Last year I discovered a ministry called "The Birthday Project". The premise is that your birthday becomes about gratitude...gratitude for another year of life, more chances to impact the world around you for good, and to live for something greater than yourself. It is one day on the calendar to represent our lives as a whole.
As I began to figure out how I would 'celebrate' my birthday this year, I remembered how much fun I had last year blessing others on my birthday. To read about it, see last years post.http://runningonfaith-beachstork.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-birthday-project-42-not-so-raok.html
I was blessed after I wrote this particular blog in that I later found out it was featured in a national Christian magazine (Charisma); this was God's sweet affirmation to me at the time concerning my future calling/destiny.http://www.charismamag.com/spirit/evangelism-missions/16427-how-one-woman-s-birthday-spent-performing-kind-acts-sparked-a-movement
So I asked God, how do you want me to spend No "43"... 43 ice-cream cones? 43 lottery tickets? And very clearly God answered... 43 BACKPACKS.
This year the Lord has been working in my family concerning the area of finances. How you deal with money is huge when it comes to spiritual maturity. Why? Because Luke Ch 16 (verse 13) makes it abundantly clear; "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." Most Christians have heard this scripture before and are relatively familiar with it. Most believe they are serving God. I used to think this too. But the truth is, fed by my own insecurities and a warped sense of finances that I learned as a child, I wasn't. At least not as much as I should for what the Lord has blessed me with. Greg and I started tithing many years ago. Tithing is just the beginning. Scripture tells us that the first 10% belongs to the Lord; you only have two choices: bring it to the storehouse (church) or steal it. Stewardship involves what you do with the other 90%. I recently heard a message on finances that put is this way. All money has a spirit on it. It either has the Spirit of God or the Spirit of Mammon. Mammon is the word used in the New King James Version instead of money for this same scripture in Luke 16. Mammon could be translated as riches, instead of money. It refers to a Syrian God that was worshiped in Babylon. It embodies the spirit that says I can do this my way...I don't need God. Mammon makes false promises that only God can fulfill. It promises that if you have more money... you will have true significance, true influence, true love, true worth, or true happiness. Just look at society around you and you will see money doesn't buy you those things. Only God provides those things.
It was another part of this passage of scripture that really sunk deeply into my marrow. As a Christian, I want to live for Christ. I want to fulfill my God given destiny... to fulfill my calling and significance which inherently involves winning others to salvation. To be truly effective at this, I have to be a good steward of what God has given me. "Whoever can be trusted with very little, can also be trusted with very much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with very much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?" What are true riches to God? Souls...people are what God considered true riches. They are the only thing that lives forever; worldly wealth does not. If you want God to trust you with souls and having influence for his kingdom to win others to Christ, you have to understand how to steward what he gives you. This doesn't mean we can't have nice things. I think it means that when God wants you to use your wealth to further his kingdom, you have the ability, desire and trust to answer him. It's understanding everything you have comes from him anyway.
So let me get back to the 43 Backpacks. My church has a missions project each year where they register children in need and purchase them a backpack filled with needed school supplies and a new pair of shoes. Each child and their family is prayed over and witnessed to. Its more than a just a backpack. As my missions pastor put it, "It's a spiritual battle against poverty." When you meet someone's physical need, you then have the opportunity to reach their deeper spiritual need. Each backpack represents a life, a family, a soul. Before I gave my money this week I prayed for the 43 and asked God that my money may be used to further his kingdom. I won't know who they were, but someday (in heaven) I might. "I tell you...use worldly wealth to gain (true) friends for yourselves so that when it (your riches) is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings."
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
The 300
I had intimated in previous posts that God had told Greg and I that things were about to change. Boy, have they ever! Things that we had been asking God for the last two years, suddenly fell into place. And of course God's timing was involved. Somehow though, the events of the last few months instead of making me feel joyful at the outcome of answered prayers, I have felt uneasy.I think that is just how I'm supposed to feel.
I have learned in my Christian walk that God primarily speaks through his Word. Over and over again through either my daily reading in the "One Year Bible On-line" or a current bible study that I had been led to, God gave me just the right message to get me through that season of life. Of course, now is no different. Before I expand, let me just say this. If you are a believer, it is essential to read your bible. Without it, you are unable to hear the primary method for God's communication. Yes, he will use circumstances, and the Holy Spirit, but these are always in the context of the message/the Word he has already given us. Secondly, his word is our primary defensive weapon against the attacks of the enemy. Without it, and the knowledge of God's promises and truth it reveals, you are vulnerable to Satan's lies. If you don't know the truth, how can you recognize a lie? I've really come to believe that the majority of Christians who remain in defeat or bondage, are doing so because they don't know the word/read their bible. I can say that because it was true for me and I witness it in the people I talk to every day.
Not coincidentally I am working on a bible study about Gideon by Priscilla Shirer. Gideon's story appears during a few small chapters in the book of Judges. At the time the people of Israel were being harassed repeatedly by the Midianites, because they had failed to eliminate them completely in the past as directed. God calls Gideon, an insecure, frightened man to lead the charge against their enemy. But in the process, he whittles away everything that might bring him comfort or a sense of personal strength. Gideon starts the fight with 32,000 men to go up against the 135,000 Midianites. God next gives him some criteria for sending the majority of his army home. In the end he is left with 300 men. The odds increased from 4:1 to 450:1. Thus God minimized pride's chances of taking any credit for the victory. I'm sure Gideon was feeling pretty uneasy at that point. I think I understand. But our weakness, positions us to see God's strength and our humility causes the door to God's power in our lives to be opened.
Right now I feel like I have the 300... or maybe I should say the 3(Greg,Cameron & Ben). I've seen a lot of things that used to bring me comfort in my mind fall away over the last few months. I work alone with no back up. My peers chose to reject me. We sold our home in Niceville (answered prayer); so, now I live in a 700 sq ft cottage with one bathroom to share and 4 animals. I've seen many 'friendships' fall away due to either geographical or emotional distance. This hasn't cultivated sadness in me, but rather humility. You see my comfort isn't found in those things anymore...it's found in knowing the Lord more. This gift of weakness has positioned me right where God wants me - to see his power in my life. For the first year of my current season of life, I pleaded with God to take it away. I continually looked for a way out or for rescue to come. God wouldn't change my circumstances because he was waiting for my heart to change. I've fully come to grasp Paul releasing to God and to understand that his grace is sufficient for me and in my weakness his strength is made great. Even when I have little, if I am obedient, God will multiply my efforts.
I'm sensing victory is right around the corner. He has already shown me glimpses of my promised land/inheritance that he has for me. My job is simply to dispossess the enemy.
I have learned in my Christian walk that God primarily speaks through his Word. Over and over again through either my daily reading in the "One Year Bible On-line" or a current bible study that I had been led to, God gave me just the right message to get me through that season of life. Of course, now is no different. Before I expand, let me just say this. If you are a believer, it is essential to read your bible. Without it, you are unable to hear the primary method for God's communication. Yes, he will use circumstances, and the Holy Spirit, but these are always in the context of the message/the Word he has already given us. Secondly, his word is our primary defensive weapon against the attacks of the enemy. Without it, and the knowledge of God's promises and truth it reveals, you are vulnerable to Satan's lies. If you don't know the truth, how can you recognize a lie? I've really come to believe that the majority of Christians who remain in defeat or bondage, are doing so because they don't know the word/read their bible. I can say that because it was true for me and I witness it in the people I talk to every day.
Not coincidentally I am working on a bible study about Gideon by Priscilla Shirer. Gideon's story appears during a few small chapters in the book of Judges. At the time the people of Israel were being harassed repeatedly by the Midianites, because they had failed to eliminate them completely in the past as directed. God calls Gideon, an insecure, frightened man to lead the charge against their enemy. But in the process, he whittles away everything that might bring him comfort or a sense of personal strength. Gideon starts the fight with 32,000 men to go up against the 135,000 Midianites. God next gives him some criteria for sending the majority of his army home. In the end he is left with 300 men. The odds increased from 4:1 to 450:1. Thus God minimized pride's chances of taking any credit for the victory. I'm sure Gideon was feeling pretty uneasy at that point. I think I understand. But our weakness, positions us to see God's strength and our humility causes the door to God's power in our lives to be opened.
Right now I feel like I have the 300... or maybe I should say the 3(Greg,Cameron & Ben). I've seen a lot of things that used to bring me comfort in my mind fall away over the last few months. I work alone with no back up. My peers chose to reject me. We sold our home in Niceville (answered prayer); so, now I live in a 700 sq ft cottage with one bathroom to share and 4 animals. I've seen many 'friendships' fall away due to either geographical or emotional distance. This hasn't cultivated sadness in me, but rather humility. You see my comfort isn't found in those things anymore...it's found in knowing the Lord more. This gift of weakness has positioned me right where God wants me - to see his power in my life. For the first year of my current season of life, I pleaded with God to take it away. I continually looked for a way out or for rescue to come. God wouldn't change my circumstances because he was waiting for my heart to change. I've fully come to grasp Paul releasing to God and to understand that his grace is sufficient for me and in my weakness his strength is made great. Even when I have little, if I am obedient, God will multiply my efforts.
I'm sensing victory is right around the corner. He has already shown me glimpses of my promised land/inheritance that he has for me. My job is simply to dispossess the enemy.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Moving Forward
Have you ever felt stuck by your circumstances? That has been me for the last two years. Waiting on God to change my circumstances. Well, when that doesn't happen, it's most likely because God is trying to change your heart.
Many people spoke over me several years ago (when my life and circumstances so abruptly changed) that "God must be preparing you for something"... but what? and when will I know?
God definitely has used the last two years to refine my heart but more specifically the desires of my heart. If you allow him, God can change your 'want to'. This can be so profound that what you consider constitutes "blessings" even changes. You see, God wants to bless his people. In fact he longs to do so. But the key to unlocking God's favor and blessing is obedience. In any situation where you have the choice to trust God or take the shortcut that the enemy offers, if you don't choose faith in God, you cut off the potential blessing God had in store for you. God especially likes to work this equation in circumstances where you feel "stuck"; where you can see no Earthly way out. The enemy senses our desperation and will usually step in and offer a 'solution'. This shortcut to getting what we want will not depend on God, but usually on your own efforts. He does this because he knows this will circumvent us receiving the blessing that God had planned all along for us. If you want the Lord's blessings...the only way will be trusting God to provide the way out and choosing to move forward only with him.
That's when his favor explodes in your life, as it has in mine. Under the wing of his protection is the only place I now want to be...wherever that may take me. Now that's a change of heart for this type A girl who generally has her entire day, month, year planned out.
Several months ago the Holy Spirit began to whisper to Greg and I that things were getting ready to change. We didn't know how, but we felt like God was getting ready to 'change our circumstances.' We both felt it and confirmed it by telling each other. Shortly after this, something that has been on our prayer list for a long time, came to pass. Moving forward.
Next I attended our Women of Destiny's event with Lisa Osteen-Comes. It was the first event that I went to alone. None of my friends attended. I'll admit I even had some hesitation going. But I went for several reasons, but mostly because I felt that maybe this time God had a message just for me since I was there alone. Further, I've learned not to limit how God can speak to me. I was right. The speaker's entire message was on moving forward when you feel stuck. It was bible based and confirmed by the word of God. Want to know when God is speaking to you? He will use the mercy of confirmation; if it's a message from God he will find ways to confirm it over and over so that you have no doubt. Or maybe because we are thick-headed? Either way, I find that when he is stressing a theme with me, it will be repetitive in my bible reading, messages, or signs along the way.
The next day I started my new bible study by Priscilla Shirer about Gideon. I watched the first video where Priscilla lays down the context within the bible for this character and why we will study him. "Because Gideon is among a nation of people who have stopped moving forward." He is going to show them and us how to do that and take our relationship with God to the next level. I got a little emotional watching the video. How sweet the Lord is to make sure I know he is getting ready to move?! And more specifically that maybe together I've made some of the heart changes necessary to do so. I just love him for that.
I'm not entirely sure what will be next. But I'm learning to discern his voice and the intimacy I've built with him the last two years as I've leaned on him for daily living has helped me to know I have nothing to fear.
Many people spoke over me several years ago (when my life and circumstances so abruptly changed) that "God must be preparing you for something"... but what? and when will I know?
God definitely has used the last two years to refine my heart but more specifically the desires of my heart. If you allow him, God can change your 'want to'. This can be so profound that what you consider constitutes "blessings" even changes. You see, God wants to bless his people. In fact he longs to do so. But the key to unlocking God's favor and blessing is obedience. In any situation where you have the choice to trust God or take the shortcut that the enemy offers, if you don't choose faith in God, you cut off the potential blessing God had in store for you. God especially likes to work this equation in circumstances where you feel "stuck"; where you can see no Earthly way out. The enemy senses our desperation and will usually step in and offer a 'solution'. This shortcut to getting what we want will not depend on God, but usually on your own efforts. He does this because he knows this will circumvent us receiving the blessing that God had planned all along for us. If you want the Lord's blessings...the only way will be trusting God to provide the way out and choosing to move forward only with him.
That's when his favor explodes in your life, as it has in mine. Under the wing of his protection is the only place I now want to be...wherever that may take me. Now that's a change of heart for this type A girl who generally has her entire day, month, year planned out.
Several months ago the Holy Spirit began to whisper to Greg and I that things were getting ready to change. We didn't know how, but we felt like God was getting ready to 'change our circumstances.' We both felt it and confirmed it by telling each other. Shortly after this, something that has been on our prayer list for a long time, came to pass. Moving forward.
Next I attended our Women of Destiny's event with Lisa Osteen-Comes. It was the first event that I went to alone. None of my friends attended. I'll admit I even had some hesitation going. But I went for several reasons, but mostly because I felt that maybe this time God had a message just for me since I was there alone. Further, I've learned not to limit how God can speak to me. I was right. The speaker's entire message was on moving forward when you feel stuck. It was bible based and confirmed by the word of God. Want to know when God is speaking to you? He will use the mercy of confirmation; if it's a message from God he will find ways to confirm it over and over so that you have no doubt. Or maybe because we are thick-headed? Either way, I find that when he is stressing a theme with me, it will be repetitive in my bible reading, messages, or signs along the way.
The next day I started my new bible study by Priscilla Shirer about Gideon. I watched the first video where Priscilla lays down the context within the bible for this character and why we will study him. "Because Gideon is among a nation of people who have stopped moving forward." He is going to show them and us how to do that and take our relationship with God to the next level. I got a little emotional watching the video. How sweet the Lord is to make sure I know he is getting ready to move?! And more specifically that maybe together I've made some of the heart changes necessary to do so. I just love him for that.
I'm not entirely sure what will be next. But I'm learning to discern his voice and the intimacy I've built with him the last two years as I've leaned on him for daily living has helped me to know I have nothing to fear.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Learning to Harmonize
I have always loved to sing ever since I was a child. My great grandmother used to care for me after school at her house. We played all sort of make believe games, card games, and watched her soap operas. But the thing I loved the most was singing solos while she played the piano. In essence, she taught me to sing. I think I hold it so fondly in my heart because that grandmother was one of the true godly influences that I had in my life and the time I spent with her truly brought me joy in what was otherwise a tumultuous childhood. Singing solos at the piano also fit right in with my developing personality...I liked to be front and center. I liked commanding other peoples attention. What I didn't realize until about 30 years later was that it was rooted in the insecurities that were born out of the same childhood.
I have always sang melody. Which in a choir generally translates to singing the soprano part. Again, remember...taking the lead is what I do best. For 10 years I sang with the praise team at my church. In all honesty, I liked being on the stage and reflecting back I know there were parts of my heart that were not in the right place. But I did enjoy it, until about two years ago. After being humbled, my hearts desired changed. (God will use your circumstances to accomplish this!) I joined the choir at my new church because I was fighting to keep the things in life that brought me joy, but really had no desire to step outside of that. Until very recently. Our choir had auditions for lead worshipers. I decided to audition. I was told that what they needed and what was felt would better suit me was an alto position. Say what? In essence, if I could master this then maybe I could have a place in that group. At first, I was hurt and defeated. Initially I decided I didn't want to do it. Maybe I didn't get it because God didn't want that for me anymore in this season of life. But at the same time I was reading about God assigning the duties of the tabernacle. The Israelites didn't get to choose their duty...it was assigned. The Merarites were assigned the duties of carrying the crossbars, beams, and tent pegs. They didn't get to carry the Ark, they carried the supports for worship. Maybe God was calling me to do the same. I decided I would try because with wisdom has come the realization that usually when my pride gets hurt, that might just be exactly where God wants me.
Fast forward to Night of Worship. I showed up and went straight to my usual place in the Soprano section. Almost immediately, I was moved to the altos. Okay, here we go. This week our pastors asked us to pray that Jesus was give us a greater revelation of himself. A face to face divine encounter that would in some way show us more of who he is. Obviously I was sensing a theme here with God because that is exactly what my focus has been and what the Spirit has been drawing me to. (More on this to come.) As I sang, I had to strain my ear to listen closely to the alto parts and follow accordingly. In that moment the Holy Spirit whispered to me. " This is right where I want you. If you want a greater revelation of me, this is exactly what you are going to have to do. Stop taking the lead, press your ear into me with your worship, and LISTEN." It all came full circle. Just a few hours earlier I had been reading my Priscilla Shirer book (Discerning the Voice of God) this passage: "He's in you. This means that listening to Him is an exercise in hearing from within--not being directed by external stimuli that divert your attention away from His direction."
I don't know if this exercise will realistically translate into stepping out of the choir into a lead worshiper position. Nor am I absolutely sure this is what God wants for me. But I absolutely realized that with humility comes a readiness to listen. Training my inner ear to hear his voice is definitely worth the practice and certainly seems to be in God's plan right now. So for awhile it appears I will be singing alto. It appears that developing harmony is part of my spiritual growth.
"May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we’ll be a choir—not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!" Romans 15:5-6 MSG.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Friend of God
My family and I have been watching the History channel series, "The Bible." I hope you are too! Although meant to be a dramatic representation of the scripture rather than a literal depiction, it has been very entertaining and enjoyable to watch. So far we have covered old testament characters, namely Abraham, Moses, and Samson. Once again this year I am reading through the One Year bible online in the New King James version. Not coincidentally I am being refreshed on the actual scripture at the same time I have been watching this dramatic representation. By watching the stories dramatically on screen, I have really been struck by those people who received personal visitations from God or his messengers. One can only imagine what they felt, and how their relationships with Him changed at that point.
The Bible only describes two people as being "a friend of God." They were Abraham and Moses. That's it. I realized it might be important to understand some of their qualities if we desire to further our own relationship with God. Trust me, I am not taking this aspiration lightly. There is a popular contemporary Christian song that echoes, "I am a friend of God, he calls me friend." (BTW, my best friend hates this song!) But she might have point. To sing about it so glibly as if this is an easy feat, does diminish the awe we should have for the matter. Of everyone in the Bible only two achieved that title. And frankly, it is an achievement. You see, son-ship/daughter-ship of the King is something we RECEIVE with our salvation. But friendship or relationship with God is something you have to ACHIEVE... you have to work at it. You have to pursue a knowledge of who He is and what makes his heart happy. And to love him, you have to live what makes his heart happy. This is true relationship with God. (John 15:14)
Let's start with Abraham. I was most struck by his willingness to sacrifice his treasure, Issac. In fact, while watching this scene in the t.v. series, I cried. I have asked myself on several occasions during my faith walk if I am willing to lay down my dreams and my vision of my future to follow God. It's hard. But it's worth it. Abraham walked for three days before he reached the place of sacrifice (which God said he would show him/he didn't tell him beforehand). What did God "show him" during those three days? Did he show him that in that same place God himself would later sacrifice his own son, Jesus, (who ultimately was a descendant of Abraham) for all of mankind? We may never know. But I believe that Abraham knew God's nature because he already had a strong relationship with him and heard his voice. He feared the Lord, but he already knew goodness and his mercy. He seemed to have no doubt that the Lord would provide what was necessary to keep his promises even when things looked pretty dismal in the natural. (Remember he gave him Isaac). I'm trying really hard to remember this for myself in my current season of life. "There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears." Phil 1:5-7 Maybe this is exactly what helped Abraham believe God. And the bible tells us, his belief in God was credited to him as righteousness.
Moses not only was called friend but he also earned another title in scripture. Numbers Ch 12 tells us that he was "the most humble person on the face of the Earth." This is pretty amazing considering that he bible also tells us in the same chapter when Miriam tries to oppose him, that he is only one God spoke to face to face. Not too many people can say that...even the mega-church preachers.
“Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision;
I speak to him in a dream.Not so with My servant Moses;
He is faithful in all My house.I speak with him face to face,
Even plainly, and not in dark sayings;
And he sees the form of the Lord.
This passage really struck both Greg and myself. It is one to really ponder and meditate over. It seems to me, the more God asks you to grow in your faith, and walk closer to him, the more you are going to have to experience humility. That might look different for every person. But I can say it has definitely been true for me. But further, it seems the more you grow, the more you seek humility. Why? I think the more you know God, the more you are in awe of him. Fear of the Lord (awe) is the beginning of wisdom. Most people who came "face to face" with the Lord or one of his messengers, "fell down as dead". They were so overwhelmed by his majesty. The more you experience his presence manifest in your life, the less you seek to promote yourself. Not to say that you won't experience promotion if you know God. In fact, the more you strive to please him, the more you position yourself for his favor. "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." James 4:10
I'm starting a new book by Priscilla Shirer, "Discerning the Voice of God." I feel like I was drawn to it because I have been turning over these characters in my mind. And frankly, I want to hear from the Lord. So I realized that I have to position myself to do so. Looking to his word is always the best place to start. I'm excited to see who we get to watch on the next installment tonight.
The Bible only describes two people as being "a friend of God." They were Abraham and Moses. That's it. I realized it might be important to understand some of their qualities if we desire to further our own relationship with God. Trust me, I am not taking this aspiration lightly. There is a popular contemporary Christian song that echoes, "I am a friend of God, he calls me friend." (BTW, my best friend hates this song!) But she might have point. To sing about it so glibly as if this is an easy feat, does diminish the awe we should have for the matter. Of everyone in the Bible only two achieved that title. And frankly, it is an achievement. You see, son-ship/daughter-ship of the King is something we RECEIVE with our salvation. But friendship or relationship with God is something you have to ACHIEVE... you have to work at it. You have to pursue a knowledge of who He is and what makes his heart happy. And to love him, you have to live what makes his heart happy. This is true relationship with God. (John 15:14)
Let's start with Abraham. I was most struck by his willingness to sacrifice his treasure, Issac. In fact, while watching this scene in the t.v. series, I cried. I have asked myself on several occasions during my faith walk if I am willing to lay down my dreams and my vision of my future to follow God. It's hard. But it's worth it. Abraham walked for three days before he reached the place of sacrifice (which God said he would show him/he didn't tell him beforehand). What did God "show him" during those three days? Did he show him that in that same place God himself would later sacrifice his own son, Jesus, (who ultimately was a descendant of Abraham) for all of mankind? We may never know. But I believe that Abraham knew God's nature because he already had a strong relationship with him and heard his voice. He feared the Lord, but he already knew goodness and his mercy. He seemed to have no doubt that the Lord would provide what was necessary to keep his promises even when things looked pretty dismal in the natural. (Remember he gave him Isaac). I'm trying really hard to remember this for myself in my current season of life. "There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears." Phil 1:5-7 Maybe this is exactly what helped Abraham believe God. And the bible tells us, his belief in God was credited to him as righteousness.
Moses not only was called friend but he also earned another title in scripture. Numbers Ch 12 tells us that he was "the most humble person on the face of the Earth." This is pretty amazing considering that he bible also tells us in the same chapter when Miriam tries to oppose him, that he is only one God spoke to face to face. Not too many people can say that...even the mega-church preachers.
“Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision;
I speak to him in a dream.Not so with My servant Moses;
He is faithful in all My house.I speak with him face to face,
Even plainly, and not in dark sayings;
And he sees the form of the Lord.
This passage really struck both Greg and myself. It is one to really ponder and meditate over. It seems to me, the more God asks you to grow in your faith, and walk closer to him, the more you are going to have to experience humility. That might look different for every person. But I can say it has definitely been true for me. But further, it seems the more you grow, the more you seek humility. Why? I think the more you know God, the more you are in awe of him. Fear of the Lord (awe) is the beginning of wisdom. Most people who came "face to face" with the Lord or one of his messengers, "fell down as dead". They were so overwhelmed by his majesty. The more you experience his presence manifest in your life, the less you seek to promote yourself. Not to say that you won't experience promotion if you know God. In fact, the more you strive to please him, the more you position yourself for his favor. "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." James 4:10
I'm starting a new book by Priscilla Shirer, "Discerning the Voice of God." I feel like I was drawn to it because I have been turning over these characters in my mind. And frankly, I want to hear from the Lord. So I realized that I have to position myself to do so. Looking to his word is always the best place to start. I'm excited to see who we get to watch on the next installment tonight.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Live Fit
I was really excited that this year started off with this challenge and sermon series. Why? Because I had already shared here that I am believing and trying to make it my goal to publish another book this year. The topic of which is.....spiritual fitness. It felt like a huge confirmation from the Lord that He would help me bring some things into completion this year.
So why commit to a fast as part of this attention to fitness? Because fasting acutely makes us aware of how much our flesh controls our behaviors and longings. Not just for food, but lots of things. It's not to impress God or prove something. It's to make our flesh submit to our Spirit and turn our attentions toward prayer and intimacy with God. Hopefully we turn our hunger towards things of the Spirit rather than things of the world. Not as easy as it sounds. Try to go without something that you enjoy, and immediately your flesh will make you want it that much more. So annoying. Many folks in our church are doing a "Daniel Fast". This involves only eating fruits and vegetables and avoiding all meats, bread, or alcohol. It comes from scripture in Daniel, chapter 10, where Daniel followed a similar diet for a period of prayer. Our pastor challenged us further by suggested we look to another example in the bible, Samson. He was raised as a Nazarite and was given three things he should never do. Delving into the significance of those things gave us some spiritual meat to chew on and come up with what we would forgo for the next 21 days.
Our family has chosen the following things:
1. For the next three weeks, we will not go out to eat at all. That means all of our meals will be prepared at home. This might seem trivial. But eating out we decided is unnecessary, costly, and often makes us waste food that we have already at home. With our busy lifestyles, schedule and jobs, it actually is hard and is taking a lot of preparation. The fact is, we often choose to eat out for convenience, and is something we should learn to do less. Of course this is helping us make healthier choices overall.
2. Greg and I are not eating any bread/bread products (this includes crackers,etc), no sweets, and no alcohol.
3. Individually we have each chosen something else to fast from. Mine is not looking at any online shopping sites. I'm training my eyes to follow the motto "Don't sacrifice what you want most for what you want now."
During this 21 days we are also following a reading plan that will help us read all of the letters the Apostle Paul wrote in the Bible. As our Pastor said, "Paul was probably the best personal trainer in the Bible." I'll probably update again once we complete the fast. Obviously I feel like the Lord is stressing the concept of "training" in my life. I'm believing our obedience to it will produce great rewards.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Les Miserables: Momentary Grace
Just days before, I was both a bystander and a participant to another defining moment. On Thursday morning I was called completely unexpectedly out of my clinic to the emergency room. The only thing I was told was that one of my pregnant patients was crashing, currently being intubated, and that I needed to come immediately. What I saw when I walked through the door will be a memory I will probably never forget. By the time I arrived, my patient who was 29 weeks pregnant, was being coded. The visual of multiple people around her, a man adminstering chest compressions, and monitors blaring was overshadowed by the site of her very pregnant belly and the two lives that were hanging in the balance. Even for seasoned medical personnel, this is not something we often nor ever want to witness. As a doctor who usually brings life into the world, it rattled my core. The one thing that kept flooding my mind was another moment just two weeks earlier.
Two weeks prior to this my choir went to a local nursing home and sang Christmas carols for the residents. It was touching and emotional. We were probably ministered to more than they were. As we were finishing up, a young pregnant woman was coming in the building to start her shift at work. One of the ladies in the choir struck up a conversation with her. The lady shared this would be her seventh child. What transpired next, was that our entire choir laid hands on this young woman asked God for blessings for both her and her unborn child. That woman was my patient. The same one who was at that moment barely hanging on to life with a young daughter inside her. God knew each of these moments before we did. I don't know what was released supernaturally with our prayers, but I firmly believe something was.
Why? Because there is nothing more powerful than grace. My patient and her unborn child died that day. I had to wait for her husband to come to the emergency room and be there as we broke the news to him....another defining moment. As I held his hand, I felt the Holy Spirit tell me to reassure him over and over that he was not alone. God was with him. What he does with that knowledge and circumstances of losing his wife are in his hands. Ultimately I think this is what we all need to know as we navigate through those defining moments in life. We are not alone. God shows us that time and time again through grace and the relationships that he weaves like tapestry into our lives. It's how he works.
At the end of the movie, Fantine reappears as her redeemer is dying. As she sang in the closing scene, she tells us that "if you show a person kindness, then you've seen the face of God." You never know when you might be in a defining moment. Something that you might not think is eternally significant, such as praying for a stranger, might turn out to be more important that you ever realized. It's those moments in life that cause us to examine our choices, our priorities, and namely grace. Will we accept it or not? Salvation from God is the best example of grace there is. Kindness to people makes God alive and present in any situation, even difficult ones. "They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him." 2Corinth 3:17-18 MSG
The bottom line is we are all "Le Miserables", the poor, the wretched ones. This week made that more clear than ever.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
A New Year's Resolution
Usually I try to sit down and reflect upon the last year to tie up the ends of my blog posts. For some reason during this last week, I've had a bit of writer's block. I certainly have had ideas in my head for things that I wanted to write, but just didn't feel led by the Spirit to put them to paper.
But today being New Year's Day, the day of new beginnings, fresh starts, and resolutions, I am making a deliberate attempt to formulate my thoughts. If you read my last post, then you know that I have felt a calling on my life to write from God. That is really the whole reason I started my blog. God's word tells us that we should "fan our spiritual gift into flame" (2nd Tim 1:6). This means it takes practice. When God gives us our calling, it is not fully developed at its inception. I think God knows that we won't handle it properly. In my case, I can say retrospectively that is absolutely true. I've come to realize that is why God starts with a whisper into your heart..."this is what I have planned for you." Then he confirms it by having others speak prophetic words that will make sure you heard him correctly. But ultimately it takes time before it will all come to pass. I've realized over the past year a lot of what I am going through it to align my priorities to handle God's calling on my life. Looking back over the past year, I can say without a doubt that things that were important to me at the beginning of the year are not so now. I see God changing my way of thinking and transforming my mind. (Romans 12:2) All necessary for having my calling show God's glory and not my own. I'm believing that 2013 will be a year that I count on God to bring this into completion. I'm resolving (here is my NY resolution act of faith) that this year, God willing, I will produce a literary product worthy of my calling.
Of course God has worked on me through my experiences but I would say without a doubt the biggest way he has transformed me is through his word. Two years ago I began reading the One-year-bible-online. I started with the New Living Translation and last year finished the Message. This year I am reading (a complete contrast), the New King James version. As a Christian I can think of no other resolution that is more vital to the development of your faith...committing to read the entire bible in a year. This may seem like a fairly bold statement, but honestly, I'm not really sure how we can call ourselves Christians if we don't know what the bible says. I don't mean this as condemnation for those who haven't read it and I say that now only because of the transformation it has had in my own life and faith walk. I've come to believe that many so called 'Christians' who live bound by addictions and sin do so because they don't know the Bible. They don't read it and therefore don't fully develop their relationship into maturity with Christ. Here are vital ways daily bible reading has impacted my faith and will do the same for yours.
1. The bible tells us the Jesus was the Word made flesh. If you call yourself a Christian and truly aspire to be a follower of Jesus you have to know the Word. Salvation is a gift given to us by the grace of God; accepting that gift of Jesus as your Savior for the forgiveness of sins is only the beginning. Yes, you have to make Jesus your Savior to get to Heaven, but God's plan is for us to have an abundant and fruitful life here on Earth, not just in Heaven. That means making him LORD of your life. Obedience to God's word is integral to being a follower of Christ. Why? He is the word made flesh. Follow him and you have to read the word of God/bible. If you are struggling in an area of your life, whether it be finances, relationships, or belief, it probably is because Jesus is not Lord for you in this area. I say this from personal experience. Part of my current situation was allowed to occur because of my own disobedience. More to come on this later. I encourage you to start with knowing what his word says concerning this area and God will help you with the application of that word.
2. You have an enemy who wants to derail your faith and your calling. The bible calls Satan "the father of lies". Start in Genesis and you will see one of his tactics is to question what God says. If you don't know the truth of God's word, how will you recognize a lie when it is presented to you? Further, God's word is a weapon to resist temptation from the devil. When Satan encountered Jesus in the wilderness, three times Jesus resisted by quoting scripture. Without this knowledge, you lack a substantial weapon to combat your enemy. I believe God brings his word to my mind often to protect me against my enemy who's goal is to derail my calling. Without this knowledge, I won't succeed.
3. God speaks to me through his word. This is fact. If you feel like your prayers only go one direction, start by delving into the word. Countless times I have found the motivation, answer or support I needed to get through my day in God's word. Focused bible studies are important, but reading the bible in its entirety is invaluable. When God wants to to know a particular scripture, he will bring it to you multiple times in different formats. I've had this happen over and over again. The bible tells us his word "is alive and active" (Heb 4:12). It doesn't return void. When you read the bible, it stays inside you and God will bring it to your mind or heart when circumstances dictate. Jesus told us as followers that we should 'abide in him' if we want to be fruitful here on Earth and achieve God's calling on our lives. (John 15)
If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."
4. I have learned the character of God through his word and his promises in scripture. The foundation of any relationship is trust. The root of all sin is doubting God. Don't just skim over that last sentence. Really think about it. Greed: God won't provide. Lust/Adultery: God won't provide the right mate or concerned about my happiness, etc. We doubt who he is, what he says he will do, or whether he keeps his promises. If you read the bible in its entirety, you come to understand God's character and more importantly that he always keeps his promises. FOR HIS NAMESAKE. I'm hanging my hat on this one. The last few years have been tough for me and my family. But God's word makes so many promises about trials and our obedience through them. Hebrews 10:23 encourages "let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise." I need to know this is true. I need to know God keeps his promise. If you quit before visualizing the blessing of obedience to his word come to fruition, you can never know this.
The one that I am hanging on to is this: "Come back to the place of safety all you prisoners who still have hope! I PROMISE this very day that I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles." (Zech 9:12) God's word tells us that every time we are obedient to him through trials, we get a double portion of his grace. (Isaiah 61) You have to read his word to know that God pays back double for trusting him and obeying him.
I'm committing to make 2013 a year that my faith and trust in God only continues to grow and mature. I will accomplish this by reading through his word again in its entirety. I've realized this knowledge of God, which comes only through reading his Word, is transformative and vital to my calling or ability to participate with God in his work.
As believers, I implore you to make reading the bible daily a resolution for the New Year. OneYearBibleOnline makes it so easy.
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature. (2Peter1:2-4)
But today being New Year's Day, the day of new beginnings, fresh starts, and resolutions, I am making a deliberate attempt to formulate my thoughts. If you read my last post, then you know that I have felt a calling on my life to write from God. That is really the whole reason I started my blog. God's word tells us that we should "fan our spiritual gift into flame" (2nd Tim 1:6). This means it takes practice. When God gives us our calling, it is not fully developed at its inception. I think God knows that we won't handle it properly. In my case, I can say retrospectively that is absolutely true. I've come to realize that is why God starts with a whisper into your heart..."this is what I have planned for you." Then he confirms it by having others speak prophetic words that will make sure you heard him correctly. But ultimately it takes time before it will all come to pass. I've realized over the past year a lot of what I am going through it to align my priorities to handle God's calling on my life. Looking back over the past year, I can say without a doubt that things that were important to me at the beginning of the year are not so now. I see God changing my way of thinking and transforming my mind. (Romans 12:2) All necessary for having my calling show God's glory and not my own. I'm believing that 2013 will be a year that I count on God to bring this into completion. I'm resolving (here is my NY resolution act of faith) that this year, God willing, I will produce a literary product worthy of my calling.
Of course God has worked on me through my experiences but I would say without a doubt the biggest way he has transformed me is through his word. Two years ago I began reading the One-year-bible-online. I started with the New Living Translation and last year finished the Message. This year I am reading (a complete contrast), the New King James version. As a Christian I can think of no other resolution that is more vital to the development of your faith...committing to read the entire bible in a year. This may seem like a fairly bold statement, but honestly, I'm not really sure how we can call ourselves Christians if we don't know what the bible says. I don't mean this as condemnation for those who haven't read it and I say that now only because of the transformation it has had in my own life and faith walk. I've come to believe that many so called 'Christians' who live bound by addictions and sin do so because they don't know the Bible. They don't read it and therefore don't fully develop their relationship into maturity with Christ. Here are vital ways daily bible reading has impacted my faith and will do the same for yours.
1. The bible tells us the Jesus was the Word made flesh. If you call yourself a Christian and truly aspire to be a follower of Jesus you have to know the Word. Salvation is a gift given to us by the grace of God; accepting that gift of Jesus as your Savior for the forgiveness of sins is only the beginning. Yes, you have to make Jesus your Savior to get to Heaven, but God's plan is for us to have an abundant and fruitful life here on Earth, not just in Heaven. That means making him LORD of your life. Obedience to God's word is integral to being a follower of Christ. Why? He is the word made flesh. Follow him and you have to read the word of God/bible. If you are struggling in an area of your life, whether it be finances, relationships, or belief, it probably is because Jesus is not Lord for you in this area. I say this from personal experience. Part of my current situation was allowed to occur because of my own disobedience. More to come on this later. I encourage you to start with knowing what his word says concerning this area and God will help you with the application of that word.
2. You have an enemy who wants to derail your faith and your calling. The bible calls Satan "the father of lies". Start in Genesis and you will see one of his tactics is to question what God says. If you don't know the truth of God's word, how will you recognize a lie when it is presented to you? Further, God's word is a weapon to resist temptation from the devil. When Satan encountered Jesus in the wilderness, three times Jesus resisted by quoting scripture. Without this knowledge, you lack a substantial weapon to combat your enemy. I believe God brings his word to my mind often to protect me against my enemy who's goal is to derail my calling. Without this knowledge, I won't succeed.
3. God speaks to me through his word. This is fact. If you feel like your prayers only go one direction, start by delving into the word. Countless times I have found the motivation, answer or support I needed to get through my day in God's word. Focused bible studies are important, but reading the bible in its entirety is invaluable. When God wants to to know a particular scripture, he will bring it to you multiple times in different formats. I've had this happen over and over again. The bible tells us his word "is alive and active" (Heb 4:12). It doesn't return void. When you read the bible, it stays inside you and God will bring it to your mind or heart when circumstances dictate. Jesus told us as followers that we should 'abide in him' if we want to be fruitful here on Earth and achieve God's calling on our lives. (John 15)
If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."
4. I have learned the character of God through his word and his promises in scripture. The foundation of any relationship is trust. The root of all sin is doubting God. Don't just skim over that last sentence. Really think about it. Greed: God won't provide. Lust/Adultery: God won't provide the right mate or concerned about my happiness, etc. We doubt who he is, what he says he will do, or whether he keeps his promises. If you read the bible in its entirety, you come to understand God's character and more importantly that he always keeps his promises. FOR HIS NAMESAKE. I'm hanging my hat on this one. The last few years have been tough for me and my family. But God's word makes so many promises about trials and our obedience through them. Hebrews 10:23 encourages "let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise." I need to know this is true. I need to know God keeps his promise. If you quit before visualizing the blessing of obedience to his word come to fruition, you can never know this.
The one that I am hanging on to is this: "Come back to the place of safety all you prisoners who still have hope! I PROMISE this very day that I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles." (Zech 9:12) God's word tells us that every time we are obedient to him through trials, we get a double portion of his grace. (Isaiah 61) You have to read his word to know that God pays back double for trusting him and obeying him.
I'm committing to make 2013 a year that my faith and trust in God only continues to grow and mature. I will accomplish this by reading through his word again in its entirety. I've realized this knowledge of God, which comes only through reading his Word, is transformative and vital to my calling or ability to participate with God in his work.
As believers, I implore you to make reading the bible daily a resolution for the New Year. OneYearBibleOnline makes it so easy.
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature. (2Peter1:2-4)
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