Exodus 1:15-22
15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 "When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live." 17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. 18 Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?"
19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive."
20 So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: "Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live."
If all goes well, I plan on spending the next month or so talking about Advent. Yesterday marked the first week of the season, the fourth week before Christmas lasting through the holiday. It's a beautiful season and sometimes we forget what it's all about. So I'm going to give you a little history about it.
Advent of course is one of the seasons in the Christian calendar. The other primary season is Lent, which occurs around the time of Easter. They are similar seasons in that it offers us a time to prepare for the Lord's second coming. However, in Advent, we usually recognize Jesus Christ's birth. Every year on the first Sunday of Advent, my church calls it "Hanging of the Greens" Sunday. It's a time when kids sing favorite songs to the congregation and some of the kids give us the inside scoop on things like the meaning of candy canes and what a Christmas tree symbolizes. It is also a time where the church brings in a wreath from home and hangs it up on the wall.
So why wreaths you ask? Wreaths symbolize God's eternal love for us and its indefinite end - he loves us forever and ever and ever - and, well, he has no beginning or end. The thorns on holly are remarkably similar to the crown of thorns that was worn for us and for our salvation.
Finally, candles are a symbol for Jesus being the light of the world. The four candles, one for each week in Advent, represent hope, peace, joy, and love. Thus, this week I will talk about hope.
As far as today's Scripture is concerned, relate it to this scenario:
You borrow someone's CD or mp3 player. You want to listen to some songs because your friend said they were fabulous. If you return that CD or mp3 to them in the same condition then chances are they'll let you borrow something from them again in the future. I know I would. I enjoy getting something back 'unscratched.' This shows respect for one's property and in turn, and you can be trusted.
I would call that a reward. Just because you're courteous and respectful, you have the offer to borrow something again. Similarly, God rewarded the midwives of Egypt because they did not kill the children. They may not have obeyed the government, but they certainly obeyed God (and you know the government isn't good when they command such evil).
We all know that children are a part of God's beautiful creation. It would be so unworthy do anything to hurt anything that belongs to God. As a result, the bottom line here is that if you take care of God's belongings, he will ALWAYS take care of you! Remember that the next time you ask to borrow something.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Grace and Glory.
Psalm 23:2-3
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
This scripture reading is accompanied by an abundance of cheerful and pastoral imagery. It's cheerful because it's reassuring, pastoral because it's peaceful.
I've been working on a Spanish project over the last few days. I, along with a group of friends, had to create a commercial for a Spanish-speaking country. We decided to do Ecuador. One of the things that many sources said was that many areas in Ecuador, especially along the coast, are quiet and tranquil. Still, there's some areas that are popular tourist attractions, of course.
While we didn't go to Ecuador to film this commercial, we filmed it at the beach here and it was a gorgeous day. The weather was comfortable, the sky was clear, and the water was calm.
It's those peaceful moments that sometimes go unnoticed. We don't slow down enough from our normal routine to pay attention to the pristine parts of the world. Essentially, we become selfish and unappreciative of God's creations. That's why the Lord, our Shepherd, tells us to take it easy sometimes. This may involve laying down and absorbing our surroundings.
The Lord knows that we need comfort and relief and he wants us to find those "green pastures" and "quiet waters." Once we are comforted by his beauty, he guides us to "paths of righteousness." He wants us to experience holiness. Therefore, God's priorities are GRACE followed by GLORY. He is more concerned that we notice the comforting beauty to and fro...for then it is easier to be righteous and holy.
I couldn't find the official video, but nonetheless here's a beautiful song that goes along with today's devotion: "Holiness." (The lyrics are below)
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Here's the lyrics if you want to sing along:
Holiness, holiness is what I long for
Holiness is what I need
Holiness, holiness is what You
Want from me
So, take my heart and form it
Take my mind and transform it
Take my will and conform it
To Yours, to Yours, oh, Lord
To Yours, to Yours, oh, Lord
Righteousness is what I long for
Righteousness is what I need
Righteousness, Righteousness is what
You want from me
So, take my heart and form it
Take my mind and transform it
Take my will and conform it
To Yours, to Yours, oh, Lord
To Yours, to Yours, oh, Lord
Faithfulness is what I long for
Faithfulness is what I need
Faithfulness, Faithfulness is what
You want from me
So, take my heart and form it
Take my mind and transform it
Take my will and conform it
To Yours, to Yours, oh, Lord
To Yours, to Yours, oh, Lord
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
This scripture reading is accompanied by an abundance of cheerful and pastoral imagery. It's cheerful because it's reassuring, pastoral because it's peaceful.
I've been working on a Spanish project over the last few days. I, along with a group of friends, had to create a commercial for a Spanish-speaking country. We decided to do Ecuador. One of the things that many sources said was that many areas in Ecuador, especially along the coast, are quiet and tranquil. Still, there's some areas that are popular tourist attractions, of course.
While we didn't go to Ecuador to film this commercial, we filmed it at the beach here and it was a gorgeous day. The weather was comfortable, the sky was clear, and the water was calm.
It's those peaceful moments that sometimes go unnoticed. We don't slow down enough from our normal routine to pay attention to the pristine parts of the world. Essentially, we become selfish and unappreciative of God's creations. That's why the Lord, our Shepherd, tells us to take it easy sometimes. This may involve laying down and absorbing our surroundings.
The Lord knows that we need comfort and relief and he wants us to find those "green pastures" and "quiet waters." Once we are comforted by his beauty, he guides us to "paths of righteousness." He wants us to experience holiness. Therefore, God's priorities are GRACE followed by GLORY. He is more concerned that we notice the comforting beauty to and fro...for then it is easier to be righteous and holy.
I couldn't find the official video, but nonetheless here's a beautiful song that goes along with today's devotion: "Holiness." (The lyrics are below)
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Here's the lyrics if you want to sing along:
Holiness, holiness is what I long for
Holiness is what I need
Holiness, holiness is what You
Want from me
So, take my heart and form it
Take my mind and transform it
Take my will and conform it
To Yours, to Yours, oh, Lord
To Yours, to Yours, oh, Lord
Righteousness is what I long for
Righteousness is what I need
Righteousness, Righteousness is what
You want from me
So, take my heart and form it
Take my mind and transform it
Take my will and conform it
To Yours, to Yours, oh, Lord
To Yours, to Yours, oh, Lord
Faithfulness is what I long for
Faithfulness is what I need
Faithfulness, Faithfulness is what
You want from me
So, take my heart and form it
Take my mind and transform it
Take my will and conform it
To Yours, to Yours, oh, Lord
To Yours, to Yours, oh, Lord
Friday, November 27, 2009
Taming the Tongue Part II.
James 3:9-12
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
I hope you had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving wherever you may be reading this. I might add, thank you, for taking the time out of your busy day, no matter if this is your first time or your 300th time reading my posts! I'm just so thankful I can keep this project going.
Yesterday was Thanksgiving and I talked about the obvious: being thankful. Meanwhile, on Wednesday I introduced to you the beginning of James 3. I mentioned how our tongue is one of the hardest things to train. We can boast with our tongue, lie with our tongue, hurt others with our tongue, and praise others with our tongue.
That leads us today's part of the passage. Verses 9 and 10 are very powerful and I was astonished when I heard them. I thought, "man this is so true." We can be minding our own business when all of a sudden we give someone a compliment. Then, not even five minutes have passed and we're cursing others by our discouraging words or just being downright evil. Yet, we do all this despite the fact that everyone is perfectly made according to "God's likeness."
It's so easy to do, but it's so wrong. This ties into hypocrisy: we're two-faced a lot of times. We act one way one minute, then the complete opposite the next minute.
With that said, it's highly important to work on "taming our tongue." We have to be careful what we say. Here's where the old phrase "if you have nothing nice to say don't say it all" comes in handy. I mean there's a difference between being honest and nice about something - and being honest and rude about something. You can still tell the truth, by saying it in a nice way. We have to think before we speak because quite frankly, we can't take away the words that slip off our tongue. James tells us that we can't tame our tongues, so therefore pray that God will work with you on the words that come out! The goal here is to sound like a Christian all the time, not just some of the time, or when you feel like it.
"I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet". ~Anonymous
I know it's a little late, but here's a funny video on Thanksgiving thanks to the Skit Guys; it should get the point across though
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
I hope you had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving wherever you may be reading this. I might add, thank you, for taking the time out of your busy day, no matter if this is your first time or your 300th time reading my posts! I'm just so thankful I can keep this project going.
Yesterday was Thanksgiving and I talked about the obvious: being thankful. Meanwhile, on Wednesday I introduced to you the beginning of James 3. I mentioned how our tongue is one of the hardest things to train. We can boast with our tongue, lie with our tongue, hurt others with our tongue, and praise others with our tongue.
That leads us today's part of the passage. Verses 9 and 10 are very powerful and I was astonished when I heard them. I thought, "man this is so true." We can be minding our own business when all of a sudden we give someone a compliment. Then, not even five minutes have passed and we're cursing others by our discouraging words or just being downright evil. Yet, we do all this despite the fact that everyone is perfectly made according to "God's likeness."
It's so easy to do, but it's so wrong. This ties into hypocrisy: we're two-faced a lot of times. We act one way one minute, then the complete opposite the next minute.
With that said, it's highly important to work on "taming our tongue." We have to be careful what we say. Here's where the old phrase "if you have nothing nice to say don't say it all" comes in handy. I mean there's a difference between being honest and nice about something - and being honest and rude about something. You can still tell the truth, by saying it in a nice way. We have to think before we speak because quite frankly, we can't take away the words that slip off our tongue. James tells us that we can't tame our tongues, so therefore pray that God will work with you on the words that come out! The goal here is to sound like a Christian all the time, not just some of the time, or when you feel like it.
"I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet". ~Anonymous
I know it's a little late, but here's a funny video on Thanksgiving thanks to the Skit Guys; it should get the point across though
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!
Colossians 3:17
17 And 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.
In one of my classes this week, the teacher actually gave us time to stop and think of what we were thankful for. In fact, we wrote down three things that we're thankful for. I wrote five down because I made a turkey by tracing my hand and put the five points on the 'fingers.' Being a senior in high school, teachers don't normally give us the chance to reflect on Thanksgiving, like we did in elementary school. Therefore, I took advantage of this opportunity.
In general, the lack of time to think about Thanksgiving in school coincides with how ungrateful we tend to become in life. So many things vary little from our everyday routine, so we give those activities little thought or appreciation.
That is a foolish decision on our part. Think about how well off we are compared to many other people. Millions are in poverty-stricken conditions. Millions do not have food on their table everyday. Millions do not have a home. It is unprecedented to see exactly how much we take for granted sometimes.
Each day, try to take time and thank God for all you have. Keep in mind we're not guaranteed anything and we can easily lose our home, for example, in a quick instant. Remember to pray today for those who aren't as fortunate as you.
Have a very happy Thanksgiving! Be safe.
17 And 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.
In one of my classes this week, the teacher actually gave us time to stop and think of what we were thankful for. In fact, we wrote down three things that we're thankful for. I wrote five down because I made a turkey by tracing my hand and put the five points on the 'fingers.' Being a senior in high school, teachers don't normally give us the chance to reflect on Thanksgiving, like we did in elementary school. Therefore, I took advantage of this opportunity.
In general, the lack of time to think about Thanksgiving in school coincides with how ungrateful we tend to become in life. So many things vary little from our everyday routine, so we give those activities little thought or appreciation.
That is a foolish decision on our part. Think about how well off we are compared to many other people. Millions are in poverty-stricken conditions. Millions do not have food on their table everyday. Millions do not have a home. It is unprecedented to see exactly how much we take for granted sometimes.
Each day, try to take time and thank God for all you have. Keep in mind we're not guaranteed anything and we can easily lose our home, for example, in a quick instant. Remember to pray today for those who aren't as fortunate as you.
Have a very happy Thanksgiving! Be safe.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Taming the Tongue Part I.
James 3:1-8
1 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
This is a very powerful passage from the book of James, especially starting at verse 5. It's so true. We can control most things. Take for example: our hand and what we write with using our hands. If we're writing and we don't like the way it was written we can either: delete it if it was typed, erase it if it was with a pencil, or cross it out if it was with a pen. We have control over what we say through our writing.
However, it's a bit trickier when it comes via word of mouth. Our mouth is very hard to train. Many times we can get so wrapped up in the moment that we blurt out negative, hurtful, illusive remarks. The problem is we speak before we think, instead of the other way around. Therefore, think now: not later!
When this scripture says "the tongue makes great boasts," it's so true. Anything can come out of our mouth and most of it is believable if we use just the right words. I'm not trying to pick on President Obama, but I believe he's a prime example of a "tongue that makes great boasts." He gave all of these promises in his campaign speech in the last year or so since he was inaugurated (and even before). He said he's all about "change." He said he would create more jobs and get America out of this financial crisis. Not much has changed, in my opinion.
These words sounded like "grand speeches" as the NLT version of the Bible describes it in verse 5. Obama seemed like a great leader for many and the result of much needed change across the country. I mean c'mon if he speaks very well, that must mean he's the perfect president. That's precisely where we, as Americans, went wrong in this whole situation.
I'm not saying that having any other president in office would have been better for the economic situation of the United States. I'm not saying Obama is a bad person. He does have excellent leadership skills. He's just not the most effective individual. Nobody can ever be perfect. Plus, in his defense, Obama's only been in office for 10 months now. However, I do strongly believe that Americans jumped the gun. They saw that Obama was an excellent speaker. Some voted for him just because of that characteristic without thinking of what it might mean for the country.
This is a lesson for all of us today. Don't be fooled just by someone's speeches. Words can be deceiving, among other things. Meanwhile, don't let your tongue chatter away dangerously or else it will put you in a bind. Hold back those angry, hurtful words as well. Ask God to help you control your tongue so that you don't condemn God or fool anyone. Finally, let grace and appreciation flow from your tongue as we go into the Thanksgiving holiday.
I'll finish up this discussion on "Taming the tongue" on Friday. Tomorrow I want to talk about something more Thanksgiving-like as a whole.
"A major key to a joy filled life is using your tongue as an instrument of good instead of an instrument of evil." ~Pastor Greg from Hopewell Baptist Church
1 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
This is a very powerful passage from the book of James, especially starting at verse 5. It's so true. We can control most things. Take for example: our hand and what we write with using our hands. If we're writing and we don't like the way it was written we can either: delete it if it was typed, erase it if it was with a pencil, or cross it out if it was with a pen. We have control over what we say through our writing.
However, it's a bit trickier when it comes via word of mouth. Our mouth is very hard to train. Many times we can get so wrapped up in the moment that we blurt out negative, hurtful, illusive remarks. The problem is we speak before we think, instead of the other way around. Therefore, think now: not later!
When this scripture says "the tongue makes great boasts," it's so true. Anything can come out of our mouth and most of it is believable if we use just the right words. I'm not trying to pick on President Obama, but I believe he's a prime example of a "tongue that makes great boasts." He gave all of these promises in his campaign speech in the last year or so since he was inaugurated (and even before). He said he's all about "change." He said he would create more jobs and get America out of this financial crisis. Not much has changed, in my opinion.
These words sounded like "grand speeches" as the NLT version of the Bible describes it in verse 5. Obama seemed like a great leader for many and the result of much needed change across the country. I mean c'mon if he speaks very well, that must mean he's the perfect president. That's precisely where we, as Americans, went wrong in this whole situation.
I'm not saying that having any other president in office would have been better for the economic situation of the United States. I'm not saying Obama is a bad person. He does have excellent leadership skills. He's just not the most effective individual. Nobody can ever be perfect. Plus, in his defense, Obama's only been in office for 10 months now. However, I do strongly believe that Americans jumped the gun. They saw that Obama was an excellent speaker. Some voted for him just because of that characteristic without thinking of what it might mean for the country.
This is a lesson for all of us today. Don't be fooled just by someone's speeches. Words can be deceiving, among other things. Meanwhile, don't let your tongue chatter away dangerously or else it will put you in a bind. Hold back those angry, hurtful words as well. Ask God to help you control your tongue so that you don't condemn God or fool anyone. Finally, let grace and appreciation flow from your tongue as we go into the Thanksgiving holiday.
I'll finish up this discussion on "Taming the tongue" on Friday. Tomorrow I want to talk about something more Thanksgiving-like as a whole.
"A major key to a joy filled life is using your tongue as an instrument of good instead of an instrument of evil." ~Pastor Greg from Hopewell Baptist Church
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
A Grieivng Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 4:29-32
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Today's particular scripture reading relates to the Holy Spirit and how the words that come out of our mouth can make the Holy Spirit sad, as indicated by the word "grieve." What does the Holy Spirit get sad about? When we use profane language, hand gestures, saying God's name in vain, etc. Think about it, would it be appropriate for a preacher to use bad language? No, it never has been right. Therefore, we shouldn't speak in such a way publicly, and for that matter privately.
The other thing that turns off the Holy Spirit around us is bitterness, rage, and anger. If we're bitter, we refuse to "compensate to one another, and forgive one another." Instead, don't refuse to do that. It's so important to obey God's word.
Some people use obscene language because they seem to enjoy conflict. Do your best to live without conflict. Also forgive and repent. Otherwise, there will be major problems if you let all your conflicts slip past you. Don't keep them bottled up inside either.
Lastly, to keep it short and sweet, use your words to HELP someone, not HURT someone.
Make sure you come back tomorrow. It should be a pretty interesting post.
The last band from WayFest was Casting Crowns. They were my favorite as expected. Here's one of their many songs..."Slow Fade."
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Today's particular scripture reading relates to the Holy Spirit and how the words that come out of our mouth can make the Holy Spirit sad, as indicated by the word "grieve." What does the Holy Spirit get sad about? When we use profane language, hand gestures, saying God's name in vain, etc. Think about it, would it be appropriate for a preacher to use bad language? No, it never has been right. Therefore, we shouldn't speak in such a way publicly, and for that matter privately.
The other thing that turns off the Holy Spirit around us is bitterness, rage, and anger. If we're bitter, we refuse to "compensate to one another, and forgive one another." Instead, don't refuse to do that. It's so important to obey God's word.
Some people use obscene language because they seem to enjoy conflict. Do your best to live without conflict. Also forgive and repent. Otherwise, there will be major problems if you let all your conflicts slip past you. Don't keep them bottled up inside either.
Lastly, to keep it short and sweet, use your words to HELP someone, not HURT someone.
Make sure you come back tomorrow. It should be a pretty interesting post.
The last band from WayFest was Casting Crowns. They were my favorite as expected. Here's one of their many songs..."Slow Fade."
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Monday, November 23, 2009
The Lord's Name in Vain.
Exodus 20:7
7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I was going to talk about our choice of language last week. However, I got a little side tracked. So here it is for the next few days...
What a strong statement mentioned in today's verse! This just shows that we have to be careful what we say because we could end up paying the consequences in the end. This verse is one of the ten commandments, and states that we must not use the Lord's name in vain. This doesn't just have to be with our mouth, however. It can also include our actions.
If you think about it, if we even just let God down, we're using his name in vain, such as if we worship him without any meaning. Such false promises are a devastating blow to God's name.
The obvious way of using his name in vain is by violently swearing for no reason. It's never good to curse God's name because what did he do to you? Nothing. He's loved you all this time. There's no reason we should lash out and destroy God's beautiful name.
Finally, we should not use his name lightly or without sincere meaning. God has power and he deserves, at the very least, to be recognized properly.
As a sinner, you may see yourself as guiltless when using God's name in vain. He does forgive us, right? Honestly, this is where I'm a little shaky on explaining it. I do gather that using his name in such an ungodly manner is a serious issue. He wants us to know that we will go to him when our time comes. Everyone will be judged by God. He will avenge those who use his name in vain, and being that God is living, those who commit this wrongdoing will be fearful of God. I guess if we do make the mistake we have to be sure and not do that again!
Meanwhile, I'm finishing up the series of songs today and tomorrow from the groups who were at Way Fest last weekend.
Here's Matt Redman's "Blessed Be Your Name!"
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I was going to talk about our choice of language last week. However, I got a little side tracked. So here it is for the next few days...
What a strong statement mentioned in today's verse! This just shows that we have to be careful what we say because we could end up paying the consequences in the end. This verse is one of the ten commandments, and states that we must not use the Lord's name in vain. This doesn't just have to be with our mouth, however. It can also include our actions.
If you think about it, if we even just let God down, we're using his name in vain, such as if we worship him without any meaning. Such false promises are a devastating blow to God's name.
The obvious way of using his name in vain is by violently swearing for no reason. It's never good to curse God's name because what did he do to you? Nothing. He's loved you all this time. There's no reason we should lash out and destroy God's beautiful name.
Finally, we should not use his name lightly or without sincere meaning. God has power and he deserves, at the very least, to be recognized properly.
As a sinner, you may see yourself as guiltless when using God's name in vain. He does forgive us, right? Honestly, this is where I'm a little shaky on explaining it. I do gather that using his name in such an ungodly manner is a serious issue. He wants us to know that we will go to him when our time comes. Everyone will be judged by God. He will avenge those who use his name in vain, and being that God is living, those who commit this wrongdoing will be fearful of God. I guess if we do make the mistake we have to be sure and not do that again!
Meanwhile, I'm finishing up the series of songs today and tomorrow from the groups who were at Way Fest last weekend.
Here's Matt Redman's "Blessed Be Your Name!"
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Light Shining on a Dark Path.
Psalm 119:105
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.
I don't know what it is, but whenever we get something new we often 'play with it' for only a short amount of time, maybe a month, and then we get tired of it and get sucked back into our own ways. Those of us that have been Christians for a number of years, we know we have received countless blessings from the Lord, and we can't appreciate them because we're not grateful enough or our perspective may change. We're so caught up in our current interests that we don't match that up with our purpose.
Have you ever thought about how you can identify and clarify your values and true purpose in life with a lack of fundamental truth? Without a defined purpose, you're not going very far.
Take for example, the role of maps, compasses, and GPS devices in our life today. What would it be like if we didn't have those, even if you have a very keen sense of direction? What if there's just one time that you get lost and you have no type of navigation system or a map? You would certainly get lost and confused. An additional example is waking up during the middle of the night feeling confused and lost. I still do that every now and then, especially when I sleep in a place other than home. I quickly realize, after a few seconds, where I am and then fall back asleep. Sometimes it probably relates to confusion earlier in the day.
Such disorientation, even to the slightest degree, doesn't have to occur. With God, we don't need to worry about this issue. You may not have a map handy, but if you have God then he can light our paths when they're full of darkness and guide us home.
The song "Never Alone" by Barlow Girl has some fantastic lyrics
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.
I don't know what it is, but whenever we get something new we often 'play with it' for only a short amount of time, maybe a month, and then we get tired of it and get sucked back into our own ways. Those of us that have been Christians for a number of years, we know we have received countless blessings from the Lord, and we can't appreciate them because we're not grateful enough or our perspective may change. We're so caught up in our current interests that we don't match that up with our purpose.
Have you ever thought about how you can identify and clarify your values and true purpose in life with a lack of fundamental truth? Without a defined purpose, you're not going very far.
Take for example, the role of maps, compasses, and GPS devices in our life today. What would it be like if we didn't have those, even if you have a very keen sense of direction? What if there's just one time that you get lost and you have no type of navigation system or a map? You would certainly get lost and confused. An additional example is waking up during the middle of the night feeling confused and lost. I still do that every now and then, especially when I sleep in a place other than home. I quickly realize, after a few seconds, where I am and then fall back asleep. Sometimes it probably relates to confusion earlier in the day.
Such disorientation, even to the slightest degree, doesn't have to occur. With God, we don't need to worry about this issue. You may not have a map handy, but if you have God then he can light our paths when they're full of darkness and guide us home.
The song "Never Alone" by Barlow Girl has some fantastic lyrics
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Satan Has Tricks Up His Sleeve.
Jeremiah 6:16
16 This is what the LORD says:
"Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.
But you said, 'We will not walk in it.'
Life is exciting everyday. Sometimes it's not necessarily what we would consider to be exciting, but there are many surprises in any given day that tend to catch us off guard.
In general, temptations in life usually catch us by surprise. We'll be following God's ways in life and all of a sudden reach a fork in the road. Temptation is a choice: we can fall for the trap or we ignore the trap. At any rate, we all give into the trap sometimes. Why do we give in to temptation? The answer is simply because our path with God has become old and seemingly routine. Satan tries to intervene by offering you a newer path that he claims to be worth following.
Satan claims that his way is the best. He thinks that his way is the way to immediately gain happiness and success. However, in the long term especially, we learn that there's nothing beneficial from following Satan's ways. Following Satan, steers us away from God and avoids the treasure chests (God's blessings) that would otherwise exist along God's path.
It is our job to do the opposite of what the people did as Jeremiah described as they said: "We will not walk in it." If you do as they did, you will only be at a loss and you will be torn apart.
God, help us stay on your path in exchange for the all too common lure that Satan's path is the source of immediate happiness. Let us see temptation as bringing us to ruins and your ways as fulfilling our much needed peace.
Here's the song "We Live" by Superchick.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
16 This is what the LORD says:
"Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.
But you said, 'We will not walk in it.'
Life is exciting everyday. Sometimes it's not necessarily what we would consider to be exciting, but there are many surprises in any given day that tend to catch us off guard.
In general, temptations in life usually catch us by surprise. We'll be following God's ways in life and all of a sudden reach a fork in the road. Temptation is a choice: we can fall for the trap or we ignore the trap. At any rate, we all give into the trap sometimes. Why do we give in to temptation? The answer is simply because our path with God has become old and seemingly routine. Satan tries to intervene by offering you a newer path that he claims to be worth following.
Satan claims that his way is the best. He thinks that his way is the way to immediately gain happiness and success. However, in the long term especially, we learn that there's nothing beneficial from following Satan's ways. Following Satan, steers us away from God and avoids the treasure chests (God's blessings) that would otherwise exist along God's path.
It is our job to do the opposite of what the people did as Jeremiah described as they said: "We will not walk in it." If you do as they did, you will only be at a loss and you will be torn apart.
God, help us stay on your path in exchange for the all too common lure that Satan's path is the source of immediate happiness. Let us see temptation as bringing us to ruins and your ways as fulfilling our much needed peace.
Here's the song "We Live" by Superchick.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Give What You Can.
Acts 3:1-7
1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6 Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong.
I always have to remind myself that as long as I try, that's what counts. Not everything is easy. As long as I try my best in everything, then that's pretty successful.
With that said, Peter gave as much as he could. Therefore, giving is very important. It wasn't even money like you would associate giving to be. Peter gave up his time and skills to help others. Specifically, he could heal a man, an amazing feat!
If you think that's powerful, you don't have to go very far to find more of that power. In reality, just look at your gifts. What can you possibly give? God tells us that we are all to make a contribution to his kingdom. That contribution should be God-given and everyone definitely has one. You can serve, help, teach, evangelize, or lead, for example. There's endless possibilities, but those were a few just to get you thinking. Some people have a musical talent to worship God while others may have a talent to teach others about God. Regardless, evaluate yourself and determine what gifts you have. The key question is: what can you give back to God and others?
"What we are is God's gift to us. what we become is our gift to God." ~Eleanor Powell
Here's the song "Find You Waiting" by DecembeRadio:
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6 Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong.
I always have to remind myself that as long as I try, that's what counts. Not everything is easy. As long as I try my best in everything, then that's pretty successful.
With that said, Peter gave as much as he could. Therefore, giving is very important. It wasn't even money like you would associate giving to be. Peter gave up his time and skills to help others. Specifically, he could heal a man, an amazing feat!
If you think that's powerful, you don't have to go very far to find more of that power. In reality, just look at your gifts. What can you possibly give? God tells us that we are all to make a contribution to his kingdom. That contribution should be God-given and everyone definitely has one. You can serve, help, teach, evangelize, or lead, for example. There's endless possibilities, but those were a few just to get you thinking. Some people have a musical talent to worship God while others may have a talent to teach others about God. Regardless, evaluate yourself and determine what gifts you have. The key question is: what can you give back to God and others?
"What we are is God's gift to us. what we become is our gift to God." ~Eleanor Powell
Here's the song "Find You Waiting" by DecembeRadio:
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The Good TImes and Bad.
Romans 12:15
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
If you go to a birthday party or even a Christmas party you know it's going to be fun. Often times, we get to see people who we haven't seen in a very long time. It's a time for "catch up" to figure out what's happened in each other's lives since your last meeting with them.
Meanwhile, there's always going to be the sad and gloomy times. A hospital visit or a nursing home visit can be extremely sad. These situations can be complex and overwhelming. Don't we usually try and keep ourselves occupied just so that we don't focus on anything sad? We'd rather everything was hunky dory, but that's not the case.
A true Christian friend is with you in the good times and bad. I've talked about the "shoulder to try on" before...that would be appropriate here. Even just being a good listener would be helpful to the one who is sad. Someone to talk to makes things much better. Isn't that the case for you?
This healing is because of God. He uses people to heal and help others. I believe everyone would agree that being joyous and celebratory is better than being discouraged. However, God's love is truly present in the difficult times too. It's when someone steps up and cares for us when we realize that God is good.
"Hard To Believe" by VOTA
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
If you go to a birthday party or even a Christmas party you know it's going to be fun. Often times, we get to see people who we haven't seen in a very long time. It's a time for "catch up" to figure out what's happened in each other's lives since your last meeting with them.
Meanwhile, there's always going to be the sad and gloomy times. A hospital visit or a nursing home visit can be extremely sad. These situations can be complex and overwhelming. Don't we usually try and keep ourselves occupied just so that we don't focus on anything sad? We'd rather everything was hunky dory, but that's not the case.
A true Christian friend is with you in the good times and bad. I've talked about the "shoulder to try on" before...that would be appropriate here. Even just being a good listener would be helpful to the one who is sad. Someone to talk to makes things much better. Isn't that the case for you?
This healing is because of God. He uses people to heal and help others. I believe everyone would agree that being joyous and celebratory is better than being discouraged. However, God's love is truly present in the difficult times too. It's when someone steps up and cares for us when we realize that God is good.
"Hard To Believe" by VOTA
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Sin Can Be Paralyzing.
Mark 2:3-12
3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . ." He said to the paralytic, 11 "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"
Have you ever asked yourself is Jesus God? The answer is yes! Scripture shows us that Jesus is able to heal, love, and forgive us even as we sin. Wow, now that's authority!
The paralytic in this situation has a disease that inhibits mobility and limits his activities. There's not much that can be done for that. When we sin, we often paralyze ourselves with all our pain. When we continue to sin, it takes a toll on us, devastating us even more. Just as the paralytic couldn't really get rid of his pain. There is nothing we can do with our sins besides give it to God. Also, we need to seek Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
The four friends of the paralytic were perfect role models. Even though they could not successfully carry him through the crowd, they weren't about to give up. They weren't letting anything separate themselves from God.
Now it's your turn. Show someone Jesus, especially if they are going through a difficult time.
Today, listen to the song "More Now" by Seven Glory.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . ." He said to the paralytic, 11 "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"
Have you ever asked yourself is Jesus God? The answer is yes! Scripture shows us that Jesus is able to heal, love, and forgive us even as we sin. Wow, now that's authority!
The paralytic in this situation has a disease that inhibits mobility and limits his activities. There's not much that can be done for that. When we sin, we often paralyze ourselves with all our pain. When we continue to sin, it takes a toll on us, devastating us even more. Just as the paralytic couldn't really get rid of his pain. There is nothing we can do with our sins besides give it to God. Also, we need to seek Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
The four friends of the paralytic were perfect role models. Even though they could not successfully carry him through the crowd, they weren't about to give up. They weren't letting anything separate themselves from God.
Now it's your turn. Show someone Jesus, especially if they are going through a difficult time.
Today, listen to the song "More Now" by Seven Glory.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Wayfest 2009.
2 Chronicles 5:113
13 The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang:
"He is good;
his love endures forever."
Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud,
This past Saturday I attended the annual wayfest concert that is near me. This was my second year going and it was an inspiration. Besides, seeing a number of people excited to worship God, I was pleased to see many really good Christian bands, such as Sarah Reeves, Seven Glory, VOTA, DecembeRadio, Superchick, Barlow Girl, Matt Redman, and Casting Crowns! Casting Crowns is pretty much my favorite band so that was the main reason I went.
Still, they all have unique voices and wonderful songs. There's always at least one song per artist that touches me. Aside from singing, they're great speakers too. Many times they give a testimony or mini-message during their time on stage. There's always so much to learn from every one of them.
I remember Barlow Girl asked us if we knew who we were as Christians. This kinda ties back to what I discussed last week about just "going through the motions." Honestly, I can't remember too much else of what she said, but I know she had a good message. It's just hard to distinguish between everyone's message, even just a day or so afterward.
Mark Hall, the lead singer for Casting Crowns spoke too. I knew he was good because, although I've never seen a concert, I have heard him speak at a youth conference. I remember more about what he had to say since he was the last one on stage. On Saturday night, he talked about how he feels like he sins all the time, and he's learned that he's not the only one. He stresses the importance of the church, yet says how we need to be cautious that we don't depend on others because they won't always be right there. However, God will be there. He said that in church a lot of times we name off all the people who are sick (which isn't a bad thing) but sometimes we forget to pray for ourselves and others' relationship with God.
One thing Mark said really stood out as he was talking about making a difference in the world and doing good deeds for the Kingdom of God: "Don't think you fail at anything because you can't do everything!"
For the next eight days or so, I plan to show you a song from every one of the artists mentioned above. Hope you enjoy them. Today's is "Sweet Sweet Sound" by Sarah Reeves.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
13 The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang:
"He is good;
his love endures forever."
Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud,
This past Saturday I attended the annual wayfest concert that is near me. This was my second year going and it was an inspiration. Besides, seeing a number of people excited to worship God, I was pleased to see many really good Christian bands, such as Sarah Reeves, Seven Glory, VOTA, DecembeRadio, Superchick, Barlow Girl, Matt Redman, and Casting Crowns! Casting Crowns is pretty much my favorite band so that was the main reason I went.
Still, they all have unique voices and wonderful songs. There's always at least one song per artist that touches me. Aside from singing, they're great speakers too. Many times they give a testimony or mini-message during their time on stage. There's always so much to learn from every one of them.
I remember Barlow Girl asked us if we knew who we were as Christians. This kinda ties back to what I discussed last week about just "going through the motions." Honestly, I can't remember too much else of what she said, but I know she had a good message. It's just hard to distinguish between everyone's message, even just a day or so afterward.
Mark Hall, the lead singer for Casting Crowns spoke too. I knew he was good because, although I've never seen a concert, I have heard him speak at a youth conference. I remember more about what he had to say since he was the last one on stage. On Saturday night, he talked about how he feels like he sins all the time, and he's learned that he's not the only one. He stresses the importance of the church, yet says how we need to be cautious that we don't depend on others because they won't always be right there. However, God will be there. He said that in church a lot of times we name off all the people who are sick (which isn't a bad thing) but sometimes we forget to pray for ourselves and others' relationship with God.
One thing Mark said really stood out as he was talking about making a difference in the world and doing good deeds for the Kingdom of God: "Don't think you fail at anything because you can't do everything!"
For the next eight days or so, I plan to show you a song from every one of the artists mentioned above. Hope you enjoy them. Today's is "Sweet Sweet Sound" by Sarah Reeves.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Run for Shelter.
Psalm 91:1
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Imagine it's a summer time heat wave. It's not hard for me to imagine as I live in Florida. Either way, we still get overheated no matter how accustomed we are to heat or not. Where do you go and what do you do when you need to get cooled off? If you have to stay outside the answer is probably underneath a tree or in the shade somewhere. However, if you have the opportunity you'd probably just go indoors and find an air conditioner to hug. Wherever it was, it was probably protective and more refreshing than being directly in the heat.
When it comes to God, if we seek him for shelter and a shadow of protection, he will no doubt comfort us with all we need. This is true even in the 'hottest' and most difficult parts of our lives.
God is the ultimate protector because he prevents Satan from having a complete victory over us. Instead, God has won, and he cares about us so much so that he shelters us from any remote sign of danger.
Just like you can't literally see heat, you might say you can't see God either. The truth is, however, that God can be seen with our faith and trust. In the end, God is at least present to save us from the wrath of the world and his love can definitely be sensed during any time.
“Here and hereafter, You are our Protector. In the womb of the mother, You cherish and nurture the baby.” ~Sri Guru Granth Sahib
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Imagine it's a summer time heat wave. It's not hard for me to imagine as I live in Florida. Either way, we still get overheated no matter how accustomed we are to heat or not. Where do you go and what do you do when you need to get cooled off? If you have to stay outside the answer is probably underneath a tree or in the shade somewhere. However, if you have the opportunity you'd probably just go indoors and find an air conditioner to hug. Wherever it was, it was probably protective and more refreshing than being directly in the heat.
When it comes to God, if we seek him for shelter and a shadow of protection, he will no doubt comfort us with all we need. This is true even in the 'hottest' and most difficult parts of our lives.
God is the ultimate protector because he prevents Satan from having a complete victory over us. Instead, God has won, and he cares about us so much so that he shelters us from any remote sign of danger.
Just like you can't literally see heat, you might say you can't see God either. The truth is, however, that God can be seen with our faith and trust. In the end, God is at least present to save us from the wrath of the world and his love can definitely be sensed during any time.
“Here and hereafter, You are our Protector. In the womb of the mother, You cherish and nurture the baby.” ~Sri Guru Granth Sahib
Friday, November 13, 2009
Losing Faith Because of Complacency.
Hebrews 6:4-6
4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
The Apostle Paul describes the tendency of Christians as we walk with Christ. In a sense, we become complacent and don't think it's that important to put our hearts into worshiping and understanding God.
If you can, it might help to refer back to my post on September 30 when I talked about the Prodigal Son. In short, the son stole money from his dad and then later went back to his dad while he was scared his family wouldn't accept him anymore. They did accept him and this is exactly what God is willing to do if you steal his time or if you live off a false faith. Therefore, this parable describes the opportunity for all to come back to Christ's open arms, helping to emphasize today's point. You just have to make the effort and catch it fast.
Anyone can be "brought back" to repentance. You can't renew anyone's faith, God is the only one who can do that. When I say "brought back" I don't mean coming back to salvation, because you really be 'unsaved' by God. I believe this scripture means coming back to a more meaningful and true faith, not just going with the flow.
Don't get stuck on what you've done or what good deeds you plan to do (that should just come naturally after a while). Jesus paid the ultimate price! You don't want to slap him in the face by thinking good deeds is what saves you. Also, focus on growing with God everyday, not just remaining at a steady point in your faith.
Still, each time you drift away from God and faith, it's much more difficult to come back stronger. Don't get so excited that salvation is free that you slip through the cracks. Accept that God loves you even when you mess up and continue.
Here's a great song, "The Motions" by Matthew West!
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
The Apostle Paul describes the tendency of Christians as we walk with Christ. In a sense, we become complacent and don't think it's that important to put our hearts into worshiping and understanding God.
If you can, it might help to refer back to my post on September 30 when I talked about the Prodigal Son. In short, the son stole money from his dad and then later went back to his dad while he was scared his family wouldn't accept him anymore. They did accept him and this is exactly what God is willing to do if you steal his time or if you live off a false faith. Therefore, this parable describes the opportunity for all to come back to Christ's open arms, helping to emphasize today's point. You just have to make the effort and catch it fast.
Anyone can be "brought back" to repentance. You can't renew anyone's faith, God is the only one who can do that. When I say "brought back" I don't mean coming back to salvation, because you really be 'unsaved' by God. I believe this scripture means coming back to a more meaningful and true faith, not just going with the flow.
Don't get stuck on what you've done or what good deeds you plan to do (that should just come naturally after a while). Jesus paid the ultimate price! You don't want to slap him in the face by thinking good deeds is what saves you. Also, focus on growing with God everyday, not just remaining at a steady point in your faith.
Still, each time you drift away from God and faith, it's much more difficult to come back stronger. Don't get so excited that salvation is free that you slip through the cracks. Accept that God loves you even when you mess up and continue.
Here's a great song, "The Motions" by Matthew West!
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
God's Wake Up Call.
Hebrews 10:26-31
26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
As I'm getting more and more involved in my faith, I realize that it's not possible for God to save and redeem everyone if they just say a little prayer asking God into their heart. Still, I don't want you to think that in order to be a Christian you have to follow a laundry list of rules. There's really not much to it. However, you do have to accept God and do as he would do, and do so full heartedly.
Not to scare you, but this passage tells us that God WILL judge us. That judgment can involve either conviction or vindication. The judgment in this particular passage has a connotation of conviction and condemnation. You've heard the saying, it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when...Well, it's not a matter of if a person will be judged by God, but it's a matter if their judgment will lead to conviction or vindication. In the book of Deuteronomy, he says the "wicked will be condemned."
The book of Hebrews indeed mentions that our judgment is in our own hands and the decision is ours: we must, one or the other, accept or reject the Son of God. The tricky part is that we can't just go a little bit one way and a little bit of the other. That means, don't just go to church because it's the right thing to do. Prepare your heart for the experience. Get into the right mindset. Be accepting toward the loving and merciful God so that when you are judged in the end of time, God will justify and support you for living up to his word.
26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
As I'm getting more and more involved in my faith, I realize that it's not possible for God to save and redeem everyone if they just say a little prayer asking God into their heart. Still, I don't want you to think that in order to be a Christian you have to follow a laundry list of rules. There's really not much to it. However, you do have to accept God and do as he would do, and do so full heartedly.
Not to scare you, but this passage tells us that God WILL judge us. That judgment can involve either conviction or vindication. The judgment in this particular passage has a connotation of conviction and condemnation. You've heard the saying, it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when...Well, it's not a matter of if a person will be judged by God, but it's a matter if their judgment will lead to conviction or vindication. In the book of Deuteronomy, he says the "wicked will be condemned."
The book of Hebrews indeed mentions that our judgment is in our own hands and the decision is ours: we must, one or the other, accept or reject the Son of God. The tricky part is that we can't just go a little bit one way and a little bit of the other. That means, don't just go to church because it's the right thing to do. Prepare your heart for the experience. Get into the right mindset. Be accepting toward the loving and merciful God so that when you are judged in the end of time, God will justify and support you for living up to his word.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Godliness in the Last Days.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
There are many people out there who are curious. We see something appealing and we feel the urge to pick it up, when shopping, for example. We pick up despite that says "do not touch!"
Anyways, many people are curious about when God will tell us our time on earth is over. People want to know if there will be any signs from above, such as a big bolt of lightning.
Going back to a book earlier in the new testament, Matthew, Jesus tells us to keep watch that the end would be comparable to that of the big flood. Noah, his wives, and his kids were the only ones saved in the flood. They knew it was coming, so they had to build an ark.
In today's scripture, Paul describes the way people were living in the last days. Ironically, today we continue to have people who are angry, violent, disrespectful, dishonoring, and those who have an overly exaggerated amount of pride. It's not very far off from what was mentioned.
Paul suggests that we "have nothing to do with them." Obviously, the intentions aren't to isolate yourself, but instead avoid giving into the world. That is, don't live as the world would live.
All in all, it's one of those things that you just have to trust God. In the end, he makes the decision and we have no control. The only thing we can do is to keep a grasp on our faith in God and be obedient to God, unlike those in the last days.
On a completely unrelated note, please remember the Veterans today. Pray for those who are overseas along with their families. May God bless them!
Please watch this beautiful tribute to our troops on this Veteran's Day.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
There are many people out there who are curious. We see something appealing and we feel the urge to pick it up, when shopping, for example. We pick up despite that says "do not touch!"
Anyways, many people are curious about when God will tell us our time on earth is over. People want to know if there will be any signs from above, such as a big bolt of lightning.
Going back to a book earlier in the new testament, Matthew, Jesus tells us to keep watch that the end would be comparable to that of the big flood. Noah, his wives, and his kids were the only ones saved in the flood. They knew it was coming, so they had to build an ark.
In today's scripture, Paul describes the way people were living in the last days. Ironically, today we continue to have people who are angry, violent, disrespectful, dishonoring, and those who have an overly exaggerated amount of pride. It's not very far off from what was mentioned.
Paul suggests that we "have nothing to do with them." Obviously, the intentions aren't to isolate yourself, but instead avoid giving into the world. That is, don't live as the world would live.
All in all, it's one of those things that you just have to trust God. In the end, he makes the decision and we have no control. The only thing we can do is to keep a grasp on our faith in God and be obedient to God, unlike those in the last days.
On a completely unrelated note, please remember the Veterans today. Pray for those who are overseas along with their families. May God bless them!
Please watch this beautiful tribute to our troops on this Veteran's Day.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Hang on to Your Faith and Conscience.
1 Timothy 1:19-20
19 holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. 20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.
What is it about humans that we have slip away from something after a while? Anything important we may be able to do for a short amount of time, but when something else, many times less significant, it takes precedence. Something important like exercising can fall through the cracks when you add one little thing onto your day.
The same thing happens with God. We tend to ever so slowly put God on the back burner. That's not such a smart thing to do. In the case of today's scripture, Paul advises Timothy to protect himself from the mistakes of his enemies who have lost, or "shipwrecked" their faith, as it mentions above. Thus, they no longer have a good deal of faith or a good conscience.
Faith lets you put up a fight through the toughest parts of life. If you have a good conscience, it's because you're living truthfully according to faith.
Hymenaeus and Alexander know that God's calling out for them, but they ignore him persistently and stubbornly. How can you reject something that you know is true? How can you reject such a freedom (of grace) just by going against your own conscience? That's what those two men did. As a result, the men were handed over to Satan, without God protecting them. The intentions weren't to destroy the men but to redeem and respect them.
Paul gave Satan these two men in the hopes that they will never blaspheme again because they were going against the truth according to their faith!!! According to Paul, the men will experience misery, but he had the vision of repentance.
“Let us be sure that those who come after will say of us in our time, that in our time we did everything that could be done. We finished the race; we kept them free; we kept the faith.” ~Ronald Reagan
19 holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. 20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.
What is it about humans that we have slip away from something after a while? Anything important we may be able to do for a short amount of time, but when something else, many times less significant, it takes precedence. Something important like exercising can fall through the cracks when you add one little thing onto your day.
The same thing happens with God. We tend to ever so slowly put God on the back burner. That's not such a smart thing to do. In the case of today's scripture, Paul advises Timothy to protect himself from the mistakes of his enemies who have lost, or "shipwrecked" their faith, as it mentions above. Thus, they no longer have a good deal of faith or a good conscience.
Faith lets you put up a fight through the toughest parts of life. If you have a good conscience, it's because you're living truthfully according to faith.
Hymenaeus and Alexander know that God's calling out for them, but they ignore him persistently and stubbornly. How can you reject something that you know is true? How can you reject such a freedom (of grace) just by going against your own conscience? That's what those two men did. As a result, the men were handed over to Satan, without God protecting them. The intentions weren't to destroy the men but to redeem and respect them.
Paul gave Satan these two men in the hopes that they will never blaspheme again because they were going against the truth according to their faith!!! According to Paul, the men will experience misery, but he had the vision of repentance.
“Let us be sure that those who come after will say of us in our time, that in our time we did everything that could be done. We finished the race; we kept them free; we kept the faith.” ~Ronald Reagan
Monday, November 9, 2009
God's Reaction to Disobedience.
Psalm 78:35-39
35 They remembered that God was their Rock,
that God Most High was their Redeemer.
36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths,
lying to him with their tongues;
37 their hearts were not loyal to him,
they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 Yet he was merciful;
he forgave their iniquities
and did not destroy them.
Time after time he restrained his anger
and did not stir up his full wrath.
39 He remembered that they were but flesh,
a passing breeze that does not return.
When someone doesn't obey you, it makes you upset, right? It seems that parents have a hard time when their kids don't obey them. Take SuperNanny, for example. On television, the Nanny comes to the rescue when the children become absolutely horrendous and there's no respect at all. She comes in disturbed by the behavior, but works it out with the parents.
We've all been disrespectful at some point. Think about how many times we're disobedient to God. Anytime we are disobedient to him, he says he gets upset. My Bible puts this passage, along with others I'll be mentioning this week under the topic of "backsliding." It states backsliding is "departure from a life of a faith and obedience to God."
Notice that God's people were claiming that he was great and almighty. Then, they curse him with whatever words come out of their mouths (which reminds me of James 3:9...With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.) Isn't that true? We're so contradictory with our words...but that's something to be discussed, perhaps next week.
I don't know about you, but sometimes I forget that God can get mad. I think he's just a happy, smiling God all the time. However, it's in scriptures like these that I find that speculation to be wrong. The Lord despises disobedience and being fake. However, he has a controlled since of anger, unlike us humans sometimes. He's merciful and graceful. Therefore, he is forgiving and understanding of our sinful nature. Thank God for that!
Still, don't go about your day without this affecting you. Let this be a message to you saying to be loyal to God.
35 They remembered that God was their Rock,
that God Most High was their Redeemer.
36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths,
lying to him with their tongues;
37 their hearts were not loyal to him,
they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 Yet he was merciful;
he forgave their iniquities
and did not destroy them.
Time after time he restrained his anger
and did not stir up his full wrath.
39 He remembered that they were but flesh,
a passing breeze that does not return.
When someone doesn't obey you, it makes you upset, right? It seems that parents have a hard time when their kids don't obey them. Take SuperNanny, for example. On television, the Nanny comes to the rescue when the children become absolutely horrendous and there's no respect at all. She comes in disturbed by the behavior, but works it out with the parents.
We've all been disrespectful at some point. Think about how many times we're disobedient to God. Anytime we are disobedient to him, he says he gets upset. My Bible puts this passage, along with others I'll be mentioning this week under the topic of "backsliding." It states backsliding is "departure from a life of a faith and obedience to God."
Notice that God's people were claiming that he was great and almighty. Then, they curse him with whatever words come out of their mouths (which reminds me of James 3:9...With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.) Isn't that true? We're so contradictory with our words...but that's something to be discussed, perhaps next week.
I don't know about you, but sometimes I forget that God can get mad. I think he's just a happy, smiling God all the time. However, it's in scriptures like these that I find that speculation to be wrong. The Lord despises disobedience and being fake. However, he has a controlled since of anger, unlike us humans sometimes. He's merciful and graceful. Therefore, he is forgiving and understanding of our sinful nature. Thank God for that!
Still, don't go about your day without this affecting you. Let this be a message to you saying to be loyal to God.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Don't Flirt with SIn.
Romans 6:13
13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
Do you ever wonder why we do things sometimes or what our purpose is? Many times, in hindsight, we don't really see a reason for certain things. We think, wow, if I would have done this instead, I could be heading down a completely different path right now.
The Bible tells us our body is like a temple. Therefore, we are to glorify God with what we do with our bodies. Our body is constantly soaking up the sin that invades the world. However, because of Jesus Christ, our dead body from all that sin is transformed into a body that's alive. We have to pull ourselves out of the saturating sin of the world because Christ saved us - he died and rose again!
Those sins that we committed a long time ago, we need to just let blow away in the wind. With Christ, our past shouldn't really matter anymore. In fact, it doesn't! There's always a renewed hope that you can experience. God can help you accept that fact at any time.
If we live in the spirit, we can live in the present, FOR God. That's the least we can do.
Are you attracted to sin in the sense that you can't let it go? If so, ask the gracious God help you forget about it and to help you commit your life to him and to him alone.
13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
Do you ever wonder why we do things sometimes or what our purpose is? Many times, in hindsight, we don't really see a reason for certain things. We think, wow, if I would have done this instead, I could be heading down a completely different path right now.
The Bible tells us our body is like a temple. Therefore, we are to glorify God with what we do with our bodies. Our body is constantly soaking up the sin that invades the world. However, because of Jesus Christ, our dead body from all that sin is transformed into a body that's alive. We have to pull ourselves out of the saturating sin of the world because Christ saved us - he died and rose again!
Those sins that we committed a long time ago, we need to just let blow away in the wind. With Christ, our past shouldn't really matter anymore. In fact, it doesn't! There's always a renewed hope that you can experience. God can help you accept that fact at any time.
If we live in the spirit, we can live in the present, FOR God. That's the least we can do.
Are you attracted to sin in the sense that you can't let it go? If so, ask the gracious God help you forget about it and to help you commit your life to him and to him alone.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Setting Goals.
Proverbs 16:3
3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
and your plans will succeed.
Have you ever made a goal for yourself, at least in the short term? I'm sure everyone has at some point, even if it involves something as simple as stating what you plan to get done tomorrow.
I constantly make goals, especially short term, and don't always succeed. I tell myself I'm going to get this and this done, when sometimes, I don't quite get there.
In this Proverb, I feel confidence being conveyed. If only I could trust the Lord to help me accomplish everything, then I WILL be successful. Instead, I usually put all the pressure on myself to get the job done. In reality, I'm only making myself more discouraged.
If you glorify God, then you are surrendering to his will. It is impossible to guide ourselves alone, so that's why we need God. God wants to bless our lives with his plan. However, that means we have to set aside our selfish ambitions. He does this so we can eternally benefit.
Lord, let us accept your will so that we can glorify your name. Lead us to your grace!
3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
and your plans will succeed.
Have you ever made a goal for yourself, at least in the short term? I'm sure everyone has at some point, even if it involves something as simple as stating what you plan to get done tomorrow.
I constantly make goals, especially short term, and don't always succeed. I tell myself I'm going to get this and this done, when sometimes, I don't quite get there.
In this Proverb, I feel confidence being conveyed. If only I could trust the Lord to help me accomplish everything, then I WILL be successful. Instead, I usually put all the pressure on myself to get the job done. In reality, I'm only making myself more discouraged.
If you glorify God, then you are surrendering to his will. It is impossible to guide ourselves alone, so that's why we need God. God wants to bless our lives with his plan. However, that means we have to set aside our selfish ambitions. He does this so we can eternally benefit.
Lord, let us accept your will so that we can glorify your name. Lead us to your grace!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Unity in God First.
Psalm 133
1 How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!
2 It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron's beard,
down upon the collar of his robes.
3 It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.
The key word from this chapter, yes that's the whole chapter of Psalm 133, is unity. It's such an important matter. I think we all desire to be in unity at least at some point.
Normally unity makes us content. Close your eyes and think of some of your favorite memories. Chances are, they weren't when you were at home alone. They were probably when you were with your family and friends elsewhere. A sports team really understands the importance of unity. If your team wins, you can see the benefits of unity. Doing something in unity is basically effortless, but if you do the same thing alone, it can be very challenging.
God wants us to live in unity and harmony: think about working in his kingdom as "the body of Christ." When we intermingle and are interconnected in such a way, this also helps to satisfy our inner peace we've been talking about all week.
Of course, God comes first. Therefore, we need to live in unity with God before others. If you can live in unity with God, then it should be easy to live in unity with others. Make sure your relationship with God is strong and everlasting, then strengthen the unity amongst your family and close friends. In order to have unity in others, look in the beauty of God's people, don't look at the differences and shortcomings because that will make it more difficult to arrive at a point of unity.
1 How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!
2 It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron's beard,
down upon the collar of his robes.
3 It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.
The key word from this chapter, yes that's the whole chapter of Psalm 133, is unity. It's such an important matter. I think we all desire to be in unity at least at some point.
Normally unity makes us content. Close your eyes and think of some of your favorite memories. Chances are, they weren't when you were at home alone. They were probably when you were with your family and friends elsewhere. A sports team really understands the importance of unity. If your team wins, you can see the benefits of unity. Doing something in unity is basically effortless, but if you do the same thing alone, it can be very challenging.
God wants us to live in unity and harmony: think about working in his kingdom as "the body of Christ." When we intermingle and are interconnected in such a way, this also helps to satisfy our inner peace we've been talking about all week.
Of course, God comes first. Therefore, we need to live in unity with God before others. If you can live in unity with God, then it should be easy to live in unity with others. Make sure your relationship with God is strong and everlasting, then strengthen the unity amongst your family and close friends. In order to have unity in others, look in the beauty of God's people, don't look at the differences and shortcomings because that will make it more difficult to arrive at a point of unity.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Carrying Others' Burdens Part II.
Exodus 23:5
5 If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it.
Yesterday I told you about the story of a girl trying to help another girl fix her doll. When she couldn't help, they cried together.
In other words, the girl who tried to help fix the doll, ended up carrying the other girl's burden, at the least. They are so many ways in which you can carry someone else's burden:
1. Listen to everything, but don't pretend. That means it's not time to think about yourself! If you're a good listener, you put yourself in the other person's shoes and empathize. If you truly listen, you are curious and want to find out more about what someone is experiencing. Therefore, you care about the person if you listen with all your heart.
2. Encourage the person while you talk them through such a difficult time. Sometimes they just need to hear a few words.
3. Pray for the person who feels burdened. The prayer can be done alone, but it would be awesome if you could pray out loud with that person. I understand that not everyone believes in God. However, by this time in the process, you've already been so compassionate; you can extend that compassion and be the evidence of the inner peace that God provides if you show that person what you believe! By sharing with one another, comfort can replace any burden.
5 If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it.
Yesterday I told you about the story of a girl trying to help another girl fix her doll. When she couldn't help, they cried together.
In other words, the girl who tried to help fix the doll, ended up carrying the other girl's burden, at the least. They are so many ways in which you can carry someone else's burden:
1. Listen to everything, but don't pretend. That means it's not time to think about yourself! If you're a good listener, you put yourself in the other person's shoes and empathize. If you truly listen, you are curious and want to find out more about what someone is experiencing. Therefore, you care about the person if you listen with all your heart.
2. Encourage the person while you talk them through such a difficult time. Sometimes they just need to hear a few words.
3. Pray for the person who feels burdened. The prayer can be done alone, but it would be awesome if you could pray out loud with that person. I understand that not everyone believes in God. However, by this time in the process, you've already been so compassionate; you can extend that compassion and be the evidence of the inner peace that God provides if you show that person what you believe! By sharing with one another, comfort can replace any burden.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Carrying Others' Burdens.
Galatians 6:2
2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
I heard a story once that went something like this:
A girl from a little town walked to the nearest store to get eggs. She was gone for two hours. During this time her mother was extremely worried because it was an unusually long amount of time for the little girl to be out alone. Once she finally returned home, her mom yelled at her at the top of her lungs. The mother asked, "Where were you and what on earth were you doing?" The girl replied, "Mom, it's okay, I'm sorry, I just had to fix Lizzy's doll." The mother then said, "What do you know about fixing dolls?" The girl honestly claimed, "You see, I wasn't able to fix her doll, so I sat down with her and cried."
The little girl was doing just as Galatians tells us to do, which is to "carry each other's burdens." Sometimes you can't physically help someone in their situation. However, your presence, is all that really matters. Be kind to others, be a good listener, and even let a friend cry on your shoulders. This is what Jesus asks us to do - love our neighbor as ourselves. Your friend will definitely be grateful if you love them in such a way.
Compassion and love sure go a long way. Having that person to turn to when everything is all wrong is wonderful. Showing the same degree of compassion as the little girl is what helps to rebuild that inner peace that everyone needs, as I mentioned yesterday.
2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
I heard a story once that went something like this:
A girl from a little town walked to the nearest store to get eggs. She was gone for two hours. During this time her mother was extremely worried because it was an unusually long amount of time for the little girl to be out alone. Once she finally returned home, her mom yelled at her at the top of her lungs. The mother asked, "Where were you and what on earth were you doing?" The girl replied, "Mom, it's okay, I'm sorry, I just had to fix Lizzy's doll." The mother then said, "What do you know about fixing dolls?" The girl honestly claimed, "You see, I wasn't able to fix her doll, so I sat down with her and cried."
The little girl was doing just as Galatians tells us to do, which is to "carry each other's burdens." Sometimes you can't physically help someone in their situation. However, your presence, is all that really matters. Be kind to others, be a good listener, and even let a friend cry on your shoulders. This is what Jesus asks us to do - love our neighbor as ourselves. Your friend will definitely be grateful if you love them in such a way.
Compassion and love sure go a long way. Having that person to turn to when everything is all wrong is wonderful. Showing the same degree of compassion as the little girl is what helps to rebuild that inner peace that everyone needs, as I mentioned yesterday.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Peace and Contentment.
Jeremiah 6:13-14
13 "From the least to the greatest,
all are greedy for gain;
prophets and priests alike,
all practice deceit.
14 They dress the wound of my people
as though it were not serious.
'Peace, peace,' they say,
when there is no peace.
How do you define peace? The problem with instinct in this case is that the first definition of the word that comes to mind can be misleading. Traditionally and politically, peace would be the opposite of war, correct? However, peace can also be defined as living in harmony while in a relationship; little disagreement; tranquility within yourself. There's peace from an exterior perspective and there's peace from an internal perspective.
Notice how Jeremiah describes the people as being greedy, and as a result, they become discontented. Their thoughts were misled and skewed. In verse 14, it describes the people covering up the problem as if nothing ever happened. Similar to when a stack of books hides your all important pen, the people's greed is being covered up by ignoring their inner emotions.
Are you doing the same thing to yourself? Are you putting a band-aid on the problem to cover up the sore without putting ointment creme on it first. If so, you're robbing yourself of that inner peace that you deserve. You may be pretending that everything is hunky dory on the outside, but on the inside it really isn't. This often shows up in relationships. Even though it seems difficult to confront the person directly, and the pain of holding it in may seem like a quick cover up, an inner peace can't ever be gained that way.
Talk to God if you're having a challenging time getting rid of the junk. Discuss the situation with the person who is involved in it. Chances are, they're in the same boat - trying to get over the hump - looking for inner peace just like you!
"Acceptance of others, their looks, their behaviors, their beliefs, bring you an inner peace and tranquility -- instead of anger and resentment." ~Unknown
13 "From the least to the greatest,
all are greedy for gain;
prophets and priests alike,
all practice deceit.
14 They dress the wound of my people
as though it were not serious.
'Peace, peace,' they say,
when there is no peace.
How do you define peace? The problem with instinct in this case is that the first definition of the word that comes to mind can be misleading. Traditionally and politically, peace would be the opposite of war, correct? However, peace can also be defined as living in harmony while in a relationship; little disagreement; tranquility within yourself. There's peace from an exterior perspective and there's peace from an internal perspective.
Notice how Jeremiah describes the people as being greedy, and as a result, they become discontented. Their thoughts were misled and skewed. In verse 14, it describes the people covering up the problem as if nothing ever happened. Similar to when a stack of books hides your all important pen, the people's greed is being covered up by ignoring their inner emotions.
Are you doing the same thing to yourself? Are you putting a band-aid on the problem to cover up the sore without putting ointment creme on it first. If so, you're robbing yourself of that inner peace that you deserve. You may be pretending that everything is hunky dory on the outside, but on the inside it really isn't. This often shows up in relationships. Even though it seems difficult to confront the person directly, and the pain of holding it in may seem like a quick cover up, an inner peace can't ever be gained that way.
Talk to God if you're having a challenging time getting rid of the junk. Discuss the situation with the person who is involved in it. Chances are, they're in the same boat - trying to get over the hump - looking for inner peace just like you!
"Acceptance of others, their looks, their behaviors, their beliefs, bring you an inner peace and tranquility -- instead of anger and resentment." ~Unknown
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