We had a great day at NewSpring yesterday. In years past we have given away houses and cars and college scholarships to single moms of all ages and life situations. This year was different.
This year Perry wanted to honor his mom. She died of cancer when he was 12 but believes that her prayers and her influence are part of the reason he is following Jesus and leading a great church today. (He even wore a suit and tie and preached from her "King Jimmy" Bible.)
I can certainly identify with that. I wandered in the desert as a prodigal for 18 long years. My mom always prayed for me - and told me so. But I was running so hard from God that I would tell her not to waste her time. How grateful I am that she didn't listen to me. I am absolutely convinced that the prayers of my mom played a huge roll in my eventual repentance and surrender to Jesus as Lord.
Now my own son, who followed in my footsteps as a prodigal, is on his journey with Jesus. I have prayed for him over the years and now I pray that his children will not take the path of rebellion but will always walk with Jesus.
My family, including extended family, had a long history of walking with God - until I came along. I want this cycle to come to an end. I started it and Jeremy followed it but Nate and Arabella don't have to. I pray for them to walk faithfully with Jesus, to confess and repent of their sins promptly, to do the right thing even when it is hard, to maintain their sexual purity, to grow in favor with God and man.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Isaiah 12
1You will say in that day:
"I will give thanks to you, O LORD,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
that you might comfort me.
2"Behold, God is my salvation;
"I will give thanks to you, O LORD,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
that you might comfort me.
2"Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation."
for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation."
3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
4 And you will say in that day:
"Give thanks to the LORD,
call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.
call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 "Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously;
let this be made known in all the earth.
6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel."
let this be made known in all the earth.
6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel."
The Apple of Your Eye
When I read this phrase today in Psalm 17:8 I began to think about what it means. I've heard the phrase he/she is the apple of my eye throughout my life. This saying has always meant to me that the person holds a special place in the life and thoughts of the speaker. It is an expression of love.
This term is used 4 or 5 times in the Old Testament so I decided it was time to look it up. The Hebrew can be translated literally as "Little Man of the Eye" signifying the image, or reflection, of oneself seen in the pupil of another. When I read that I thought that means you have to be pretty much face to face with someone for that "little man" to be there. That conjured up images of God looking at me face to face as I look into His face. I know I can't physically see Him, but He sure can see me! And He loves me!
But another thing I read was the apple of the eye is the iris and to touch it would be painful so it is protected by the eyelid. The imagery here is we - God's children - are the apple of God's eye and He is the eyelid that protects us. I like that too!
God loves me so much He wants us to draw so close together that my life is reflected in His eyes and because I am His child, He wants to protect me from the evil one who would desire to destroy me. Thank You!!
This term is used 4 or 5 times in the Old Testament so I decided it was time to look it up. The Hebrew can be translated literally as "Little Man of the Eye" signifying the image, or reflection, of oneself seen in the pupil of another. When I read that I thought that means you have to be pretty much face to face with someone for that "little man" to be there. That conjured up images of God looking at me face to face as I look into His face. I know I can't physically see Him, but He sure can see me! And He loves me!
But another thing I read was the apple of the eye is the iris and to touch it would be painful so it is protected by the eyelid. The imagery here is we - God's children - are the apple of God's eye and He is the eyelid that protects us. I like that too!
God loves me so much He wants us to draw so close together that my life is reflected in His eyes and because I am His child, He wants to protect me from the evil one who would desire to destroy me. Thank You!!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
If You Are Not Firm in Faith...
...you will not be firm at all. (Isaiah 7:9)
Just prior to this statement by God through the prophet Isaiah to King Ahaz of Judah, the "heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind" (vs.2) because they learned that Ephraim and Syria were in league against them and planning to overtake Judah. But God said it's not going to happen.
But sometimes stuff does happen, my heart does shake, I do have fear. The job loss, the illness, the move, the betrayal, the divorce. God still says if you are not firm in faith you will not be firm at all. Do I only believe God is active in my life when all is going according to MY plan? Do I have the faith to believe God is in control when my world is out of control?
Some might say but I don't have a prophet, an Isaiah, to tell me what God says. What I have is even better! I have Jesus and the Holy Spirit and the Bible. Do I know what they say? Do I believe what they say?
"The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know Your name put their trust in You, for You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You." (Psalm 9:9-10)
Just prior to this statement by God through the prophet Isaiah to King Ahaz of Judah, the "heart of Ahaz and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind" (vs.2) because they learned that Ephraim and Syria were in league against them and planning to overtake Judah. But God said it's not going to happen.
But sometimes stuff does happen, my heart does shake, I do have fear. The job loss, the illness, the move, the betrayal, the divorce. God still says if you are not firm in faith you will not be firm at all. Do I only believe God is active in my life when all is going according to MY plan? Do I have the faith to believe God is in control when my world is out of control?
Some might say but I don't have a prophet, an Isaiah, to tell me what God says. What I have is even better! I have Jesus and the Holy Spirit and the Bible. Do I know what they say? Do I believe what they say?
"The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know Your name put their trust in You, for You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You." (Psalm 9:9-10)
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
How Majestic
Today I read Psalm 8 and Isaiah 6 and thought what perfect companion readings.
Verse 1 of Psalm 8 always put that praise chorus by Michael W Smith in my head but aside from that it also reminds me man is a very tiny creature in God's vast universe. David even says "what is man that You are mindful of him" (vs.4). He continues, though, with the proper order of things reminding us that man IS special and different from the rest of creation. We are not to worship God's creation but to rule over it.
Ruling requires a certain stewardship over creation, a certain care but it also means the life of an child, even unborn, is more precious than the life of a whale or any other animal. Often those who seem to care the most about the creatures of this earth will also be the loudest promoters of a woman's right to choose abortion to end the life of her child.
How backwards we get things at times. The majesty of God is seen in the works of creation from His hands but man is the creature "crowned with glory and honor."
Isaiah's view of the majesty of God is not in creation but in the Lord Himself. "In the year King Uzziah died I saw the Lord, sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple." (vs.1) He goes on to describe the scene in the throne room of God with the seraphim singing "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory." (vs.3)
From seeing creation, David sang, "O Lord, our Lord how majestic is Your name in all the earth!" From seeing God, Isaiah cried, "Woe is me!" He recognized he was a sinner living among a sinful people and unworthy to be in the presence of God. Both of these responses are proper and should be part of my worship of God.
But what I find so great about Isaiah's case, when he recognized and confessed his sin, God immediately sent one of the seraphim with a hot coal from the altar to touch Isaiah and cleanse him from his sin. Our great and majestic God, Creator of ALL things, does not want to leave us in our state of sin, our state of despair. He pours out His perfect love, through the blood of Jesus, to redeem mankind, not for our sake but for His glory.
After taking away Isaiah's sin, the Lord asks, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Isaiah immediately responds, "Here am I! Send me." When confronted with the true majesty of God, we should be ready to go wherever He wants us to go - even if it's just across the street - to share His message of love, hope and salvation.
Verse 1 of Psalm 8 always put that praise chorus by Michael W Smith in my head but aside from that it also reminds me man is a very tiny creature in God's vast universe. David even says "what is man that You are mindful of him" (vs.4). He continues, though, with the proper order of things reminding us that man IS special and different from the rest of creation. We are not to worship God's creation but to rule over it.
Ruling requires a certain stewardship over creation, a certain care but it also means the life of an child, even unborn, is more precious than the life of a whale or any other animal. Often those who seem to care the most about the creatures of this earth will also be the loudest promoters of a woman's right to choose abortion to end the life of her child.
How backwards we get things at times. The majesty of God is seen in the works of creation from His hands but man is the creature "crowned with glory and honor."
Isaiah's view of the majesty of God is not in creation but in the Lord Himself. "In the year King Uzziah died I saw the Lord, sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple." (vs.1) He goes on to describe the scene in the throne room of God with the seraphim singing "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory." (vs.3)
From seeing creation, David sang, "O Lord, our Lord how majestic is Your name in all the earth!" From seeing God, Isaiah cried, "Woe is me!" He recognized he was a sinner living among a sinful people and unworthy to be in the presence of God. Both of these responses are proper and should be part of my worship of God.
But what I find so great about Isaiah's case, when he recognized and confessed his sin, God immediately sent one of the seraphim with a hot coal from the altar to touch Isaiah and cleanse him from his sin. Our great and majestic God, Creator of ALL things, does not want to leave us in our state of sin, our state of despair. He pours out His perfect love, through the blood of Jesus, to redeem mankind, not for our sake but for His glory.
After taking away Isaiah's sin, the Lord asks, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Isaiah immediately responds, "Here am I! Send me." When confronted with the true majesty of God, we should be ready to go wherever He wants us to go - even if it's just across the street - to share His message of love, hope and salvation.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Woe to the Wicked
As I was reading Isaiah 5 this morning, I ran across 6 "woes" God delivered to the people of Israel through the prophet. I immediately thought of the 7 "woes" Jesus spoke to the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23. In both cases, God is calling attention to the sin and hypocrisy of the people.
The first thing I thought was do I really know what woe means. It's not a word that is used much in my hearing but I think of it as an expression of sadness as in "woe is me". I've always thought it is an exclamation of condemnation in the Bible. When I looked it up I found that it is an exclamation of distress, grief or sorrow.
So that made me think about not only the distress, grief or sorrow that would come upon those who are the object of the "woe" but also of the distress, grief and sorrow that God feels because of my sin. Later in Isaiah, Jesus is called a man of sorrows. We know he was grieved by Jerusalem because of her unwillingness to believe in Him.
And that led to me think again about Psalm 139:23-24 that we are praying through this week as a church. What in my life is causing distress, grief or sorrow to my Savior? How is my life not measuring up to the "be holy for I am holy" command of God? How am I crucifying Jesus all over again with my sin?
With the happenings of the last few days, I also thought of the death of Osama bin Laden. So many are rejoicing at the death of this evil man who was meted out the justice he deserved. But he, too, was a man created in the image of God. He, too, was a man for whom Jesus died. Is my sin any worse? Did the nails from my sin hurt Jesus any less?
Oh, how thankful I am that I am covered by the righteousness of Christ!
The first thing I thought was do I really know what woe means. It's not a word that is used much in my hearing but I think of it as an expression of sadness as in "woe is me". I've always thought it is an exclamation of condemnation in the Bible. When I looked it up I found that it is an exclamation of distress, grief or sorrow.
So that made me think about not only the distress, grief or sorrow that would come upon those who are the object of the "woe" but also of the distress, grief and sorrow that God feels because of my sin. Later in Isaiah, Jesus is called a man of sorrows. We know he was grieved by Jerusalem because of her unwillingness to believe in Him.
And that led to me think again about Psalm 139:23-24 that we are praying through this week as a church. What in my life is causing distress, grief or sorrow to my Savior? How is my life not measuring up to the "be holy for I am holy" command of God? How am I crucifying Jesus all over again with my sin?
With the happenings of the last few days, I also thought of the death of Osama bin Laden. So many are rejoicing at the death of this evil man who was meted out the justice he deserved. But he, too, was a man created in the image of God. He, too, was a man for whom Jesus died. Is my sin any worse? Did the nails from my sin hurt Jesus any less?
Oh, how thankful I am that I am covered by the righteousness of Christ!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Challenge
We are currently in the More series based on Ephesians 3:20. Perry's desire is for all of us at NewSpring Church to experience the "more" that God has for us. So Perry issued a challenge to us yesterday after he gave us a little formula: conviction + repentance = breakthrough. He is encouraging us to align ourselves with God; to become true followers of Jesus Christ. His challenge was for each of us to read and pray through Psalm 139:23-24 every day this week.
There are lots of action verbs in this prayer of David. "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!"
If I ask God to show me my sins, He most certainly will which should lead to conviction - a recognition that God's knowledge of me is correct and my ways are grievous to Him. The result of conviction should be repentance as, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I give up and turn away from sins I am committing OR turn toward things I should be doing. Whether I am doing something He clearly said don't do or I'm NOT doing something He has clearly said He wants me to do, I am living a life of sin.
Too often I want to go along through life just as I always have. But God is able to do MORE than I can think or imagine, according to HIS power that is at work IN me. He wants to do more in me, through me and for me than I can ever imagine. Until I am obedient in this area, God won't move on to that area even though His desire is to do more. But to have the opportunity to do more, I have to ask God to search me, try me, and lead me and when I truly follow, I will have the breakthrough to more.
There are lots of action verbs in this prayer of David. "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!"
If I ask God to show me my sins, He most certainly will which should lead to conviction - a recognition that God's knowledge of me is correct and my ways are grievous to Him. The result of conviction should be repentance as, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I give up and turn away from sins I am committing OR turn toward things I should be doing. Whether I am doing something He clearly said don't do or I'm NOT doing something He has clearly said He wants me to do, I am living a life of sin.
Too often I want to go along through life just as I always have. But God is able to do MORE than I can think or imagine, according to HIS power that is at work IN me. He wants to do more in me, through me and for me than I can ever imagine. Until I am obedient in this area, God won't move on to that area even though His desire is to do more. But to have the opportunity to do more, I have to ask God to search me, try me, and lead me and when I truly follow, I will have the breakthrough to more.
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