I am so excited about a couple of new opportunities that have come my way recently. I have just started volunteering every Tuesday to assist Adrienne with Care Team follow-ups through phone calls and emails, as well as appointments with women at the NewSpring offices. Reaching out to those who are hurting and/or are far from God will be a challenge. Especially those who think they are "saved" but cannot give a clear, appropriate Jesus) salvation story. I hope to be able to help them take the necessary steps to be absolutely sure they have a personal relationship with God and then encourage them to surrender everything to Him.
Although the assisting Adrienne was not on my list of things to do, I did approach Kevin about doing a monthly communication with the Production Team...a short, newsy email with birthdays and new team members and simple reminders. Sent the first one this morning and have already received positive feedback. As the only woman (got 2 in the wings, maybe) and definitely the oldest person on the team I think I am the appropriate person to be the nurturer of the team. This is something I think we have been missing as a team.
The only thing I think negatively about all this is how will the enemy ramp up his interest in me. Maybe he'll just leave me alone but that may not be the case. Prayer, prayer and more prayer will keep him in check. "...for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." 1 John 4:4 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." James 4:7
Thank You, Jesus, for answering my prayer to use me for Your glory.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
Paradox
Living the Christian life is a life of paradox. When I looked up the definition I read: a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.
When I read a paradox in scripture it is not expressing a "possible" truth but THE truth because it comes from the mouth of God.
"For whoever will save his life would lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Matthew 16:25
"Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:4
"...unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3
"...and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 14:11
"...For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:10
"...'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.'" John 11:25-26
Sometimes people get trapped by the paradoxes of following Christ. They just don't understand how these things can be. I have to admit that I don't understand them either but I believe, with all my heart, that they are true so I accept them by faith. One day I will know all I need to know about these things until then I will just believe!
When I read a paradox in scripture it is not expressing a "possible" truth but THE truth because it comes from the mouth of God.
"For whoever will save his life would lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Matthew 16:25
"Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:4
"...unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3
"...and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 14:11
"...For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:10
"...'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.'" John 11:25-26
Sometimes people get trapped by the paradoxes of following Christ. They just don't understand how these things can be. I have to admit that I don't understand them either but I believe, with all my heart, that they are true so I accept them by faith. One day I will know all I need to know about these things until then I will just believe!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Endurance
The Christian life is not easy. Often I think, OK, God, I gave my heart to Jesus so make my life easy and wonderful and all rainbows and light with no storms or trials or hardships along the way. However, Paul compares the walk with Christ as a race to be run with endurance.
The writer of Hebrews says I have need of endurance so that I can get what is promised to me after I do the will of God.
In 2 Corinthians 6:3-7, Paul lists the things he has had to endure which is NOTHING like anything I have ever had to endure. In fact I have never had to endure much for the sake of Christ. Why does Paul continually endure these things? Romans 5:3-5 gives me the results of endurance.
Jesus told the church in Philadelphia in Revelation 3:10-11 that patient endurance will spare them from the trial coming on the whole world.
Maybe I don't have to endure persecution or hunger or so many of the things the early church faced and many in the world face even today. But in a lot of ways I think enduring can be just as difficult in our society that bombards us with sexual immorality on TV, movies and books; greed and covetousness that forms from the advertising for cars, furniture, game systems and so much more that surrounds us everywhere; food advertising that makes us hungry so we go to fridge and eat when we should not; the allure of a "good time" found in the advertising for beer. (I've always thought the best commercials at the Super Bowl are the beer commercials.) The church in America has divorce rates as high as those outside the church.
Fighting against all these things requires a lot of endurance, a lot of focus on the things of God, as well as a lot of repentance when my endurance lags and I succumb to the sins that so easily ensnares me.
The writer of Hebrews says I have need of endurance so that I can get what is promised to me after I do the will of God.
In 2 Corinthians 6:3-7, Paul lists the things he has had to endure which is NOTHING like anything I have ever had to endure. In fact I have never had to endure much for the sake of Christ. Why does Paul continually endure these things? Romans 5:3-5 gives me the results of endurance.
Jesus told the church in Philadelphia in Revelation 3:10-11 that patient endurance will spare them from the trial coming on the whole world.
Maybe I don't have to endure persecution or hunger or so many of the things the early church faced and many in the world face even today. But in a lot of ways I think enduring can be just as difficult in our society that bombards us with sexual immorality on TV, movies and books; greed and covetousness that forms from the advertising for cars, furniture, game systems and so much more that surrounds us everywhere; food advertising that makes us hungry so we go to fridge and eat when we should not; the allure of a "good time" found in the advertising for beer. (I've always thought the best commercials at the Super Bowl are the beer commercials.) The church in America has divorce rates as high as those outside the church.
Fighting against all these things requires a lot of endurance, a lot of focus on the things of God, as well as a lot of repentance when my endurance lags and I succumb to the sins that so easily ensnares me.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Regard No One According to the Flesh
Most people have a tendency to spend their time looking at the shape, the color, the age, the clothes, the nationalities, the actions of those around them and making judgments about their worthiness or unworthiness.
Paul, however, tells us to regard no one according to the flesh. That made me think of two different things - the external things about someone else that leads me to like or dislike, accept or reject that person. In other words, THEIR flesh.
But it also made me think about "the flesh" as in MY sinful nature. I should not allow my sinful nature to cloud my view of those around me but should be controlled by the love of God who gave His life for all. And once a person is in Christ, he is a new creation just as I was made a new creation in Christ Jesus.
Help me, Lord, to see people as You see them; to love people as You love them. Help me to put aside my own sinful nature - my prejudices - to talk openly with anyone about the reconciliation available through Jesus Christ. I AM a new creation so the sinful nature has no control on my life or my thoughts. Renew my mind daily as I focus on You seeking to have the mind of Christ.
Paul, however, tells us to regard no one according to the flesh. That made me think of two different things - the external things about someone else that leads me to like or dislike, accept or reject that person. In other words, THEIR flesh.
But it also made me think about "the flesh" as in MY sinful nature. I should not allow my sinful nature to cloud my view of those around me but should be controlled by the love of God who gave His life for all. And once a person is in Christ, he is a new creation just as I was made a new creation in Christ Jesus.
Help me, Lord, to see people as You see them; to love people as You love them. Help me to put aside my own sinful nature - my prejudices - to talk openly with anyone about the reconciliation available through Jesus Christ. I AM a new creation so the sinful nature has no control on my life or my thoughts. Renew my mind daily as I focus on You seeking to have the mind of Christ.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Veiled Face
When Moses came down from the mountain where he had been receiving the law from God, his face glowed with the reflected glory of God. So much so that Moses put a veil over his face.
Paul, in 2 Corinthians 3:12-18, equates that veil to hardness of heart. Only Christ can take the veil away and He does that "when one turns to the Lord" (vs 16).
Too many times I have forgotten that Jesus is the only one who can lift the veil and change the heart of stone to a heart of flesh. It is easy to get discouraged when friends and family continually reject efforts to speak Jesus and life into them. I have to be reminded that it's not my words but Holy Spirit who will initiate the change in someone. So I pray that He would remove the veil so they might see and understand. But even then they have to say yes to the Holy Spirit as He draws them to Jesus.
Some of my friends are like the Jews of Paul's day - very religious. I can not judge their hearts because only Jesus knows if they belong to Him. But I see and hear the things they say and do and wonder what changes Jesus is making in their lives and whether the veil has actually been removed.
Paul, in 2 Corinthians 3:12-18, equates that veil to hardness of heart. Only Christ can take the veil away and He does that "when one turns to the Lord" (vs 16).
Too many times I have forgotten that Jesus is the only one who can lift the veil and change the heart of stone to a heart of flesh. It is easy to get discouraged when friends and family continually reject efforts to speak Jesus and life into them. I have to be reminded that it's not my words but Holy Spirit who will initiate the change in someone. So I pray that He would remove the veil so they might see and understand. But even then they have to say yes to the Holy Spirit as He draws them to Jesus.
Some of my friends are like the Jews of Paul's day - very religious. I can not judge their hearts because only Jesus knows if they belong to Him. But I see and hear the things they say and do and wonder what changes Jesus is making in their lives and whether the veil has actually been removed.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Abundant Suffering
I have read 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 any number of times but have always focused on the comfort that God gives when I have some type of heartache. God gives comfort to His followers so they can give comfort to those around them.
But today I was struck by verse 5: "For we share ABUNDANTLY in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too." The thought came to me that suffering because of obedience to Christ can be part of the abundant life He gives His followers. That was a "Whoa!" The abundant life is supposed to be wealth and health and fun times and sweetness and light and beautiful flowers along my path, right? Not suffering. But sharing means getting or giving something to someone else.
Would Jesus Christ actually want to share His suffering with me? I want Him to share the "good" stuff. Could suffering be part of that good stuff? If I'm not suffering am I missing out on something of Jesus?
Paul's suffering in this passage was real, physical suffering "so utterly burdened beyond our strength" that he thought he might actually die and maybe would have preferred death to the suffering. But why did he have to suffer so? "...to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead."
When Paul wrote to the Romans he actually said, "...we rejoice in our sufferings..." This makes me really look at my heart, my attitudes, my relationship with Jesus Christ to see if I am worthy to suffer for His name. Would I stand before God and say bring it on! Probably not. But I pray that I whatever suffering might come my way would be used to draw me deeper into God's embrace so that I might share His love and His comfort with others.
But today I was struck by verse 5: "For we share ABUNDANTLY in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too." The thought came to me that suffering because of obedience to Christ can be part of the abundant life He gives His followers. That was a "Whoa!" The abundant life is supposed to be wealth and health and fun times and sweetness and light and beautiful flowers along my path, right? Not suffering. But sharing means getting or giving something to someone else.
Would Jesus Christ actually want to share His suffering with me? I want Him to share the "good" stuff. Could suffering be part of that good stuff? If I'm not suffering am I missing out on something of Jesus?
Paul's suffering in this passage was real, physical suffering "so utterly burdened beyond our strength" that he thought he might actually die and maybe would have preferred death to the suffering. But why did he have to suffer so? "...to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead."
When Paul wrote to the Romans he actually said, "...we rejoice in our sufferings..." This makes me really look at my heart, my attitudes, my relationship with Jesus Christ to see if I am worthy to suffer for His name. Would I stand before God and say bring it on! Probably not. But I pray that I whatever suffering might come my way would be used to draw me deeper into God's embrace so that I might share His love and His comfort with others.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Nate
I am so proud of my grandson, Nate. A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that he should give a tithe from his allowance and money he earns before he ever spends it on all the stuff he wants. Last Wednesday when I took him home from Fuse he mentioned to his friend, Justin, that he had put aside $1.00 for his tithe. Today he put that money in the offering plate.
Friday I mentioned that it would be good for him to memorize the names (in order) of the books of the Bible so he can find references easier. By Saturday he had learned the Old Testament from Genesis through Lamentations. Today when Perry said he was reading from 1Samuel, Nate was able to find it easily as he was also able to find the verse in Job.
Then as we started home, he started memorizing Ephesians 3:20 that Perry said he wanted everyone to memorize this week. He got the first half of the verse down by the time we stopped for lunch. And I didn't even mention that to him!
I can't wait to see what God does in his life as he continues to go to Fuse and as he goes to the Gauntlet this summer.
Friday I mentioned that it would be good for him to memorize the names (in order) of the books of the Bible so he can find references easier. By Saturday he had learned the Old Testament from Genesis through Lamentations. Today when Perry said he was reading from 1Samuel, Nate was able to find it easily as he was also able to find the verse in Job.
Then as we started home, he started memorizing Ephesians 3:20 that Perry said he wanted everyone to memorize this week. He got the first half of the verse down by the time we stopped for lunch. And I didn't even mention that to him!
I can't wait to see what God does in his life as he continues to go to Fuse and as he goes to the Gauntlet this summer.
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