The Kind of Love

This is the kind of love we are talking about--not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God.

1 John 4: 10 (The Message)

You're An Example

Joni's Devotional

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." — Acts 1:8

People are watching you. If they know you're a Christian, they are really watching. And sometimes they're watching when you least expect it.

The other day I purchased a new computer (my old one had crashed). Instead of making life simpler, the new computer had me lost in a sea of special commands and option keys. I flipped open my owner's manual and rang up the 800-number. A machine answered and presented me with layers of messages to work my way through. That only added to my frustration. Finally, I spoke to a real person: "Hi, I'm Michelle, and I'm here to help you. First, what's your name?"

I growled, "Joni, as in ‘Johnny.’ I hope you can help me."

After a silence on the other end, Michelle said, "Are you the Joni Eareckson Tada?"

I'd been caught. Here I was about to chew up this lady and her computer company, but she knew who I was. She said with a laugh, "I know who you are so you can't get too frustrated with me!" At that point, we both laughed; she was right.

Should you, as a Christian, weigh every word? Never tell a lie? Always keep your temper under control? Say only what you mean and mean what you say? Of course. When you name the name of Christ, people expect you to act like him. Is that a bad thing? Not at all; for the Christian, it's reasonable.

Now, you can do your part well and build up other Christians as well as make unbelievers thirsty for God, or you can act out your frustrations and defame Christ's name. You have received a high calling--even when your computer isn't working.

* * * * *

Lord Jesus, enable me to live in a way that honors You. When others aren't looking or when I think I'm anonymous, remind me that You see me and know just who I am.

The Shema

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

This is a declaration Moses gave to Israel about 1400 years B.C. and soon before Joshua would lead the Israelites across the Jordan River
into the Promised Land.

4. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:

5. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

6. And these words, which I commanded thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

7. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way,
and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

8. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

9. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

Interestingly, when Jesus was asked which was the greatest commandment, He immediately quoted the Shema.

“Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

(Matthew 22:36-40)

Also interestingly, the four passages written on parchment in the tefilin (phylacteries) are

Exodus 13:1-10; Exodus 13:11-16; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Deuteronomy 11:13-21.

Shalom.

From Jimmy Turner

Pray for You

"There is no more significant involvement in another's life than prevailing, consistent prayer. It is more helpful than a gift of money, more encouraging than a strong sermon, more effective than a compliment, more reassuring than a physical embrace."

The Quest for Character, p. 132.



As for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you.
1 Samuel 12:23 KJV

Embrace God's Truth

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.
Colossians 2: 6

"Satan will say to us, "You don't pray, read your Bible, or witness like you should. How could God love you?" Don't believe that or let such thoughts defeat you, because God's love is unconditional. With every arrow of temptation, accusation, or deception shot at you, simply raise the shield of faith, deflect the attack, and walk on. The way to defeat the lie is by choosing to embrace God's truth."

Neil T. Anderson, Freedom in Christ.

Praising God

Praise is a natural response to God which happens as a result of knowing God.
The Bible is filled with references to praising God. Praise must be expressed with
words. Worship can be expressed by words or actions.

The dictionary says praise originally meant to set a price on or appraise. The dictionary
gives meanings of: to commend the worth of; express approval or admiration of, to laud
the glory of (God, etc.), as in song; glorify; extol.

Praising God gets our eyes off ourselves and our problems and gets our eyes on God.
When you think God is small, then your problems look large. But when you are reminded
that God is mighty, then your problem looks very small for Him to fix. Praise releases faith,
which causes God to move on your behalf.

God inhabits, or lives in, an atmosphere of praise. So, if you desire God to manifest
His presence and blessings, create an atmosphere of praise.

(Psalm 34:1b-8 KJV)
I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
{2} My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
{3} O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
{4} I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
{5} They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
{6} This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
{7} The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
{8} O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

(Psalm 150:6 KJV)
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord!

(Psalm 113:1-6 KJV)
Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
{2} Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.
{3} From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised.
{4} The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
{5} Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high,
{6} Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!

Why? Because God deserves praise.

(Psalm 48:1,10 KJV)
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised . . .
(10) According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth:
thy right hand is full of righteousness.

(Revelation 4:8-11 KJV)
And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within:
and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is,
and is to come.
{9} And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne,
who liveth for ever and ever,
{10} The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that
liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
{11} Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things,
and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

(Psalm 136:1-9 KJV)
O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
{2} O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
{3} O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
{4} To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
{5} To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.
{6} To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.
{7} To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:
{8} The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:
{9} The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

(Psalm 107:1-2, 8,9, 15 KJV)
O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
{2} Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;
{8} Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
{9} For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
{15} Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

(Psalm 135:1-3 KJV)
Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD.
{2} Ye that stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God,
{3} Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.

(2 Chr 5:12-14 KJV)
Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren,
being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them
an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:
{13} It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking
the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD,
saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD;
{14} So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

(Psalm 22:2-5 KJV)
O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
{3} But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
{4} Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
{5} They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

(1 Peter 2:9-10 KJV)
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises
of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
{10} Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have
obtained mercy.

Ixtheus

Renewing

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Romans 12: 2

"If your life has been shaped by negative thinking, it can be reshaped by biblical thinking. Anything negative that has been learned can be unlearned. Through the preaching of God's Word, Bible study, and personal discipleship, you can experience the transformation of the renewing of your mind. Are you making the most of opportunities you have to know complete transformation in your life?"

Neil T. Anderson, Freedom in Christ.

The Search for Community

I'm praying not only for them

But also for those who will believe in me

Because of them and their witness about me.

The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind--

Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you,

So they might be one heart and mind with us.

Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.

John 17: 20-21 (The Message)

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Vertical Relationships Must be Maintained

"One of our most pressing challenges is to find an inner peace that is not an escape from reality, but is based on doing the will of God. The other is the search for human community. Nouwen reminds us that "we are always in search of a community that can offer us a sense of belonging."

These two searches are closely intertwined, but they are not the same and should never become confused. Our attempts to create the human community should not become a substitute for maintaining our own spiritual journey. We cannot afford to find the group but lose ourselves. Moreover, the warmth of human relationships should not replace an intimacy with the God who calls us into fellowship.

On the other hand, our journey of intimacy with God cannot leave us as solitary persons. God not only calls us to Himself, but also invites us to work out our love and commitment on the journey by embracing our companions on the journey, as well as our neighbor who so frequently remains a stranger.

Thus the search for inner peace and empowerment becomes the impulse for a search for human community. Intimacy with God can sustain our efforts at community building. And our attempts at building meaningful human relationships should encourage our need to return to the source of life for nourishment and renewal."

"The Search for Community" in Dare to Journey with Nenri Nouwen by Charles Ringma.

----------------------------

A related comment from me:

We must look to God for our identity and then live out that identify in community, and not the reverse.

Utter Extravagance

your eyes focused and clear,
so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do,
grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for Christians,
oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him
--endless energy, boundless strength!

Ephesians 1: 18-19 (The Message)

Perspective

... consider what great things He has done for you. 1 Samuel 12:24

"He has never done anything greater for anyone, nor could He do anything greater for you, than bring you to Himself. Suppose He put ten million dollars into your bank account every morning for the rest of your life, but He didn't save you? Suppose He gave you the most beautiful body and face of anyone who ever lived, a body that never aged for a thousand years, but then at death He shut you out of Heaven and into hell for eternity? What has God ever given anyone that could compare with the salvation He has given you as a believer? Do you see that there is nothing God could ever do for you or give to you greater than the gift of Himself."

Dallas Willard as quoted in Spiritual Disciplines for L.I.F.E. by Donald S. Whitney, p. 113.

Entrenched

No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.
2 Timothy 2: 4

"People who study human behavior tells us that if you continue to repeat an act for six weeks, you will form a habit. Once that pattern is entrenched in your mind, choosing to act contrary to it is extremely difficult. That's why we cannot afford to ignore sin in our lives. Sin left unresolved will dilute your testimony and become a pattern of behavior."

Neil T. Anderson, Freedom in Christ.

Loving Others

But there is a second to set alongside it: "Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them."
Matthew 22: 39-40 (The Message)

"The Bible knows nothing of a religion defined by what a person does inwardly in the privacy of thought or feeling, or apart from others on a lonely retreat. When Jesus was asked what the great commandment was, he said, "Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence." Then immediately, before anyone could go off and make a private religion out of it ("I come to the garden alone"), rivited it to another: "There is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as ou love yourself'.""


Loving Others, God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson.

Disciple

Thanks to Andrew for encouraging us from The Word yesterday about "looking like Jesus." His two key points were:
1. Obey God's Laws
2. Share Jesus

---------

Related thought from me:

If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That's to prevent anyone from confusing God's incomparable power with us.
2 Corinthians 4:7 (The Message)

Be Not Conformed

This is an interesting quote from the book StormFront:
[emphasis added]

"What's wrong with the idea that God meets our needs? Isn't the Bible full of stories where God heals, rescues, enlivens, delights, feeds, and cares for people? Of course it is. But here's the problem: We North Americans tend to think of meeting our needs as not just one good thing among many other aspects to life. We tend to think of meeting our needs as the central purpose of our lives. We regard it as a kind of moral mandate that precedes all other duties and responsibilities we might have. It's what gives our lives their meaning at the deepest level. We have accepted the notion that the great drama of human life is the challenge to get one's needs met. We think this way because we tend to identify our humanity at its core with a set of needs that must be met. The clearest exposition of this is found in the writings of Abraham Maslow. He held that human beings are characterized by a hierarchy of needs. At the base of the hierarchy are what he called the "lower-level needs," things humans need in order to survive and achieve basic health - air, food, safety, etc. Once these needs are met, human beings engage progressively higher sets of needs, finally culminating in the need for self-actualization. Life acquires its energy and dynamism from our relentless attempts to meet these needs. The reason this image of human life acquires such power in North American life is that it is the image of our humanity that is reinforced thousands of times each day through the culture of advertising. Daily we are bombarded with images, phrases, music, and sensations that invite us to consider those things that we need or desire, and to exert our energies toward the satisfaction of those desires and needs. In essence, North American understandings of what it means to be human are deeply shaped by the market. We are trained to see ourselves first and foremost as consumers with needs to be met. Such training begins at a very early age. The largest marketer of toys in the world is the McDonald's corporation. They know that if they acquire "brand loyalty" in preschoolers, they will have customers for life. Soft drink companies spend huge sums of money to win exclusive contracts with school systems, so that their brands will be constantly in front of impressionable young people. To these examples could be added dozens more illustrating the dramatic expansion of the market's role in our culture. Markets are nothing if not efficient, and their expanded cultural role has brought along with it their enormously efficient and effective capacity to direct our culture toward the pursuit of needs and desires. What is lacking in this view of humanity? Glaringly absent is any understanding of a purpose for human life that extends beyond ourselves and the gratification of our own needs and desires. The problem is not that meeting needs is wrong; it’s that when meeting needs moves to the center of our lives, the result is self-absorption and narcissism. Genuine spiritual growth is difficult to achieve until this posture of self-absorption is confronted and addressed… The vocabulary of commerce and the syntax of consumption not only distort our relationship with God and thus with each other, they also miscast the church in the role of retail vendor, trading in spiritual goods and services. Thus, the market conforms the members of Christ’s body to its ways precisely at the point where the risen Lord summons them to be transformed."

Brownson, James V., et al. “Allegiance”. StormFront: The Good News of God. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2003. pp 32-33, 29

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So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Romans 12: 1-2 (The Message)

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Thanks to Paul for sending this to me!

Renewing Our Minds

See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men ... rather than according to Christ.
Colossians 2: 8

"When you became a Christian your sins were washed away, but your predisposition to think and behave ungodly remained programmed in your mind. That's why it's essential that we be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12: 2). We must reprogram our minds according to the Word of God."


Neil T. Anderson, Freedom in Christ.

Thoughts

We are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
2 Corinthians 10: 5


"Strongholds are mental habit patterns of thought that were burned into our minds either through repetition over time or one-time traumatic experiences. We must renew our minds by the Word of God and take every thougth captive to the obedience of Christ. Resist that which is destructive; dwell on that which is good (Philippians 4: 8)."

Neil T. Anderson, Freedom in Christ.

Give Thanks

Then David assigned some of the Levites to the Chest of GOD to lead worship--to intercede, give thanks, and praise the GOD of Israel. 1 Chronicles 16: 4 (The Message)


"The word "joy" occurs 181 times in the Bible and "thanksgiving" occurs in its various forms 136 times. Joy and thanksgiving run like a golden thread through Scripture. In the Old Testament giving thanks was so important that certain Israelites were assigned to give thanks before the Lord as part of the worship services (1 Chronicles 16: 4; 2 Chronicles 31a: 2). I wonder what would happen if we had a Pastor of Gratitude on the staff of our churches whose full-time job was to remind members of the congregation of all they have to be thankful to God for."

David Jeremiah, "The Continual Praise of Grace", Captured by Grace.

Reality of Life

... if you seek GOD, your God, you'll be able to find him if you're serious, looking for him with your whole heart and soul. Deuteronomy 4: 29, The Message


"Normal life is full of distractions and irrelevancies. Then catastrophe: Illness. Accident. Job loss. Divorce. Death. The reality of our lives is rearranged without anyone consulting us or waiting for our permission. ...

All of us are given moments, days, months, years of "exile." What will we do with them? Wish we were someplace else? Complain? Escape into fantasies? Drug ourselves into oblivion? Or build and plant and marry and seek the shalom of the place we inhabit and the people we are with? Exile reveals what really matters and frees us to pursue what really matters, which is to seek the Lord with all our hearts.

Run with the Horses


Reality of Life, God's Message for Every Day by Eugene Peterson.

Lonely

"When we are lonely, we need to lift our eyes off ourselves. Jesus, the "Founder and Finisher" of the life of faith, invites us to fix our eyes on Him and refuse to succumb.

Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, p. 211

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12: 3 NIV

Where There is Faith

We enjoyed the 4Him ENCORE Tour last night. One of their early songs was "Where There is Faith". The chorus is shown below. Meditate on these words.


Where there is faith
There is a voice calling, keep walking
You're not alone in this world
Where there is faith
There is a peace like a child sleeping
Hope everlasting in He who is able to
Bear every burden, to heal every hurt in my heart
It is a wonderful, powerful place
Where there is faith

Think About the Lord

We've discovered some praise and worship CDs from Christ for the Nations Institute. On the Makes Me Shout CD there is a song "When I Think About the Lord" by James Huey. It's a great song of praise and worship to the Lord.

When I think about the Lord;
How He saved me, How he raised me;
How He filled me with the Holy Ghost,
How He headed me to the uttermost;
When I think about the Lord;
How He picked me up and turned me
Around,
How He placed my feet,
On solid ground.

It makes me wanna shout,
"Hallelujah, thank you Jesus!
Lord You're worthy of all the glory,
And all the honor and all the praise."
It makes me wanna shout,
"Hallelujah, thank you Jesus!
Lord You're worthy of all the glory,
And all the honor and all the praise."

Meditate on this for a while and see if it doesn't make you wanna shout!

Prayer: Not a Formula or Technique

Larry Crabb, The PAPA Prayer

"But I believe I've sovereignly stumbled on a fresh way to think about prayer that has led me to a new way of praying. It's not a formula or technique. There are no techniques in good conversation with God. There are no means to manipulate Him, no ways to persuade him to do things our way. He's not open to input on how best to run my life.

What I want to share with you is rather a way to relate to God that lets us hear Him speak. It's not just a way to wait for Him or to listen to Him or to focus on Him. All those are included, but what I want to share with you is a way of coming to God that delights Him and changes us. It's a way to pray that brings us into union with Him, so that it is no longer we who live but Christ who lives through us. It's a way to know God so well that the deepest desire of His heart actually becomes the deepest desire of ours, and that frees us to ask God for what we really want with confidence that He'll move heaven and earth to grant our request, because what we want now matches what He wants."

p. 9

God's Will for You

Do you want to know God's will for you today?

give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
[emphasis added] 1 Thessalonians 5: 18 (NIV)

Grace and Labor

The final point of five that we started a few days ago based on "The Compelling Prospect of Grace", Captured by Grace by David Jeremiah.


Grace Teaches Us to Resist Laziness

"The last thing Paul says is to be "zealous for good works" (Titus 2: 14). This is a good word for Christians like us who are always teaching about grace. We say over and over that you can't be saved by good works -- and you can't (Ephesians 2: 8-9). But Ephesians 2: 10 says we were saved for good works. It's possible to become lazy when focusing so intently on grace. There is kingdom work to be done in this world, and it is those who are saved by grace who are to do it.

In 1 Corinthians 15: 10, Paul says he is what he is "by the grace of God." Yet, he says, "I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." He is saying he was saved by grace, and it is the same grace in him that compels him to labor diligently for Christ."

Purpose of Prayer

An ongoing report of my reading of PAPA Prayer by Larry Crabb.

From the introduction:

"For years, I've prayed as if the real purpose of prayer were to get the things I want from God. And I thought those things were the obvious blessings of life, the things we all want that make our lives happier, more meaningful and satisfying. But I'm coming to see that what I most want is Him. I want to know Him, trust Him, hear His voice, and experience His power to live the way He tells me to, whether things go my way or not. That, I'm discovering, gives me a kind of solid joy nothing else provides." p. xiv

Curriculum of Grace

Continuing from yesterday on the five key subjects in God's curriculum of grace (The Compelling Prospect of Grace, Captured by Grace, David Jeremiah).

3. Graces Teaches Us to Respect Others

"Paul also says that the grace of God teaches us to live "righteously." This has to do with how we treat other people. ... The number of church splits and fights through the centuries don't argue well for our appropriation of the grace of God to live righteously. The way we treat others is a mirror of how we treat Christ. ... "

4. Grace Teaches Us to Reverence God

"Reverencing God means nothing more than living godly lives, to manifest God-like qualities and characteristics. We can agree on that. What is harder to define is how to become godly. Fortunately, the Bible gives us the answer to that question. If you are a Christian, you have everything you need, beginning with the Bible.

a. The lessons on godliness are available in God's Word (2 Peter 1: 3-4).

Peter says, "His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness." Not most of the things but all of the things. And how do we get these "things?" "Through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which we have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature."

We become godly by clinging to the great and precious promises in God's Word. ...

b. The life of godliness is attained through hard work (1 Timothy 4: 7-8).

Don't get the mistaken idea that because godliness comes by grace that we don't have to work. The Bible doesn't teach that we're saved by good works, but that we're saved for good works (Ephesians 2: 10). To become godly, we have to practice the disciplines of the spiritual life.

Paul wrote to his young protege, Timothy, to "exercise yourself towards godliness."

Expectations

Faith comes from hearing, and hearing from the word of Christ.
Romans 10: 17

"People often struggle because they have unrealistic expectations of God. They expect God to operate their way instead of His way. But God doesn't change; He is the perfect faith-object. To increase your faith in God, you must increase your understanding of Him through His Word. And because He is infinite, the potential for your faith to grow is boundless as well!"

Neil T. Anderson, Freedom in Christ.

Doors

Closed doors are just as much God's leading as open ones.
Stress Fractures, p. 243

Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not let them go. So instead, they went on through Mysia to the city of Troas.

That night Paul had a vision. He saw a man from Macedonia in northern Greece, pleading with him, "Come over here and help us." Acts 16: 7-9 (NLT)

Trends

I've started reading The Papa Prayer by Larry Crabb. I'll periodically report to you about what God is teaching me.

In discussing the need for such a book Larry Crabb makes these points.

"At no time in history has learning to pray relationally been more important. I see three trends in Western Christianity that make it so.

First, in record numbers, Christians are living for this world and thinking they are living the Christian life. We plan for tomorrow with personal comfort in mind, and we review yesterday with healing from pain as our goal. It's sheer narcissism. It's relating with ourselves, not with God or others, except where it serves our purposes of self-fulfillment, self-promotion, and self-realization.

Second, never before has managerial religion been more plausibly misrepresented as Christ-centered Christianity. And the church is largely blind to its deception. Making things happen, whether growing a church or organizing small-group ministry, has displaced spiritual formation in spiritual community as the real reason we gather together. We gather to achieve a useful purpose, not to meet. Achievement trumps encounter as our primary value. Connecting to share Christ is no longer the point. Reaching goals is the focus. The effect is agenda-driven lives full of cooperation and conflict, devoid of community.

Third, division among Jesus followers, though nothing new, is now dealt with more by principles of conflict resolution and anger management, and less with profoundly spiritual resources. The idea of union with Christ by the Spirit in His tension-free relationship with the Father is dismissed (if it's thought about at all) as religious rhetoric for old-timers. We no longer depend on union with Christ for the power to transform bitter combatants into self-denying saints who love like Him."

Reverence

Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Ephesians 5: 21, RSV

"Reverence is the operative word - en pobo Christou - awed, worshipful attentiveness, ready to respond in love and adoration. We do not learn our relationship with God out of a cocksure, arrogant knowledge of exactly what God wants. ... Nor do we cower before him in a scrupulous anxiety that fears offending him. ...

No. Gospel reverence, Christ reverence, is a vigorous (but by no means presumptuous) bold freedom, full of spontaneous energy. ...

We are more than ready to bow down before Christ unafraid that we will be tyrannized, for Christ has already laid down his life for us on the cross, pouring himself out and holding nothing back."

The Contemplative Pastor


Reverence, God's Message for Every Day by Eugene Peterson.

The Holy One

"Holy, holy, holy [are You] Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." (Rev 4: 8)

God's Grace

Titus 2: 12-14

We're being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness. (The Message)

And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God, while we look forward to that wonderful event when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing what is right. (New Living Translation)

In the lesson "The Compelling Prospect of Grace" from Captured by Grace David Jeremiah makes these points.

"The focus of these verses is in the "present age" in which we now live. The grace of God is our teacher, the Greek word being akin to paidagogos, or pedagogue, a teacher of children. The grace of God tutors us in how to live victorious over sin.

In God's curriculum of grace, there are five key subjects.

Grace Teaches Us to Renounce Sin

... When you become a Christian, you become a brand new creation in which the old is passing away and everything is being made new (2 Corinthians 5: 17). It is the grace of God that makes this transition possible. But it's not the grace we hear a lot about in our society today - the grace of acceptance, of toleration, of living my life, of just "getting along." No, this grace is the power to renounce sin in any and all forms. When grace enters our life, we cannot tolerate sin in our heart; and finally we have the power to disown it.

Grace Teaches Us to Rule Self

... That's what grace does. It so overwhelms us with the holiness of God and the price that was paid for our salvation that we are motivated to please the Lord - to live "soberly, righteously, and godly." To be sober-minded speaks of thinking clearly and carefully, to have a disciplined mind, to see things as they really are. To be a Christian in today's world, you have to be sober-minded. We don't live in a Christian culture. That means there are many conflicting ideas and worldviews coming at us every day. You've got to be thinking clearly to survive (Romans 12: 3; 1 Thessalonians 5: 6, 8; Titus 2: 2; 1 Peter 1: 13; 5: 8).

Peter's warning to be sober in light of the presence of Satan is a serious warning. Satan wants to tear down your life, your church, your pastor, your marriage, and family - and the only way to keep that from happening is to live soberly, to be on the alert."

Turning Point


Note: There are three other points which I'll cover later this week.

His Blood and My Conscience

Elizabeth Elliott Devotional
Title: His Blood and My Conscience

In the conscience of all of us sinners there is
deadness from our former ways. This has its
effect on our present behavior, in ways we little
realize, and hinders our fitness for service to
God. But there is a remedy: the power of the
blood of Christ.

"His blood will cleanse our conscience from the
deadness of our former ways and fit us for the
service of the living God" (Heb 9:14 NEB).

This morning I was troubled about what seemed to
be a blockage deep down where I could not get at
it. I was glad it was not too deep or too strong
for the power of the blood to reach and cleanse.
Satan would try to convince me daily that I am
full of "hang-ups" which unfit me for God's
service. The blood of Christ is my answer to his
challenge. It will never lose its power.

God Cares

... we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! Romans 5: 5 (The Message)

"We don't live by faith by reading a rule book, or following a map, or working through a career development program, or following the arrows. We do not begin with things, or pieces of paper, or ideas, or feelings, or deeds, or successes. We begin with God. We dare to believe that God cares who we are, knows who we are. We dare to believe that God is the reality beyond and beneath and around all things, visible and invisible, and that he provides for us and loves and blesses and saves us."

Traveling Light


God Cares, God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson.

Free to Choose

Our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. Romans 6: 6

"When you became a Christian, the old self died. Sin hasn't died; it is still strong and appealing. But when your old self died with Christ on the cross, your relationship with sin ended forever. Does this mean you are now sinless? No, but sin's power over you is broken. You no longer have to walk after the flesh; you may now walk with the Spirit. You are free to choose."

Neil T. Anderson, Freedom in Christ.

Special Purpose

Psalm 139: 13-16 NIV

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

75 trillion cells! My thought .. inconceivable! (think Princess Bride)

From yesterday's sermon. Aaron concluded with three observations:

1. We are priceless, unique creations of God.
2. We are people of destiny -- ordained for a purpose.
3. I am wonderful.

Fame

Lord, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord.

Renew them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.

Habakkuk 3: 2 NIV


Stand in awe of God today.

Dust

Today's Devotional. Joni and Friends

"After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him." — John 13:5

I'm a little self-conscious about my wheelchair. Don't get me wrong; I've adjusted to it. But I have this thing about dressing up in nice slacks, a pretty blouse, and earrings -- and then sitting in a wheelchair that has dust on the motor casing, greasy dirt on the drive belt, or grimy fingerprints on the power box. And believe me, my wheelchair collects dust. In fact, before I enter somebody's house, I don't wipe my feet, I wipe my wheels.

It's good to keep dust from accumulating. Jesus made a point of this when he washed the dust off the disciples' feet. If you'll recall, the disciples protested at first. But Jesus reminded them that unless He washed their feet, they could have no part with Him. The Lord went on to explain that a person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet since the rest of him is clean.

As Christians, you and I have been made clean by our salvation. Yet we can't help but gather dust from walking around in a world dirtied by sin. It’s a fact: your soul gets dusty. If we don't watch it, the dust builds up into a layer of dirt. (I’m reminded of this when Ken has to clean some of my wheelchair “dust” with a scouring pad and 409). In the same way, I need to keep after my soul.

What about you? Stop and make a quick inspection. Do the bottoms of your shoes look as if you have tracked through a quarry? Well, you wouldn't think twice about wiping your feet before entering someone's home. Please show as much concern today about the dust on your soul.

* * * * *

Lord Jesus, wash me clean as I confess my lazy attitude. Show me the places in my life that have accumulated dust that you are eager to polish up.

Everything

Do everything without complaining or arguing, ..
Philippians 2: 14 NIV

Everything? Do you think this is the hardest command of all?

The Grace of God Promotes Praise

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.



But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

2 Corinthians 4: 7, 10; 12: 9


"Twice in 2 Corinthians 4 and once in 2 Corinthians 12, Paul uses the little word "that", which introduces a purpose clause. "That" means there are three purpose clauses in the three statements introduced by "that" in these passages. These three purposes reveal why God doesn't take all our troubles away. Here they are:

1. So that the power may be of God and not of us (2 Corinthians 4: 7). God doesn't take all our troubles away, so we recognize who really has the power in life to see us through.

2. So that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh (2 Corinthians 4: 10). For the same reason that God was incarnate in Jesus, God allows us to go through trouble so the glory of Jesus can shine through us and the world can see Him. Like lights hidden under clay pots, God cracks and breaks the clay pots so the light of Jesus can be revealed.

3. So that the power of Christ may rest upon us (2 Corinthians 12: 9). If we were never weak, there would be no need for the power of Christ to be near our life. But because we go through times of great weakness, the power of Christ can come upon us to save us.

In all three of these purpose statements, here's the obvious point: It's all about Jesus Christ, not us. Life is not about my problems or difficulties, it's about Jesus' ability to walk through them with me and give me grace to endure while I watch Him give me power to overcome - power I never would have realized without going through the difficult time. And the ultimate purpose and result of it all is that He might receive praise through my lips and my life."


David Jeremiah, The Confusing Paradox of Grace, Captured by Grace, p. 87.

A Deeper Drink

Jesus answered, "Every person that drinks this water will be thirsty again.
But the person that drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again.
That water I give will become like a spring of water flowing inside that person.
That water will bring that person life forever."

John 4:13-14 (ERV)


So often, we settle for facade and not substance. All too frequently, we take the shortcut and miss the destination. Only Jesus can supply the water that our thirsty souls desire. Only he can fill the emptiness and the ache. The amazing
promise of Jesus' gift, his blessing, his refreshment, is that it is lasting. This water that Jesus gives is a spring of water, not a cistern. It is living, not static or stagnant. This water gives life and this life provides more water. (Jesus' makes
clear this water is the Holy Spirit later in his ministry -- John 7:37-39.) God comes to live in us through the Holy Spirit. God fills us with his life through the Holy Spirit. God cleanses and transforms us by his Spirit. God quenches our thirst with the Holy Spirit Jesus gives.

Jimmy Turner

He Will if You Will

Elizabeth Elliott on will of God and will of man, Part 1

Title: He Will if You Will

All through the Bible we see the interworking of
the will of God and the will of man. It was God,
Creator and Sovereign, who conceived freedom for
man--the glorious likeness to Himself in "the
dignity of causality," to use Pascal's phrase.
All things are so arranged in God's universe that
He may work his will through man's exercising his
gift of a free will. It is a gift, and one which,
while it confers staggering power on us humans,
also limits the Almighty. Here lies the
tremendous mystery--that God should be
all-powerful, yet refuse to coerce. He summons us
to cooperation. We are honored in being given the
opportunity to participate in his good deeds.
Remember how He asked for help in performing his
miracles: Fill the waterpots, stretch out your
hand, distribute the loaves.

This little word of Paul's to the Corinthian
Christians contains the whole kernel of that
truth: "He will deliver us if you will cooperate
by praying" (2 Cor 1:11).

Is there something you are hoping for today?
Perhaps there is a condition you must fulfill
before the Lord can grant it. He will if you
will.

He Could Not Because They Would Not

Elizabeth Elliott on will of God and will of Man, Part 2

Title: He Could Not Because They Would Not

The other side of the coin of this amazing matter
of cooperation with God is that there are things
even God cannot do. He cannot because He has
chosen to assign certain powers to his people. If
they will not, his hands are tied.

"He did not many mighty works there because of
their unbelief"(Mt 13:58 AV).

"How often would I have gathered you . . . but ye
would not"(Mt 23:37 AV}.

Some would argue that although it is proper to
say that God will not and does not, it is not
proper to say that He cannot. I would reply that
given the terms of his relationship to us, the
people He loved and called, He cannot force us,
for He cannot deny Himself. To force us would be
to deprive us of the freedom He granted when He
made us, and thus to deny Himself.

Yet we pray, "Make me to do Thy will!" And so we
should, for in that prayer we express our will to
cooperate with Him.

"Our wills are ours to make them Thine."
(Tennyson)

Sitting Before God

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord. 2 Samuel 7: 18, RSV


"David sat. This may be the single most critical act that David ever did, the action that put him out of action - more critical than killing Goliath, more critical than honoring Saul (his enemy) as God's anointed, more critical than bringing the Ark to Jerusalem.

By sitting down, David renounced royal initiative, abdicated kingly authority, got himself out of the driver's seat, and deliberately and reverently placed himself before God his King.

When David sat down before God, it was ... trading in his plans for God's plans."

Leap Over a Wall


Sitting Before God, God's Message for Each Day, Eugene Peterson.

Practice

"To FIND A GROOVE means practice, practice and more practice."
Wynton Marsalis, jazz trumpeter (p. 72, Fortune, March 20, 2006)


Can you make any spiritual applications from this?

Tested

We are always being tested. We are tested by major changes, delayed promises, impossible situations, unanswered prayers, undeserved criticism and seemingly senseless tragedies.

An important test is how you act when you don't feel God's presence. Hezekiah experienced this: "God withdrew in order to test him and to see what was really in his heart" (2 Chronicles 32:31 NLT). Hezekiah had enjoyed close fellowship with God, but at a crucial point God left him alone to test his character, reveal his weakness, and prepare him for greater blessing.

Could that be what's happening with you?

Viewing life as a test makes you realize that nothing is insignificant. Every day is an important day and every second a growth opportunity to deepen your character, demonstrate your love and make you depend more on God.

Are you in a time of testing? If so, take strength from the promise that God never allows the tests we face to be greater than the grace He provides: "He will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, He will give you strength to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:13 TEV).

Every time you pass a test, God notices and makes plans to reward you: "When they pass the test, they will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him." (James 1:12 GWT).

So hang in there, God will bring you through this test and make you stronger and wiser.

(c)2005 Timothy L. Hudson, UGA Christian Campus Fellowship

Kerith before Carmel

GOD then told Elijah, "Get out of here, and fast. Head east and hide out at the Kerith Ravine on the other side of the Jordan River. You can drink fresh water from the brook; I've ordered the ravens to feed you."

Elijah obeyed GOD's orders. He went and camped in the Kerith canyon on the other side of the Jordan. And sure enough, ravens brought him his meals, both breakfast and supper, and he drank from the brook.

Eventually the brook dried up because of the drought.

1 Kings 17: 2-7 (The Message)

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In Talks for Growing Christians David Reid makes the point that Kerith must come before Carmel.

"Elijah had lessons to learn about provision, protection, and dependence on the Lord, which had been accomplished at Cherith. Then came Carmel, the great confrontation and victory over the prophets of Baal. It’s the same with us – we need to learn how to walk by faith before we can claim great victories for the Lord."

Majestic Lord

A description of the Lord from Revelation 1:

hair a blizzard of white,

Eyes pouring fire-blaze,

both feet furnace-fired bronze,

His voice a cataract,

His mouth a sharp-biting sword,

his face a perigee sun.

Observation: We cannot even imagine the majesty of the Lord.


"I turned and saw the voice .. and fainted dead at his feet." (verses 12, 17)


Observation: Whenwe truly see the Lord we cannot help but fall down and worship.


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Revelation 1: 10-17 (The Message)

It was Sunday and I was in the Spirit, praying. I heard a loud voice behind me, trumpet-clear and piercing: 11"Write what you see into a book. Send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea." 12I turned and saw the voice.

I saw a gold menorah

with seven branches,

13And in the center, the Son of Man,

in a robe and gold breastplate,

14hair a blizzard of white,

Eyes pouring fire-blaze,

15both feet furnace-fired bronze,

His voice a cataract,

16right hand holding the Seven Stars,

His mouth a sharp-biting sword,

his face a perigee sun.

17I saw this and fainted dead at his feet.

Busyness

"Busyness is the great affliction of modern business. Busyness is not about getting the right things done. It's about doing things. Lots of things. Probably too many things. Busyness makes profligate use of your two least replenishable resources - time and energy - and provides a return that in the investment world, would be grounds for firing your broker. Yet in the absence of a sound investment strategy, busyness happens by default."
"Making Your Work Work for You", Fortune, March 20, 2006, p. 62.

Lack of focus. Lack of purpose. In the absence of a strategy busyness happens by default. We need a strategy for our personal priorities. Otherwise, our two least replenishable resources will be wasted. What is your purpose?


The Master said, "Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it--it's the main course, and won't be taken from her."
Luke 10: 41-42 (The Message)

Promises

[God] Himself has said, "I will never leave you, nor will I ever forsake you." Hebrews 13: 5

"There are people who always look for a sign of affirmation from the Lord. They walk by sight, not by faith. To them, God is only present in the miraculous. God was "really" at the church service if something unusual happened. But God promises He will never leave or forsake us. May we be children who, instead of looking for signs, rest fully in the promises found in God's Word."

Neil T. Anderson, Freedom in Christ.

Magnification of Grace

Thy way, O God, is holy.
Psalm 77: 13, RSV


"What happens in prayer is that an awareness develops: a lot more is going on in the world than I am conscious of when I am disappointed, or hurt, or frustrated, or embittered. ...

Meditation is an intensification of awareness, of perception. When the focus of mediation is narrowly bound by feelings of self-pity, the self in isolation, the result is an intensification of misery. But if the focus in on God in the self, on God in history, on God in creation, the result is a magnification of grace: "Thy way, O God, is holy."

Where Your Treasure Is


"Magnification of Grace", God's Message for Every Day by Eugene Peterson.

Book Cover

The Christian Working Woman

Monday, March 13, 2006

I'm sure you've heard that old cliché that says, "You can't judge a book by its cover." Well, the fact is, people judge books by their covers all the time!

I've written thirteen books and am working on my next one. Every contract I've signed with various publishers has a clause in it which says something like: "Publisher shall have the right to title or alter the title of the work at any time and have exclusive control of jacket art." In other words, they don't allow me, the author, to determine what the book is titled or what the cover will look like. In fact, they go to great extents to research what the title and cover should be. Do you know why? It's because covers sell books.

When you walk into a bookstore, you have to pick up a book and browse through it before you'll buy it. And it has been proven that the attractiveness of the cover and the title are key factors in getting you to pick up a book. Once you pick it up, hopefully you'll take a look at the content and determine whether it is useful to you. But it could have great content and you'd never know it if the cover does not attract you. Covers sell books.

That's true for us, too. We are being judged by our covers all the time. Now, I could wish it were not that way. It would be a much nicer world if we would not judge people by their covers, because often we have wrong perceptions and that creates all kinds of problems. But we have to face that fact that on a regular basis, people are judging our book–us–by our cover!

I believe it is important for us as believers, going out into our everyday work worlds, to be aware that we are often being judged by our covers, and to do everything we can to make it look good. Why? Well, not because we are living to try to please people or because we need the approval of others. And certainly not because we are trying to appear to be anything that we are not. But we need to be concerned with how we are perceived because we are ambassadors for Jesus Christ, and we want to do the best job we can to represent Him favorably.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 8:21: "For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men." Also, we need to be concerned about how others perceive us because if their perception is wrong, it can hold us back and do damage to us.

Majestic

From Aaron's sermon yesterday:

"Our God is so BIG!"

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.
Psalm 8: 1 (NIV)

Anxious

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4: 6 (NIV)

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Philippians 4: 6 (The Message)

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"[Paul] does not deny that the worst things will happen finally to all of us, as indeed he must have had a strong suspicion they were soon to happen to him. He does not try to minimize them. He does not try to explain them away as God's will or God's judgment or God's method of testing our spiritual fiber. He simply tells the Philippians that in spite of them -- even in the thick of them -- they are to keep in constant touch with the One who unimaginably transcends the worst things as he also unimaginably transcends the best."

Frederick Buechner

--------

2I urge Euodia and Syntyche to iron out their differences and make up. God doesn't want his children holding grudges.
3And, oh, yes, Syzygus, since you're right there to help them work things out, do your best with them. These women worked for the Message hand in hand with Clement and me, and with the other veterans--worked as hard as any of us. Remember, their names are also in the book of life.
4Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! 5Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!
6Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. 7Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
8Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious--the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. 9Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Philippians 4: 2-9 (The Message)

Our Development Process

I'm really enjoying the "Captured by Grace" series on Turning Point.

This morning in discussing Romans 5: 3-4, David Jeremiah pointed out that we have a new process for our development.

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

First, tribulation gives us the ability to persevere; "tribulation produces perseverance." Perseverance means to live under the pressure God has allowed and not continually be looking for a way out. It means not to ask, "Why did You allow this?" but to ask, "What do You want me to learn from this?"

Second, Paul says perseverance produces character. Character means we develop the characteristics of Christ, characteristics of godliness, the ability to respond to life with a godly perspective and godly wisdom.

Finally, Paul says that character produces hope. In 2 Corinthians 4: 17 he says that "our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

Rejoice in the Lord

I've read that "rejoice" in the Greek language literally means "to boast". As David Jeremiah points out "Normally, boasting has a negative connotation -- its sounds arrogant or prideful. But in the New Testament it is used in the sense of boasting in Christ (2 Corinthians 12: 9). The prophet Jeremiah says it as well as anyone:"

23 This is what the LORD says:
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,

24 but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,"
declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 9: 23-24 (NIV)

Epitaph

Talks for Growing Christian | Friday, March 10


Compare Omri’s epitaph (1 Kings 16:25) with Asa’s epitaph (1 Kings 15:14b). What kind of an epitaph might God write for you?

But Omri did evil in the eyes of the LORD and sinned more than all those before him. 1 Kings 16:25 (NIV)

... Asa's heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life. 1 Kings 15: 14b (NIV)

Making the Mundane Meaningful

The Christian Working Woman |

Do you have any divine appointments today? If we look for them, we may discover all kinds of divine appointments in our everyday worlds. One way is to look for your divine appointments. They may be interruptions, changes of schedule, and they are usually totally unexpected. But if we look for them, we'll find lots of them.

On a business trip, I was riding in a hotel van from the airport, just me and a nice young man employed by the hotel. I was tired and only wanted to get to the hotel fast, get in my room, take off my shoes and order dinner! But as we rode along, this young man started talking about himself.

My first inclination was just to listen, nod my head and so forth, but not encourage the conversation. That's because I had been talking all day in a training seminar, and I just didn't want to talk anymore. But that inner voice kept urging me to pursue this conversation. So, he chatted about his life and his struggles, and a special girl he liked.

Finally the door opened for me to mention that I was a Christian, and he looked at me with big eyes, "You're a Christian? So am I." As the discussion continued, I learned that he's a new Christian, with some struggles and questions, but a big heart for God. So, I was able to encourage him a little bit. We sat at the hotel and talked a few more minutes, then he had to get back to work. I promised to pray for him and send him some materials, which I have.

As we parted, I said, "You know, Glenn, this was a divine appointment, wasn't it? I had intended to take a taxi to the hotel, but decided to save some money and wait for you to come. I'm glad I did." He smiled and shook his head. "I'm glad you did, too; you've been a help to me."

Divine appointments. You never know when you'll have one, so you have to be prepared and go the extra mile. It may be slightly inconvenient, but afterwards you see how God turned a mundane activity into a meaningful encounter with one of his surprising divine appointments. You know, if you look for one today, I think you'll find it.

Friday, March 10

God's Unconditional Love

Accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. Romans 15: 7

"Some parents exert authority over their children and then convey their love and acceptance after the children obey. But God's approach to His children is the opposite: love and acceptance comes first (John 3: 16; Romans 5:8). It's because of God's unconditional love for us that we want to submit to Him. Similarly, when our kids know we love them regardless of their failures, they will respond to our direction."

Neil T. Anderson, Freedom in Christ.

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I think sometimes we are afraid to talk too much about grace. If we do we might lose our ability to control someone through fear. But think about this: has anyone been so good to you that what you wanted to do in response was to take advantage of them? I think the problem is not that we talk about grace too much but that we understand God's graciousness too little.

But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I'm not about to let his grace go to waste. Haven't I worked hard trying to do more than any of the others? Even then, my work didn't amount to all that much. It was God giving me the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it. 1 Corinthians 15: 10 (The Message)

Running the Course

Today there are just too many things to do. My
natural response is to fret and fear. Both are
forbidden: Fret not. Fear not. That tells me what
not to do. What, then, should I do?

"I will run the course set out in thy
commandments, for they gladden my heart'' (Ps
119:32 NEB).

There will be both time and strength today to run
that course, for it is always possible to do the
will of God. The course He sets for us in his
commandments is not an obstacle course, but one
carefully planned to suit our
qualifications--that is, not too rigorous for our
limitations, not too lenient for our strengths.

The plan of God for me, for this one day, is
meant not to trouble but to gladden my heart.
Christ's yoke, according to his own promise, is
not hard but easy--if we bear it together with
Him and if we bear it as Christ bore it, in
meekness and lowliness of heart.

"We must run with resolution the race for which
we are entered, our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom
faith depends from start to finish" (Heb 12:2
NEB).


Copyright 1985. Elizabeth Elliott.

Life and Power

A worthy prayer:

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Ephesians 3: 16-19 (New Living Translation)

Sanctification

God wants you to be holy, so you should keep clear of all sexual sin. 1 Thessalonians 4: 3 (New Living Translation)

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"God's will for our lives is that we conform to His image. Divine guidance will never come to those whose primary goal is not first and foremost conforming to the image of God. He cares not so much about whether you are a carpenter, teacher, or doctor, but about what kind of carpenter, teacher or doctor you are."

Neil T. Anderson, Freedom in Christ

Small Things to Meaningful Things

Transcript, Christian Working Woman, Wednesday, March 8, 2006

Would you like to do something eternally significant today? I'm sure every person who knows Jesus as Savior would like to be involved in some activity that is truly important. But you're probably thinking, "I can't do anything eternally significant today. I have to go to work and type or talk to customers and all kinds of mundane, insignificant things."

It's true: most of our lives consist of a series of small, seemingly insignificant chores and duties. But remember, eternally significant doesn't mean glorious or grand. It doesn't always include Bible verses or sermons or church music.

Here is an example of how you can turn small things into meaningful things. You will probably talk to a telephone operator or receptionist sometime during your workday today or tomorrow. Do you know that people in these jobs are often treated like machines? We hardly ever think of them as people, with problems and worries and stress. They're just voices on the other end of the phone.

So, today when you talk with that telephone operator that you normally ignore, put a smile in your voice and give her or him a cheery greeting. Be polite and kind, even if you're put on hold. If you have a moment, ask them how the day is going for them.

You probably won't have the time or opportunity to quote John 3:16, but you'll have time to send a little sparkle of Jesus' love through your voice on the telephone. Then that totally mundane interaction becomes eternally significant.

Not long ago I was buying something in a store, and the clerk wasn't being very helpful. That irritated me, so I gave her my "I wish you had better customer service skills" look, and walked off. As I did, the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit said, "You blew it. You had an opportunity to show that person what Jesus is like, and instead you showed her what you're like. You missed a chance to do something significant, and you'll never have that chance with that person again."

You see, I could have smiled at that clerk, been especially kind, maybe even struck up a small conversation and asked how she was doing. Then when I walked away, that clerk would have thought, "Wow, that woman is different. Wonder why?" Instead, if she thought anything, it was probably "Customers are nothing but trouble."

Look for your opportunities today to turn mundane interactions into eternally significant happenings, as you show people what Jesus is like by the way you treat them.

A Spiritual Firewall

From Sunday's sermon Aaron encouraged us to:

1. Do an anti-virus scan on our heart every day.

He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. Mark 7: 20-22

2. We need a firewall.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10: 5 (NIV)

3. Reset our connection.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3: 2 (NIV)

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Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail. Lamentations 3: 22

His Divine Power

Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! 2 Peter 1: 3 (The Message)

"Why do some of us have difficulty with self-worth, spiritual growth, and maturity? Because Satan gets us to see ourselves as failures and sinners. Rather than let Satan's accusations against us influence our perception of identity, we need to let our identity -- as children of God in Christ -- influence our perception of self. Remember to view yourself for who you are in Christ."


Neil T. Anderson, Freedom in Christ.

May He Strengthen You

Elizabeth Elliott

Often I pray for someone whose circumstances or
needs are unknown to me. There are many prayers
in Paul's letters which may be used for almost
anyone. One of my favorites is in Colossians
1:9-12. A part of this prayer asks "May He
strengthen you, in His glorious might, with ample
power to meet whatever comes with fortitude,
patience and joy, and to give thanks to the
Father" (NEB).

That seems to cover every possibility. It does
not ask for instant solutions or reversals. It
does not call on God for miraculous deliverance
out of any trouble that might come. It asks for a
truly Christian response, by the sufficient power
of God: to meet whatever comes as a true
Christian should meet it, with the Holy Spirit's
gifts of fortitude, patience, and joy. It asks
for the power to give thanks. It takes power,
doesn't it, to thank the Father when everything
in us protests? But we find in Him (not always in
what happens to us) plenty of reason to thank Him
and plenty of power.

Authority

And along with the Spirit, a voice: "This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life." Matthew 3: 17 (The Message)

----------------


"The descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove as Jesus arose from the waters [of baptism] was associated with the dove-delivered evidence of emergent life after the flood. God's blessing to Noah, which included a comprehensive delegation of authority, has a parallel in the heavenly voice to Jesus: "This is my Son, the Beloved." The phrase is a quotation from Psalm 2 and as such is not a term of endearment but a declaration of authority: Messiah emerges from the death-dealing abyss and rules over the chaos."

Where Your Treasure Is


Declaration of Authority, God's Message for Each Day by Eugene Peterson.

The Power and Wisdom of God

"Christ - The Power and Wisdom of God"
by C.H. Spurgeon

Before I knew the gospel I gathered up a heterogeneous mass of all kinds of knowledge from here, there, and everywhere-- a bit of chemistry, a bit of botany, a bit of astronomy, and a bit of this, that, and the other. I put them altogether, in one great confused chaos.

When I learned the gospel, I got a shelf in my head to put every thing away upon just where it should be.

It seemed to me as if, when I had discovered Christ and him crucified, I had got the center of the system, so that I could see every other science revolving around in order.

From the earth, you know, the planets appear to move in a very irregular manner- some are progressive, retrograde, stationary, etc. But if you could get upon the sun, you would see them marching round in their constant, uniform, circular motion.

Likewise with human knowledge. Begin with any other science you like, and truth will seem to be amiss. But if you begin with the science of Christ crucified, you will begin with the sun- you will see every other science moving around it in complete harmony.

The greatest mind in the world will be evolved by beginning at the right end.

The old saying is, "Go from nature up to nature's God." But it is hard work going up hill. The best thing is to go from nature's God down to nature; and if you once get to nature's God, and believe him and love him, it is surprising how easy it is to hear music in the waves, and songs in the wild whisperings of the winds; to see God everywhere, in the stones, in the rocks, in the rippling brooks, and hear him everywhere, in the lowing of cattle, in the rolling of thunder, and in the fury of tempests.

Get Christ first, put him in the right place, and you will find him to be the wisdom of God in your own experience.


Amen!

Mundane

Making the Mundane Meaningful
Transcript, The Christian Working Woman

Monday, March 6, 2006

If my everyday activities were chronicled for a week or month or year, it would not be a best-seller! I doubt anyone but my mother would want to read it, and I'm not sure about her. Why? Because my life is very mundane.

You may be thinking, "Mundane? But you have a radio program and you write books and you travel a lot." True, but those activities are mostly made up of mundaneness. Sure, there are some moments that have a flare and excitement to them, but most of the time I'm involved with looking at the screen of my PC and hoping for a flash of inspiration, searching my thesaurus for the right word, stopping at the store for bread, remembering to take out the trash, watering my plants before they die, writing checks–MUNDANE!

I have dreams occasionally of being a princess and having someone to do all the mundane things for me. But it's just a dream; my life–and undoubtedly yours too–will always have a large component of mundane activities.

But one of the advantages we have as Christians, one of the great things about serving Christ is that even mundane, everyday things can have significance. Colossians 3:17 says:

"Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Whatever means everything. I know a godly woman from Houston , who has walked with the Lord for many years. Her husband once told me, "She's always the last one to leave the church because she gets stuck cleaning up the kitchen, sweeping the floors, all the dirty work." Her quiet response was, "I do it for Jesus, so what difference does it make if I'm sweeping the floor."

Cleaning a kitchen was an eternally significant activity for this dear woman, because in her heart she did it to bring glory to the Lord Jesus. Every mundane thing you and I do can have eternal significance if our heart attitude is right. That's all it takes–the right attitude.

What are the mundane things you have to do today? It's likely there are many of them. To turn them into something significant, just make sure in your heart you're doing them for Jesus. While running errands, making coffee at work, returning phone calls, or shopping for groceries, do it with a joyful and light heart; do it willingly; do it as though Jesus were right there beside you, watching how you do it. (By the way, He is, you know.) By doing those things for Jesus, the mundane becomes meaningful.