Christmas is here...three more days!! Are all the presnets wrapped? Did I miss anyone? What about the food? What are we having for the family when they come over Christmas Eve? What are we taking Christmas day? Make a list...be sure not to miss something.
I have to think... whether we are ready or not - the day will come. It will happen!! Most of us are frazzled because we've waited far too long to get started. Seems like we are disconnected to the day on the calendar and all of a sudden, OMG, it's only a week away. Oh no!! Now it's three. We think we have time and suddenly time has run out.
Sad to say, for some this is how their eternity will play out. They go through the motions, doing so many things, making time for the things they want to do, putting off things they don't like to do. They think there's always tomorrow. But tomorrow doesn't always come. Recently a friend of mine lost a co-worker who was diagnosed with cancer suddenly and told she had less than a week. She was gone in six days. A couple of weeks ago I read where someone lost their 2 year old; another lost their 18 year old. Their tomorrows never came. Ours may not as well. This is it!! Make the most of it now. Spend time with your children. Tell your spouses how much they mean to you.
There is one more thing you need to do if you haven't done so already...meet Jesus TODAY. Tomorrow you may not be able to. It may never come for you and without Jesus, your existence will be darkness, pain and lonliness. Let Him come into your heart. Let Him forgive you for all the wrong you've done and let Him change your life. Let Him give you peace and hope. Let Him give you purpose and direction. We celebrate His birthday at Christmas. He humbled Himself to be born in a dirty manger. He later humbled Himself to take the weight of your sin and my sin so that we could live with Him in heaven. Of all the gifts you will unwrap in just a few days, He is the greatest gift you could receive. Give Him your heart. You'll be so glad you did!!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
DO YOU AND WHY?
Do you get on FaceBook and do you Twitter? What's it all about? I get on FaceBook and Twitter for two entirely different reasons. I first signed up for both but found Twitter to be unfulfilling. Not everyone I followed, followed me so I eventually made my account inactive and focused on FaceBook.
FaceBook has been a lot of fun. Seeing what everyone is doing. The things they say, the places they go. I'm able to see vacation and party pictures. One day Terry mentioned someone's name. I quickly said, "They're on vacation. Do you want to know how I know? FaceBook." I was so proud of myself. But really, people who are friends with me on FaceBook, I do consider friends but don't see them often or maybe I'm not in their inner circle of friends but we're still friends so I'm interested in what they're doing, saying, etc. I'm friends with people from my old church that I don't see. I'm friends with out-of-town family. I found out about a death in the family on FaceBook before the phones started ringing. That's what FaceBook is about; being in touch with people you see often or maybe not, but just making a connection that I probably wouldn't otherwise make. I love that!!
Twitter? Well, I recently activated my account again but took a different approach this time. I primarily, but not entirely, follow people who state in their profile they are Christians and most of them blog but not all. Most of them I do not know personally and live in other areas of the country. I can sit for 30 minutes or more and read 100 Tweets. Probably 70% of them are full of scripture or links to their blogs or other peoples' blogs. It has been a great source of encouragement reading scripture, something about scripture they've just read, about their lives or how God is working in their lives. Sometimes I will "retweet", and I'm sure the "retweets" feed to FaceBook so my friends over there can be "encouranged" also. Sometimes people will ask for prayer. Often times I stop and say a prayer for that specific need, then tweet back to let them know someone read their request and did, in fact, pray for them. Isn't that cool? Pray for someone you don't know personally, somewhere else in the country, possibly international but God hears that prayer and knows THAT person by name.
So are you on FaceBook? Do you Twitter? If so, I'm curious why? Send me a comment!!
Romans 1:12 Be mutually encouraged by each other's faith... HCB
FaceBook has been a lot of fun. Seeing what everyone is doing. The things they say, the places they go. I'm able to see vacation and party pictures. One day Terry mentioned someone's name. I quickly said, "They're on vacation. Do you want to know how I know? FaceBook." I was so proud of myself. But really, people who are friends with me on FaceBook, I do consider friends but don't see them often or maybe I'm not in their inner circle of friends but we're still friends so I'm interested in what they're doing, saying, etc. I'm friends with people from my old church that I don't see. I'm friends with out-of-town family. I found out about a death in the family on FaceBook before the phones started ringing. That's what FaceBook is about; being in touch with people you see often or maybe not, but just making a connection that I probably wouldn't otherwise make. I love that!!
Twitter? Well, I recently activated my account again but took a different approach this time. I primarily, but not entirely, follow people who state in their profile they are Christians and most of them blog but not all. Most of them I do not know personally and live in other areas of the country. I can sit for 30 minutes or more and read 100 Tweets. Probably 70% of them are full of scripture or links to their blogs or other peoples' blogs. It has been a great source of encouragement reading scripture, something about scripture they've just read, about their lives or how God is working in their lives. Sometimes I will "retweet", and I'm sure the "retweets" feed to FaceBook so my friends over there can be "encouranged" also. Sometimes people will ask for prayer. Often times I stop and say a prayer for that specific need, then tweet back to let them know someone read their request and did, in fact, pray for them. Isn't that cool? Pray for someone you don't know personally, somewhere else in the country, possibly international but God hears that prayer and knows THAT person by name.
So are you on FaceBook? Do you Twitter? If so, I'm curious why? Send me a comment!!
Romans 1:12 Be mutually encouraged by each other's faith... HCB
Friday, November 13, 2009
IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME
It's been almost six months since I last sat down to write anything. One reason is I began a different blog doing daily verse devotions (www.mspicer.wordpress.com) but even that I stopped. A lot has happened in the last several months. I turned 50 in July; had major surgery in August and began a new job in September - actually went back to a job I love...working at my church. If you go back and read older posts you would see where I was struggling, praying and hoping God would answer my prayers on a specific issue. The job was the issue. God knows I am not patient; in fact I wrote about patience one day but God forced me to be patient. It was not easy. I never really got the hang of waiting (ha-ha) but He is always in control so whether I liked it or not, I did have to wait. He has blessed me greatly, though, and I am so grateful. One of the other new things in my life is I began working with the 4-5 year olds at my church on Wednesday nights. Due to recovering from surgery, Wednesday nights have been physically hard on me. It's not that I'm doing anything terribly physical but for some reason, I am sooo drained and tired when I get home. But where I am physically tired, I can say that it has beem spiritually very rewarding. I have a great group of workers and the kids are so sweet, lively but very sweet. I have recovered pretty well from surgery (it's been about 2 1/2 months as I write). I can't say I feel completely ok but so much better and know I am getting closer everyday. Now it is time to sit back down at the computer and begin to focus again on my walk with the Lord. I never really have been a writer before but I do find it helps to put my thoughts down in a more formal manner and to acknowledge what God is doing in my life. I think writing helps me to focus more because it causes me to really think on what is going on in my life. My desire is to always have the focus on Jesus because of what He has done in my life. So...here I am getting back in the game, if you will. Asking God to speak to me as I seek Him.
Friday, May 1, 2009
TIME WELL SPENT
It's hard to believe it's been a month since I last posted a blog. Time really flies. I'm busy but I know most of y'all are way busier than me with work, spouses and children. I don't see how you do it all. Being busy is one of the greatest tricks of Satan. If we stay so busy, chances are we're not spending time with God. Well, maybe we're rushing through a daily devotional or daily Bible reading but most of us don't really spend true, quality time with God.
Last weekend I had the good sense to go to Just Give Me Jesus with Ann Graham Lotz. It was awesome. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I'd been to see Beth Moore when she was last here but I've never really been to a Women's conference, unless you want to count our annual Women's Retreats at church. This was time well spent. Ann began Friday evening telling the story of Jesus. It was so thorough and complete. Her words painted the picture and took you right there. When the invitation was given, many went down and accepted Christ.
Saturday was very unique. Ann had the first and third session. They were both so rich and full of wonderful examples and information concerning studying God's Word, and I took quite a few notes. For me, the highlight of the day was Jill Briscoe. We spent over an hour in prayer with thanksgiving, confession and intercession for needs both in our own lives and in the lives of others. She calls them thank you prayers, sorry prayers and please prayers. I like that...very simple and easy for me to remember. A lot of the time I spend mostly in please prayers. I have been reminded how to have a "well-balanced" prayer life. That the structure of this conference would include such a significant time spent on prayer was amazing to me. The fact that this conference was "free" and depends on offerings and contributions taken during the conference, as well as other sponsorships, was also amazing. But as Leslie Lewis said, since Billy Graham is her father, she certainly has had the best example.
So I said all of this to say...I know it's a huge commitment to go to a conference like this, Friday evening 7-9 pm and Saturday 8:30-5pm. But it is so well worth it. Make time to learn and grow in your relationship with God. I don't care if you are a new Christian or have been saved for years, we need times like this to refresh, refocus and recommit. I've never read any of Ann's books but she is an accomplished author. All I can say is if she writes anything like she spoke and told the story of Jesus Friday evening, reading her books will also be time well spent. I will not soon forget Just Give Me Jesus!!!
Last weekend I had the good sense to go to Just Give Me Jesus with Ann Graham Lotz. It was awesome. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I'd been to see Beth Moore when she was last here but I've never really been to a Women's conference, unless you want to count our annual Women's Retreats at church. This was time well spent. Ann began Friday evening telling the story of Jesus. It was so thorough and complete. Her words painted the picture and took you right there. When the invitation was given, many went down and accepted Christ.
Saturday was very unique. Ann had the first and third session. They were both so rich and full of wonderful examples and information concerning studying God's Word, and I took quite a few notes. For me, the highlight of the day was Jill Briscoe. We spent over an hour in prayer with thanksgiving, confession and intercession for needs both in our own lives and in the lives of others. She calls them thank you prayers, sorry prayers and please prayers. I like that...very simple and easy for me to remember. A lot of the time I spend mostly in please prayers. I have been reminded how to have a "well-balanced" prayer life. That the structure of this conference would include such a significant time spent on prayer was amazing to me. The fact that this conference was "free" and depends on offerings and contributions taken during the conference, as well as other sponsorships, was also amazing. But as Leslie Lewis said, since Billy Graham is her father, she certainly has had the best example.
So I said all of this to say...I know it's a huge commitment to go to a conference like this, Friday evening 7-9 pm and Saturday 8:30-5pm. But it is so well worth it. Make time to learn and grow in your relationship with God. I don't care if you are a new Christian or have been saved for years, we need times like this to refresh, refocus and recommit. I've never read any of Ann's books but she is an accomplished author. All I can say is if she writes anything like she spoke and told the story of Jesus Friday evening, reading her books will also be time well spent. I will not soon forget Just Give Me Jesus!!!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
GOING DEEPER
I recently started reading Beth Moore's book "Breaking Free." I've got my seatbelt on for this one. While I chose the book "for someone else" (quote-unquote) I have a feeling God has a lot to show me "for me."
Here's a few quotes from Beth Moore in the book...
"I want it [the message of this book] to pull at your life so powerfully that the bondage of mediocre discipleship will never again be acceptable."
"A Christian is held captive by anything that hinders the abundant and effective Spirit-filled life God planned for him or her."
"I was the worst kind of captive: a prisoner unaware."
"God wants to do in your life what your mind has never conceived."
Recently Renee R. posted a song on FaceBook that has had a powerful affect on my life by Matthew West called "The Motions." What a song!?! Here are some of the words..."This might hurt/I don't want to go through the motions/Your all consuming passion/what if I had given you everything?/just ok is not enough." Here's the link...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaHmiFaX_pk.
Kevin C. twitted this quote earlier today..."The difference between where you are & where God wants you to be may be the painful decision you refuse to make." - Craig Groeschel
Seems like there is a similar message God is giving me from several sources. What if I had given everything? What in my life is keeping me from the abundant and effective Spirit-filled life God has planned for me? Just ok is not enough. I want to be different. I want to be where God wants me to be. I'm going deeper with God!!
Here's a few quotes from Beth Moore in the book...
"I want it [the message of this book] to pull at your life so powerfully that the bondage of mediocre discipleship will never again be acceptable."
"A Christian is held captive by anything that hinders the abundant and effective Spirit-filled life God planned for him or her."
"I was the worst kind of captive: a prisoner unaware."
"God wants to do in your life what your mind has never conceived."
Recently Renee R. posted a song on FaceBook that has had a powerful affect on my life by Matthew West called "The Motions." What a song!?! Here are some of the words..."This might hurt/I don't want to go through the motions/Your all consuming passion/what if I had given you everything?/just ok is not enough." Here's the link...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaHmiFaX_pk.
Kevin C. twitted this quote earlier today..."The difference between where you are & where God wants you to be may be the painful decision you refuse to make." - Craig Groeschel
Seems like there is a similar message God is giving me from several sources. What if I had given everything? What in my life is keeping me from the abundant and effective Spirit-filled life God has planned for me? Just ok is not enough. I want to be different. I want to be where God wants me to be. I'm going deeper with God!!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
SO MANY RULES
I've been reading in Leviticus the last few days. God's really laying down the law. All I'm saying is I'm glad to be bought and paid for and freed from the law. I said this to Terry: "There's so many rules in Levitcus. Did you know we wouldn't be able to eat shrimp if we were under the law?" His response: "Aren't you glad you aren't Jewish?" Being Jewish has nothing to do with it. It's all about Jesus! I'm glad I'm not lost.
Hebrews 7:11 "The people were given the law concerning the system of priests from the tribe of Levi, but they could not be made perfect through that system. So there was a need for another priest to come..." (NCV)
Hebrews 7:26-27 "Jesus is the kind of high priest we need. He is holy, sinless, pure, not influenced by sinners, and He is raised above the heavens. He is not like the other priests who had to offer sacrifices every day, first for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people. Christ offered His sacrifice only once and for all time when He offered himself." (NCV)
Man, forget all those rules I can't follow anyway. Too many! Just give me Jesus!! Free to follow Him with the power of the Holy Spirit. Not on my own power. I'd end up back in bondage but with the forgiveness of Jesus and help of the Holy Spirit, I can live for Him according to His Word and the guidance of the Spirit to the best of my ability.
Lord, help me to serve you with freedom in a way that brings honor to you!! Thank you for being willing to pay that sacrifice for me. Knowing me as you do, you know I'm hopeless but with the gift of Your Spirit, my life CAN honor You!
Hebrews 7:11 "The people were given the law concerning the system of priests from the tribe of Levi, but they could not be made perfect through that system. So there was a need for another priest to come..." (NCV)
Hebrews 7:26-27 "Jesus is the kind of high priest we need. He is holy, sinless, pure, not influenced by sinners, and He is raised above the heavens. He is not like the other priests who had to offer sacrifices every day, first for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people. Christ offered His sacrifice only once and for all time when He offered himself." (NCV)
Man, forget all those rules I can't follow anyway. Too many! Just give me Jesus!! Free to follow Him with the power of the Holy Spirit. Not on my own power. I'd end up back in bondage but with the forgiveness of Jesus and help of the Holy Spirit, I can live for Him according to His Word and the guidance of the Spirit to the best of my ability.
Lord, help me to serve you with freedom in a way that brings honor to you!! Thank you for being willing to pay that sacrifice for me. Knowing me as you do, you know I'm hopeless but with the gift of Your Spirit, my life CAN honor You!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TROUBLES?
"My brothers and sisters, when you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience. Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you need." James 1:2-4 (NCV)
Rewind to Blog post December 9, 2008...
I was going through a situation that I was having to wait on happening and was having a hard time being patient.
Fast forward to February 24, 2009...
Still having to wait on the same situation. Was it hard? Is it hard? Yes, very much so!!
We recently began a study on the book of James in Sunday School on February 1st so I'm reading these same verses again. Do they say IF we go through trials or troubles? No, they say WHEN. It's a guarantee. WE WILL GO THROUGH TROUBLES!! So what do we do when we have disappointments and difficult times? What do we do when bad things happen to us? How do we handle it?
Sometimes people hurt my feelings. Sometimes I feel like I totally missed God. Sometimes I even feel like He let me down. I just want to throw in the towel and give up. This is too hard. I want to walk away, go in another direction. Well...this is how I have felt recently. Have you ever felt this way? It's a battle sometimes, isn't it? Deep in my soul, I felt like if I gave into this though, I would drown. That's the only way I can describe the battle that was raging in my spirit. I literally felt like a part of me would die and my relationship with God would never be the same.
I'm so thankful God wouldn't let go of me and let me go the way I wanted. I'm so thankful, instead, He drew me close to Him and gave me this verse..."Through Christ, God gave me the special work of an apostle, which was to lead people of all nations to believe and obey. I do this work for Him." Romans 1:5 (NCV)
I'm not saying I think I'm an apostle. What I am saying is God reminded me that EVERYTHING I DO IS FOR HIM...not anyone else, not only when things are going good, not when my feeling are NOT hurt. He has called me for a special work, and I do it for Him. God reminded me why I do anything I do. I can never give up.
So remember, when it doesn't go the way we think it should have, when people let you down, when life gives us disappointments, when troubles come our way...OR when life is great and we're on top of the world...whatever situation we're in, don't foget IT'S ALL ABOUT JESUS!!
Keep your eyes on HIM and don't give up!!
Rewind to Blog post December 9, 2008...
I was going through a situation that I was having to wait on happening and was having a hard time being patient.
Fast forward to February 24, 2009...
Still having to wait on the same situation. Was it hard? Is it hard? Yes, very much so!!
We recently began a study on the book of James in Sunday School on February 1st so I'm reading these same verses again. Do they say IF we go through trials or troubles? No, they say WHEN. It's a guarantee. WE WILL GO THROUGH TROUBLES!! So what do we do when we have disappointments and difficult times? What do we do when bad things happen to us? How do we handle it?
Sometimes people hurt my feelings. Sometimes I feel like I totally missed God. Sometimes I even feel like He let me down. I just want to throw in the towel and give up. This is too hard. I want to walk away, go in another direction. Well...this is how I have felt recently. Have you ever felt this way? It's a battle sometimes, isn't it? Deep in my soul, I felt like if I gave into this though, I would drown. That's the only way I can describe the battle that was raging in my spirit. I literally felt like a part of me would die and my relationship with God would never be the same.
I'm so thankful God wouldn't let go of me and let me go the way I wanted. I'm so thankful, instead, He drew me close to Him and gave me this verse..."Through Christ, God gave me the special work of an apostle, which was to lead people of all nations to believe and obey. I do this work for Him." Romans 1:5 (NCV)
I'm not saying I think I'm an apostle. What I am saying is God reminded me that EVERYTHING I DO IS FOR HIM...not anyone else, not only when things are going good, not when my feeling are NOT hurt. He has called me for a special work, and I do it for Him. God reminded me why I do anything I do. I can never give up.
So remember, when it doesn't go the way we think it should have, when people let you down, when life gives us disappointments, when troubles come our way...OR when life is great and we're on top of the world...whatever situation we're in, don't foget IT'S ALL ABOUT JESUS!!
Keep your eyes on HIM and don't give up!!
DETAILS OR NO DETAILS
Are you a detailed kind of person or do you just skim over the details? What about God? Do you think He cares about the details or no? Read Exodus 36, 37 & 38 and tell me if you think God cares about the details.
How many curtains for the tent? How long was the ark? How many inches wide? What kind of wood were the poles made from? What direction were the creatures' wings spread on the lid? Which direction did they face? What about the table? What kind of wood? How many rings? Where were they put? Then there's the altar. The details seem to go on and on.
When I read this chapter I thought, "Wow! Look at all these details." I'm not sure why God wanted us to know all these details. I'm reading this on my phone so I don't have the luxury of having commentaries spread out before me but a couple of things came to my mind...
* God gave specific instructions on how to build the Ark of the Covenant, the tent...all the way down to what the priests were suppose to wear. Exodus 39:43 says "Moses looked closely at all the work and saw they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them." (NCV) Do you think God cared whether the Israelites would/could be faithful to follow out His instructions...down to the very last, little item?
* If God was THIS specific with what they were suppose to do, do you think God is THAT specific with what we're suppose to do? Do you think God intends for us to just coast through life or does He have something very specific FOR US to accomplish? Does He have a plan for us? Read Jeremiah 29:11-13
* When things are going on in our lives - good or bad - do you think God sees and cares about what's important to us? Read I Peter 5:7
So...What about God? Do you think He cares about the details or no?
I vote DETAILS...YES!!
How many curtains for the tent? How long was the ark? How many inches wide? What kind of wood were the poles made from? What direction were the creatures' wings spread on the lid? Which direction did they face? What about the table? What kind of wood? How many rings? Where were they put? Then there's the altar. The details seem to go on and on.
When I read this chapter I thought, "Wow! Look at all these details." I'm not sure why God wanted us to know all these details. I'm reading this on my phone so I don't have the luxury of having commentaries spread out before me but a couple of things came to my mind...
* God gave specific instructions on how to build the Ark of the Covenant, the tent...all the way down to what the priests were suppose to wear. Exodus 39:43 says "Moses looked closely at all the work and saw they had done it just as the Lord had commanded. So Moses blessed them." (NCV) Do you think God cared whether the Israelites would/could be faithful to follow out His instructions...down to the very last, little item?
* If God was THIS specific with what they were suppose to do, do you think God is THAT specific with what we're suppose to do? Do you think God intends for us to just coast through life or does He have something very specific FOR US to accomplish? Does He have a plan for us? Read Jeremiah 29:11-13
* When things are going on in our lives - good or bad - do you think God sees and cares about what's important to us? Read I Peter 5:7
So...What about God? Do you think He cares about the details or no?
I vote DETAILS...YES!!
Friday, January 23, 2009
PRAYER CHANGES THINGS
COPIED FROM AN EMAIL I RECEIVED TODAY FROM FOCUS ON THE FAMILY ACTION:
Today is the anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions -- the horrendous Supreme Court cases that legalized abortion and have resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of preborn babies. Thousands of pro-life Americans are in our nation’s capital marching for the preborn very near the place President Obama took the oath of office earlier this week.
I want to ask you to join me in praying for a change of heart for President Obama.
You see, Obama has pledged to push the most radical pro-abortion agenda in American history. He said, “The first thing I’d do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act” (FOCA). FOCA could overturn hundreds of pro-life measures and could legalize even the heinous partial-birth abortion procedure.
But President Obama also professes to follow Christ. Since God can change the hearts of even unwilling rulers, He certainly can change the heart of a president who professes to be a Christian! Will you join me, today and in the days to come, in praying for a miraculous change of heart in Obama’s plans to push FOCA and a radical abortion agenda?
Tom Minnery
Senior Vice President, Government & Public Policy
UPDATE ON FACEBOOK THIS WEEK: "David B. Smith is wishing Christians would stop complaining about our President and start praying for him and all of our leaders. God's will for His plan not ours!"
You're right on David. It's the one thing we can do that has the most power. Take it to the ONE who can change the heart of man. PRAYER DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!
Today is the anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions -- the horrendous Supreme Court cases that legalized abortion and have resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of preborn babies. Thousands of pro-life Americans are in our nation’s capital marching for the preborn very near the place President Obama took the oath of office earlier this week.
I want to ask you to join me in praying for a change of heart for President Obama.
You see, Obama has pledged to push the most radical pro-abortion agenda in American history. He said, “The first thing I’d do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act” (FOCA). FOCA could overturn hundreds of pro-life measures and could legalize even the heinous partial-birth abortion procedure.
But President Obama also professes to follow Christ. Since God can change the hearts of even unwilling rulers, He certainly can change the heart of a president who professes to be a Christian! Will you join me, today and in the days to come, in praying for a miraculous change of heart in Obama’s plans to push FOCA and a radical abortion agenda?
Tom Minnery
Senior Vice President, Government & Public Policy
UPDATE ON FACEBOOK THIS WEEK: "David B. Smith is wishing Christians would stop complaining about our President and start praying for him and all of our leaders. God's will for His plan not ours!"
You're right on David. It's the one thing we can do that has the most power. Take it to the ONE who can change the heart of man. PRAYER DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
FATHER ABRAHAM
I'm still reading in Genesis about Abraham and came across a very familiar part of his story. GENESIS 22:1-18 You know the one where God tells Abraham to go up on the mountain and sacrifice his only son, Isaac. Abraham and Sarah had waited so long for this son. Sarah even laughed when she heard she would have a son because she and Abraham were so old. But like usual...God is faithful to His promises.
So now God tells Abraham to take this long awaited son up on the mountain and sacrifice him. Abraham does as instructed. He takes Isaac, a couple of servants, and cut the needed wood for the burnt offering sacrifice. He goes to the place God had told him. When they arrive, Abraham tells his servants to stay behind while he and Isaac go the rest of the way by themselves. Can you imagine what Isaac is thinking? (ISAAC: Dad, I know God told you to do all of this but where's the lamb for the sacrifice? Something's not just right here. ABRAHAM: Don't worry, son. God will take care of all the details.) So they head on up the mountain. Abraham builds the altar, puts the wood down, ties Isaac up, lays him on the wood and raises the knife. Abraham has every intention of going through with the instructions God gave him. But an angel of the Lord stops him and says he sees how Abraham trusts God. Then just like Abraham knew God would, He provided the lamb. It was in the bushes.
Why does God do all of this if He never planned on Abraham having to actually kill his son? You can find the answer in Genesis 22:1. It was a test - a really big, important test. Some times the things we go through or have to experience is nothing more than God testing our faith, just like He did with Abraham. If Abraham was going to get graded on THIS test, what would it be? I think he would receive a huge A++. He did exactly what God asked him. He never wavered or 2nd guessed God. His faith carried him all the way through, all the way up to raising the knife. IF he had to kill Isaac he believed God would raise him from the dead.
A couple of years back when I was studying this same story to teach SS, this verse jumped out at me. Genesis 22:5 "He said to his servants, 'Stay here with the donkey. My son and I will go over there and worship, and then we will come back to you.'" Have you ever noticed that verse? What did Abraham mean when he said "we will come back to you?" I think Abraham's faith that God would provide never failed. He knew he would come back down that mountain with his son. He didn't know how but he had absolute belief that God would not have given him Isaac, made the promises He did, only to have it end up this way. BUT...just incase he was wrong, he was also determined that he would be faithful to do whatever God was asking, even if it made no sense or was going to break his heart.
This is one of my favorite OT stories. What an awesome example for us!! Will we be willing to go the distance, whatever God asks of us? Even when it makes no sense or is going to be really tough, will we be willing to keep the faith all the way till the end? Could we be listed in the "Faith Hall of Fame"? Check it out...Hebrews 11:17-19. Just saying...
So now God tells Abraham to take this long awaited son up on the mountain and sacrifice him. Abraham does as instructed. He takes Isaac, a couple of servants, and cut the needed wood for the burnt offering sacrifice. He goes to the place God had told him. When they arrive, Abraham tells his servants to stay behind while he and Isaac go the rest of the way by themselves. Can you imagine what Isaac is thinking? (ISAAC: Dad, I know God told you to do all of this but where's the lamb for the sacrifice? Something's not just right here. ABRAHAM: Don't worry, son. God will take care of all the details.) So they head on up the mountain. Abraham builds the altar, puts the wood down, ties Isaac up, lays him on the wood and raises the knife. Abraham has every intention of going through with the instructions God gave him. But an angel of the Lord stops him and says he sees how Abraham trusts God. Then just like Abraham knew God would, He provided the lamb. It was in the bushes.
Why does God do all of this if He never planned on Abraham having to actually kill his son? You can find the answer in Genesis 22:1. It was a test - a really big, important test. Some times the things we go through or have to experience is nothing more than God testing our faith, just like He did with Abraham. If Abraham was going to get graded on THIS test, what would it be? I think he would receive a huge A++. He did exactly what God asked him. He never wavered or 2nd guessed God. His faith carried him all the way through, all the way up to raising the knife. IF he had to kill Isaac he believed God would raise him from the dead.
A couple of years back when I was studying this same story to teach SS, this verse jumped out at me. Genesis 22:5 "He said to his servants, 'Stay here with the donkey. My son and I will go over there and worship, and then we will come back to you.'" Have you ever noticed that verse? What did Abraham mean when he said "we will come back to you?" I think Abraham's faith that God would provide never failed. He knew he would come back down that mountain with his son. He didn't know how but he had absolute belief that God would not have given him Isaac, made the promises He did, only to have it end up this way. BUT...just incase he was wrong, he was also determined that he would be faithful to do whatever God was asking, even if it made no sense or was going to break his heart.
This is one of my favorite OT stories. What an awesome example for us!! Will we be willing to go the distance, whatever God asks of us? Even when it makes no sense or is going to be really tough, will we be willing to keep the faith all the way till the end? Could we be listed in the "Faith Hall of Fame"? Check it out...Hebrews 11:17-19. Just saying...
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
YOU gotta have faith
"(1) The Lord said to Abram, "Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's family, and go to the land I will show you. (4) So Abram left Haran as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. At this time Abram was 75 years old." Genesis 12:1 & 4
"(8) The officer answered, "Lord, I am not worthy for you to come into my house. You only need to command it, and my servant will be healed. (10) When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. He said to those who were following him, "I tell you the truth, this is the greatest faith I have found, even in Israel." Matthew 8:8 & 10
Do you see some similarity in those two groups of verses?
As soon as I read the familiar verses in Genesis today on my mobile Bible :-) where God told Abram (or Abraham as we know him) to leave without giving him the details I automatically thought of the faith it took for Abraham to be obedient. He didn't question God. He didn't ask for the rest of the story. He didn't ask what next? He just stepped out in faith and did what God asked him to do.
So...then I read on and switched over to the NT and what do I read? I read about people who were coming to Jesus to be healed because they had faith He could/would do that. In fact, there was an officer Jesus described as "having the greatest faith in Isreal." WOW!! That's some faith, isn't it?
Earlier Carmela was praising God on FaceBook for answering her prayer request. I was reminded of the verses I'd read before and thought "we gotta have faith" just like these guys did. God is still teaching me patience on a specific prayer request I have. But God spoke to me even later when I was thinking about it again. It was like He said, "No, Marsha - YOU gotta have faith."
I needed that. Thank you, Lord, for speaking to me and reminding me You see all things, and You haven't forgotten about me. Your timing is perfect, and I will continue to "try" to be patient... and have faith.
"(8) The officer answered, "Lord, I am not worthy for you to come into my house. You only need to command it, and my servant will be healed. (10) When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. He said to those who were following him, "I tell you the truth, this is the greatest faith I have found, even in Israel." Matthew 8:8 & 10
Do you see some similarity in those two groups of verses?
As soon as I read the familiar verses in Genesis today on my mobile Bible :-) where God told Abram (or Abraham as we know him) to leave without giving him the details I automatically thought of the faith it took for Abraham to be obedient. He didn't question God. He didn't ask for the rest of the story. He didn't ask what next? He just stepped out in faith and did what God asked him to do.
So...then I read on and switched over to the NT and what do I read? I read about people who were coming to Jesus to be healed because they had faith He could/would do that. In fact, there was an officer Jesus described as "having the greatest faith in Isreal." WOW!! That's some faith, isn't it?
Earlier Carmela was praising God on FaceBook for answering her prayer request. I was reminded of the verses I'd read before and thought "we gotta have faith" just like these guys did. God is still teaching me patience on a specific prayer request I have. But God spoke to me even later when I was thinking about it again. It was like He said, "No, Marsha - YOU gotta have faith."
I needed that. Thank you, Lord, for speaking to me and reminding me You see all things, and You haven't forgotten about me. Your timing is perfect, and I will continue to "try" to be patient... and have faith.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
The WORD is Mobile
I've started reading the Bible on this program Kevin C. suggested loading on my Blackberry. It's pretty cool. It has the entire Bible with all kinds of different versions. It has a daily reading plan so I've been using it for the last several days. I really like that I can take it wherever I go. It has chapters listed to read daily and it seems to help not being able to see how many verses I'll have to read. I just start reading. In the past it always seemed a bit daunting. I don't know if this makes sense so all I'm saying is I'm enjoying reading this way.
Earlier while I was reading, two things struck me from some of the verses. One was in the OT and one was in the NT. I'll start with the OT.
"The Lord saw that the human beings on the earth were very wicked and that everything they thought about was evil. He was sorry he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, "I will destroy all human beings that I made on the earth. And I will destroy every animal and everything that crawls on the earth and the birds of the air, because I am sorry I have made them." Genesis 6:5-7 (NCV)
It's hard to believe there was a time when God was actually sorry He'd created man. When I read that this morning it was like a knife went through me. Can you imgaine the anguish He must have felt when He said that? I thought about when Jesus hung on the cross and took on all the pain and paid the price for those sins THEN, today's and tomorrow's sins. God took pretty drastic measures when Noah was alive and allowed the world to be destroyed by a flood. God turned His back on mankind that day. God also took pretty drastic measures the day He allowed Jesus to die on the cross for you and me. God turned His back on His Son. Part of me wonders what God must think about mankind TODAY. While I know He loves us, and inspite of ourselves He provides a way for us to be with Him through His Son, how much does mankind grieve His heart? What if Jesus hadn't been willing to come to earth? Would God be so unhappy with us that He would consider destroying earth again? I look around, read the paper, watch the news, know what I think and say sometimes, and know there is a lot of evil around us. How would it be without the influence of Jesus? He changed the world, didn't He? How would the world be without Him? How would the world be without us? Think about it!!
The 2nd group of verses I read in the NT was in Matthew. Here they are... "People will insult you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But when they do, you will be blessed. Rejoice and be glad, because you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did the same evil things to the prophets who lived before you. " Matthew 5:11-12 (NCV)
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemies.' But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. If you do this, you will be true children of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on good people and on evil people, and he sends rain to those who do right and to those who do wrong. If you love only the people who love you, you will get no reward. Even the tax collectors do that. And if you are nice only to your friends, you are no better than other people. Even those who don't know God are nice to their friends." Matthew 5:43-47 (NCV)
We are to love and most importantly I think, pray for those who hurt us. It's easy to be nice to those we think are nice or are our friends but not the ones we think have hurt us OR hurt the ones we love. That's hitting close to home right now so when I read these verses, it really made me stop. I think the verses speak loud and clear and don't need any explanation from me. All I'll say is it's really hard but I want those rewards in heaven the verses mentioned so it's something I have to work on and DO. What about you? Do you want to be who God wants you to be? Is there someone you're going to have to pray for whether you really want to or not? No? Well, consider yourself fortunate. Hold on though...there will be. They'll show themselves soon enough. Just remember to Pray for those who hurt you. And can we all just work on being nice to everyone, whether they are our "friends" or not? (Don't worry, I'm talking to myself first.)
Earlier while I was reading, two things struck me from some of the verses. One was in the OT and one was in the NT. I'll start with the OT.
"The Lord saw that the human beings on the earth were very wicked and that everything they thought about was evil. He was sorry he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, "I will destroy all human beings that I made on the earth. And I will destroy every animal and everything that crawls on the earth and the birds of the air, because I am sorry I have made them." Genesis 6:5-7 (NCV)
It's hard to believe there was a time when God was actually sorry He'd created man. When I read that this morning it was like a knife went through me. Can you imgaine the anguish He must have felt when He said that? I thought about when Jesus hung on the cross and took on all the pain and paid the price for those sins THEN, today's and tomorrow's sins. God took pretty drastic measures when Noah was alive and allowed the world to be destroyed by a flood. God turned His back on mankind that day. God also took pretty drastic measures the day He allowed Jesus to die on the cross for you and me. God turned His back on His Son. Part of me wonders what God must think about mankind TODAY. While I know He loves us, and inspite of ourselves He provides a way for us to be with Him through His Son, how much does mankind grieve His heart? What if Jesus hadn't been willing to come to earth? Would God be so unhappy with us that He would consider destroying earth again? I look around, read the paper, watch the news, know what I think and say sometimes, and know there is a lot of evil around us. How would it be without the influence of Jesus? He changed the world, didn't He? How would the world be without Him? How would the world be without us? Think about it!!
The 2nd group of verses I read in the NT was in Matthew. Here they are... "People will insult you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things about you because you follow me. But when they do, you will be blessed. Rejoice and be glad, because you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven. People did the same evil things to the prophets who lived before you. " Matthew 5:11-12 (NCV)
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemies.' But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you. If you do this, you will be true children of your Father in heaven. He causes the sun to rise on good people and on evil people, and he sends rain to those who do right and to those who do wrong. If you love only the people who love you, you will get no reward. Even the tax collectors do that. And if you are nice only to your friends, you are no better than other people. Even those who don't know God are nice to their friends." Matthew 5:43-47 (NCV)
We are to love and most importantly I think, pray for those who hurt us. It's easy to be nice to those we think are nice or are our friends but not the ones we think have hurt us OR hurt the ones we love. That's hitting close to home right now so when I read these verses, it really made me stop. I think the verses speak loud and clear and don't need any explanation from me. All I'll say is it's really hard but I want those rewards in heaven the verses mentioned so it's something I have to work on and DO. What about you? Do you want to be who God wants you to be? Is there someone you're going to have to pray for whether you really want to or not? No? Well, consider yourself fortunate. Hold on though...there will be. They'll show themselves soon enough. Just remember to Pray for those who hurt you. And can we all just work on being nice to everyone, whether they are our "friends" or not? (Don't worry, I'm talking to myself first.)
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