This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about : His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit."
Matthew 1:18
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
-Luke 1: 26-38
When things happen in our lives that we don't understand, it can be very scary. Imagine how terrified Mary must have been when she found out she was going to birth the SON of GOD. She had to be confused, horrified, and scared for her life.
It's easy to think that it would be the greatest honor to be chosen by God for Mary's job...but think how incredibly difficult it was. I don't think she jumped for joy, or felt lucky in any way. I think she felt exactly how we feel when something new and scary comes into our life and we can't understand why.
Hopefully we can take example from Mary and say "I am the Lord's servant", even when we don't like or understand what He is asking of us. God doesn't promise to make things easy, but He promises to sustain us and He has proven Himself faithful. So as I was thinking, "Why God? Why is this happening? I don't understand..." I thought of Mary - pregnant, scared, scorned by others.... She trusted the Lord, and I can too.
My best friend and I rely on this verse throughout the ups and downs of life....
13No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it
-1 Corinthians 10 : 13
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
A Cool thought from Max Lucado...
"When my daughter was a toddler, I used to take her to a park not far from our apartment. One day as she was playing in a sandbox, an ice-cream salesman approached us. I purchased her a treat, and when I turned to give it to her, I saw her mouth was full of sand. Where I had intended to put a delicacy, she had put dirt.
Did I love her with dirt in her mouth? Absolutely. Was she any less of my daughter with dirt in her mouth? Of course not. Was I going to allow her to keep the dirt in her mouth? No way. I loved her right where she was, but I refused to leave her there. I carried her over to the water fountain and washed out her mouth. Why? Because I love her.
God does the same for us. He holds us over the fountain. "Spit out the dirt, honey," our Father urges. "I've got something better for you." And so he cleanses us of filth; immorality, dishonesty, prejudice, bitterness, greed. We don't enjoy the cleansing; sometimes we even opt for the dirt over the ice cream. "I can eat dirt if I want to!" we pout and proclaim. Which is true—we can. But if we do, the loss is ours. God has a better offer."
-Max Lucado
(just like Jesus)
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Have Fellowship with One Another
As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.
-Proverbs 27:17
Fall Out 2010. What an awesome weekend full of God's glory and power. I was reflecting on the verse above because I witnessed at Fall Out how much we influence one another. We need to sharpen one another in our faith. I believe that is one of the many things that occurred this weekend. There was laughter, music, dancing, and games. All of the "fun" parts. But I think maybe those are most important....because friendships were built. Trust was created. Because those relationships were solidified, they existed when the important times come....The time to make a decision for Christ. The time to have the courage to stand up. And stand up they did. I watched 12 kids accept Jesus and give their lives to Him. It was pretty cool. But it took a lot to get them to that point....A lot of learning, a lot of love from friends. God used the people around them to lead them in the right direction. We need to be willing to do our best to sharpen others, and we need to consider that God may be using the people in our life to teach us something.
I'm lucky enough to have made an awesome new friend lately. Sometimes we forget what true friendship and fellowship is until we experience it again. Comfort. Laughter. Strength. Love. Unconditional love. A true friend puts others' needs before his or her own. To find a person like that in this world is a rare gift. If you've found one, hold on. Spending time and growing with fellow believers is such an awesome experience. I am thankful that I got to do just that this past weekend.
I was supposed to be there for the girls in my cabin; talk to them, teach them, love them. And I did...but they had no idea how much I learned from THEM. God works in mysterious ways. It was awesome to see and experience.
so one person sharpens another.
-Proverbs 27:17
Fall Out 2010. What an awesome weekend full of God's glory and power. I was reflecting on the verse above because I witnessed at Fall Out how much we influence one another. We need to sharpen one another in our faith. I believe that is one of the many things that occurred this weekend. There was laughter, music, dancing, and games. All of the "fun" parts. But I think maybe those are most important....because friendships were built. Trust was created. Because those relationships were solidified, they existed when the important times come....The time to make a decision for Christ. The time to have the courage to stand up. And stand up they did. I watched 12 kids accept Jesus and give their lives to Him. It was pretty cool. But it took a lot to get them to that point....A lot of learning, a lot of love from friends. God used the people around them to lead them in the right direction. We need to be willing to do our best to sharpen others, and we need to consider that God may be using the people in our life to teach us something.
I'm lucky enough to have made an awesome new friend lately. Sometimes we forget what true friendship and fellowship is until we experience it again. Comfort. Laughter. Strength. Love. Unconditional love. A true friend puts others' needs before his or her own. To find a person like that in this world is a rare gift. If you've found one, hold on. Spending time and growing with fellow believers is such an awesome experience. I am thankful that I got to do just that this past weekend.
I was supposed to be there for the girls in my cabin; talk to them, teach them, love them. And I did...but they had no idea how much I learned from THEM. God works in mysterious ways. It was awesome to see and experience.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
He is Above All
"I know our culture will sometimes understand a love for Jesus as weakness. There is this lie floating around that says I am supposed to do life alone, without any help, without stopping to worship something bigger than myself. But I actually believe there is something bigger than me, and I need for there to be... I need someone to put awe inside me; I need to come second to someone who has everything figured out." - blue like jazz
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Let the Little Children Come to Me...
2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
-Matthew 18:2-5
I miss Paola a lot. Who knew an eleven-year-old could teach so much to someone twice her age? Paola is a beautiful girl that I met at Hogar de Vida orphanage in Guatemala. I think of those children often and it is always with a sense of awe and admiration that I remember their love for our Lord.
Most people would walk through the streets and through the orphanage and see all the things that are missing in the lives of these people. Our missionary Dena, said that a big mistake that people make is wanting to give "America" to these children. They don't need America, they have Jesus.
These children have pure joy inside their hearts because they know the Lord and they live for Him. They find happiness in small things like swinging on a swing or swimming in the river. (el rio!) They are thankful, helpful, friendly, loving, and trusting to anyone who enters their home. Their unashamed passion for life in what is surely an imperfect world can only be a result of God's love.
They have so little in a physical sense. Few clothes, few possessions. The world would consider than poor or underprivileged. But they are rich where it counts. Their hearts are full. I prayed every day I was there that God would give me a grateful heart like these children. They have all they need because they cling to Jesus.
The last night of our visit, Paola was sitting on my lap around the campfire. While we were singing, I felt her reach down and slip something on my hand. When I looked down, I saw her purple bracelet on my wrist. One of her only personal possessions, and she gave it to me without a second thought. It's no wonder that God tells us we must become like little children to enter the kingdom of heaven.
They radiate love and joy. Instead of complaining that they don't have their own room, whining that they have to do chores, or pitying themselves because they don't have parents, these children embrace life and praise God for what He has given them. Let's strive to be more like them. Instead of wishing for what we don't have, we need to count our blessings.
The only thing we truly need has been given to us by God through Jesus.
:-) Smile. The kids do it a lot.
-Matthew 18:2-5
I miss Paola a lot. Who knew an eleven-year-old could teach so much to someone twice her age? Paola is a beautiful girl that I met at Hogar de Vida orphanage in Guatemala. I think of those children often and it is always with a sense of awe and admiration that I remember their love for our Lord.
Most people would walk through the streets and through the orphanage and see all the things that are missing in the lives of these people. Our missionary Dena, said that a big mistake that people make is wanting to give "America" to these children. They don't need America, they have Jesus.
These children have pure joy inside their hearts because they know the Lord and they live for Him. They find happiness in small things like swinging on a swing or swimming in the river. (el rio!) They are thankful, helpful, friendly, loving, and trusting to anyone who enters their home. Their unashamed passion for life in what is surely an imperfect world can only be a result of God's love.
They have so little in a physical sense. Few clothes, few possessions. The world would consider than poor or underprivileged. But they are rich where it counts. Their hearts are full. I prayed every day I was there that God would give me a grateful heart like these children. They have all they need because they cling to Jesus.
The last night of our visit, Paola was sitting on my lap around the campfire. While we were singing, I felt her reach down and slip something on my hand. When I looked down, I saw her purple bracelet on my wrist. One of her only personal possessions, and she gave it to me without a second thought. It's no wonder that God tells us we must become like little children to enter the kingdom of heaven.
They radiate love and joy. Instead of complaining that they don't have their own room, whining that they have to do chores, or pitying themselves because they don't have parents, these children embrace life and praise God for what He has given them. Let's strive to be more like them. Instead of wishing for what we don't have, we need to count our blessings.
The only thing we truly need has been given to us by God through Jesus.
:-) Smile. The kids do it a lot.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Forgiveness
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
-Psalm 103: 8-12
The love of the Lord is hard for us to wrap our minds around. As high as the heavens are above the earth....so great is His love. It's INFINITE. Never ending. How do we comprehend something like that?
One of my teachers in high school used to say... "In the words of the American teenager....THAT'S NOT FAIR!!!" We often get mad when we think we don't get what we deserve.....but when you really think about it, we should THANK THE LORD for not giving us what we deserve. We are sinners, and if he "repay[ed] us according to our iniquities", it would not be pretty. He not only forgives our sins, he forgets them. He won't bring our mistakes back to haunt us the next time we make a mistake. The wrath of God was satisfied when Jesus died on the cross for our sins.
As one of my favorite songs says, "My sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow." I love the imagery in that line. As silly as it seems, I think about how badly blood stains clothes, or how anything red stains for that matter. (Ever left a red shirt or sock in the laundry with your whites? If so, you know what I mean.) There's no going back after a mistake like that. We might feel that way about our sins sometimes. As if our mistake was so terrible, we can never right our wrong. That may be true, but our mistakes are erased by the love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I think of the beauty of freshly fallen snow, and what a miracle it is that we are redeemed by God. "My sin had left a crimson stain, he washed it white as snow..."
Take a listen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3o3DiMVdOI
Let's be thankful today that "life isn't fair".
And let's keep in mind how gracious and forgiving our God is the next time someone asks for our forgiveness. Just another way we can strive to be more like Jesus. :-)
Monday, November 15, 2010
Running the Race
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
- Hebrews 12: 1-2
Anyone who grew up playing sports knows the importance of training, the effort required to reach goals, the competitive spirit that lies within an athlete. Many people can be good, only one can be the best. And in this world, there are trophies and Superbowl rings and riches and fame. But none of these things compare to the prize to be one in the race toward the kingdom of God.
"They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."
So think of yourself as an athlete, a runner in this race for righteousness. We cannot wander or run aimlessly, we must keep our eyes on the prize.
I was talking to a good friend about life being like a marathon. It is long, it is challenging, it is exhausting. There are downhill stretches and uphill stretches...but there is a prize at the end. If we sprint out of the gate, we will grow tired and most likely lose focus. We have to discipline ourselves to do what we can, when we can.
I was reminding my friend of these things, but he is actually the one that taught me this lesson. We used to run together often, and I admired his strong, consistent pace. I always had a tendency to sprint, and consequently my runs were short and didn't provide good exercise because I grew tired quickly. So what he probably doesn't realize, is that he taught me more than he even intended to....
We were running on a gorgeous spring day one time, and I was losing energy. I looked over and said, "You can go ahead, I don't think I can make it up that hill ahead of us." and he calmly looked at me and said "One step at a time, Renee. One step at a time." And I ran next to him all the way to the top of that hill. I had taken my eyes off the goal and focused too much on the challenges standing in my way. My friend helped me succeed at running that day, but also taught me a lesson that I still apply to my life. We have to take the race of life "one step at a time." We have to "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" so that we do not lose sight of the goal of living for Him.
Jesus endured the cross for our sake. We, therefore, can gladly persevere and run the race for Him.
- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
- Hebrews 12: 1-2
Anyone who grew up playing sports knows the importance of training, the effort required to reach goals, the competitive spirit that lies within an athlete. Many people can be good, only one can be the best. And in this world, there are trophies and Superbowl rings and riches and fame. But none of these things compare to the prize to be one in the race toward the kingdom of God.
"They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."
So think of yourself as an athlete, a runner in this race for righteousness. We cannot wander or run aimlessly, we must keep our eyes on the prize.
I was talking to a good friend about life being like a marathon. It is long, it is challenging, it is exhausting. There are downhill stretches and uphill stretches...but there is a prize at the end. If we sprint out of the gate, we will grow tired and most likely lose focus. We have to discipline ourselves to do what we can, when we can.
I was reminding my friend of these things, but he is actually the one that taught me this lesson. We used to run together often, and I admired his strong, consistent pace. I always had a tendency to sprint, and consequently my runs were short and didn't provide good exercise because I grew tired quickly. So what he probably doesn't realize, is that he taught me more than he even intended to....
We were running on a gorgeous spring day one time, and I was losing energy. I looked over and said, "You can go ahead, I don't think I can make it up that hill ahead of us." and he calmly looked at me and said "One step at a time, Renee. One step at a time." And I ran next to him all the way to the top of that hill. I had taken my eyes off the goal and focused too much on the challenges standing in my way. My friend helped me succeed at running that day, but also taught me a lesson that I still apply to my life. We have to take the race of life "one step at a time." We have to "fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith" so that we do not lose sight of the goal of living for Him.
Jesus endured the cross for our sake. We, therefore, can gladly persevere and run the race for Him.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
The Opposition...
"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."
-1 Peter 5: 8-9
Sometimes it happens when we are struggling and feeling far away from God. Sometimes the opportunity for him to sneak in occurs when we are feeling awesome.... Either way, the enemy is always looking for opportunities to work his evil into our minds and our lives. He does not have our best interest in mind, he wants to pull us away from our Lord. He has tricky ways of making evil things look very appealing to us.
I was talking to a friend recently, and he was telling me that it is sometimes when we are feeling closest to God that the devil is able to deceive us. I think that makes a lot of sense. When we are comfortable, we are not "alert" to the dangers of the devil.
In this passage of Peter, Satan is likened to a roaring lion. He is hungry and will not stop looking for ways to bring you down. He will hunt through our lives until he finds a weak spot to prey upon. And if we are running from him alone? Yes, he will certainly catch us and bring us down. But if we stand firm in our faith, we have God on our side and that makes all the difference. He is our Faithful father that loves us and He will save us.
It reminds me a lot of a scene from an awesome movie, The Lion King :-) Simba gets himself into a bad situation with the hyenas and it looks as if he and Nala will not escape alive. His father comes to save him.... take a look!
long version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGQ8PSGdfrg&playnext=1&list=PLD7DE90A98B2AB8A1&index=44
short version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x49NwjnwDUw&feature=related
Even when we disobey our Father, He will always rescue us because He loves us unconditionally. We must cling to Him and learn to obey Him so that we are not tempted by evil!
:-)
-1 Peter 5: 8-9
Sometimes it happens when we are struggling and feeling far away from God. Sometimes the opportunity for him to sneak in occurs when we are feeling awesome.... Either way, the enemy is always looking for opportunities to work his evil into our minds and our lives. He does not have our best interest in mind, he wants to pull us away from our Lord. He has tricky ways of making evil things look very appealing to us.
I was talking to a friend recently, and he was telling me that it is sometimes when we are feeling closest to God that the devil is able to deceive us. I think that makes a lot of sense. When we are comfortable, we are not "alert" to the dangers of the devil.
In this passage of Peter, Satan is likened to a roaring lion. He is hungry and will not stop looking for ways to bring you down. He will hunt through our lives until he finds a weak spot to prey upon. And if we are running from him alone? Yes, he will certainly catch us and bring us down. But if we stand firm in our faith, we have God on our side and that makes all the difference. He is our Faithful father that loves us and He will save us.
It reminds me a lot of a scene from an awesome movie, The Lion King :-) Simba gets himself into a bad situation with the hyenas and it looks as if he and Nala will not escape alive. His father comes to save him.... take a look!
long version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGQ8PSGdfrg&playnext=1&list=PLD7DE90A98B2AB8A1&index=44
short version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x49NwjnwDUw&feature=related
Even when we disobey our Father, He will always rescue us because He loves us unconditionally. We must cling to Him and learn to obey Him so that we are not tempted by evil!
:-)
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Powerful Prayer
15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
-James 5:15-16
The power of prayer never ceases to amaze me. Even the simplest honest sentence spoken to God can make a difference. And praying for each other? It just multiplies the blessings that God gives us.
The Word of God tells us here in James that the Lord will raise us up if we pray faithfully. He listens. He is always listening. When I am struggling, I know I can take anything to Him in prayer. Do I pray often enough? No. But I'm trying. I want to talk to God constantly throughout my day. I hope I can get there.
I was questioning lately my tendency to ask others for prayer in times of need. I was wondering why I felt the need to ask for prayer....was I being lazy? getting them to do it for me? couldn't I just do it myself? Well yes, I can pray. And I do. But God tells us here to pray for each other, to share our sins and our struggles, and I have witnessed the power of that.
We need our friends - our brothers and sisters in Christ to lift us up and to hold us accountable. God knows just what we need, and so if we ask, He will give it to us. Sometimes it comes in the form of those friends....I firmly believe He brings people into our lives for a reason. I am thankful for the awesome ones He has blessed me with.
"The prayer of a righteous person is powerful."
And I always try to remember....Sometimes an "unanswered" prayer is just a prayer that God is answering in a different way than we expected. It doesn't mean He's not listening, it just means that He knows what we need better than we do. :)
-James 5:15-16
The power of prayer never ceases to amaze me. Even the simplest honest sentence spoken to God can make a difference. And praying for each other? It just multiplies the blessings that God gives us.
The Word of God tells us here in James that the Lord will raise us up if we pray faithfully. He listens. He is always listening. When I am struggling, I know I can take anything to Him in prayer. Do I pray often enough? No. But I'm trying. I want to talk to God constantly throughout my day. I hope I can get there.
I was questioning lately my tendency to ask others for prayer in times of need. I was wondering why I felt the need to ask for prayer....was I being lazy? getting them to do it for me? couldn't I just do it myself? Well yes, I can pray. And I do. But God tells us here to pray for each other, to share our sins and our struggles, and I have witnessed the power of that.
We need our friends - our brothers and sisters in Christ to lift us up and to hold us accountable. God knows just what we need, and so if we ask, He will give it to us. Sometimes it comes in the form of those friends....I firmly believe He brings people into our lives for a reason. I am thankful for the awesome ones He has blessed me with.
"The prayer of a righteous person is powerful."
And I always try to remember....Sometimes an "unanswered" prayer is just a prayer that God is answering in a different way than we expected. It doesn't mean He's not listening, it just means that He knows what we need better than we do. :)
Friday, November 5, 2010
Trying to Be More Like Christ
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.
Philippians 3:10
I think a little differently about ministry and spreading the Gospel. I'm not going to go shouting through the streets, or forcing the Gospel on those who are not ready to hear it. I don't mean to criticize these enthusiastic approaches, it's just not my style. I think it's our responsibility to be as Christ-like as we can. We're called to express our joys (the hope we have in Jesus) and use even our little everyday actions to glorify God. The trend of WWJD? bracelets is past it's prime, but it's still the best question to ask when faced with a tough situation.
What would Jesus do? Would He look past appearance to the heart? Would He forgive 70x7 times the man who wronged Him? Would He put the needs of others before His own? Would He give His life for those who did nothing to deserve forgiveness? Would He take up the cross for you?
Jesus did all of these things. He sufferred for us. So what is a part of being more like Christ? Sufferring. "the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings..." In order to be like our Savior, we have to accept the hardships that come our way. It's easy to wish away challenges, but as one of my favorite songs says "God gave s mountains so we could learn how to climb." If we cling to our Lord, He will give us the strength we need. Talk to Jesus. He's been there. Suffering is essential for us to Truly KNOW Christ and the awesome power of His resurrection.
Philippians 3:10
I think a little differently about ministry and spreading the Gospel. I'm not going to go shouting through the streets, or forcing the Gospel on those who are not ready to hear it. I don't mean to criticize these enthusiastic approaches, it's just not my style. I think it's our responsibility to be as Christ-like as we can. We're called to express our joys (the hope we have in Jesus) and use even our little everyday actions to glorify God. The trend of WWJD? bracelets is past it's prime, but it's still the best question to ask when faced with a tough situation.
What would Jesus do? Would He look past appearance to the heart? Would He forgive 70x7 times the man who wronged Him? Would He put the needs of others before His own? Would He give His life for those who did nothing to deserve forgiveness? Would He take up the cross for you?
Jesus did all of these things. He sufferred for us. So what is a part of being more like Christ? Sufferring. "the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings..." In order to be like our Savior, we have to accept the hardships that come our way. It's easy to wish away challenges, but as one of my favorite songs says "God gave s mountains so we could learn how to climb." If we cling to our Lord, He will give us the strength we need. Talk to Jesus. He's been there. Suffering is essential for us to Truly KNOW Christ and the awesome power of His resurrection.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
To Seek and Pursue Him
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
11 Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from telling lies.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
11 Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from telling lies.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
-Psalm 34:10-14
"Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing". How awesome is that? God will provide. He will sustain us. He will not leave us in want or in need. All we long for can be found in Him.
If only it were so easy... We need to seek Him. Our hearts must yearn for him and we must be obedient to His will. To turn from evil is sometimes the hardest thing to do. Satan tries every day to deceive us. He would like nothing more than to see us turn away from God. Do not let yourself be fooled. Pray that God will help you discern truth from deceit.
The last line of this passage is I think both the most important part and the most difficult part. "Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." We have often come to like some of the things in our lives that have evil roots. It's hard to let go. If was easy, everyone would do it. It's not easy, but if we ask for help, God will provide. He will guide us and He will be faithful.
This is a Native American story that I think applies here. . .
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, "My son, the battle is between two "wolves" inside us all."
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment,
inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather:
"Which wolf wins?"
The old Cherokee simply replied,
"The one you feed."
Feed the good "wolf" inside of you. Smile at others. Be kind to those in need. Show compassion. Be honest. Share your faith. Hold onto hope. And love.
Make sure the God's GOODness triumphs in this world. Be a part of it. :-)
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
All is Possible with God
The Following are excerpts from Hebrews 11
if you want to read the entire chapter, click this link! http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+11&version=NIV
Hebrews 11
1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered Him faithful who had made the promise.
With God, anything is possible. I think this is easy to forget when we find ourselves in difficult circumstances. There is nothing that is beyond the power of God. As humans, we get caught up in science or logic that tells us that peace is not possible, certain diseases are incurable, that a barren woman cannot conceive a child, or that a paralyzed man will never walk again . But this passage in Hebrews reminds us that we must be "certain of what we do not see". God works in ways that we cannot see or understand. God works miracles. He answers prayers. Abraham and Sarah had faith in the Lord. They hoped for a child and they prayed faithfully. Sarah was barren, and Abraham was very old....anyone would think it impossible for them to conceive a child. But the power of the Lord is great. God was pleased with their faith and He rewarded them because they sought Him earnestly. (vs 6). Do not give up hope. Be certain of God, even when things seem impossible. Take heart. Miracles do happen. :-)
if you want to read the entire chapter, click this link! http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+11&version=NIV
Hebrews 11
1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered Him faithful who had made the promise.
With God, anything is possible. I think this is easy to forget when we find ourselves in difficult circumstances. There is nothing that is beyond the power of God. As humans, we get caught up in science or logic that tells us that peace is not possible, certain diseases are incurable, that a barren woman cannot conceive a child, or that a paralyzed man will never walk again . But this passage in Hebrews reminds us that we must be "certain of what we do not see". God works in ways that we cannot see or understand. God works miracles. He answers prayers. Abraham and Sarah had faith in the Lord. They hoped for a child and they prayed faithfully. Sarah was barren, and Abraham was very old....anyone would think it impossible for them to conceive a child. But the power of the Lord is great. God was pleased with their faith and He rewarded them because they sought Him earnestly. (vs 6). Do not give up hope. Be certain of God, even when things seem impossible. Take heart. Miracles do happen. :-)
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Living in Love
1 John 4:11-16 (New International Version)
11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in him.
13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in him.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Thou Art Strong
7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
When we go through hard times, when we are feeling weak...... it's an opportunity to glorify God. Sounds bizarre, right? But it's true. And it's a wonderful thing. It's a chance for us to accept God. To let Him be our Savior. To say to Him, I can't do this alone. I need your help.
-2 Corinthians 12:7-10
When we go through hard times, when we are feeling weak...... it's an opportunity to glorify God. Sounds bizarre, right? But it's true. And it's a wonderful thing. It's a chance for us to accept God. To let Him be our Savior. To say to Him, I can't do this alone. I need your help.
Too often, we try to do everything on our own. We feel upset or ashamed when we cannot do everything for ourselves. God doesn't want it to be that hard. He wants us to bring our weaknesses to Him. He is glorified when we surrender to Him and let Him lift us up.
God does not look down upon us during times of weakness. He knows we are not perfect. He loves us so much, and His love and grace covers our imperfections.
Next time you're feeling weak, try to see it as an opportunity to glorify God. We cannot rely on our own strength and power. Christ must be more important than our pride. We can "delight" in our times of struggle because it is a chance to grow closer to God. It's hard to see this bigger picture sometimes...
We cannot truly be strong if we possess our human strength alone.
Only when we admit our weakness and surrender to Christ, can the true strength of God come about.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
You can have this world, just give me Jesus...
Philippians 3:7-14
7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
In this passage, Paul realizes that anything and everything pales in comparison to Jesus Christ. We all have things in our life that we love....friends, family, sports, jobs, music, games, books, etc. We consider these things very important and we hold them dear to us. Paul describes here how all these things that seem so great, are NOTHING compares to knowing Jesus. This is easy to say but hard to act out in our lives. We know that we should put God first, and that everything else that is of importance to us is worthless. No matter what we do, it is only by faith that we can be found in Christ. We are fallen and do not have the ability to earn our salvation, but God loves us so much that He saves us. If God gave up his only Son for us, can't we give up these things in our life to live for God?
I love this passage, but struggle to find words to express my thoughts about it....let me know your thoughts!
In verse twelve, Paul writes "I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." This verse is beautiful. Has Christ taken hold of your heart? What has He made you passionate about? What does He want you to do with your life? If you know, great! If you don't....pray. He will show you. He will take hold of you. Once you know, don't wait. Paul says he will PRESS ON to take hold of his purpose. We must move forward and work toward the purpose for which God put each of us here.
Christ has taken hold of my heart with a love of music, a love for children, a love for teaching, a love for sharing His promise with others.... I need to press on toward these things and put my whole heart into them. I'm definitely not able to do that yet as well as I'd like to, just as Paul said "I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it."
A quote from one of my favorite authors, John Eldrege, applies here.... "Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
A quote from one of my favorite authors, John Eldrege, applies here.... "Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
Our world is full of hatred and sin, and we need people who have come alive with passion. Passion about what they do, and passion for Jesus Christ. Don't think about what would make you most successful. It's not about what is easy, or what others tell you to do. What Jesus Christ has taken hold of you to do?
Paul reminds us at the end of this passage to forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead. I don't think he means we should forget our past, but that we should learn from it and we should stay focused on the goal of knowing Christ and living for Him. . .
Monday, October 11, 2010
One of my favorite quotes....
"I will give you this, my love, and I will not bargain or barter any longer. I will love you, as sure as He has loved me. I will discover what I can discover and though you remain a mystery, save God's own knowledge, what I disclose of you I will keep in the warmest chamber of my heart, the very chamber where God has stowed Himself in me. And I will do this to my death, and to death it may bring me.
I will love you like God, because of God, mighted by the power of God. I will stop expecting your love, demanding you love, trading for your love, gaming for your love. I will simply love. I am giving myself to you, and tomorrow I will do it again. I suppose the clock itself will wear thin its time before I am ended at this altar of dying and dying again.
God risked Himself on me. I will risk myself on you. And together, we will learn to love, and perhaps then, and only then, understand this gravity that drew Him, unto us."
-Donald Miller
if you're looking for a good read, Miller wrote an awesome book called Blue Like Jazz
I will love you like God, because of God, mighted by the power of God. I will stop expecting your love, demanding you love, trading for your love, gaming for your love. I will simply love. I am giving myself to you, and tomorrow I will do it again. I suppose the clock itself will wear thin its time before I am ended at this altar of dying and dying again.
God risked Himself on me. I will risk myself on you. And together, we will learn to love, and perhaps then, and only then, understand this gravity that drew Him, unto us."
-Donald Miller
if you're looking for a good read, Miller wrote an awesome book called Blue Like Jazz
Fighting the Good Fight {1 Timothy 6}
Paul's Charge to Timothy
11But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.-1 Timothy 6: 11-16
This passage is from the first book of Timothy, which is a letter from the Apostle Paul. In this excerpt, he is calling Timothy to be faithful and to honor and glorify God. Earlier in this chapter, he mentions the dangers of conflict between men who are only out for money and personal gain. He explains the quarrels and conflicts that take place...these men fight with each other over things of the world. I think Paul is trying to help us see the pointlessness in this and the way it leads away from God. Instead of fighting with each other, we need to fight evil and fight for the glory of God and His kingdom.
I hate fighting. I hate conflict or confrontation or disagreement. I've always been afraid of it or viewed it as a negative thing. But when it comes to "fighting the good fight for faith", I need to step it up. I shouldn't be afraid to fight for God, because I can cover myself in His armor and He will equip me with whatever I need. Why should I be afraid? To fight for God's kingdom and to fight WITH God is to be sure of victory. It's like having the MVP of the world on your team. You're gonna pull out the win, as long as you have the courage to suit up and get out there on the field.
I've been talking to a friend lately about the importance of "playing your heart out". Whether it comes to work, relationships, God, or other things in life, what good comes out of investing yourself halfway? As a sports fan and an athlete, its easy for me to relate to the analogy of stepping up on the field. If you don't put in your heart and your time, you're not going to win.
Same goes for God. If you want to fight the good fight for Him, you have to be willing to take risks and put yourself out there. You might get hit. You might get knocked down. But this is God's team and God's fight...He's gonna reach down His hand and set you back on your feet.
Paul also calls Timothy to "take hold of eternal life". We can't forget the end goal and the kingdom we are fighting for. Our Lord is coming. Jesus will appear, and it is our job to be true to Him and to our calling until that day arrives.
Paul ends this excerpt saying "To Him be honor and might forever". It is comforting to know that God rules over all. He is strong, mighty, powerful, and worthy of all our praise.
We need to put our hope in God. Even if its difficult. Even if it's scary.
God has called us to fight the good fight.
Have an awesome day!
Renee
Bloggggg Beginnings :)
Hey Everyone :-)
hope you feel free to read and to respond with any thoughts....
since I spend way too much time on the computer, I thought that this might be a good use of that time!
The blog is called "Come Home Running" after a Chris Tomlin song that I love...It speaks to my heart and reminds me that I am loved unconditionally and I am forgiven because Jesus Christ layed down His life for each one of us. In this song, Chris sings about how we aren't perfect, we are all human and our hearts stray away from the Lord at times. We are sinners. But God doesn't want us to try to fix everything on our own. We don't have to clean up our lives before we give them to God. We need to "Come home running, just as we are..." and lay everything before God. Jesus is waiting with arms open wide for us to run to Him.
Have an awesome day!
-Renee
hope you feel free to read and to respond with any thoughts....
since I spend way too much time on the computer, I thought that this might be a good use of that time!
The blog is called "Come Home Running" after a Chris Tomlin song that I love...It speaks to my heart and reminds me that I am loved unconditionally and I am forgiven because Jesus Christ layed down His life for each one of us. In this song, Chris sings about how we aren't perfect, we are all human and our hearts stray away from the Lord at times. We are sinners. But God doesn't want us to try to fix everything on our own. We don't have to clean up our lives before we give them to God. We need to "Come home running, just as we are..." and lay everything before God. Jesus is waiting with arms open wide for us to run to Him.
Have an awesome day!
-Renee
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)