One of the things reading the Bible shows me is that people never change. From the time of Adam, we have wanted to be our own king, our own god. We want to control our lives. But everything I read in the Bible shows that leads to disaster.
We really don't learn our lessons - even if we are taught with the hard teaching of painful experiences. I'm not talking necessarily about individuals but about people in general. Over and over again in the Bible, the prophets told the people of impending disaster. It always came to pass and the people repented for a time but them went right back to their evil ways.
After 9/11 and Katrina and other catastrophic events the churches are often filled with people because they are afraid. But give it a little time and many will drop out and go back to their "usual" lives.
The most important thing that never changes, though, is God. He never leaves me or forsakes me. He always loves me and cares for me. Zephaniah 3:17 reminds me of God's care. I really like this passage - makes me want to shout for joy.
17 The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Spread the Gospel
On Sunday Perry began his new series on "How to Survive the End of the World". One of the things he talked about was the spread of the Gospel to other lands. This "movement" began with 12 men who were faithful to preach what they knew and God began to increase the church in large numbers.
One of the things that is pretty obvious when I read Acts is that the Gospel was spread initially because of persecution. The Bible tells us in Acts 8:1 that when the persecution started the people were scattered BUT as they were scattered they were preaching the word.
If I am pushed out of my comfort zone, do I shut up or speak out? These men and women were running in fear of their lives. Their persecution meant death yet they spoke about Jesus everywhere they went. Am I willing to spread the Gospel within my sphere of influence? I willing to put the salvation of those I know above my personal comfort and feeling? Not always, I'm sorry to say, but with God's help that will change.
One of the things that is pretty obvious when I read Acts is that the Gospel was spread initially because of persecution. The Bible tells us in Acts 8:1 that when the persecution started the people were scattered BUT as they were scattered they were preaching the word.
If I am pushed out of my comfort zone, do I shut up or speak out? These men and women were running in fear of their lives. Their persecution meant death yet they spoke about Jesus everywhere they went. Am I willing to spread the Gospel within my sphere of influence? I willing to put the salvation of those I know above my personal comfort and feeling? Not always, I'm sorry to say, but with God's help that will change.
Mornings
Not all mornings are welcome in my life. Sometimes I stay up too late or don't sleep well at night then, when it is time to get up, I dread it.
But I love mornings like today. My windows are up, the house is cool, the birds are singing that just before dawn concert. What a great time to be awake and taking a few minutes just to sit and listen. To think about the creative God who gave such different voices to the birds, who made the seasons that bring change not only to nature but to people...we think differently in different seasons.
Makes me really grateful that God has given me the ability to hear, to see, to smell, to taste, to feel and to appreciate His creation. Just how awesome is it that God made all this diversity, all this beauty, all this sound and then made man with the ability to enjoy it.
But I love mornings like today. My windows are up, the house is cool, the birds are singing that just before dawn concert. What a great time to be awake and taking a few minutes just to sit and listen. To think about the creative God who gave such different voices to the birds, who made the seasons that bring change not only to nature but to people...we think differently in different seasons.
Makes me really grateful that God has given me the ability to hear, to see, to smell, to taste, to feel and to appreciate His creation. Just how awesome is it that God made all this diversity, all this beauty, all this sound and then made man with the ability to enjoy it.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Habakkuk
This is a really cool book. It opens with Habakkuk complaining to God...where are You? Why don't You do something? Basically he is saying don't You even care what is happening to us?
God comes right back at him and says:
5 "Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe, even if you were told."
I think that is what He still says to us today. You can't even imagine what I am going to do. Look around, be amazed, I am at work all around you and sometimes you are just clueless. That's one of the reasons I like NewSpring's celebration of all God is doing - it's not us but Him and yet He lets us, wants us, to be part of it.
Habakkuk has more than that one complaint but God, of course, answers them all. Habakkuk comes to understand that "the righteous shall live by faith" 2:4 and "the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord" 2:14 and "the Lord is in His holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before Him." 2:20
But my absolute favorite part of this book, and indeed one of my favorite passages in the Bible is the conclusion of Habakkuk's prayer in chapter 3:17-19.
17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
No matter what I WILL rejoice in the Lord, I WILL be joyful in God my Savior. That is one of the things missing in America today. We have forgotten how to rejoice in the Lord. We want to grumble and complain and ridicule those who are far from God. But God is still doing a great work. He is still on His throne. There is still reason to rejoice.
God comes right back at him and says:
5 "Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe, even if you were told."
I think that is what He still says to us today. You can't even imagine what I am going to do. Look around, be amazed, I am at work all around you and sometimes you are just clueless. That's one of the reasons I like NewSpring's celebration of all God is doing - it's not us but Him and yet He lets us, wants us, to be part of it.
Habakkuk has more than that one complaint but God, of course, answers them all. Habakkuk comes to understand that "the righteous shall live by faith" 2:4 and "the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord" 2:14 and "the Lord is in His holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before Him." 2:20
But my absolute favorite part of this book, and indeed one of my favorite passages in the Bible is the conclusion of Habakkuk's prayer in chapter 3:17-19.
17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
No matter what I WILL rejoice in the Lord, I WILL be joyful in God my Savior. That is one of the things missing in America today. We have forgotten how to rejoice in the Lord. We want to grumble and complain and ridicule those who are far from God. But God is still doing a great work. He is still on His throne. There is still reason to rejoice.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Take Refuge in the Lord
Sometimes when things are not going well, I have a tendency to take refuge in books or solitude or chocolate chip cookies. At one time in my life that refuge was in a liquor bottle or sex. But God says we are to take refuge in Him.
"The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in Him." Nahum 1:7
Sometimes I forget that I am God's and that God is mine. He is my Father. He loves me more than I can possibly imagine. He wants only the very best for me. He gave His Son's life for my life. Why would I ever doubt Him? Why would I ever seek refuge any place else? Why would I go anywhere but to God when I have a problem of any size?
Often I think I can handle this, it's only a small issue. But that is where I go wrong. God wants to be involved in every aspect of my life - big or small. I have heard people say, I've tried everything so I guess it's time to pray. That is so wrong. The time to pray is before doing anything, before trying to solve anything.
God knows those who take refuge in Him. I want to be one of the people who go to God first with everything, not as a last resort.
"The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in Him." Nahum 1:7
Sometimes I forget that I am God's and that God is mine. He is my Father. He loves me more than I can possibly imagine. He wants only the very best for me. He gave His Son's life for my life. Why would I ever doubt Him? Why would I ever seek refuge any place else? Why would I go anywhere but to God when I have a problem of any size?
Often I think I can handle this, it's only a small issue. But that is where I go wrong. God wants to be involved in every aspect of my life - big or small. I have heard people say, I've tried everything so I guess it's time to pray. That is so wrong. The time to pray is before doing anything, before trying to solve anything.
God knows those who take refuge in Him. I want to be one of the people who go to God first with everything, not as a last resort.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Potential
As my home group is reading and discussing the book "Just Walk Across the Room" by Bill Hybels we talked last week about recognizing potential in people. I've thought a lot about that.
How can I recognize someones potential? Does that mean I should be able to see the Sunday School teacher in the drug addict? Or the team leader in the business man? Or the middle school youth worker in the rebellious college student?
I don't think I can do that. Does that mean I am not "in tune" with God? I don't think that is necessarily true. But I have thought about seeing potential as remembering what it was like for me to be lost...the emptiness, the futility, the frustrations, the lack of contentment. If I can meet people living far from God and remember what I felt and how I lived, then I can relate better to them. I can not dismiss them as unworthy of my time or energy. I can remember how God changed my life and know that they too can have the peace of God and the fruit of the Spirit. The love, joy, peace, patience, etc can exude from their hearts and minds and life can be lived with real purpose. The real potential of every person is to have a new life in Christ, to be a new creation.
How can I recognize someones potential? Does that mean I should be able to see the Sunday School teacher in the drug addict? Or the team leader in the business man? Or the middle school youth worker in the rebellious college student?
I don't think I can do that. Does that mean I am not "in tune" with God? I don't think that is necessarily true. But I have thought about seeing potential as remembering what it was like for me to be lost...the emptiness, the futility, the frustrations, the lack of contentment. If I can meet people living far from God and remember what I felt and how I lived, then I can relate better to them. I can not dismiss them as unworthy of my time or energy. I can remember how God changed my life and know that they too can have the peace of God and the fruit of the Spirit. The love, joy, peace, patience, etc can exude from their hearts and minds and life can be lived with real purpose. The real potential of every person is to have a new life in Christ, to be a new creation.
What Does the Lord Require
Micah 6:6-8 really speaks to my heart. What do I bring when I come before the Lord? Is it how large or important my gift is? Is it how great the sacrifice? Not at all.
What the Lord requires of me is to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly before Him. vs 8
How do I walk humbly? By recognizing that EVERYTHING I have is from Him; everything I am is because of His touch on my life. By accepting myself as uniquely made and gifted by God to be who I am; I don't need to try to be someone else. By acknowledging that He paid the price for my salvation. By not worrying about "stuff". By spending time alone with God. By being obedient to His commands. By recognizing the victory is already mine. Micah 7:8 reminds me of that victory and 7:18-19 of His love and forgiveness.
What the Lord requires of me is to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly before Him. vs 8
How do I walk humbly? By recognizing that EVERYTHING I have is from Him; everything I am is because of His touch on my life. By accepting myself as uniquely made and gifted by God to be who I am; I don't need to try to be someone else. By acknowledging that He paid the price for my salvation. By not worrying about "stuff". By spending time alone with God. By being obedient to His commands. By recognizing the victory is already mine. Micah 7:8 reminds me of that victory and 7:18-19 of His love and forgiveness.
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