Life Through Death
We tend to think that death follows life, yet the Scriptures repeatedly reverse that order.
Proverbs 13:14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.
John 5:24 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
Romans 5:17 For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:21 ...so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
2 Corinthians 4:11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life...
Revelation 2:10 Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
John 12:24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me ...
Unless and until we yield or surrender our life, dying to ourselves we will not know the fullness of Christ's life in us.
Life through death...
Diane
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Masks
Masks
"I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well." ~~Psalms 139:14
About three years ago I went to a seminar and one of the women there shared the poem below. Her life had been greatly impacted by the gospel and as she allowed grace to change and transform her, the Lord gave her the words to share her heart and to offer hope to someone who might be in a similar place. I share them with you for edification, hoping you will be encouraged to see yourself through new eyes and remove whatever mask(s) you may be wearing.
Stephanie
Masks
I wear my masks
Which one today?
The one for work or the one for play?
The one for family
The one for friends
The one for strangers
When will it end?
I place my pain upon a shelf
It hurts too much to be myself
So I must hide who I am inside
Only Christ alone can turn this tide.
He came to set the captives free
To break the chains, help us believe
His love will heal my wounded soul
As I learn to give Him control.
Please help me Lord, help me receive
Your love for me that I can't achieve
It is a gift, from You to man
To Your creation, part of Your plan.
Help me dear Lord
Give me strength to stand
While I'm molded by my Father's hand
Help me see myself with Your eyes
As accepted and loved and not despised
I'm yearning Lord, to be set free
To be who I am, not who I wish I could be
Being myself is a daunting task
Lord Jesus, please remove my masks
Let me face the world with a restored soul
As a person who has been made whole
Thank You for Your faithfulness to me
As we walk through the process of setting me free.
~~By Lisa Falkner (July 2, 2003)
Monday, October 29, 2007
O COME LET US ADORE HIM
O COME LET US ADORE HIM
This devotion was prompted by one that appeared here a few weeks ago. Diane was writing about passionate prayer and prayer being fervent and ongoing. Something she said really caught my attention. She wrote that while it is wonderful to have that period of time "set aside" to pray (whether it be morning or later on in the day), it is not enough to think that this time of prayer is sufficient - or even completely pleasing - to God.
Since that Victory Call appeared my Sunday School class has begun a study on the subject of prayer, and I am convicted once again that my weak and puny prayer life does not honor God as it should and my life, as a result, is not as victorious as it could be.
It seems as if my prayer life so often sinks to the level of a list of "I want, I need, please do this or that." Not that there is anything inherently wrong in bringing our requests to God. On the contrary, He WANTS us to do that. Philippians 4:6 tells us to let our requests be made known unto God. But prayer is so much more than that.
When my Sunday School class began our study on prayer, someone in the class, when asked to give her definition of prayer, used the little acronym "ACTS" - Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. Unfortunately, Type A personality that I am, I go directly to the Supplication part and the other parts often get the status of fill-ins.
I have made a very conscious effort in the past couple of weeks to focus on Adoration. Not that it is hard to tell God how much I love Him, how wonderful He is, how great He is, how awesome His power and majesty are. In fact, I have tried to spend some prayer time each day ONLY worshipping and adoring Him. No "please do this" or "I want that." Just concentrating on the words from Psalm 48:1, "Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised..." or from Psalm 29, "Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness."
So I find myself going back to the Psalms once again as I appreciate anew the relationship David had with God. Even in the depths of terrible, crushing sin, David found that praise, worship and adoration were necessary to prepare his heart to come before a holy God to seek forgiveness, cleansing and restoration before he could attempt to request God act on his behalf.
It is no coincidence that so much of what I am reading and studying is devoted to some aspect of prayer. I know the Holy Spirit is convicting me about my often ineffectual prayer life. I am praying that as I delve more deeply into the topic of prayer that my "passion for prayer" will grow. That it will cease to be a subject to be studied and become my very heart's desire. That I will experience a renewed passion to spend time with God worshipping and adoring Him first and praising Him for who He is long before I get to my "wish list."
Lynn Randall
This devotion was prompted by one that appeared here a few weeks ago. Diane was writing about passionate prayer and prayer being fervent and ongoing. Something she said really caught my attention. She wrote that while it is wonderful to have that period of time "set aside" to pray (whether it be morning or later on in the day), it is not enough to think that this time of prayer is sufficient - or even completely pleasing - to God.
Since that Victory Call appeared my Sunday School class has begun a study on the subject of prayer, and I am convicted once again that my weak and puny prayer life does not honor God as it should and my life, as a result, is not as victorious as it could be.
It seems as if my prayer life so often sinks to the level of a list of "I want, I need, please do this or that." Not that there is anything inherently wrong in bringing our requests to God. On the contrary, He WANTS us to do that. Philippians 4:6 tells us to let our requests be made known unto God. But prayer is so much more than that.
When my Sunday School class began our study on prayer, someone in the class, when asked to give her definition of prayer, used the little acronym "ACTS" - Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. Unfortunately, Type A personality that I am, I go directly to the Supplication part and the other parts often get the status of fill-ins.
I have made a very conscious effort in the past couple of weeks to focus on Adoration. Not that it is hard to tell God how much I love Him, how wonderful He is, how great He is, how awesome His power and majesty are. In fact, I have tried to spend some prayer time each day ONLY worshipping and adoring Him. No "please do this" or "I want that." Just concentrating on the words from Psalm 48:1, "Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised..." or from Psalm 29, "Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness."
So I find myself going back to the Psalms once again as I appreciate anew the relationship David had with God. Even in the depths of terrible, crushing sin, David found that praise, worship and adoration were necessary to prepare his heart to come before a holy God to seek forgiveness, cleansing and restoration before he could attempt to request God act on his behalf.
It is no coincidence that so much of what I am reading and studying is devoted to some aspect of prayer. I know the Holy Spirit is convicting me about my often ineffectual prayer life. I am praying that as I delve more deeply into the topic of prayer that my "passion for prayer" will grow. That it will cease to be a subject to be studied and become my very heart's desire. That I will experience a renewed passion to spend time with God worshipping and adoring Him first and praising Him for who He is long before I get to my "wish list."
Lynn Randall
Friday, October 26, 2007
Brokeness
Brokenness
"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:10
Let me share an illustration if I may: When I was a young systems engineer I was the self-appointed social committee for our department. I planned a white water rafting weekend trip. About 30 engineers and family members went. As we prepared for our day on the water, the guides gave us numerous instructions for a safe trip. I'll never forget the warning we were given about a spot on the river where the water would drive us into the face of a huge rock cliff. We were told that as we approached that rock our natural inclination would be to lean away from it but in so doing the water current would flip our boat. We were instructed that instead we must lean into the rock to prevent our boat from dumping us into the white water. My words cannot express the feeling of racing toward a wall of sheer rock wanting to get as far away from it as possible but forcing ourselves to lean into it.
Are you ready to embrace brokenness in your life? Are you ready to give up all confidence in your own ability to manage your life? Are you willing to ask God to make you weak rather than strong?
Diane
"Brokenness is a condition which exists when a person has given up all confidence in his own ability to manage life." (Steve McVey -The Grace Walk Experience)
We thought about this definition of brokenness yesterday and today I would like to think about our natural response to pull away from brokenness. When life gets difficult and we are weak, vulnerable, not in control, suffering, and hurting our natural instinct is to DO whatever we can to stop the hurt, to stop the feeling of vulnerability. In so doing we hinder the effect of our suffering preventing it from bringing us to the end of ourselves, to a point of full surrender and in our weakness to receive God's power, strength and life.
"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:10
Let me share an illustration if I may: When I was a young systems engineer I was the self-appointed social committee for our department. I planned a white water rafting weekend trip. About 30 engineers and family members went. As we prepared for our day on the water, the guides gave us numerous instructions for a safe trip. I'll never forget the warning we were given about a spot on the river where the water would drive us into the face of a huge rock cliff. We were told that as we approached that rock our natural inclination would be to lean away from it but in so doing the water current would flip our boat. We were instructed that instead we must lean into the rock to prevent our boat from dumping us into the white water. My words cannot express the feeling of racing toward a wall of sheer rock wanting to get as far away from it as possible but forcing ourselves to lean into it.
Are you ready to embrace brokenness in your life? Are you ready to give up all confidence in your own ability to manage your life? Are you willing to ask God to make you weak rather than strong?
Diane
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Brokenness
Brokenness
The word sends a chill up our spine. Brokenness. We shutter at the thought. In fact, most of us will do whatever it takes to avoid the vulnerability, the lack of control, and the humbling that accompanies brokenness.
We tend to think of brokenness as something that requires healing but let's consider brokenness in a different light. Steve McVey's definition of brokenness is "A condition which exists when a person has given up all confidence in his own ability to manage life." Using this definition, brokenness is not something we attain and move on from or get healed from. Rather it is a condition we want Christ to maintain in us. The moment we move beyond brokenness we have moved back into self-sufficiency, self-effort, living in our own strength, and the flesh. "To walk after the flesh really just means living out of our own abilities. Another way to describe it is self-sufficiency. Flesh refers to those techniques that I depend on when I try to get my needs met or manage my own life apart from Jesus Christ." (1)If brokenness is giving up all confidence in our own abilities to make life work, then it is a condition we want to settle into, seeking moment by moment to rejoice in our brokenness.
"And it's beautiful, beautiful
Cause there's nothing more beautiful at all
Why would we want to be broken and to live broken lives? Because it is in our brokenness that full surrender comes allowing the life of Jesus Christ to flow in and through us.
"For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, and the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh." 2 Corinthians 4:11
Are you broken and beautiful or just beautiful?
The word sends a chill up our spine. Brokenness. We shutter at the thought. In fact, most of us will do whatever it takes to avoid the vulnerability, the lack of control, and the humbling that accompanies brokenness.
We tend to think of brokenness as something that requires healing but let's consider brokenness in a different light. Steve McVey's definition of brokenness is "A condition which exists when a person has given up all confidence in his own ability to manage life." Using this definition, brokenness is not something we attain and move on from or get healed from. Rather it is a condition we want Christ to maintain in us. The moment we move beyond brokenness we have moved back into self-sufficiency, self-effort, living in our own strength, and the flesh. "To walk after the flesh really just means living out of our own abilities. Another way to describe it is self-sufficiency. Flesh refers to those techniques that I depend on when I try to get my needs met or manage my own life apart from Jesus Christ." (1)If brokenness is giving up all confidence in our own abilities to make life work, then it is a condition we want to settle into, seeking moment by moment to rejoice in our brokenness.
"And it's beautiful, beautiful
Come as you are
Surrender your heart
Broken and beautiful, beautiful
Come as you are
Surrender your heart
Broken and beautiful
Cause there's nothing more beautiful at all
Than when His sons and daughters call, broken" (2)
Why would we want to be broken and to live broken lives? Because it is in our brokenness that full surrender comes allowing the life of Jesus Christ to flow in and through us.
"For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, and the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh." 2 Corinthians 4:11
Are you broken and beautiful or just beautiful?
Diane
(1) Steve McVey -"The Grace Walk Experience" pg14
(1) Steve McVey -"The Grace Walk Experience" pg14
(2) Mark Shultz - lyrics to "Broken & Beautiful"
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
I love you.
I love you.
When was the last time you heard the words, "I love you?" Take a moment and think. Perhaps you heard it this morning and hear it on a regular basis. Perhaps you rarely hear it and your heart longs to hear these three simple words.
I love you.
What is it about those three words that have such meaning and importance to us? Let's face it; we all want to feel important to someone, that we matter. I'm not necessarily referring to marriage although that is certainly one relationship where love can flourish.
Friends, children, grandchildren, and other believers can have a profound effect with these three simple words.
I am looking forward to hearing my granddaughter say for the first time, "I wub you" I'm sure I will do a jig.
There are many, many lonely hearts out there desperate to know that someone cares, starving to hear "I love you."
Someone cares. In fact, not just someone, God Himself loves and cares for you.
Isaiah 43:1-5
Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have loved you;
Therefore I will give men for you,
And people for your life.
Fear not, for I am with you
This verse was intended for Israel, but consider the verses, "I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place.... I will give men for you, and people for your life. God loved you so much that He did not just give Ethiopia, Seba and men for you; He gave His very own only Son, Jesus Christ in your place. He loves you.
Close your eyes, and imagine Jesus tilting your chin up towards His face and hear the words, "I love you."
Diane
When was the last time you heard the words, "I love you?" Take a moment and think. Perhaps you heard it this morning and hear it on a regular basis. Perhaps you rarely hear it and your heart longs to hear these three simple words.
I love you.
What is it about those three words that have such meaning and importance to us? Let's face it; we all want to feel important to someone, that we matter. I'm not necessarily referring to marriage although that is certainly one relationship where love can flourish.
Friends, children, grandchildren, and other believers can have a profound effect with these three simple words.
I am looking forward to hearing my granddaughter say for the first time, "I wub you" I'm sure I will do a jig.
There are many, many lonely hearts out there desperate to know that someone cares, starving to hear "I love you."
Someone cares. In fact, not just someone, God Himself loves and cares for you.
Isaiah 43:1-5
Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have loved you;
Therefore I will give men for you,
And people for your life.
Fear not, for I am with you
This verse was intended for Israel, but consider the verses, "I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place.... I will give men for you, and people for your life. God loved you so much that He did not just give Ethiopia, Seba and men for you; He gave His very own only Son, Jesus Christ in your place. He loves you.
Close your eyes, and imagine Jesus tilting your chin up towards His face and hear the words, "I love you."
Diane
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
So What?
So What?
I am in the process of preparing an assignment for a course I am taking. As I am doing research, which I find quite interesting, I find myself asking, "So, What?"
Currently I am studying the difference between Dispensational theology and Covenant theology. Again, I say, I find it very interesting, but so what?
I would venture to guess that most of you would have to ask your pastor which doctrinal position your church takes. Most people do not know if they are Dispensationalists or not. I am purposely not defining these terms because that is not my point. My point is this: does not knowing the technical term for your faith change your walk, your belief, your relationship with Jesus Christ? I don't believe so, not one iota.
I have had a rich walk with Jesus for a lot of years without knowing whether I was Dispensational or covenantal.
Can we get bogged down in the details and miss the big picture? Can we get so engrossed in the leaves on the tree that we miss the beauty of the forest?
Is it important to God that we understand what man thinks a dispensation is and how many we think there are?
Can you and I be Christ-centered, power-filled, holy, righteous, obedient Christians that will hear on that final day, "Well, done my good and faithful servant" without knowing any of those things? I believe so. As much as I enjoy Theology and academics, it pales in comparison to knowing the One True God and Jesus Christ the one that He sent.
"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." John 17:3
Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. Philippians 3:8
...That I may gain Christ.
Diane
Monday, October 22, 2007
Leaving or Cleaving?
Leaving or Cleaving?
Over the years I've had many conversations with brothers and sisters in Christ who have felt compelled to and thus chose to leave a church they had called home for some time. In most cases, the decisions were not made lightly and came only after much pondering, prayer and waiting on God.
No matter how they left each has expressed a sense of loss and sometimes unexpected grieving, after the fact. I know well how they feel. It's very difficult to leave a place (any place) that has been an integral part of your life. For me, the leaving came after 7 tumultuous years - years replete, with doctrinal teaching, pastoral care, fellowship, and lots of learning. And at the same time those years were very stretching (sometimes confusing) and there were many moments of crying out for insight, understanding, and wisdom. In addition, there were moments of tremendous joy. And to the extent that it is possible, moments of intense suffering and sorrow were shared. We broke bread together in the Lord's house, shared meals, laughter, compassion and care of one another, and even worked through numerous moments of conflict.
On the surface of it all, there would be no reason to leave...and yet my heart was troubled, very troubled. Try as I might (and Lord knows I struggled) I rarely had peace. I set about doing, doing, doing and even tried to be a particular way. But my heart ached for more! My soul was often restless and my spirit, oh how my spirit wanted to break free! And yet, and yet -it could not. So much had become too "academic" and though there was much talk about spirituality, joy and freedom...it simply was not.
It is a tremendously draining thing to be in the sanctuary week after week and have to suppress emotion because...it isn't appropriate to "let loose". I'd ask, "Why God did you give this to me here and now?" "How can I be a good Christian and really have this problem with my church?" God had cared for me and my family for seven years through the care, kindness and generosity of his people. He had used us in the lives of many as we served with, for and alongside each other.
Still, over and over I wanted to run and over and over, the Lord gave me pause. He comforted me in those moments and said, "Wait." So I waited and waited and waited...and then it was time to go.
I left bearing no grudges and I left with no ability to answer any "why" question which could be asked of me...at least none which, I believe would satisfy. My husband led and I followed. And from a place of peace I feel simultaneously good and sad. Good because my cup is being filled and sad because I miss people and aspects of what was home for me and my family for seven years. I guess you could say I selfishly want it all.
So dear ones, why have I shared all of this with you? Well, in part because the Lord led me to. Also, I share it because I know of many more who struggle deeply in silence and my encouragement to you is, seek and wait; seek and wait. Do your best to resolve any conflicts. Wrestle through all that the Lord places before you. Seek to do no harm. Do your best guard your speech as it relates to your struggles and allow the Holy Spirit to convict your heart and the hearts of others, if necessary. Let Him lead and guide you into what is good and right for you to do and then do it! If He leads you to speak -speak. If pray -pray. As much as possible continue to be there -active and alive. Whatever it is do it! Through it all you are seeking and waiting; seeking and waiting. Then from a position of peace and surety obey what the Lord says knowing that He will be with you whether you go or whether you stay.
"Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You. When my heart is overwhelmed' lead me to the rock that is higher than I." ~~ Psalms 61:1-2Ï€
Stephanie
Ï€Biblegateway.com September 27, 2007
Over the years I've had many conversations with brothers and sisters in Christ who have felt compelled to and thus chose to leave a church they had called home for some time. In most cases, the decisions were not made lightly and came only after much pondering, prayer and waiting on God.
No matter how they left each has expressed a sense of loss and sometimes unexpected grieving, after the fact. I know well how they feel. It's very difficult to leave a place (any place) that has been an integral part of your life. For me, the leaving came after 7 tumultuous years - years replete, with doctrinal teaching, pastoral care, fellowship, and lots of learning. And at the same time those years were very stretching (sometimes confusing) and there were many moments of crying out for insight, understanding, and wisdom. In addition, there were moments of tremendous joy. And to the extent that it is possible, moments of intense suffering and sorrow were shared. We broke bread together in the Lord's house, shared meals, laughter, compassion and care of one another, and even worked through numerous moments of conflict.
On the surface of it all, there would be no reason to leave...and yet my heart was troubled, very troubled. Try as I might (and Lord knows I struggled) I rarely had peace. I set about doing, doing, doing and even tried to be a particular way. But my heart ached for more! My soul was often restless and my spirit, oh how my spirit wanted to break free! And yet, and yet -it could not. So much had become too "academic" and though there was much talk about spirituality, joy and freedom...it simply was not.
It is a tremendously draining thing to be in the sanctuary week after week and have to suppress emotion because...it isn't appropriate to "let loose". I'd ask, "Why God did you give this to me here and now?" "How can I be a good Christian and really have this problem with my church?" God had cared for me and my family for seven years through the care, kindness and generosity of his people. He had used us in the lives of many as we served with, for and alongside each other.
Still, over and over I wanted to run and over and over, the Lord gave me pause. He comforted me in those moments and said, "Wait." So I waited and waited and waited...and then it was time to go.
I left bearing no grudges and I left with no ability to answer any "why" question which could be asked of me...at least none which, I believe would satisfy. My husband led and I followed. And from a place of peace I feel simultaneously good and sad. Good because my cup is being filled and sad because I miss people and aspects of what was home for me and my family for seven years. I guess you could say I selfishly want it all.
So dear ones, why have I shared all of this with you? Well, in part because the Lord led me to. Also, I share it because I know of many more who struggle deeply in silence and my encouragement to you is, seek and wait; seek and wait. Do your best to resolve any conflicts. Wrestle through all that the Lord places before you. Seek to do no harm. Do your best guard your speech as it relates to your struggles and allow the Holy Spirit to convict your heart and the hearts of others, if necessary. Let Him lead and guide you into what is good and right for you to do and then do it! If He leads you to speak -speak. If pray -pray. As much as possible continue to be there -active and alive. Whatever it is do it! Through it all you are seeking and waiting; seeking and waiting. Then from a position of peace and surety obey what the Lord says knowing that He will be with you whether you go or whether you stay.
"Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You. When my heart is overwhelmed' lead me to the rock that is higher than I." ~~ Psalms 61:1-2Ï€
Stephanie
Ï€Biblegateway.com September 27, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
OLD GUYS
Old Guys
One thing I love about my husband, Dave, is the fact that he is 12 years older then I am. The way I like to explain it is that he graduated high school when I was graduating kindergarten! Unfortunately, people look at us and say " I don't see any age difference." Therefore, either he looks young or I look old! I love that he is 12 years older than I am because I can feel better about getting older by telling him that I will ALWAYS be 12 years younger then he is! I really do love my "old" guy!
Lately, I have met some other distinguished "old guys". A.W.Tozer, John Edwards, William Law, R.A. Torrey, Watchman Nee, Charles Trumbell, Charles Spurgeon to name a few. I met them in the books I have been reading. I have found that they have so much to say about our walk with the Lord. The depth of their messages is greatly lacking in what we hear and read today. For the past few years I have been pursuing books with a deeper content. As Betsy Shoppy said the first day we met "I am so tired of reading fluff." Betsy encouraged me to read a few meaty books like Sitting in Gods Sunshine, Resting in His Love by Alicia Britt Chole (Not an old guy but a no-fluff-allowed contemporary author)and Born For Battle by Matthews (Hard to get but well worth the search!). I want to encourage you to look at what sits on your bookshelf. Do you only see fluff? Cute titles that caught your eye but are low on content? Are there any meaty classics written by "old guys" on your shelf? If not, would you consider investing in one and commit to chew on something meaty?
I can hear the groaning already! Sadly, we have lost the pleasures of reading. I know it takes time and if you only have time to read your Bible please don't set aside The Book for any other! Sadly, I often hear Christians say that they hate reading. Do you know what? It was a book God left for us not a DVD or audiobook on CD or MP3! He doesn't download it to your ipod everyday either. Believers, be readers! Remember the slogan "Reading is Fundamental"? Reading IS fundamental to our spiritual growth. Reading, journaling and prayer adds up to spiritual GROWTH! Reading is one of the basic skills that will cause you and I to think, explore and expand our understanding of Jesus Christ. It is worth the effort!
I gotta go. I'm going to start a fire in the woodburning stove, grab a cup of tea and a blanket, and curl up on the couch to read something that an old guy wrote. I may even ask my "old guy" to join me!
"Till I come give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine." 1 Timothy 4:13 KJV "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV Kathy Withers
One thing I love about my husband, Dave, is the fact that he is 12 years older then I am. The way I like to explain it is that he graduated high school when I was graduating kindergarten! Unfortunately, people look at us and say " I don't see any age difference." Therefore, either he looks young or I look old! I love that he is 12 years older than I am because I can feel better about getting older by telling him that I will ALWAYS be 12 years younger then he is! I really do love my "old" guy!
Lately, I have met some other distinguished "old guys". A.W.Tozer, John Edwards, William Law, R.A. Torrey, Watchman Nee, Charles Trumbell, Charles Spurgeon to name a few. I met them in the books I have been reading. I have found that they have so much to say about our walk with the Lord. The depth of their messages is greatly lacking in what we hear and read today. For the past few years I have been pursuing books with a deeper content. As Betsy Shoppy said the first day we met "I am so tired of reading fluff." Betsy encouraged me to read a few meaty books like Sitting in Gods Sunshine, Resting in His Love by Alicia Britt Chole (Not an old guy but a no-fluff-allowed contemporary author)and Born For Battle by Matthews (Hard to get but well worth the search!). I want to encourage you to look at what sits on your bookshelf. Do you only see fluff? Cute titles that caught your eye but are low on content? Are there any meaty classics written by "old guys" on your shelf? If not, would you consider investing in one and commit to chew on something meaty?
I can hear the groaning already! Sadly, we have lost the pleasures of reading. I know it takes time and if you only have time to read your Bible please don't set aside The Book for any other! Sadly, I often hear Christians say that they hate reading. Do you know what? It was a book God left for us not a DVD or audiobook on CD or MP3! He doesn't download it to your ipod everyday either. Believers, be readers! Remember the slogan "Reading is Fundamental"? Reading IS fundamental to our spiritual growth. Reading, journaling and prayer adds up to spiritual GROWTH! Reading is one of the basic skills that will cause you and I to think, explore and expand our understanding of Jesus Christ. It is worth the effort!
I gotta go. I'm going to start a fire in the woodburning stove, grab a cup of tea and a blanket, and curl up on the couch to read something that an old guy wrote. I may even ask my "old guy" to join me!
"Till I come give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine." 1 Timothy 4:13 KJV "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV Kathy Withers
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Duty vs. Delight
Duty vs. Delight
I've been a believer/follower of Jesus Christ for 24 years. I have been in many churches in the course of my speaking opportunities, I've been to well over 100 retreats/seminars and I heard many, many sermons and radios broadcasts. Somewhere along the way I lost the joy of participation.
I started to believe that to be a good Christian I had to read my Bible every day, pray daily, be at every church service, participate in small group, teach Sunday school and attend every ministry opportunity and if I didn't I somehow had failed. Oh, the weight of that. For a few years I wrestled in my spirit questioning how did I become such a "bad" Christian? Why did I constantly feel like I didn't measure up? I'm in full time Christian Vocational Ministry, how could this have happened?
Then I had a V-8 experience (it dawned on me) the reason I feel like I didn't measure up is because I was hearing the message loud and clear from various sources that to be a good Christian I must do A, B and C. I was feeling like it was my duty to do all those things expected of me. Everything within me was screaming "RUN".
As I was attending Seminary 15 years ago, at one point Bible study became an academic pursuit rather than relational. I could see that it was becoming an exercise of my head rather than my heart. I chose to drop out of the Bible study. It was an excellent study, but for me at that point in my life, it was drawing me away from God rather than towards Him.
As I am relearning that I don't have to do, do, do to be a good Christian; I am also learning that I can rest in what Christ has already done through His finished work on the cross and His resurrection life in me. Duty has turned to delight. I desire to be in the Word. I desire to fellowship with other believers. I desire to be in service and small group. To be free of others expectations brings peace to my heart. Oh, the expectations are still there, but I am free to not fit the mold. Who wants to be a 'moldy' Christian anyway?
Are you resting in Christ's life in you or in your own efforts to be a 'good' Christian? Are you trying to fit someone else's mold or expectation?
As Christ lives His life through you, you will pray, read your Bible, attend church, etc because you desire to do so not because you have a duty to do so. Oh, what a wonderful freedom and peace there is in that truth.
Galatians 2:21 "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."
Matthew 11:28-29 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
A recovering Pharisee,
Diane
I've been a believer/follower of Jesus Christ for 24 years. I have been in many churches in the course of my speaking opportunities, I've been to well over 100 retreats/seminars and I heard many, many sermons and radios broadcasts. Somewhere along the way I lost the joy of participation.
I started to believe that to be a good Christian I had to read my Bible every day, pray daily, be at every church service, participate in small group, teach Sunday school and attend every ministry opportunity and if I didn't I somehow had failed. Oh, the weight of that. For a few years I wrestled in my spirit questioning how did I become such a "bad" Christian? Why did I constantly feel like I didn't measure up? I'm in full time Christian Vocational Ministry, how could this have happened?
Then I had a V-8 experience (it dawned on me) the reason I feel like I didn't measure up is because I was hearing the message loud and clear from various sources that to be a good Christian I must do A, B and C. I was feeling like it was my duty to do all those things expected of me. Everything within me was screaming "RUN".
As I was attending Seminary 15 years ago, at one point Bible study became an academic pursuit rather than relational. I could see that it was becoming an exercise of my head rather than my heart. I chose to drop out of the Bible study. It was an excellent study, but for me at that point in my life, it was drawing me away from God rather than towards Him.
As I am relearning that I don't have to do, do, do to be a good Christian; I am also learning that I can rest in what Christ has already done through His finished work on the cross and His resurrection life in me. Duty has turned to delight. I desire to be in the Word. I desire to fellowship with other believers. I desire to be in service and small group. To be free of others expectations brings peace to my heart. Oh, the expectations are still there, but I am free to not fit the mold. Who wants to be a 'moldy' Christian anyway?
Are you resting in Christ's life in you or in your own efforts to be a 'good' Christian? Are you trying to fit someone else's mold or expectation?
As Christ lives His life through you, you will pray, read your Bible, attend church, etc because you desire to do so not because you have a duty to do so. Oh, what a wonderful freedom and peace there is in that truth.
Galatians 2:21 "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."
Matthew 11:28-29 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
A recovering Pharisee,
Diane
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Unorganized and Overwhelmed
Unorganized and Overwhelmed!!
When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I! ~~ Psalms 61:2b NKJV
God, hear my cry; pay attention to my prayer. I call to You from the ends of the earth when my heart is without strength. Lead me to a rock that is high above me, for You have been a refuge for me, a strong tower in the face of the enemy. ~~ Psalms 61:1-3 ~~HCSB I am an organized, unorganized person who is sometimes overwhelmed by all my little messes. I can be ultra organized in one area of my home and work and in another be very discombobulated. So much so, that I cease to effectively function and waste huge amounts of time trying to do what I need to do. At its worst I don't function at all and that can create a whole downward spiral ...if...I forget the Rock that is higher than I am.
It's so easy for us earth dwellers to get over-focused on our bit of earth -so to speak- and we forget we have a refuge, a strong tower whom we can run to, even when the enemy that we face is a failure to know how to plan our steps.
Recently during a staff chapel service we were encouraged in the area of time management. Now before you yawn, bear with me. As simple as it sounds, I have to tell you, I was greatly encouraged. More so because it was confirmation of what God had already convicted me of (more than once I might add) in the area of my time and the use of it.
You see, recently my boss had encouraged us to do these weekly reports detailing to her what we accomplished that week. Her reason for this was so we could grow in this area. I had a hard time at first because I would come to the end of my work week and with the one-on-one report in front of me, attempt to remember the week (past tense). This proved frustrating because after I do something and cross it off of my mental "to-do" list, I quickly forget it.
So, I'd come up with a plan for how to remember exactly what I had done and voila, overnight I stepped onto higher ground and it felt good. Being proactive in this one simple area freed me from sitting at my desk racking my brain and feeling frustrated.
This new habit of mine is only a few weeks old so, I still have to consciously choose to do the simple list of things every day to get off to a right start and end my day feeling good knowing I haven't wasted my time or the Lord's time.
Sisters, I don't know whether you are like me or not. Whether you are, or aren't, praise the Lord! Then after you praise Him some more ask Him for help. Ask Him to show you how to take a step forward in whatever area of your life that growth and change needs to take place.
Stephanie
When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I! ~~ Psalms 61:2b NKJV
God, hear my cry; pay attention to my prayer. I call to You from the ends of the earth when my heart is without strength. Lead me to a rock that is high above me, for You have been a refuge for me, a strong tower in the face of the enemy. ~~ Psalms 61:1-3 ~~HCSB I am an organized, unorganized person who is sometimes overwhelmed by all my little messes. I can be ultra organized in one area of my home and work and in another be very discombobulated. So much so, that I cease to effectively function and waste huge amounts of time trying to do what I need to do. At its worst I don't function at all and that can create a whole downward spiral ...if...I forget the Rock that is higher than I am.
It's so easy for us earth dwellers to get over-focused on our bit of earth -so to speak- and we forget we have a refuge, a strong tower whom we can run to, even when the enemy that we face is a failure to know how to plan our steps.
Recently during a staff chapel service we were encouraged in the area of time management. Now before you yawn, bear with me. As simple as it sounds, I have to tell you, I was greatly encouraged. More so because it was confirmation of what God had already convicted me of (more than once I might add) in the area of my time and the use of it.
You see, recently my boss had encouraged us to do these weekly reports detailing to her what we accomplished that week. Her reason for this was so we could grow in this area. I had a hard time at first because I would come to the end of my work week and with the one-on-one report in front of me, attempt to remember the week (past tense). This proved frustrating because after I do something and cross it off of my mental "to-do" list, I quickly forget it.
So, I'd come up with a plan for how to remember exactly what I had done and voila, overnight I stepped onto higher ground and it felt good. Being proactive in this one simple area freed me from sitting at my desk racking my brain and feeling frustrated.
This new habit of mine is only a few weeks old so, I still have to consciously choose to do the simple list of things every day to get off to a right start and end my day feeling good knowing I haven't wasted my time or the Lord's time.
Sisters, I don't know whether you are like me or not. Whether you are, or aren't, praise the Lord! Then after you praise Him some more ask Him for help. Ask Him to show you how to take a step forward in whatever area of your life that growth and change needs to take place.
Stephanie
Unorganized and Overwhelmed
Unorganized and Overwhelmed!!
When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I! ~~ Psalms 61:2b NKJV
God, hear my cry; pay attention to my prayer. I call to You from the ends of the earth when my heart is without strength. Lead me to a rock that is high above me, for You have been a refuge for me, a strong tower in the face of the enemy. ~~ Psalms 61:1-3 ~~HCSB I am an organized, unorganized person who is sometimes overwhelmed by all my little messes. I can be ultra organized in one area of my home and work and in another be very discombobulated. So much so, that I cease to effectively function and waste huge amounts of time trying to do what I need to do. At its worst I don't function at all and that can create a whole downward spiral ...if...I forget the Rock that is higher than I am.
It's so easy for us earth dwellers to get over-focused on our bit of earth -so to speak- and we forget we have a refuge, a strong tower whom we can run to, even when the enemy that we face is a failure to know how to plan our steps.
Recently during a staff chapel service we were encouraged in the area of time management. Now before you yawn, bear with me. As simple as it sounds, I have to tell you, I was greatly encouraged. More so because it was confirmation of what God had already convicted me of (more than once I might add) in the area of my time and the use of it.
You see, recently my boss had encouraged us to do these weekly reports detailing to her what we accomplished that week. Her reason for this was so we could grow in this area. I had a hard time at first because I would come to the end of my work week and with the one-on-one report in front of me, attempt to remember the week (past tense). This proved frustrating because after I do something and cross it off of my mental "to-do" list, I quickly forget it.
So, I'd come up with a plan for how to remember exactly what I had done and voila, overnight I stepped onto higher ground and it felt good. Being proactive in this one simple area freed me from sitting at my desk racking my brain and feeling frustrated.
This new habit of mine is only a few weeks old so, I still have to consciously choose to do the simple list of things every day to get off to a right start and end my day feeling good knowing I haven't wasted my time or the Lord's time.
Sisters, I don't know whether you are like me or not. Whether you are, or aren't, praise the Lord! Then after you praise Him some more ask Him for help. Ask Him to show you how to take a step forward in whatever area of your life that growth and change needs to take place.
Stephanie
When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I! ~~ Psalms 61:2b NKJV
God, hear my cry; pay attention to my prayer. I call to You from the ends of the earth when my heart is without strength. Lead me to a rock that is high above me, for You have been a refuge for me, a strong tower in the face of the enemy. ~~ Psalms 61:1-3 ~~HCSB I am an organized, unorganized person who is sometimes overwhelmed by all my little messes. I can be ultra organized in one area of my home and work and in another be very discombobulated. So much so, that I cease to effectively function and waste huge amounts of time trying to do what I need to do. At its worst I don't function at all and that can create a whole downward spiral ...if...I forget the Rock that is higher than I am.
It's so easy for us earth dwellers to get over-focused on our bit of earth -so to speak- and we forget we have a refuge, a strong tower whom we can run to, even when the enemy that we face is a failure to know how to plan our steps.
Recently during a staff chapel service we were encouraged in the area of time management. Now before you yawn, bear with me. As simple as it sounds, I have to tell you, I was greatly encouraged. More so because it was confirmation of what God had already convicted me of (more than once I might add) in the area of my time and the use of it.
You see, recently my boss had encouraged us to do these weekly reports detailing to her what we accomplished that week. Her reason for this was so we could grow in this area. I had a hard time at first because I would come to the end of my work week and with the one-on-one report in front of me, attempt to remember the week (past tense). This proved frustrating because after I do something and cross it off of my mental "to-do" list, I quickly forget it.
So, I'd come up with a plan for how to remember exactly what I had done and voila, overnight I stepped onto higher ground and it felt good. Being proactive in this one simple area freed me from sitting at my desk racking my brain and feeling frustrated.
This new habit of mine is only a few weeks old so, I still have to consciously choose to do the simple list of things every day to get off to a right start and end my day feeling good knowing I haven't wasted my time or the Lord's time.
Sisters, I don't know whether you are like me or not. Whether you are, or aren't, praise the Lord! Then after you praise Him some more ask Him for help. Ask Him to show you how to take a step forward in whatever area of your life that growth and change needs to take place.
Stephanie
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
God Sustains Life
God sustains life. Christ as our life.
As we have had numerous conversations in Higher Ground and in the counseling office about grace recently, I have had the following question posed to me on more than one occasion: I don't understand what you mean that Jesus lives in me, doesn't He live in everyone? We can't blink or breathe without Him.
I see in this reasoning confusion between God's sustaining grace and Christ's life in us.
God is creator and sustainer of every created thing. He is the only Self-existent One. He orchestrates the heavens, the stars, all the galaxies, every molecule in the entire universe. "...he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else." Acts 17:25
God sustains life.
God's sustaining life is not the same as Christ's life in his children. God sustains all life, but not everyone has Christ living in them. "...the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him' but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." John 14:17 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" Galatians 2:20
At the moment of conversion, the instant the dead spirit is regenerated, made alive by the power of the Holy Spirit the very Spirit of God indwells, resides in, lives in, that individual. If you have experienced this in your life don't you just want to jump up and shout?
Let me share a few of many verses about this truth:
Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
1 Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
2 Corinthians 6:16
For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people."
Ephesians 3:17
that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith
Colossians 1:27
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Jesus Christ desires to live His life through you. By faith He will love others through you. He will forgive others through you. He will be kind, gracious, compassionate and gentle through you.
"It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God..." Gal 2:20
Diane
As we have had numerous conversations in Higher Ground and in the counseling office about grace recently, I have had the following question posed to me on more than one occasion: I don't understand what you mean that Jesus lives in me, doesn't He live in everyone? We can't blink or breathe without Him.
I see in this reasoning confusion between God's sustaining grace and Christ's life in us.
God is creator and sustainer of every created thing. He is the only Self-existent One. He orchestrates the heavens, the stars, all the galaxies, every molecule in the entire universe. "...he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else." Acts 17:25
God sustains life.
God's sustaining life is not the same as Christ's life in his children. God sustains all life, but not everyone has Christ living in them. "...the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him' but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." John 14:17 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" Galatians 2:20
At the moment of conversion, the instant the dead spirit is regenerated, made alive by the power of the Holy Spirit the very Spirit of God indwells, resides in, lives in, that individual. If you have experienced this in your life don't you just want to jump up and shout?
Let me share a few of many verses about this truth:
Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
1 Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
2 Corinthians 6:16
For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people."
Ephesians 3:17
that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith
Colossians 1:27
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Jesus Christ desires to live His life through you. By faith He will love others through you. He will forgive others through you. He will be kind, gracious, compassionate and gentle through you.
"It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God..." Gal 2:20
Diane
Monday, October 15, 2007
The Empty Nest
The Empty Nest
Ahhhh. Peace. Quiet. Rest.
I'm not sure what all the hype is about. I wasn't sure what to expect with all the warnings I was hearing. I usually heard this season of life referred to with remorse and sadness.
I'm still catching my breath.
I love my children dearly but within the last 12-18 months God has been showing me that I love them too dearly. I had to make a conscious choice to let go of this idol in my life. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt my children had become idols in my life. Yet God has graciously led me out of that bondage. You may wonder how can something as good as our children be an idol. We can worship anything. We have been created to worship; the question is what or whom shall we worship.
When life got difficult, I often poured myself into my children because it made me feel better, they brought me comfort. I had allowed them to become my "god". Oh, it wasn't intentional and it didn't happen with one choice.
It happened gradually as I repeatedly made choices that allowed them to edge God out of first place in my life. So, I am ever so grateful that the One True God challenged their position and graciously showed me the reality of my heart. His timing has been perfect so that when our children moved on with their lives our home has been left a whole lot quieter but there is also peace and rest.
Sure I miss them and the Mark Harris song "Find Your Wings" (The Line Between the Two album) still chokes me up especially the line "I'll have tears as you take off But I'll cheer as you fly"
It is my hearts cry that God will give them dreams that He alone can fulfill. That they will soar to heights that I have never known.
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart."
Diane
Ahhhh. Peace. Quiet. Rest.
I'm not sure what all the hype is about. I wasn't sure what to expect with all the warnings I was hearing. I usually heard this season of life referred to with remorse and sadness.
I'm still catching my breath.
I love my children dearly but within the last 12-18 months God has been showing me that I love them too dearly. I had to make a conscious choice to let go of this idol in my life. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt my children had become idols in my life. Yet God has graciously led me out of that bondage. You may wonder how can something as good as our children be an idol. We can worship anything. We have been created to worship; the question is what or whom shall we worship.
When life got difficult, I often poured myself into my children because it made me feel better, they brought me comfort. I had allowed them to become my "god". Oh, it wasn't intentional and it didn't happen with one choice.
It happened gradually as I repeatedly made choices that allowed them to edge God out of first place in my life. So, I am ever so grateful that the One True God challenged their position and graciously showed me the reality of my heart. His timing has been perfect so that when our children moved on with their lives our home has been left a whole lot quieter but there is also peace and rest.
Sure I miss them and the Mark Harris song "Find Your Wings" (The Line Between the Two album) still chokes me up especially the line "I'll have tears as you take off But I'll cheer as you fly"
It is my hearts cry that God will give them dreams that He alone can fulfill. That they will soar to heights that I have never known.
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart."
Diane
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Afraid to Pray
Afraid to Pray
"For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment." ~~2 Timothy 1:7 HCSB¹
"God has not given us the spirit of fear, but the spirit of power, of courage and resolution, to meet difficulties and dangers; the spirit of love to Him, which will carry us through opposition (even when we seek to oppose ourselves). And the spirit of a sound mind, quietness of mind...The Holy Spirit is not the author of a timid or cowardly disposition or of slavish fears......rather let us cleave to the Gospel."²
Dear ones, the Holy Spirit lives within us! What an amazing and awesome thing that is!! What cleaving to the Gospel will afford us is a most profound and deep desire to unashamedly, unselfconsciously call out, cry out, or simply speak out to the One Who saves us.
Let's take a quick glance at Daniel. From reading Daniel chapter 6 we learn that Daniel had an excellent spirit in him (the same spirit you and I have access to) and as a result he had favor with God and the king. Dan was given a place of authority and rule that made a bunch of guys jealous and angry. So much so that they got real busy looking for ways to bring Daniel down, but try as they might, there was no error or fault to be found in him.
So in verse 5 they say, "We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God."³
So they came up with a statute that would essentially make it illegal for Daniel to pray. Then they got King Darius to sign it, therefore decreeing "that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions." Vs. 7b³
Do you think it was possible that our brother Dan was afraid to pray? Is it possible that the fact he would be a meal for the "king of beast" led him to entertain the thought of skipping his prayer time for a few weeks?
"Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days." ~~v10³
Wow and wow again!!
It's extremely safe to say, that the vast majority of us don't have the threat of violence or death to fuel our fear of praying out loud and yet, the fear exists.
Oh that we could and would be intimately acquainted with the Spirit to know beyond any doubt that His power in us, is able, to free us from the fear of man.
Stephanie
"For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment." ~~2 Timothy 1:7 HCSB¹
"God has not given us the spirit of fear, but the spirit of power, of courage and resolution, to meet difficulties and dangers; the spirit of love to Him, which will carry us through opposition (even when we seek to oppose ourselves). And the spirit of a sound mind, quietness of mind...The Holy Spirit is not the author of a timid or cowardly disposition or of slavish fears......rather let us cleave to the Gospel."²
Dear ones, the Holy Spirit lives within us! What an amazing and awesome thing that is!! What cleaving to the Gospel will afford us is a most profound and deep desire to unashamedly, unselfconsciously call out, cry out, or simply speak out to the One Who saves us.
Let's take a quick glance at Daniel. From reading Daniel chapter 6 we learn that Daniel had an excellent spirit in him (the same spirit you and I have access to) and as a result he had favor with God and the king. Dan was given a place of authority and rule that made a bunch of guys jealous and angry. So much so that they got real busy looking for ways to bring Daniel down, but try as they might, there was no error or fault to be found in him.
So in verse 5 they say, "We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God."³
So they came up with a statute that would essentially make it illegal for Daniel to pray. Then they got King Darius to sign it, therefore decreeing "that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions." Vs. 7b³
Do you think it was possible that our brother Dan was afraid to pray? Is it possible that the fact he would be a meal for the "king of beast" led him to entertain the thought of skipping his prayer time for a few weeks?
"Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days." ~~v10³
Wow and wow again!!
It's extremely safe to say, that the vast majority of us don't have the threat of violence or death to fuel our fear of praying out loud and yet, the fear exists.
Oh that we could and would be intimately acquainted with the Spirit to know beyond any doubt that His power in us, is able, to free us from the fear of man.
Stephanie
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Afraid to Pray
Afraid to Pray
This Victory Call I'm posing a question for your serious, honest consideration. This question is just that -a question. In no way, shape or form do I condemn or judge anyone (including myself) who may struggle in this area. This is a journey we're all traveling, and the road is leading us HOME. I inquire (or challenge, if you will) because I believe we must consider prayer of monumental importance as we pursue growth in our relationship with the Lord and with each other.
Are you afraid to pray?
Over the years, I've had many, many opportunities to pray. And yet, I can't say that I've been willing to pray in all those moments. There are, a variety of reasons, with the foremost being fear -fear of this or fear of that. Y'all know the drill. We've heard this one or that one pray and they sound so wonderful...or we tell ourselves we simply aren't ready...or we convince ourselves that we don't have to, because God is gracious and He will understand.
I have run the gamut of experiences and opportunities and I don't like the feeling that I've ever allowed fear -fear of the sound of my voice or what others would think- to keep me from speaking out loud to God. What lie have I told myself and then believed? What lie from the enemy have I entertained and allowed to hinder or stifle my prayer life?
God loved us so much He sent His Son unto the Cross! How am I able to resist turning my face toward Him; to share my heart and pursue Him with praise and thanksgiving (especially in front of other saints)?
From the beginning, we have been pursued from Heaven by the Lord of all creation! What an amazing thing. My mind always struggles with how wide, long, high and deep is the love of Christ. Whenever I dwell on it I want to fall on my face and worship; I want to cry out; I want to pray!
Today it's that love which leads me to write to you and ask the question, "Are you afraid to pray? When you are at church, Bible study and the opportunity presents itself, do you find yourself unwilling or unable to pray? Does fear grip you?
We need to ask ourselves why? Why does opening our mouth and speaking to the God of our salvation in an audible voice, frighten us? Why does praying out loud in the context of a small group of sisters and brothers in Christ, seem to present such a challenge or fill us with dread?
Let me encourage you/us with the Truth found in 2 Timothy 1:7 from the Holmes Christian Standard Bible Biblegateway.com.
"For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment."
Tomorrow, we'll continue with the question "Are you afraid to pray?"
Stephanie
This Victory Call I'm posing a question for your serious, honest consideration. This question is just that -a question. In no way, shape or form do I condemn or judge anyone (including myself) who may struggle in this area. This is a journey we're all traveling, and the road is leading us HOME. I inquire (or challenge, if you will) because I believe we must consider prayer of monumental importance as we pursue growth in our relationship with the Lord and with each other.
Are you afraid to pray?
Over the years, I've had many, many opportunities to pray. And yet, I can't say that I've been willing to pray in all those moments. There are, a variety of reasons, with the foremost being fear -fear of this or fear of that. Y'all know the drill. We've heard this one or that one pray and they sound so wonderful...or we tell ourselves we simply aren't ready...or we convince ourselves that we don't have to, because God is gracious and He will understand.
I have run the gamut of experiences and opportunities and I don't like the feeling that I've ever allowed fear -fear of the sound of my voice or what others would think- to keep me from speaking out loud to God. What lie have I told myself and then believed? What lie from the enemy have I entertained and allowed to hinder or stifle my prayer life?
God loved us so much He sent His Son unto the Cross! How am I able to resist turning my face toward Him; to share my heart and pursue Him with praise and thanksgiving (especially in front of other saints)?
From the beginning, we have been pursued from Heaven by the Lord of all creation! What an amazing thing. My mind always struggles with how wide, long, high and deep is the love of Christ. Whenever I dwell on it I want to fall on my face and worship; I want to cry out; I want to pray!
Today it's that love which leads me to write to you and ask the question, "Are you afraid to pray? When you are at church, Bible study and the opportunity presents itself, do you find yourself unwilling or unable to pray? Does fear grip you?
We need to ask ourselves why? Why does opening our mouth and speaking to the God of our salvation in an audible voice, frighten us? Why does praying out loud in the context of a small group of sisters and brothers in Christ, seem to present such a challenge or fill us with dread?
Let me encourage you/us with the Truth found in 2 Timothy 1:7 from the Holmes Christian Standard Bible Biblegateway.com.
"For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment."
Tomorrow, we'll continue with the question "Are you afraid to pray?"
Stephanie
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Grace
Grace
Grace. A word that tends to result in heads nodding in agreement, smiles of gratitude and knowing looks of acknowledgement. But as we are discovering around here, all those things tend to go away as discussions go deeper, below the surface. We are finding ourselves asking the question: What is grace? What does it look like in my life? What does it look like as I interact with others? What does it mean to be grace-ous and grace-ful?
I find it fascinating, exciting and challenging. I am privileged to work alongside some awesome believers that are passionate about Jesus Christ. I would venture to guess that if we added up all the years we have been believers we would rack up hundreds of years. Yet, we find ourselves asking foundational questions like how does grace really influence our ministry. I am grateful that we are always willing to evaluate, ask questions and pursue excellence even if it means change.
I have had many people asking me questions adding to my own. It is one thing to say I understand grace but entirely different to experience grace, lived out by faith. I believe that over the years, I have allowed AMAZING grace become just another doctrine that I know and teach. Grace is dynamic, powerful, consuming. I was growing in my understanding and experience of grace but over the past 5 or 6 years it leaked out, and I lost it.
I have heard people say "let go and let God". I try to clearly express that grace is not becoming a couch potato Christian - sometimes the "let go let God" perspective can be misunderstood to mean we do nothing. That we can sit on the couch and wait for God to do it through us while we click the remote through the channels. I don't think that is what God means when He says that He will live His life through us. Christ living His life through me is active. Oh, I can hear the questions already. Hold that thought. I don't have all the answers - I'm still seeking and pursuing God myself. I want to experience more of Him.
At the moment of salvation, Jesus Christ gave me new life - His life, all I'll ever get, but my experience of His life in me will grow and flourish until the day I see Him face-to-face. "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 John 5:11-12
As we have shared, discussed, debated and studied each of us have different bottom lines...How grace impacts us most deeply. For me the bottom line is...
Colossians 1:27 ... Christ in you, the hope of glory
Diane
Grace. A word that tends to result in heads nodding in agreement, smiles of gratitude and knowing looks of acknowledgement. But as we are discovering around here, all those things tend to go away as discussions go deeper, below the surface. We are finding ourselves asking the question: What is grace? What does it look like in my life? What does it look like as I interact with others? What does it mean to be grace-ous and grace-ful?
I find it fascinating, exciting and challenging. I am privileged to work alongside some awesome believers that are passionate about Jesus Christ. I would venture to guess that if we added up all the years we have been believers we would rack up hundreds of years. Yet, we find ourselves asking foundational questions like how does grace really influence our ministry. I am grateful that we are always willing to evaluate, ask questions and pursue excellence even if it means change.
I have had many people asking me questions adding to my own. It is one thing to say I understand grace but entirely different to experience grace, lived out by faith. I believe that over the years, I have allowed AMAZING grace become just another doctrine that I know and teach. Grace is dynamic, powerful, consuming. I was growing in my understanding and experience of grace but over the past 5 or 6 years it leaked out, and I lost it.
I have heard people say "let go and let God". I try to clearly express that grace is not becoming a couch potato Christian - sometimes the "let go let God" perspective can be misunderstood to mean we do nothing. That we can sit on the couch and wait for God to do it through us while we click the remote through the channels. I don't think that is what God means when He says that He will live His life through us. Christ living His life through me is active. Oh, I can hear the questions already. Hold that thought. I don't have all the answers - I'm still seeking and pursuing God myself. I want to experience more of Him.
At the moment of salvation, Jesus Christ gave me new life - His life, all I'll ever get, but my experience of His life in me will grow and flourish until the day I see Him face-to-face. "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 John 5:11-12
As we have shared, discussed, debated and studied each of us have different bottom lines...How grace impacts us most deeply. For me the bottom line is...
Colossians 1:27 ... Christ in you, the hope of glory
Diane
Monday, October 08, 2007
On A Need-to-Know-Basis
On A Need-To-Know Basis
I want to know what is going on! It is hard to transition to being the parent of an adult. It is hard to be held at arms length while your "baby" makes adult decisions; some of which I don't agree with. It is hard to sit back and let God work in my husband's life without knowing everything he is sharing with his friends. I don't think I am controlling. I don't think I am overly curious. I just want to know! I don't like being left out of the loop! So much so, that I find myself trying to get the scoop on my own. I have had to be reminded that I am on 'a need-to-know' basis and when I need-to-know something I will find out.
In the meantime, I have had to see what my "know"siness really is. It is simply a lack of faith that God is doing His part. I want to see that He is at work with my own eyes. I want to be updated on any progress. I want to be putting in my two cents worth in any given situation that concerns my husband or my children. When I realize I am being "know"sey I have to ask myself if I am trusting God. More often then I care to admit I am not. That really does mean I want control doesn't it? We all know that curiosity killed the cat, right?
I may not know it all right now but God has been telling me what I need-to-know:
Know my voice. John 10:4
Know that in all things God works the good of those love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 Know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 8:9 Know that we live in him and he in us. 1 John 4:13 Know that he hears us- whatever we ask-we know that we have what we have asked of him. 1 John 5:15 What is it you don't know today? Can you simply trust Jesus with it? He will let you and I know what we need-to-know- it's in His word!
Kathy- a recovering Holy Spirit Jr.
I want to know what is going on! It is hard to transition to being the parent of an adult. It is hard to be held at arms length while your "baby" makes adult decisions; some of which I don't agree with. It is hard to sit back and let God work in my husband's life without knowing everything he is sharing with his friends. I don't think I am controlling. I don't think I am overly curious. I just want to know! I don't like being left out of the loop! So much so, that I find myself trying to get the scoop on my own. I have had to be reminded that I am on 'a need-to-know' basis and when I need-to-know something I will find out.
In the meantime, I have had to see what my "know"siness really is. It is simply a lack of faith that God is doing His part. I want to see that He is at work with my own eyes. I want to be updated on any progress. I want to be putting in my two cents worth in any given situation that concerns my husband or my children. When I realize I am being "know"sey I have to ask myself if I am trusting God. More often then I care to admit I am not. That really does mean I want control doesn't it? We all know that curiosity killed the cat, right?
I may not know it all right now but God has been telling me what I need-to-know:
Know my voice. John 10:4
Know that in all things God works the good of those love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 Know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 8:9 Know that we live in him and he in us. 1 John 4:13 Know that he hears us- whatever we ask-we know that we have what we have asked of him. 1 John 5:15 What is it you don't know today? Can you simply trust Jesus with it? He will let you and I know what we need-to-know- it's in His word!
Kathy- a recovering Holy Spirit Jr.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Putting God in First Place
Putting God in first place
Each day we make a choice to serve God, humble ourselves and submit to Him or to serve ourselves. Total submission can be a difficult thing to do, but at the same time can be very freeing. Are we willing to submit all our wants, needs and desires to the Almighty God, our Abba Father? Is it possible? If we truly trusted in Him and knew Him, it would be easy because our Abba Father always knows what is best for us. He knows what we need. It is in our submission we honor and exalt God. This poem is a beautiful illustration of submission.
Thine am I, I was born for Thee,
What wouldst Thou, Master, make of me?
Give me death or give me life
Give health or give infirmity
Give honor or give obloquy [disgrace]
Give peace profound or daily strife,
Weakness or strength add to my life;
Yes, Lord, my answer still shall be
What will Thou, Master, have of me?1
By Teresa of Avila
The first time I read this poem it took my breath away! This is a life that is totally surrendered to God...in good times or bad she will still have God on the throne of her heart. She knows that God is sovereign and whatever comes from His hand, she will still keep her eyes fixed on the only One who holds the key to life and peace.
Oh Lord, THIS is where I want to be in my faith walk! The only way to do this is to allow Jesus to live through me because I know that I can't do this on my own. This is truly putting God first place in my life and trusting Him for the rest.
Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man [woman] who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.
MaryAnn
Each day we make a choice to serve God, humble ourselves and submit to Him or to serve ourselves. Total submission can be a difficult thing to do, but at the same time can be very freeing. Are we willing to submit all our wants, needs and desires to the Almighty God, our Abba Father? Is it possible? If we truly trusted in Him and knew Him, it would be easy because our Abba Father always knows what is best for us. He knows what we need. It is in our submission we honor and exalt God. This poem is a beautiful illustration of submission.
Thine am I, I was born for Thee,
What wouldst Thou, Master, make of me?
Give me death or give me life
Give health or give infirmity
Give honor or give obloquy [disgrace]
Give peace profound or daily strife,
Weakness or strength add to my life;
Yes, Lord, my answer still shall be
What will Thou, Master, have of me?1
By Teresa of Avila
The first time I read this poem it took my breath away! This is a life that is totally surrendered to God...in good times or bad she will still have God on the throne of her heart. She knows that God is sovereign and whatever comes from His hand, she will still keep her eyes fixed on the only One who holds the key to life and peace.
Oh Lord, THIS is where I want to be in my faith walk! The only way to do this is to allow Jesus to live through me because I know that I can't do this on my own. This is truly putting God first place in my life and trusting Him for the rest.
Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man [woman] who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.
MaryAnn
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Who's on Your Throne
Who's on your Throne?
Have you ever gone away from home for a while? You come home and you pull onto your street, then into you're your driveway...you get this overwhelming feeling of comfort, joy and peace - no matter where you roam there is no place like home! Tozer says that this is the same kind of feeling we get...a feeling of "being at home"...just like it was in the Garden when God is on the throne of our hearts!
Who sits on the throne of your heart? Each day when we open our eyes we have a choice to make. Will God sit in His rightful place on the throne of our hearts or will we place something or someone else on it? Could it be that success, a spouse, or a home occupies that space?
It is God's right to have first place in our lives because that is the way that God created us, the way it was in the Garden of Eden before the fall. If there is something in Gods' rightful place, we can never feel whole or satisfied. Because of the fact that God was the original occupier of our hearts we will always want for more if God isn't on the throne of our heart. A.W. Tozer tells us in "A 31 Day Experience, The pursuit of God," the key to putting and keeping God on the throne of our hearts is to humble ourselves and submit to Him.
How do we do this? Tozer tells us to exalt God in all times, in all places and in all circumstances. Exalting God over possessions, friendships, comforts, family, ambition or reputation...surrendering it all to Him and allowing God to be glorified through us...this is the way to keep God in His rightful place on the throne of your heart.
Revelation 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."
Today you make the choice, "I will serve God or _______." What's your choice?
MaryAnn
Have you ever gone away from home for a while? You come home and you pull onto your street, then into you're your driveway...you get this overwhelming feeling of comfort, joy and peace - no matter where you roam there is no place like home! Tozer says that this is the same kind of feeling we get...a feeling of "being at home"...just like it was in the Garden when God is on the throne of our hearts!
Who sits on the throne of your heart? Each day when we open our eyes we have a choice to make. Will God sit in His rightful place on the throne of our hearts or will we place something or someone else on it? Could it be that success, a spouse, or a home occupies that space?
It is God's right to have first place in our lives because that is the way that God created us, the way it was in the Garden of Eden before the fall. If there is something in Gods' rightful place, we can never feel whole or satisfied. Because of the fact that God was the original occupier of our hearts we will always want for more if God isn't on the throne of our heart. A.W. Tozer tells us in "A 31 Day Experience, The pursuit of God," the key to putting and keeping God on the throne of our hearts is to humble ourselves and submit to Him.
How do we do this? Tozer tells us to exalt God in all times, in all places and in all circumstances. Exalting God over possessions, friendships, comforts, family, ambition or reputation...surrendering it all to Him and allowing God to be glorified through us...this is the way to keep God in His rightful place on the throne of your heart.
Revelation 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."
Today you make the choice, "I will serve God or _______." What's your choice?
MaryAnn
Monday, October 01, 2007
Bend Me, Shape Me
Bend me, shape me....
Have you noticed that it seems as if everyone out there is trying to mold God into a "god" of their own making? I think at one time or another, if we are honest with ourselves, we want to mold God into what might be pleasing to us or "comfortable." We want to make just a little re-adjustment here, clip a little there. I have heard people say, "Oh I don't think that's what God meant...Things are different today...That's old fashioned thinking." People just want to bend and shape God to fit their life style...or you could even say that people want to create a "god" in their own image.
Our society and culture screams at us through all the various media that "this" is the way it should be or "this" is reality. I think of the various movies that have been out in the last several years that have glorified sin or turned what God names as sin into acceptable normal every day behavior.
Just a few examples:
The Bridges of Madison County - glorified adultery into a "love story."
Oceans Eleven - made the bad guys (the thieves) the good guys.
The Matador - made an assassin a "nice" guy...murder just a job.
Broke Back Mountain - a "love" affair between two men, glamorous, sad, acceptable.
In The Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozer points out that every time we take our eyes off the God of the Bible, the result will always be a desire to "mold" God into the kind of "god" we want.
"When He [God] speaks in the first person He says, "I AM"; when we speak of Him we say, He is; when we speak to Him we say, "Thou art." Everyone and everything else measures from that fixed point. "I AM THAT I AM," says God, "I change not." 1
God must be our "fixed point." It is God alone that never changes. Hebrews 1:12 "...But you remain the same, and your years never end." God is the great I Am. He is the Potter and we are the clay...NOT the other way around!
Isaiah 64:8 "Yet, O Lord, you are the Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand."
The only way to keep our eyes fixed on Him, trust Him, and know who the great I Am is, is to be in the Word and allow Jesus, who lives in the believer, to live His life through us. If we do this there is no way we would ever want to mold God into our image!
Love God for who He is and rejoice! El Shaddai - all sufficient One, El Elyon- God Most high, Adonai- Lord Master, Elohim - the Creator, Jehovah-shalom - the Lord is Peace, Jehovah-shammah - the Lord is there, Jehovah-Rapha - the Lord who heals. He is ALL that and so much more!!
MaryAnn
Have you noticed that it seems as if everyone out there is trying to mold God into a "god" of their own making? I think at one time or another, if we are honest with ourselves, we want to mold God into what might be pleasing to us or "comfortable." We want to make just a little re-adjustment here, clip a little there. I have heard people say, "Oh I don't think that's what God meant...Things are different today...That's old fashioned thinking." People just want to bend and shape God to fit their life style...or you could even say that people want to create a "god" in their own image.
Our society and culture screams at us through all the various media that "this" is the way it should be or "this" is reality. I think of the various movies that have been out in the last several years that have glorified sin or turned what God names as sin into acceptable normal every day behavior.
Just a few examples:
The Bridges of Madison County - glorified adultery into a "love story."
Oceans Eleven - made the bad guys (the thieves) the good guys.
The Matador - made an assassin a "nice" guy...murder just a job.
Broke Back Mountain - a "love" affair between two men, glamorous, sad, acceptable.
In The Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozer points out that every time we take our eyes off the God of the Bible, the result will always be a desire to "mold" God into the kind of "god" we want.
"When He [God] speaks in the first person He says, "I AM"; when we speak of Him we say, He is; when we speak to Him we say, "Thou art." Everyone and everything else measures from that fixed point. "I AM THAT I AM," says God, "I change not." 1
God must be our "fixed point." It is God alone that never changes. Hebrews 1:12 "...But you remain the same, and your years never end." God is the great I Am. He is the Potter and we are the clay...NOT the other way around!
Isaiah 64:8 "Yet, O Lord, you are the Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand."
The only way to keep our eyes fixed on Him, trust Him, and know who the great I Am is, is to be in the Word and allow Jesus, who lives in the believer, to live His life through us. If we do this there is no way we would ever want to mold God into our image!
Love God for who He is and rejoice! El Shaddai - all sufficient One, El Elyon- God Most high, Adonai- Lord Master, Elohim - the Creator, Jehovah-shalom - the Lord is Peace, Jehovah-shammah - the Lord is there, Jehovah-Rapha - the Lord who heals. He is ALL that and so much more!!
MaryAnn
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