http://youtu.be/KG0CIufT-9c - Broken Road - Selah
My Ladies' Bible Class just completed Beth Moore's Stepping Up series. I'm so glad we chose to do this study. The last video, Beth shared this song. Rascal Flatts made it popular, I think, first. My son, Michael, and his beautiful wife, Jill, used it at their wedding. Such meaningful lyrics for lots of us who have hit some potholes on the road of life. Beth Moore said when she heard the song, she realized how perfectly the words spoke of her journey to Christ. I agree.
Every broken promise, every disappointment, every struggle... all lead me straight to Jesus. If my life was perfect, I might just forget how much I need Him. Maybe that's what Paul meant in his letter to the Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 6
1 As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. 2 For he says,
“In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
Paul’s Hardships
3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
Always rejoicing; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
The longer I travel this road of life, the more I understand the importance of suffering and hardships. Sometimes blessings do come in raindrops or storms. As my son, Tyler, always says, if that's what it takes to keep my eyes on Jesus, bring it on. My struggles will seem like nothing compared the glory of being with Jesus for Eternity.
Romans 8:15-18 NLT
15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
Philippians 3:7-8 7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
I don't fear death any more. I know physical death is just the beginning of real life. Until that day, I want to live in such a way that God can use me. I trust Him completely to work all things together for good according the purpose He has for me. Whatever it takes to accomplish the good He has for me to do, I will trust Him. He knows what the future holds. I don't. I can trust Him to guide me through any pothole or bump in the road.
Philippians 3:10-14
10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Jesus, is calling me. I'll live each day for His glory and when this journey ends, I'll see Jesus face to face.
What a glorious day that will be! I want to make Him proud while I'm here on earth.
Father, this world is not my home. I get frustrated and disappointed. I watch dear friends suffer and struggle, and I just long for the day when there will be no more tears or pain. But while I'm here, help me to be all You created me to be. Give me the strength to keep fighting the good fight. Remind me that Your Spirit who is in me is so much greater than the spirit in this world. Lord Jesus, keep my eyes on You, because I can't do this life without You. Please forgive me when I fail. Renew in me a right spirit. Purify my heart, "purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean, wash me and I shall be whiter than snow." (Psalm 51:7). I know Eternity with You is worth any price. Thank You for making a way for us live with You forever and ever. I ask all these things in the Name of my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
http://youtu.be/g541E2kSglw - All I know is I'm not Home yet - Building 429
John 16:33 NLT
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
It's not about me.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Friday, April 6, 2012
For God so loved the world...
http://youtu.be/6dpvelclNCU - Glorious Day - Casting Crowns
Luke 22:47-23:56 (NIV)
Jesus Arrested
47 While He was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss Him, 48 but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
49 When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.
51 But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And He touched the man’s ear and healed him.
52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for Him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? 53 Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on Me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”
Peter Disowns Jesus
54 Then seizing Him, they led Him away and took Him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55 And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with Him.”
57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know Him,” he said.
58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”
“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.
59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with Him, for he is a Galilean.”
60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown Me three times.” 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.
The Guards Mock Jesus
63 The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating Him. 64 They blindfolded Him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” 65 And they said many other insulting things to Him.
Jesus Before Pilate and Herod
66 At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. 67 “If You are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.”
Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe Me, 68 and if I asked you, you would not answer. 69 But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”
70 They all asked, “Are You then the Son of God?”
He replied, “You say that I am.”
71 Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from His own lips.”
Luke 23
1 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”
3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are You the king of the Jews?”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.
4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
5 But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”
6 On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. 7 When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see Him. From what he had heard about Him, he hoped to see Him perform a sign of some sort. 9 He plied Him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing Him. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked Him. Dressing Him in an elegant robe, they sent Him back to Pilate. 12 That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.
13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined Him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against Him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; as you can see, He has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will punish Him and then release Him.”
18 But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
22 For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in Him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have Him punished and then release Him.”
23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that He be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.
24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
The Crucifixion of Jesus
26 As the soldiers led Him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large number of people followed Him, including women who mourned and wailed for Him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’
31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with Him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals—one on His right, the other on His left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His clothes by casting lots.
35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at Him. They said, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked Him. They offered Him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If You are the king of the Jews, save Yourself.”
38 There was a written notice above Him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save Yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise.”
The Death of Jesus
44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” When He had said this, He breathed His last.
47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” 48 When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. 49 But all those who knew Him, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
The Burial of Jesus
50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. 54 It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how His body was laid in it. 56 Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.
But that wasn't the end of the story...
http://youtu.be/HGVrgRWqudA - Revelation Song - Kari Jobe
http://youtu.be/6dpvelclNCU - Glorious Day - Casting Crowns
Luke 22:47-23:56 (NIV)
Jesus Arrested
47 While He was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss Him, 48 but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
49 When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.
51 But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And He touched the man’s ear and healed him.
52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for Him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? 53 Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on Me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns.”
Peter Disowns Jesus
54 Then seizing Him, they led Him away and took Him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. 55 And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. 56 A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with Him.”
57 But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know Him,” he said.
58 A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.”
“Man, I am not!” Peter replied.
59 About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with Him, for he is a Galilean.”
60 Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown Me three times.” 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.
The Guards Mock Jesus
63 The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating Him. 64 They blindfolded Him and demanded, “Prophesy! Who hit you?” 65 And they said many other insulting things to Him.
Jesus Before Pilate and Herod
66 At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. 67 “If You are the Messiah,” they said, “tell us.”
Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe Me, 68 and if I asked you, you would not answer. 69 But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”
70 They all asked, “Are You then the Son of God?”
He replied, “You say that I am.”
71 Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from His own lips.”
Luke 23
1 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”
3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are You the king of the Jews?”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.
4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
5 But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”
6 On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. 7 When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see Him. From what he had heard about Him, he hoped to see Him perform a sign of some sort. 9 He plied Him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing Him. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked Him. Dressing Him in an elegant robe, they sent Him back to Pilate. 12 That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.
13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined Him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against Him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; as you can see, He has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will punish Him and then release Him.”
18 But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!”
22 For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in Him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have Him punished and then release Him.”
23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that He be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.
24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
The Crucifixion of Jesus
26 As the soldiers led Him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large number of people followed Him, including women who mourned and wailed for Him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then “‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’
31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with Him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals—one on His right, the other on His left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His clothes by casting lots.
35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at Him. They said, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked Him. They offered Him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If You are the king of the Jews, save Yourself.”
38 There was a written notice above Him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save Yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise.”
The Death of Jesus
44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” When He had said this, He breathed His last.
47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” 48 When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. 49 But all those who knew Him, including the women who had followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
The Burial of Jesus
50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. 54 It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how His body was laid in it. 56 Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.
But that wasn't the end of the story...
http://youtu.be/HGVrgRWqudA - Revelation Song - Kari Jobe
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
http://youtu.be/7fwI4qbLpxE - Just Another Mountain - Jamie Slocum
Matthew 17:20
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Just another mountain...
God has trusted me with one little thing. Sometimes I drop the ball, but I try to keep prayer requests in front of our Parents in Prayer at school and at my church. It's not hard. Anyone with a computer could do what I do. But since I'm in front of my computer almost all day long, it's pretty logical that I take on this task.
The down side? Being inundated with prayer needs can be overwhelming and heartbreaking. I see so many good people who are hurting. I don't understand why they have to go through such suffering. Each one has their own "mountain" he/she is climbing. The question is do they have a Life Line? or are they trying to climb the mountain on their own?
I love this song by Jamie Slocum - Just Another Mountain. It's easy to become discouraged and allow ourselves to feel defeated, hopeless. There are days when I see a friend struggling and I think, "Lord, could she just catch a break here! Please take this burden from her!" But then He reminds me that as much as my heart breaks for my friend's suffering, He loves her more than I can imagine. He reminds me that I have to keep looking up, trusting Him just like she does.
I've watched TV specials on mountain climbing and it scares me to death. I can't imagine being on the side of cliff hoping to have a good hand or foot hold within reach for my next move. Sometimes the holds are so tiny I don't see how the climber can possible get a finger in the crack enough to be able to hold on. I know it takes a special kind of man or woman to scale a seemingly impossible rock climb.
As I watch a climber scale rock walls that seem impossible, it reminds me of my friends who are doing the same thing, scaling impossible mountains. Just like that climber, my friends know how to find the hand and footholds. They know how important it is to have someone they can trust to help them on the climb.
Well, as any real climber can probably see, I don't know much about mountain or rock climbing. So I turned to my good friend, Rick Love, and asked for his input regarding the relationship between physical and spiritual mountain climbing.
from Rick -
Carol, I’m not a climber, at least from the technical sense, but the spiritual metaphors are virtually endless;
For the purposes of your metaphor, the following assumes the climber’s ascent and/or rappel will be ‘assisted’ not solo.
The climber begins by putting on his/her safety harness. (The Word of God. You gotta get into the word before you can get safely connected).
The climber’s ropes are secured to a metal eye bolt anchored deep into a rock’s crevice at a fixed high point above the climber. (The Solid Rock, wherein my faith is securely and firmly anchored, is God, that’s why I drive that eye bolt deep).
The climber uses high grade titanium carabiners to fix his rope to both the anchor point and harness. (The carabiner is that piece of equipment or instrument of my obedient Faith, for until I take that carabiner and ‘Clip In,’ I’m not secure. I would essentially be relying on my own strength and physical prowess to ‘free climb’ the wall, no safety net, etc.).
The rope (Jesus) is my life line (it’s what connects me to the Rock) and runs from the anchor in the Rock above me through the strong hands of a trusted belay man. (The Holy Spirit)
Once the climber is ‘clipped in,’ the climber communicates with his be-lay man in simple words meant to clarify safety and readiness, and then begins the climb, a process referred to as ‘on-belay.’ The climber and be-lay man are now one in so much as they are both connected to the rope. The be-layer’s attention remains fixed on the climber throughout the climb helping control the rate of ascent or descent, and while the climber may not always be able to see his be-lay man, he knows he’s there.
Of course, there are several versions to the metaphor, I Hope this helps.
Rick
-------------------------------------
Well, that's pretty much what I wanted to say but just didn't have the knowledge that Rick does. Thanks, Rick!
Mountain Climbing Tips
INSPECT YOUR GEAR. Make sure it's reliable. Don't take someone else's word for it that the rope and anchors are in good shape. Your life may depend on those items.
I thought, yep, that's great advice. For spiritual mountain climbing, My rope or life-line is Jesus and without Him, I'd surely fall even on the smallest climbs. And I have to know my be-lay man if I'm going to really be able to trust him. My Be-Lay Man is definitely the Holy Spirit who keeps me connected to my Life-line - Christ. How many times has He saved me from certain disaster? I can't begin to count.
I saw this techniques and immediately identified the spiritual meanings for me:
What if I get scared when I'm on the rope?
Hmmm.....
Who is your Be-Lay Man? Who is Your Life-Line?
Inspect your climbing gear. You need to know.
Matthew 17:20
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
God has trusted me with one little thing. Sometimes I drop the ball, but I try to keep prayer requests in front of our Parents in Prayer at school and at my church. It's not hard. Anyone with a computer could do what I do. But since I'm in front of my computer almost all day long, it's pretty logical that I take on this task.
The down side? Being inundated with prayer needs can be overwhelming and heartbreaking. I see so many good people who are hurting. I don't understand why they have to go through such suffering. Each one has their own "mountain" he/she is climbing. The question is do they have a Life Line? or are they trying to climb the mountain on their own?
I love this song by Jamie Slocum - Just Another Mountain. It's easy to become discouraged and allow ourselves to feel defeated, hopeless. There are days when I see a friend struggling and I think, "Lord, could she just catch a break here! Please take this burden from her!" But then He reminds me that as much as my heart breaks for my friend's suffering, He loves her more than I can imagine. He reminds me that I have to keep looking up, trusting Him just like she does.
I've watched TV specials on mountain climbing and it scares me to death. I can't imagine being on the side of cliff hoping to have a good hand or foot hold within reach for my next move. Sometimes the holds are so tiny I don't see how the climber can possible get a finger in the crack enough to be able to hold on. I know it takes a special kind of man or woman to scale a seemingly impossible rock climb.
As I watch a climber scale rock walls that seem impossible, it reminds me of my friends who are doing the same thing, scaling impossible mountains. Just like that climber, my friends know how to find the hand and footholds. They know how important it is to have someone they can trust to help them on the climb.
Well, as any real climber can probably see, I don't know much about mountain or rock climbing. So I turned to my good friend, Rick Love, and asked for his input regarding the relationship between physical and spiritual mountain climbing.
from Rick -
Carol, I’m not a climber, at least from the technical sense, but the spiritual metaphors are virtually endless;
For the purposes of your metaphor, the following assumes the climber’s ascent and/or rappel will be ‘assisted’ not solo.
The climber begins by putting on his/her safety harness. (The Word of God. You gotta get into the word before you can get safely connected).
The climber’s ropes are secured to a metal eye bolt anchored deep into a rock’s crevice at a fixed high point above the climber. (The Solid Rock, wherein my faith is securely and firmly anchored, is God, that’s why I drive that eye bolt deep).
The climber uses high grade titanium carabiners to fix his rope to both the anchor point and harness. (The carabiner is that piece of equipment or instrument of my obedient Faith, for until I take that carabiner and ‘Clip In,’ I’m not secure. I would essentially be relying on my own strength and physical prowess to ‘free climb’ the wall, no safety net, etc.).
The rope (Jesus) is my life line (it’s what connects me to the Rock) and runs from the anchor in the Rock above me through the strong hands of a trusted belay man. (The Holy Spirit)
Once the climber is ‘clipped in,’ the climber communicates with his be-lay man in simple words meant to clarify safety and readiness, and then begins the climb, a process referred to as ‘on-belay.’ The climber and be-lay man are now one in so much as they are both connected to the rope. The be-layer’s attention remains fixed on the climber throughout the climb helping control the rate of ascent or descent, and while the climber may not always be able to see his be-lay man, he knows he’s there.
Of course, there are several versions to the metaphor, I Hope this helps.
Rick
-------------------------------------
Well, that's pretty much what I wanted to say but just didn't have the knowledge that Rick does. Thanks, Rick!
Mountain Climbing Tips
INSPECT YOUR GEAR. Make sure it's reliable. Don't take someone else's word for it that the rope and anchors are in good shape. Your life may depend on those items.
I thought, yep, that's great advice. For spiritual mountain climbing, My rope or life-line is Jesus and without Him, I'd surely fall even on the smallest climbs. And I have to know my be-lay man if I'm going to really be able to trust him. My Be-Lay Man is definitely the Holy Spirit who keeps me connected to my Life-line - Christ. How many times has He saved me from certain disaster? I can't begin to count.
I saw this techniques and immediately identified the spiritual meanings for me:
- Test foot and handholds before using them.
- Watch for lizards, snakes or other critters residing in handholds. ( The Enemy and his friends)
- Know and trust your belayer. = )
What if I get scared when I'm on the rope?
Just stop, breathe, relax and enjoy the scenery around you. Take your time. Relax and trust your Be-Lay Man. I love this sentence: "The beauty of a top rope is that you can always ask for tension and hang on the rope to rest or gain confidence in the safety system." = ) I have everything I need to - all I have to do is ask.
Who is your Be-Lay Man? Who is Your Life-Line?
Inspect your climbing gear. You need to know.
Friday, March 30, 2012
http://youtu.be/eckskOzB1-Y - Above All - Michael W Smith
If you've never been to an Interactive Prayer Room at LakePointe Church in Rockwall, I hope you will make
every effort to take part in this wonderful time of prayer and worship. I can't wait!
The stations are The Garden, The Kiss, The Crow, The Choice, The Stripes, The Cross and The King of the Jews.
The Garden
Luke 22:41-44
41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
The Kiss
Luke 22:47-48
47 While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
The Crow
Luke 22:33-35 NIV
33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
The Choice
Matthew 27:21
“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered.
The Stripes
John 19:1
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.
This was no ordinary whipping. The Journal of the American Medical Association describes the Roman practice of scourging:
'The usual instrument was a short whip (flagrum or flagellum) with several single or braided leather thongs of variable lengths, in which small iron balls or sharp pieces of sheep bones were tied at intervals. . . . As the Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the victim’s back with full force, the iron balls would cause deep contusions, and the leather thongs and sheep bones would cut into the skin and subcutaneous tissues. Then, as the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh.
The Cross
Isaiah 53:4-5
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
King of the Jews - King of Kings
Revelation 19:13-16
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
Next week's Interactive Prayer Room is called the Way of the Cross and it is a journey with Christ through His last hours on the Villa de la Rosa or the Way of the Suffering. There are interactive activities and times of reflections as you move through the room and listen to the Spirit.
Interactive Prayer Room: The Way of the Cross
If you've never been to an Interactive Prayer Room at LakePointe Church in Rockwall, I hope you will make
every effort to take part in this wonderful time of prayer and worship. I can't wait!
The stations are The Garden, The Kiss, The Crow, The Choice, The Stripes, The Cross and The King of the Jews.
Luke 22:41-44
41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Luke 22:47-48
47 While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
Luke 22:33-35 NIV
33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.”
34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
Matthew 27:21
“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered.
John 19:1
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.
This was no ordinary whipping. The Journal of the American Medical Association describes the Roman practice of scourging:
'The usual instrument was a short whip (flagrum or flagellum) with several single or braided leather thongs of variable lengths, in which small iron balls or sharp pieces of sheep bones were tied at intervals. . . . As the Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the victim’s back with full force, the iron balls would cause deep contusions, and the leather thongs and sheep bones would cut into the skin and subcutaneous tissues. Then, as the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh.
Isaiah 53:4-5
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
King of the Jews - King of Kings
Revelation 19:13-16
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Next week's Interactive Prayer Room is called the Way of the Cross and it is a journey with Christ through His last hours on the Villa de la Rosa or the Way of the Suffering. There are interactive activities and times of reflections as you move through the room and listen to the Spirit.
This year there is one at the Rockwall Campus, Town East Campus and Fire Wheel Campus! The hours are on the website. Rockwall's are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. Check for the other campuses.
For me, the time I've spent in an Interactive Prayer Room has been soothing to my spirit, a real time of communion with the Lord. The Way of the Cross will give us an opportunity to reflect on just what Jesus did on our behalf.
Monday, April 2- Friday April 6 / 8 am – 8 pm
Room A122 / Rockwall Campus
Join us for an amazing prayer experience that will draw you closer to Christ as we celebrate His Life, Death & Resurrection.
The Prayer Ministry
Lakepointe Church
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Hunger Games - A story about what really matters
http://youtu.be/FovFG3N_RSU - The Hunger Games trailer
Tyler had to read this book over the summer for Sophomore English at Dallas Christian School. I read the book, too, just so that I could discuss it with Tyler as he read it. We both couldn't put it down. I felt an immediate bond to the main characters and couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. What I took
away from the series was not how violent and gory it was but how evil this world can be at times. Our only hope is Christ and living for Him - not for ourselves. When we live for Him, we care about others as much as we care about ourselves.
This book had some violence, to be sure, but it had some powerful moments of self-sacrifice and caring about the welfare of others. I loved Catniss, Primrose, Gayle and Peta. I'm glad I got to know them.
Jesus took my place. Catniss took her sister's place. What greater love...
If you're concerned about your child watching the movie, I would suggest that you watch it yourself first or read the book. I think you'll see that it's a movie that can open up the channels for some great conversation with your children. If you decide it's too much for your kids, at least they will know that you took the time to see it before making a decision that it was not acceptable.
Here's a link from Focus on the Family regarding the much talked about "Hunger Games" movie. Is it
okay for Christians to allow their children to see this popular film?
http://www.focusonlinecommunities.com/blogs/Finding_Home/2012/03/28/what-do-you-think-about-the-hunger-games
Although there is no mention of God, I could clearly see the difference between people who live
for the moment - live for this world compared to those who put others before themselves.
That's what God tells us to do. He gave us two commands - Love Him and Love others as we loves ourselves. Hunger Games is definitely about some people who loved others more than themselves.
I loved this series of books and believe that teens who read the book or watch the movie
can see the, shall I use Solomon's words from Ecclesiates? MEANINGLESS! of life lived
for oneself. Life lived for others is good. Life lived for God is meaningful beyond words.
------------------------------------------------
This is a review left on the Focus on the Family website review page and he/she said it better than I could. Several people left comments. L.T.'s comments were insightful. In other words, I agree totally! =D
Mar 28, 2012 2:26 PM L. T. says:
I wasn’t sure at first why the movie The Hunger Games (book by Suzanne Collins) caused me such a great deal of discomfort. Yes, there’s the fattening before the slaughter, followed by the brutal killing of innocent children, and then the sick fans who were entertained by the suffering of others. But now I know why this movie strikes a cord way down into my very core, it’s because it’s us.
People call me intense, but after seeing the opening record numbers from this movie, maybe intense is what we want.
Fact–everyone in the human race has their name in a lottery much like the one in the movie. It’s a date with death and someday your number will be drawn. But until then, we have some time to figure out a few things. For instance, how will you spend your time?
We could spend that time filling ourselves with rich food and entertainment just like those in the movie. We can fixate our attention on people we have made famous, spending tons of hours and Internet minutes finding out what they wear, how they eat, what sins they’ve committed and all the naughty things they will say and do next, and be thrilled by it.
We can spend our hours trying to take down those around us in a feeble attempt to make ourselves look better. We can get really good at it, devising weapons to advance our greedy goals and desires.
We can commit the ultimate sin against life by becoming apathetic. Doing nothing. Caring about no one. Refraining from investing the time and sacrifice it requires to learn something valuable. Spending oodles of time becoming passive characters, living vicariously through the pretend people on TV. Refusing to become someone in our own right by not exercising the god-given talent that has been placed in our care.
If I was really honest with myself, I’d know that through the character Katniss I saw the futility of this world and at times my own life. That there are more important things to spend my time doing and thinking about. After all the clock is ticking. Many hours have passed already and my name could be drawn anytime.
I wonder what would happen if I truly embraced that reality and chose to start living smarter…today.
http://youtu.be/FovFG3N_RSU - The Hunger Games trailer
Tyler had to read this book over the summer for Sophomore English at Dallas Christian School. I read the book, too, just so that I could discuss it with Tyler as he read it. We both couldn't put it down. I felt an immediate bond to the main characters and couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. What I took
away from the series was not how violent and gory it was but how evil this world can be at times. Our only hope is Christ and living for Him - not for ourselves. When we live for Him, we care about others as much as we care about ourselves.
This book had some violence, to be sure, but it had some powerful moments of self-sacrifice and caring about the welfare of others. I loved Catniss, Primrose, Gayle and Peta. I'm glad I got to know them.
Jesus took my place. Catniss took her sister's place. What greater love...
If you're concerned about your child watching the movie, I would suggest that you watch it yourself first or read the book. I think you'll see that it's a movie that can open up the channels for some great conversation with your children. If you decide it's too much for your kids, at least they will know that you took the time to see it before making a decision that it was not acceptable.
Here's a link from Focus on the Family regarding the much talked about "Hunger Games" movie. Is it
okay for Christians to allow their children to see this popular film?
http://www.focusonlinecommunities.com/blogs/Finding_Home/2012/03/28/what-do-you-think-about-the-hunger-games
Although there is no mention of God, I could clearly see the difference between people who live
for the moment - live for this world compared to those who put others before themselves.
That's what God tells us to do. He gave us two commands - Love Him and Love others as we loves ourselves. Hunger Games is definitely about some people who loved others more than themselves.
I loved this series of books and believe that teens who read the book or watch the movie
can see the, shall I use Solomon's words from Ecclesiates? MEANINGLESS! of life lived
for oneself. Life lived for others is good. Life lived for God is meaningful beyond words.
------------------------------------------------
This is a review left on the Focus on the Family website review page and he/she said it better than I could. Several people left comments. L.T.'s comments were insightful. In other words, I agree totally! =D
Mar 28, 2012 2:26 PM L. T. says:
I wasn’t sure at first why the movie The Hunger Games (book by Suzanne Collins) caused me such a great deal of discomfort. Yes, there’s the fattening before the slaughter, followed by the brutal killing of innocent children, and then the sick fans who were entertained by the suffering of others. But now I know why this movie strikes a cord way down into my very core, it’s because it’s us.
People call me intense, but after seeing the opening record numbers from this movie, maybe intense is what we want.
Fact–everyone in the human race has their name in a lottery much like the one in the movie. It’s a date with death and someday your number will be drawn. But until then, we have some time to figure out a few things. For instance, how will you spend your time?
We could spend that time filling ourselves with rich food and entertainment just like those in the movie. We can fixate our attention on people we have made famous, spending tons of hours and Internet minutes finding out what they wear, how they eat, what sins they’ve committed and all the naughty things they will say and do next, and be thrilled by it.
We can spend our hours trying to take down those around us in a feeble attempt to make ourselves look better. We can get really good at it, devising weapons to advance our greedy goals and desires.
We can commit the ultimate sin against life by becoming apathetic. Doing nothing. Caring about no one. Refraining from investing the time and sacrifice it requires to learn something valuable. Spending oodles of time becoming passive characters, living vicariously through the pretend people on TV. Refusing to become someone in our own right by not exercising the god-given talent that has been placed in our care.
If I was really honest with myself, I’d know that through the character Katniss I saw the futility of this world and at times my own life. That there are more important things to spend my time doing and thinking about. After all the clock is ticking. Many hours have passed already and my name could be drawn anytime.
I wonder what would happen if I truly embraced that reality and chose to start living smarter…today.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
My family - My friends
http://youtu.be/usZtSl8mX08 - He ain't heavy, he's my brother - Neil Diamond
Have you ever heard the expression, "Friends are family you got to choose"?
I'm sure most of us have friends we consider "family". We may even feel closer to our "family friends" than
we do to our birth families. But have you ever considered that God chose your family specifically for you?
He placed you in your family for a reason.
If God placed me in my family, shouldn't I pay attention to what He may have for me to learn from my family members? Shouldn't I have a sense of responsibility towards my family members? I think so.
I know that not all of us were born into the best situations. Some "parents" do horrible things to their children. Why would God place a child in the care of those kind of so-called parents? Could there be a purpose? Could it be that God plans to use that child to help other children who face the same thing? Could it be we are allowed to face struggles and suffering in order to draw us closer to one another? To love each other more deeply with compassion and understanding?
We were created for love - love for and from the Lord and love for and from each other. Unconditional love. Most families have an unconditional love - maybe not an unconditonal "like". = ) But at the end of the day, I think most of us would say that we love our families.
If we understood that God in His infinite wisdom and love has placed us in our own families, maybe we would be more patient and more kind towards one another. Maybe instead of being so quick to judge and condemn or criticize our brother or sister, we'd try to harder to help them with loving kindness instead of angry words and actions.
I think of the time when my brother had a terrible motorcycle accident and how important family was during that situation. Doctors said he wouldn't survive. It was the worst time of our lives. Our family came together and surrounded my brother and his wife and children. We clung to each other like no other time I can remember. There were, of course, good friends who came, too. But Mark's family hardly ever left his side. I never felt closer to my family than during that time. I knew that no matter what, my family would be there for Mark, or for me if it had been me in the accident.
As I was doing my homework for Stepping Up with Beth Moore, this excerpt from day two of the last week of our study made me really stop to consider the importance of family connections.
from Stepping Up:
We form most friendships out of personal preferences, but we're not automatically the better for it. (Stay with me here. This lesson may bruise my feet more than yours.) Many of us have distanced ourselves from extended family because we've replaced them with people we prefer. Though some elements of the transition are justified and godly, others are selfish. Let's face it. Family is more trouble than friendship, and the fear that we might share similarities with some of our members also carries an indictment too strong to face on a regular basis.
For one thing, we can drop friends more easily when the relationship becomes inconvenient. Here's the rub and maybe the help: God chose our family even if we didn't. Even the challenges they pose can be effective motivation to seek His throne, His help, and His healing (AKA: deal with our stuff). After all, where would our prayer lives be without family? Furthermore, if we only choose to be around those who require virtually nothing hard from us, what will prompt us (force us) to change?
I love serving single women as much as married women. If you are single and living alone, however, I want to love you enough to point out the risk of avoiding needed change. People who live in close quarters with others have someone constantly trying to knock off their rough edges. People who live in community can also learn a little more readily that a fight need not be a fatality. They can learn a bit more easily how to apologize because they are invited to do it. On the other hand, someone living alone could manage most of the inconvenience and difficult personalities right out of their personal lives. He or she might rewrite Psalm 133:1 to say "How good and pleasant it is when kindred live somewhere else." Pleasant? Maybe. Good? Not necessarily. God often uses other people as the chisel to carve true integrity into our rough personalities. A chisel that never scrapes the stone is useless.
Don't misunderstand me to say you shouldn't live alone. If I were single, I'd probably want to, too. Just make sure you stay closely connected with a family-like group of people to be blessed, coaxed, irritated, and motivated enough by them to keep changing. Learning to endure hardship and inconvenience with people is critical to the process of becoming a whole person. When all is said and done, some of the people we needed most to fulfill God's plan for our personal lives will be those we wanted least. God doesn't just want us to be happy. He wants us to be useful.
Earlier, I suggested that we may not have chosen our family members, but God did.
That doesn't mean God chooses all their actions and decisions. God does not tempt people to sin. He does at times, however, permit difficult things to happen within families. To paraphrase Joseph's words to his brothers in Genesis 50:20, what Satan and others mean for evil in our lives, God wouldn't have allowed unless it could be used for good and for the delivering of lives.
New Interpreter's Bible commentary:
"The family is a crucial institution. It affects everyone, for good or ill. By its very nature, it can be the place where one experiences and learns intimacy, love and growth, or it can be the place where one experiences and learns resentment, abuse, and destructive behavior."
-------------------------------------------------------
Most of us have good and bad experiences in our own families. Sometimes, because of bad things that happen, we want to get away from our families as fast as we can and never look back. Satan wants to try and use God's institution of Family to hurt us and destroy us. But God says, "I wouldn't allow this situation if something good couldn't come from it."
Can we just trust God enough to know that He loves us and wants eternal good for us? If we are willing to allow God to use us, we can be stronger, more equipped to help others through similar circumstances if we just look to our heavenly Father instead of our own human wisdom.
This world is not our Home. God loves us enough to allow difficult things so that we can drawer near to Him; so that we can be a living testimony to others through our adversity. Heaven will be so worth it, whatever He allows here on earth.
Psalm 133 is about unity.
1 How wonderful and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in harmony!
2 For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil
that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard
and onto the border of his robe.
3 Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon
that falls on the mountains of Zion.
And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing,
even life everlasting.
This psalm is about the Israelites. The northern kingdom (Mount Hermon) and the southern
kingdom (Judah - Jerusalem (Zion) were not united. They were brothers - fellow descendants of Abraham yet they fought and refused to be one as God intended. But every year during festivals - when all Israelites were required to go to Jerusalem to celebrate and honor God, they all came together - they "flowed down" from the North - Mt Hermon all the way down to Zion - the south. The Israelites came together to worship God. That what God intends for us. Unity in our families. Unity in His Family.
Beth Moore stresses that family unity is important. Each member of our families can decide whether to stay and be part of the family, or they can choose to walk away. Of course there are times when it's advisable to walk away - when there is danger or evil. But if our family is just "difficult", maybe we could better serve God by being an instrument of unity. Are we willing to be the first member of our family to fight for unity? To love unconditionally? To invite God to show us the purpose behind our being placed in our particular family?
It may seem impossible in some families but if we are in a family of believers, our hearts should be so full of the Spirit of Christ that we all can come together - one in the Lord.
That's what God intended. That's what Christ prayed for in John 17.
John 17:20-23 NLT
“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.
http://youtu.be/usZtSl8mX08 - He ain't heavy, he's my brother - Neil Diamond
 |
| Son Michael and Jill with two little rays of sunshine - Brooklyn and Presley! |
Have you ever heard the expression, "Friends are family you got to choose"?
I'm sure most of us have friends we consider "family". We may even feel closer to our "family friends" than
we do to our birth families. But have you ever considered that God chose your family specifically for you?
He placed you in your family for a reason.
 |
| Son - Richey and Amber with Jaycie and Bryce! |
If God placed me in my family, shouldn't I pay attention to what He may have for me to learn from my family members? Shouldn't I have a sense of responsibility towards my family members? I think so.
I know that not all of us were born into the best situations. Some "parents" do horrible things to their children. Why would God place a child in the care of those kind of so-called parents? Could there be a purpose? Could it be that God plans to use that child to help other children who face the same thing? Could it be we are allowed to face struggles and suffering in order to draw us closer to one another? To love each other more deeply with compassion and understanding?
We were created for love - love for and from the Lord and love for and from each other. Unconditional love. Most families have an unconditional love - maybe not an unconditonal "like". = ) But at the end of the day, I think most of us would say that we love our families.
If we understood that God in His infinite wisdom and love has placed us in our own families, maybe we would be more patient and more kind towards one another. Maybe instead of being so quick to judge and condemn or criticize our brother or sister, we'd try to harder to help them with loving kindness instead of angry words and actions.
I think of the time when my brother had a terrible motorcycle accident and how important family was during that situation. Doctors said he wouldn't survive. It was the worst time of our lives. Our family came together and surrounded my brother and his wife and children. We clung to each other like no other time I can remember. There were, of course, good friends who came, too. But Mark's family hardly ever left his side. I never felt closer to my family than during that time. I knew that no matter what, my family would be there for Mark, or for me if it had been me in the accident.
As I was doing my homework for Stepping Up with Beth Moore, this excerpt from day two of the last week of our study made me really stop to consider the importance of family connections.
from Stepping Up:
We form most friendships out of personal preferences, but we're not automatically the better for it. (Stay with me here. This lesson may bruise my feet more than yours.) Many of us have distanced ourselves from extended family because we've replaced them with people we prefer. Though some elements of the transition are justified and godly, others are selfish. Let's face it. Family is more trouble than friendship, and the fear that we might share similarities with some of our members also carries an indictment too strong to face on a regular basis.
For one thing, we can drop friends more easily when the relationship becomes inconvenient. Here's the rub and maybe the help: God chose our family even if we didn't. Even the challenges they pose can be effective motivation to seek His throne, His help, and His healing (AKA: deal with our stuff). After all, where would our prayer lives be without family? Furthermore, if we only choose to be around those who require virtually nothing hard from us, what will prompt us (force us) to change?
I love serving single women as much as married women. If you are single and living alone, however, I want to love you enough to point out the risk of avoiding needed change. People who live in close quarters with others have someone constantly trying to knock off their rough edges. People who live in community can also learn a little more readily that a fight need not be a fatality. They can learn a bit more easily how to apologize because they are invited to do it. On the other hand, someone living alone could manage most of the inconvenience and difficult personalities right out of their personal lives. He or she might rewrite Psalm 133:1 to say "How good and pleasant it is when kindred live somewhere else." Pleasant? Maybe. Good? Not necessarily. God often uses other people as the chisel to carve true integrity into our rough personalities. A chisel that never scrapes the stone is useless.
Don't misunderstand me to say you shouldn't live alone. If I were single, I'd probably want to, too. Just make sure you stay closely connected with a family-like group of people to be blessed, coaxed, irritated, and motivated enough by them to keep changing. Learning to endure hardship and inconvenience with people is critical to the process of becoming a whole person. When all is said and done, some of the people we needed most to fulfill God's plan for our personal lives will be those we wanted least. God doesn't just want us to be happy. He wants us to be useful.
Earlier, I suggested that we may not have chosen our family members, but God did.
That doesn't mean God chooses all their actions and decisions. God does not tempt people to sin. He does at times, however, permit difficult things to happen within families. To paraphrase Joseph's words to his brothers in Genesis 50:20, what Satan and others mean for evil in our lives, God wouldn't have allowed unless it could be used for good and for the delivering of lives.
New Interpreter's Bible commentary:
"The family is a crucial institution. It affects everyone, for good or ill. By its very nature, it can be the place where one experiences and learns intimacy, love and growth, or it can be the place where one experiences and learns resentment, abuse, and destructive behavior."
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Most of us have good and bad experiences in our own families. Sometimes, because of bad things that happen, we want to get away from our families as fast as we can and never look back. Satan wants to try and use God's institution of Family to hurt us and destroy us. But God says, "I wouldn't allow this situation if something good couldn't come from it."
Can we just trust God enough to know that He loves us and wants eternal good for us? If we are willing to allow God to use us, we can be stronger, more equipped to help others through similar circumstances if we just look to our heavenly Father instead of our own human wisdom.
This world is not our Home. God loves us enough to allow difficult things so that we can drawer near to Him; so that we can be a living testimony to others through our adversity. Heaven will be so worth it, whatever He allows here on earth.
Psalm 133 is about unity.
1 How wonderful and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in harmony!
2 For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil
that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard
and onto the border of his robe.
3 Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon
that falls on the mountains of Zion.
And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing,
even life everlasting.
This psalm is about the Israelites. The northern kingdom (Mount Hermon) and the southern
kingdom (Judah - Jerusalem (Zion) were not united. They were brothers - fellow descendants of Abraham yet they fought and refused to be one as God intended. But every year during festivals - when all Israelites were required to go to Jerusalem to celebrate and honor God, they all came together - they "flowed down" from the North - Mt Hermon all the way down to Zion - the south. The Israelites came together to worship God. That what God intends for us. Unity in our families. Unity in His Family.
Beth Moore stresses that family unity is important. Each member of our families can decide whether to stay and be part of the family, or they can choose to walk away. Of course there are times when it's advisable to walk away - when there is danger or evil. But if our family is just "difficult", maybe we could better serve God by being an instrument of unity. Are we willing to be the first member of our family to fight for unity? To love unconditionally? To invite God to show us the purpose behind our being placed in our particular family?
It may seem impossible in some families but if we are in a family of believers, our hearts should be so full of the Spirit of Christ that we all can come together - one in the Lord.
That's what God intended. That's what Christ prayed for in John 17.
John 17:20-23 NLT
“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.
 |
| This is just part of my family. Each member is unique and special. God placed each of us in this family for a reason. Why did God place you in your family? |
Monday, March 26, 2012
Do I trust Him or not?
http://youtu.be/WCX7ldINNmg - Through it all - Hillsong
Ephesians 3:14-21
For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 1and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Our Wednesday night ladies' class is studying Beth Moore's "Stepping Up" - a study of the psalms of ascent. I got a little behind on my homework for this week but had to share an excerpt from day 1 of week 6.
from Stepping Up:
One of the most spectacular elements of Psalm 132 is how God's answers exceeded the psalmist's petition. God appears to thoroughly enjoy doing "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" - Ephesians 3:20 NIV, and probably has few bigger frustrations than when our prayerlessness denies Him the chance. You see, if we don't "ask or imagine", what does God have to out-do?
If time and opportunity have passed, we assume God said no. Sometimes we're right. Sometimes we're wrong. Our finite minds simply cannot grasp God's infinite ways of answering prayer. You have no idea how many times you've prayed and God answered affirmatively but is awaiting the proper time for its revelation. Somewhat like Matthew 16:19, the answer has been "loosed" in heaven but hasn't yet been "loosed" on the pavement of earth. When the revelation does come, we sometimes don't link it with what we originally asked because we don't recognize the supersized Ephesians 3:20 answer.
-------------------------
Isn't that amazing! I've read and used Ephesians 3:20 often to remind myself and others of God's faithfulness and love. I try not to limit God by giving Him my list things I think He needs to do in regards to my prayer requests, but human nature gets the best of me. I want my friends to be healed. I want marriages to be restored and strong; I want, I want, I want... but what does God have planned? What is His perfect will?
I love my friends and family and when they hurt, I want their burdens to be lifted and gone! If I could just remember that God loves them more than I could ever begin to comprehend, and that He wants good things for them - much more so than I do, then maybe I could pray for His will to be done without flinching, without being afraid to leave it in His hands? Do I trust Him or not?
Beth Moore's words remind me once again that He is faithful even when I don't understand the delay; even when it seems He is not answering me at all. Why do I give up on prayer requests when I don't immediately see an answer? I must be persistent and pray - believing that He has already put things in motion to answer - maybe not in a way that my punie little mind works, but in ways that are immeasurably greater than anything I could ask or imagine?
Do I trust Him or not?
http://youtu.be/EGLSk3AVcUU - Don't Give Up - Josh Groban
 |
http://youtu.be/WCX7ldINNmg - Through it all - Hillsong
Ephesians 3:14-21
For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 1and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Our Wednesday night ladies' class is studying Beth Moore's "Stepping Up" - a study of the psalms of ascent. I got a little behind on my homework for this week but had to share an excerpt from day 1 of week 6.
from Stepping Up:
One of the most spectacular elements of Psalm 132 is how God's answers exceeded the psalmist's petition. God appears to thoroughly enjoy doing "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" - Ephesians 3:20 NIV, and probably has few bigger frustrations than when our prayerlessness denies Him the chance. You see, if we don't "ask or imagine", what does God have to out-do?
God has done the same for you, Beloved, and here's the amazing part:
He's answered you above and beyond what you
asked on some of the very requests you assumed
He answered negatively.
If time and opportunity have passed, we assume God said no. Sometimes we're right. Sometimes we're wrong. Our finite minds simply cannot grasp God's infinite ways of answering prayer. You have no idea how many times you've prayed and God answered affirmatively but is awaiting the proper time for its revelation. Somewhat like Matthew 16:19, the answer has been "loosed" in heaven but hasn't yet been "loosed" on the pavement of earth. When the revelation does come, we sometimes don't link it with what we originally asked because we don't recognize the supersized Ephesians 3:20 answer.
-------------------------
Isn't that amazing! I've read and used Ephesians 3:20 often to remind myself and others of God's faithfulness and love. I try not to limit God by giving Him my list things I think He needs to do in regards to my prayer requests, but human nature gets the best of me. I want my friends to be healed. I want marriages to be restored and strong; I want, I want, I want... but what does God have planned? What is His perfect will?
I love my friends and family and when they hurt, I want their burdens to be lifted and gone! If I could just remember that God loves them more than I could ever begin to comprehend, and that He wants good things for them - much more so than I do, then maybe I could pray for His will to be done without flinching, without being afraid to leave it in His hands? Do I trust Him or not?
Beth Moore's words remind me once again that He is faithful even when I don't understand the delay; even when it seems He is not answering me at all. Why do I give up on prayer requests when I don't immediately see an answer? I must be persistent and pray - believing that He has already put things in motion to answer - maybe not in a way that my punie little mind works, but in ways that are immeasurably greater than anything I could ask or imagine?
Do I trust Him or not?
http://youtu.be/EGLSk3AVcUU - Don't Give Up - Josh Groban
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