

The Children of Abraham

³¹ Jesus spoke to the Jews who had believed him. “If you obey my teaching,” he said, “you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth. And the truth will set you free.”

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

10.04.13 "LIFE to the Full!"

John 10:7-10 ⁷ Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸ All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. ⁹ I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Where do babies come from?   Do you remember asking that question?   Have you ever been asked that question?  It is very likely the response given to you and your response was tailored to fit the age and intellectual understanding of the questioner.    In the not too distant past it was acceptable not only to shade the truth but to replace it with a fairytale all under the guise of protecting innocence.   We know better these days but we still leverage the truth by often presenting it in the form of a softer, gentler analogy, rather than the hard facts.    It is important to note that this approach to enlightenment is done only out of love and is meant to educate the questioner at their level of understanding.   The truth is often rejected when it is not understood.

In today’s passage JESUS takes such an approach in conveying four incredible facts.   First, HE is GOD in the flesh, here and in person.   The use of the words “I AM” is not an accident.  Second, HE is the one, the Messiah, humankind’s only path to the creator of the universe, “the Gate.”  Third, HE provides a warning to us to be alert to the powers of evil whose mission is destruction.  Fourth, HE discloses to us HIS mission of love, to bring protection and peace to a broken world and most importantly the revelation of truth.

In the movie “The Truman Show” the main character played by Jim Carey literally crashes into the truth that his entire life is in fact a reality TV show.   Everything he believes real is an illusion.  The trees in his front yard have no roots, his lawn is artificial grass.  Even the beach and the sunsets he loves so much are all just projections and piped in sound effects.   His initial reaction is complete devastation, but then through the ashes of the props and paper-mache the reality of who he really is crystallizes and with this knowledge comes life, real life… abundant life.

This world is saturated with powerful images and illusions filled with many paths and situations that seem so real.  Often we cannot see that the burdens we stress and fret over are really blessings and opportunities to find pasture.  The forces designed to trick us into miserable meaningless living are real.   But their most powerful weapon is still only a trick.   Our LORD lived, died, and is living right now so that we could know the truth and not be fooled.  HE wants us to live, really live!

Heavenly FATHER as we are bombarded today with the fragments and shrapnel of this dark and broken world shine YOUR light on our hearts and open our eyes to the brilliant vibrant green pastures of the living universe that YOU have prepared exclusively for us.  Remind us of who we really are and in every situation grant us access to YOUR power, understanding, and truth.  In CHRIST's name we pray.  Amen.

Jim L

10.3.13 “What if that were you”

  Today’s Reading is Ephesians 4:29 - 32

²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 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.

Well, I know why this is my day to do the blog.  I deal with trying to control my tongue and try to say uplifting things to others each and every day.  I have expectations for myself, for others and for situations that never seem to match up, then I find myself   hurting others with my words spoken out of frustration.  We’re called not to hurt, but to love as Jesus loved, to forgive as Jesus forgives.  So often when we get in the heat of the moment we start to strike out in our humanness.

As my relationship with the Lord began to grow and I allowed the Spirit to take control of my life, my actions and life began to make a dramatic change for the better.  The frustrations that I felt from others “letting me down” began to subside.  In fact, the expectations were replaced with acceptance of how people were not how I wanted them to be.  I have so much peace now as I let the Spirit lead.  Being one with the Spirit and doing as Christ did, not as humans do can make such an impact on a person’s life.  We hear this a lot from people that have been through the Alpha course as they open their hearts to be molded by the Spirit.

So as you go through your day, be accepting of people.  Love them for who they are, not what you want them to be.  Just because they don’t see things from your perspective doesn’t mean they’re wrong.  In fact, aren’t we the ones in the wrong when we have expectations and they aren’t met?  Maybe if we stop for a minute and pray to let our spirit side come out we wouldn’t strike out and hurt others, but love them.  So the next time a driver cuts you off and seems to be in a hurry, say a prayer over them and whatever situation they are hurrying to.

Dave

10.2.13 "Work Out to Shine!"

Welcome to the PoG blog! Lord, help me listen with my heart today as you speak through Your word!

Philippians 2 ¹² Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. ¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ¹⁶ as you hold firmly to the word of life. 

Two phrases really jump out at me, “work out your salvation” and “shine like stars”!  Maybe take a moment again and read the passage.  How do those phrases strike you?

As I read it again, I noticed something with regards to the “work out your salvation”!   The next line brings me some much needed help to do that!  “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose”!  God is in me, working in me, living in me, fueling me from the inside for me to do what He wants me to do.  That is good news.

This morning as I write this I am a little worried about a couple of things I need to get accomplished today.  I don’t know exactly how to go about them.  They involve other people so that always adds some emotional/relational variables to the situation.  God is reminding me that “HE” is working in me to accomplish “HIS” will and purpose.  That is what I really yearn for today in every situation, “God’s will and purpose to be accomplished!”

He is working in me – I can trust that – to work this amazing salvation I have into every crack and crevice of my life.  “Work out your salvation” means there is nothing that is going on in my life today that my salvation in Jesus doesn’t impact.  I have life in God and with God today because Jesus has saved me from myself, my sin and the evil one!  Just like working yeast into every part of the dough I get to work this “life with Jesus” I have into every part of today!  And God is at work today to accomplish that very thing in me!  That is a very different sort of perspective as I work my way through life today!

Perhaps that is why it says, “As you do this - God empowered working out your salvation thing- you will “shine like stars in the universe”!

I hope you and I both stand out in the crowd – living this kind of “contrast life” as we move through today.   This Jesus saved, God fueled, Father loved, Spirit touched, Hope embracing, Faith walking, Love exuding, Peace calmed, Power filled, Life giving experience called life that we get to have today is not just a dream – its REAL and it will be a very stark but very, very good contrast to the lives around us.

Remember, God is at work in you doing this!

Father, Thank you for making it possible for me to live under your authority, rule and reign this day!  I love you, I worship you and trust you!  I surrender to you and your work and will in my life!  I am excited to see how you will work through my life today so that I shine like a star in the universe.  Help me live a life today where people see LIFE in me!  Amen

Enjoy!

delton

10.01.13 "Let Loose!"

Let Loose! Please find a quiet place to focus on these scriptures, asking for an open mind and heart to hear God’s wisdom for us today.

Acts 4:8-14

The Message (MSG)

^8-12 With that, Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, let loose: “Rulers and leaders of the people, if we have been brought to trial today for helping a sick man, put under investigation regarding this healing, I’ll be completely frank with you—we have nothing to hide. By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One you killed on a cross, the One God raised from the dead, by means of his name this man stands before you healthy and whole. Jesus is ‘the stone you masons threw out, which is now the cornerstone.’ Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one.”

^13-14 They couldn't take their eyes off them—Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realized these two were laymen with no training in Scripture or formal education. They recognized them as companions of Jesus, but with the man right before them, seeing him standing there so upright—so healed!—what could they say against that?

I like The Message version of these verses.  It tells the announcement of the narrow way of Christianity from the perspective of the very people who killed Jesus - the people with whom Jesus lived as a human being.   And Peter was “filled with the Holy Spirit” – bravely stating (“letting loose”) the truth that the power of healing the lame man came from Jesus, NOT Peter himself.  AND, that Jesus is the only way we can be saved, “Salvation comes no other way”.  Pretty clear, but Peter knew that his life was in jeopardy to be making this statement.  Jesus’ disciples risked their lives to proclaim the Good News.

As I follow the “Explore God” movement in the Austin area, I’m so thankful for the tools of Pastor’s messages on Sunday, missional community meetings where we can talk about the questions seekers might ask, and the information and videos on the exploreGod.com website.  I’m making little baby steps at work to let people know that I’m more than a “spiritual” person – they need to know the “truth” just like Peter proclaimed to the people around him so many years ago.  I also recognize that I can’t bring anyone to the truth without the Holy Spirit.  These verses are a reminder that I’m just a tool for the Holy Spirit to use to bring His people close.  What a privilege!  What a challenge!  How spoiled and blessed am I that God put me in a place where I’m not risking my life to proclaim that I follow Jesus!

Father God – make me a tool every day to spread your love and the salvation that only comes through Jesus Christ to people seeking You.  I’m awed and quite frankly a little worried that you would choose me, so please send your Holy Spirit to guide my words and actions, so the people can only see You.  Help me to “let loose” like Peter!  Amen.

kristi

09.30.13 "A Word of Comfort for Us All"

Lord, open my heart to receive your Word.  Amen. John 14:1-6 (NIV)

1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus intends for these words to bring great comfort to His disciples as they begin to understand that he will soon be taken from them.  He assures them that though he is going away, it will be for their benefit.  He won’t forget them and he won’t abandon them.

These comforting words of Jesus are not only intended for the disciples they are also intended for us. It is one of the reasons that this passage is often read at Christian funerals. Reflecting on the use of this passage at funerals, the theologian N.T. Wright observes that, “in those hard times we can’t always see the way ahead, and we need to know not only that there is indeed a way into the unknown future, but that we will be able to find it.”

Like Thomas we want to be sure that we know the place and path were Jesus is headed.  Jesus’ answer to Thomas is profound, grace-filled and assuring. “I am the way, the truth and the life.”  Walk with me, he says, let me dwell in you and with you and I will bring you to the Father.

For me it is a great joy knowing that Jesus not only came into my life and made me his own through the power of the Holy Spirit but also that he has secured a future for me when my life on earth is over.  I celebrate the fact today that Jesus has prepared a place for me in the mansion of my heavenly Father and that one day I will live with Him there for all eternity.

The unmerited gift that God has given to me through the person and work of Jesus, empowers me to live as salt and light in today’s broken world as well as the strength and desire to help others know the Lord Jesus who alone is the way, the truth and the life.

Lord, thank you that you are the way the truth and the life.  Thanks you that you have prepared a place in heaven for me.  I long to be reunited with the Father who awaits my return.  Help me to be faithful in doing the work you have called me do here on earth.  Amen

9.28.13 "Saturday's Blog"

Welcome to the POG Blog!

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

Today’s Scripture is:  Romans 8:28    (NRSV)

²⁸ We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

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

09.27.13 - Personal God...table for 1??

Please begin with prayer for an open heart, before you read the passage below. Isaiah 53:4-7, 10-11 – ⁴ Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. ⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. ⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. ¹⁰ Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes this life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. ¹¹ After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

Please read through 52:13-53:12 to gain a better context.

The reality of pain and suffering is a tremendously challenging issue when it comes to faith and the existence of an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-good, all loving God.  I think one of the biggest issues with the problem of pain, is due to our lack of perspective.  We generally feel like we have been hurt the most or everyone’s out to get us---this leads to comparison and self-pity.  We only tend to compare to those around us that we think have had a gentler ride so far, so that we can justify how ‘unfair’ (really…what’s fair???) we are treated in our upbringing, at work, by our spouse, by our friends, etc.  Now, please don’t think that I am negating the pain in any of our journeys---again, it’s very, very real!  We just need to look outside of ourselves to gain a broader perspective.  There is always going to be someone with an easier road and someone with a much harder road.

With this shift in perspective, we must accurately assess who we think God is.  For years, I perceived him as this mean, stoic, white-bearded, crotchety old dude that for lack of a better illustration, would sit atop the anthill and fry ants with a magnifying glass.  I was guessing that He just loved to zap people and couldn’t wait for us to miss the mark.  If we honestly spend any time in the Scriptures, we see a totally different heart.  If you have children you can relate---children make choices, very dumb choices at times and these choices bring pain upon themselves and others around them and can also begin to sever relationships.  This breaks your heart!  This is the narrative of Scripture---God valued love, freedom, and relationship above the potential of pain when He created humanity.  For there to be the possibility of these tremendous values, there is also the possibility of pain.  Scripture records thousands of years of God’s children following Him, rejecting Him, returning to Him, denying Him, loving Him, hating Him, and on and on it goes.

All of Scripture points to Jesus, period!  Isaiah 52 & 53 includes prophetic words about how humanity would treat this Messiah and it includes tremendous pain.  Christianity is so unique among the world’s major religions in that we have a personal God that enters our pain!  Hebrews 2:17-18 says, ‘¹⁷ For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. ¹⁸ Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.’

God valued the restoration of humanity much more than the pain, suffering, and the temporary separation with His own Son.  When you look at Jesus’ ministry, He never shy’s away from pain, suffering, or brokenness, but He enters directly into it!!  In humility, He gave up His place in Heaven and entered our world, like one of us.  He suffered more than we did, was tempted in ways we can’t imagine, and gave up His life to make a possible way back to God.  Notice I say possible way, because people continually reject Him and the life and forgiveness He offers!

This is the God that I want to follow!  Not some impersonal, distant, unrelatable deity, but Jesus, who gave up everything, so we could have everything.  We don’t get clear explanations as to why we suffer, but we can gain perspective through our suffering and realize the lengths our Savior went through to reach down to us!  It’s very humbling to see what He went through for me…for you…for us.  When I step back, I get the smallest sense of what Job felt like in Job 42.  (Read Job 38-42 for extra credit!!)

In your suffering, do you get caught up in your situation or are you also able to step back and see the whole of humanity?  Do you compare your hurts to those around you?  Why?  Does Jesus’ going through pain give you perspective and hope through your own trials?   I would love to hear your journey and how this passage impacted you.

mike

9.25.13 "Faith is more important"

Today’s Scripture is:  1 Peter 1:6-9      The Message (MSG)

The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole .^6-7 I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.

^8-9 You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don’t see him, yet you trust him—with laughter and singing. Because you kept on believing, you’ll get what you’re looking forward to: total salvation.

As I read this scripture passage, it seems to me that God puts a whole lot of emphasis on our faith OVER suffering.   I know He cares about me…cares about my pain and my suffering…is with me in the midst of it…and will provide what I need to stand thru it….but I believe this scripture is saying that the faith I develop through the pain is what is most important to Him.  Ultimately, if I’m considering the outcome of my suffering…. the only “good” outcome is that I’ve changed or grown through it – or that someone else has changed or grown through it. 

God never said that I would not suffer or have pain while here on earth, so why do I get surprised or angry when I do?  His promise is not to save me from suffering… His promise is to strengthen me and save me from hell so I have a life to look forward to without pain or suffering.  There’s a big difference there.  Because of pain and suffering in my life now, I long for heaven – my true home, where I’ll have a “life healed and whole”.  It’s about perspective for me.   There’s no way I can do this perfectly, but if I can’t avoid pain or suffering, then I might as well be praying for something good to come out of it!

Last night I caught a little bit of “Dancing With the Stars”.  Valerie Harper is a contestant on the show and at the age of 74 is giving competitive dancing a whirl.  What’s so amazing about her isn’t that she’s 74… it’s that she has terminal brain cancer.  There is no cure for the type of cancer she has, but she has decided to live life to the fullest while she’s here.  I have no idea if she’s a Christian – she’s never mentioned it in interviews I’ve seen, but she has an incredible attitude about her illness and her suffering.  As I was watching last night, it showed her practicing with her partner.  As she was dancing around the room, he was sitting on the floor, leaning up against the wall, and crying because he was so moved by her courage and positive attitude. The way she was working through her pain and suffering, mentored and inspired her partner.   I’m not saying that we all have to just suck it up and be positive in the midst of our suffering – that’s not realistic – but as Christians, shouldn’t the hope we have of the life to come (where we won’t suffer any longer),  give hope to others in the midst of our suffering?  That same hope we have can inspire and bring hope to others around us and hope changes people, softens people, and opens people up to conversations about faith and Jesus. 

When I look at my life, I’ve suffered so little compared to others.  I just pray that if a time of great struggle, pain or suffering comes my way, I will consider the purifying of my faith to be my focus and will pray for something good to come out of the pain so there’s redemption in it.   That my faith will be what God has on display as evidence of His victory in my life!  Of course it’s God’s strength and my trust in Him that will enable me to do that!

Thanks for letting me share my thoughts.  What are your thoughts on today’s reading.  What has God shown you through scripture today?  

Denise

9.24.13 "Brand New!"

Revelation 21:1-6 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

⁶ He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life…”

I read somewhere once that while God does not fulfill all of our wishes, God fulfills all of God’s promises. That’s what this passage says to me. The things I think are worth something here are like the wind - here one moment and gone the next. But He has promised a better world for us, one without fear, pain, anger, mourning, evil and death. That’s why I hope for heaven, because this life is not all we get. Jesus is preparing an extravagant future experience for us. A better future than we can ever imagine. I personally cannot wait! I love knowing that Jesus will not fix or repair this old creation but He will re-create everything. Brand new!

It is hard for me to believe that being in such proximity to God will not bring about a lot of tears, but they will be the happy kind, like the kind we get on “this side” hearing a baby laugh or seeing a beautiful bride or  hearing a great joke or getting hugs from loved ones. It’s hard to imagine a place where there will be no tears caused by disappointment or grief or pain or hunger. What a beautiful picture here of God himself wiping those tears away forever.

This passage provides us hope in situations that seem hopeless. It shows us that as a Christian there is no reason to give up—no matter how difficult the situation is. The struggle will end in the victory of Jesus Christ. As Christians, we are the body of Christ and therefore part of his struggle and victory.

And we will finally be able to enjoy the kind of intimate, fatherly relationship He’s desired to have with us all along.

Lord, thank you for re-creating us and offering us a place that is beautiful beyond our wildest dreams. Thank you for Hope and a future with You. And in the meantime, while we’re still on this earth, comfort us in the pain and sorrow we must endure. In Your Name, Amen.

Toni