Donald, in my home group, gave me a book called The Malaria Capers. This was written almost 20 years ago by a scientist/researcher named Robert Desowitz who was involved in Africa and Asia in the study of malaria, kala azar and other diseases caused by parasites.
To be a "technical" writing, it is an interesting and easy read. The story traces the history of the pursuit of the source and transmission of malaria. Donald gave it to me because I have spoken several times of my desire to go to Kenya with our church as part of a missions team. I'm not sure if he was trying to give me knowledge, scare me, dissuade me or what but reading this has heightened my desire to go.
So much of the world lives in such abject poverty with unclean water and unsanitary homes and villages because of a lack of proper sewage. The life span in many third world countries is 50...if you make it past childhood.
Most of this story takes place in India or nearby regions, rather than Africa where I hope to go, but it just breaks my heart to read of the suffering and hopelessness that pervades the life of so many. I don't know how I can help or what I can do but I think I can do SOMETHING!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Springtime
I love the spring. I love the longer days, the cool mornings and warm afternoons, the flowers and trees that are blooming - and the greening of the trees. I love going to the park for lunch and playing outside with my grandchildren. I love the blue skies and the smells and sounds of spring.
What I love most about spring is that it reminds me of God's faithfulness. After the barrenness of winter, trees with no leaves, skies often gray, wind and rain, short days and long nights, year after year spring comes.
Spring is rebirth, everything new and fresh, second chances. That's what God has promised for me. Jesus died to give me new life, to make me a new creation, to fulfill promises made long ago. Every time I screw up and ask for forgiveness, God forgives. God makes new opportunities for me to serve Him, new friends to laugh and cry with, new awareness of His presence, new understanding of His word.
What I love most about spring is that it reminds me of God's faithfulness. After the barrenness of winter, trees with no leaves, skies often gray, wind and rain, short days and long nights, year after year spring comes.
Spring is rebirth, everything new and fresh, second chances. That's what God has promised for me. Jesus died to give me new life, to make me a new creation, to fulfill promises made long ago. Every time I screw up and ask for forgiveness, God forgives. God makes new opportunities for me to serve Him, new friends to laugh and cry with, new awareness of His presence, new understanding of His word.
If...then
I'm continuing to read in 2 Chronicles. There are so many "if...then" statements in chapters 6 & 7 from both Solomon in his prayer and from God in his response to Solomon. Solomon's if then's are predominately about IF the people sin or forsake God in some way but realize it and pray for forgiveness, THEN God, please listen to their plea and forgive and heal.
God's response includes a frequently quoted verses, 2 Chronicles 7:14. Walking close to God requires commitment to His ways. I can not expect God to do for me if I am not willing to give Him my all. That's not to negate the fact that God can do anything He wants. He used pagan kings to accomplish His purpose. Some of the kings of Israel and Judah did evil in God's sight but He allowed them to rule for many years. He took many of the most unlikely men and women, murderers, liars, prostitutes, thieves and adulterers, and used them to accomplish His purpose and to bring glory to His name.
But...IF we confess our sins, THEN He is faithful to forgive us. IF I am willing to lose my life for Jesus, THEN I will save it. The paradox of following Christ.
God's response includes a frequently quoted verses, 2 Chronicles 7:14. Walking close to God requires commitment to His ways. I can not expect God to do for me if I am not willing to give Him my all. That's not to negate the fact that God can do anything He wants. He used pagan kings to accomplish His purpose. Some of the kings of Israel and Judah did evil in God's sight but He allowed them to rule for many years. He took many of the most unlikely men and women, murderers, liars, prostitutes, thieves and adulterers, and used them to accomplish His purpose and to bring glory to His name.
But...IF we confess our sins, THEN He is faithful to forgive us. IF I am willing to lose my life for Jesus, THEN I will save it. The paradox of following Christ.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
The Word Is Alive
One of the reasons I like reading the Bible from beginning to end is the continuity of the story but for me, reading this way helps bring it to life.
In Hebrews 4:12, we are told the word of God is living and active. As I read through the Bible I am able to see how God reveals Himself to His people; how He cares for them, instructs them, disciplins them; how faithful God is even when His people are not; how mighty and strong God is; how loving and tender God is; how God HATES sin but loves people - to the point of sacrificing His own Son to pay the penalty for sin for all mankind.
I read a lot. All kinds of books, fiction and non-fiction, but the Bible is the most fascinating book I ever read. I read it over and over and every time God shows me something different, something I have not seen before. Or perhaps I've read a familiar verse many times but this time God shows me a new insight. Of course, a lot of what I get out of my reading depends on where I am in my walk with God. The longer I walk with Him and the more I desire to get closer to Him, the more He shows me, the more He teaches me.
The Bible is my personal invitation from God to get to know Him in very personal ways. So I read it - not every day like I should - but 5 or 6 days a week. Sometimes it's in the morning, sometimes at night. I read it because I want to see "what will happen next", not just in the story I am reading but in my own life. Some days I have to make myself put it down because I have other things I need to do - like work or sleep or laundry or grocery shopping or something.
However, all of this an exercise in futility if I don't DO what it says. If I don't love or give or worship or repent or anything else that God pricks my heart with, then it's just another book to me. Reading to read is not the purpose; knowing and doing God's will as He reveals it to me from His word is the purpose.
In Hebrews 4:12, we are told the word of God is living and active. As I read through the Bible I am able to see how God reveals Himself to His people; how He cares for them, instructs them, disciplins them; how faithful God is even when His people are not; how mighty and strong God is; how loving and tender God is; how God HATES sin but loves people - to the point of sacrificing His own Son to pay the penalty for sin for all mankind.
I read a lot. All kinds of books, fiction and non-fiction, but the Bible is the most fascinating book I ever read. I read it over and over and every time God shows me something different, something I have not seen before. Or perhaps I've read a familiar verse many times but this time God shows me a new insight. Of course, a lot of what I get out of my reading depends on where I am in my walk with God. The longer I walk with Him and the more I desire to get closer to Him, the more He shows me, the more He teaches me.
The Bible is my personal invitation from God to get to know Him in very personal ways. So I read it - not every day like I should - but 5 or 6 days a week. Sometimes it's in the morning, sometimes at night. I read it because I want to see "what will happen next", not just in the story I am reading but in my own life. Some days I have to make myself put it down because I have other things I need to do - like work or sleep or laundry or grocery shopping or something.
However, all of this an exercise in futility if I don't DO what it says. If I don't love or give or worship or repent or anything else that God pricks my heart with, then it's just another book to me. Reading to read is not the purpose; knowing and doing God's will as He reveals it to me from His word is the purpose.
Generous giving
I've just finished reading 1 Chronicles. Throughout the books of Kings and Chronicles, when there are stories of David, many prayers David prayed are recorded for our inspiration. One such prayer for me is in 1 Chronicles 29:10-20.
Just prior to this prayer, David has called all the leaders of Israel together to let them know that he had started making provision for the temple - the house for the Lord - to be built. David wanted to build it himself but God said he could not but Solomon, his son, would build it. David had accumulated gold and silver and bronze and iron and wood and marble.
David had already gathered up 100,000 talents of gold (a talent was about 75 pounds) and 1M talents of silver. Now King David is asking the people to join him in giving to the Lord's house and they do. The amounts that were given were staggering - at least to me.
What stands out to me most is verse 9...they made their offering willingly and wholeheartedly. This offering is what prompted David's prayer. David states more than once that he and the people are only giving what God has already given to them; that everything belongs to God and they are just giving it back.
That is the real crux of generous giving - recognizing that none of it is mine. That all I have and all I am comes from God and when he asks me to give back I should do so generously and willingly with wholehearted devotion to Him.
Just prior to this prayer, David has called all the leaders of Israel together to let them know that he had started making provision for the temple - the house for the Lord - to be built. David wanted to build it himself but God said he could not but Solomon, his son, would build it. David had accumulated gold and silver and bronze and iron and wood and marble.
David had already gathered up 100,000 talents of gold (a talent was about 75 pounds) and 1M talents of silver. Now King David is asking the people to join him in giving to the Lord's house and they do. The amounts that were given were staggering - at least to me.
What stands out to me most is verse 9...they made their offering willingly and wholeheartedly. This offering is what prompted David's prayer. David states more than once that he and the people are only giving what God has already given to them; that everything belongs to God and they are just giving it back.
That is the real crux of generous giving - recognizing that none of it is mine. That all I have and all I am comes from God and when he asks me to give back I should do so generously and willingly with wholehearted devotion to Him.
Unleash 09
It is now Saturday morning after Thursday spent at Unleash 09 at NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC. I am finally beginning to feel that I have recouped physically from the experience. I don't want to recoup from the spiritual and emotional experience.
To say I was tired when I got home is the understatement of the year. I was up at 4:15 Thursday morning to be in Anderson (50 minute drive) by 6 a.m. Once there it was full steam ahead for the next 12 hours. I sat down 3 times during the day, once on a concrete floor, for a total of 30 - 45 minutes. The rest of the time I was walking or standing or talking to people and smiling - always smiling! Physically, it was a very hard day. I got home about 8:15 Thursday night after a drive through the country and stopping for supper.
Would I do it again? Absolutely!! There were about 3000 people at my church from all over the USA and the world (at least I know there were people there from the UK). I personally talked to people from New Hampshire, Virginia, Oklahoma, California, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, New Jersey and South Carolina. I talked to several church planters some with churches from 2 to 6 years old and one couple with a church launching in 2 weeks.
All these people had come to Anderson to hear my pastor, Perry Noble speak, and his staff lead breakout sessions to tell the attendees what God is doing in our area of His kingdom. Will they all agree with Perry and the things he said? No, but that is okay because Perry is always faithful to say what God lays on his heart without fear of man's liking it or not.
It was a WONDERFUL day for me as a volunteer. And I was smart enough to ask off for 2 days so I didn't have to go to work on Friday. Woo Hoo!! So now my old body and brain are just about back to normal. Of course, I have friends who would say they were never normal to begin with.
To say I was tired when I got home is the understatement of the year. I was up at 4:15 Thursday morning to be in Anderson (50 minute drive) by 6 a.m. Once there it was full steam ahead for the next 12 hours. I sat down 3 times during the day, once on a concrete floor, for a total of 30 - 45 minutes. The rest of the time I was walking or standing or talking to people and smiling - always smiling! Physically, it was a very hard day. I got home about 8:15 Thursday night after a drive through the country and stopping for supper.
Would I do it again? Absolutely!! There were about 3000 people at my church from all over the USA and the world (at least I know there were people there from the UK). I personally talked to people from New Hampshire, Virginia, Oklahoma, California, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, New Jersey and South Carolina. I talked to several church planters some with churches from 2 to 6 years old and one couple with a church launching in 2 weeks.
All these people had come to Anderson to hear my pastor, Perry Noble speak, and his staff lead breakout sessions to tell the attendees what God is doing in our area of His kingdom. Will they all agree with Perry and the things he said? No, but that is okay because Perry is always faithful to say what God lays on his heart without fear of man's liking it or not.
It was a WONDERFUL day for me as a volunteer. And I was smart enough to ask off for 2 days so I didn't have to go to work on Friday. Woo Hoo!! So now my old body and brain are just about back to normal. Of course, I have friends who would say they were never normal to begin with.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
The Question Doesn't Change
I was reading 1 Chronicles 17 about David's desire to build a house for the Lord and God's response to David through Nathan the prophet. What struck me were all the declarations God made: I have not; I brought up; I have gone; I have moved; I speak; I commanded; I took; I have been; I will make; I will appoint; I appointed; I will subdue; I declare; I will raise up; I will establish; I will be; I will not; I will confirm. God's telling David, and me, that it's ALL about Him.
David's response to this was "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have brought me thus far?" That's really the question of the hour to me...who am I that You, God, have blessed me with salvation, family, health, home, friends, security, transportation, clothes, food, intelligence, work, sunsets, dreams, abilities, confidence, flowers, song birds, and the list goes on. I am NOBODY! Wait that is not right...I am a daughter of the Most High God, a bride of Jesus Christ, my FATHER lives in Heaven and created the universe! But that still begs the question - who am I that I should be chosen?
Open my mind, my eyes and ears, my heart to know how best I can worship You; how to fulfill the destiny You have for me. I do not believe that You are finished with me yet and the best is yet to be!
David's response to this was "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have brought me thus far?" That's really the question of the hour to me...who am I that You, God, have blessed me with salvation, family, health, home, friends, security, transportation, clothes, food, intelligence, work, sunsets, dreams, abilities, confidence, flowers, song birds, and the list goes on. I am NOBODY! Wait that is not right...I am a daughter of the Most High God, a bride of Jesus Christ, my FATHER lives in Heaven and created the universe! But that still begs the question - who am I that I should be chosen?
Open my mind, my eyes and ears, my heart to know how best I can worship You; how to fulfill the destiny You have for me. I do not believe that You are finished with me yet and the best is yet to be!
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