Drawn Back Again and Again

What you must solemnly realize is that every time you eat this bread and every time you drink this cup, you reenact in your words and actions the death of the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the Master returns. You must never let familiarity breed contempt. 1 Cor 11:26  Remembering what Jesus did must never become 'old news'. God's Spirit and my gratitude draw me back to communion. It is never a light thing to remember what Jesus did for me. I'm forever grateful, and eagerly awaiting His return so I can say Thank You face to face.

For The Sake Of Others

Christ gave up his life for that person. Wouldn't you at least be willing to give up going to dinner for him—because, as you say, it doesn't really make any difference? But it does make a difference if you hurt your friend terribly, risking his eternal ruin! When you hurt your friend, you hurt Christ. 1 Cor 8:11-12 This is a clear motivation for not eating food offered to idols. It's not that anything happened to the food when it was offered, for these idols are lifeless, but you don't want to hurt people, or Jesus. I don't want to hurt others by my liberty in areas. I could do damage to people by my freedom. As others look at my life, I don't want to confuse them with what is right and what is wrong. Lord help me life  a life that does not cause the people around me - the people I love - to struggle in their relationship with You or flirt with sin.

Deal Sparingly

I do want to point out, friends, that time is of the essence. There is no time to waste, so don't complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple —in marriage, grief, joy, whatever. Even in ordinary things—your daily routines of shopping, and so on. Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out. 1 Cor 7:29-31  There is not time to complicate things. The more stuff you have, the more stuff you have to maintain. As it snows outside today, which it has every day since 'spring arrived', I'm glad I didn't buy a snow blower. I've spent a lot of time investigating a snow blower - time that I will never get back. If I got the snow blower, I would need to invest the time to learn how to run the thing, and how to take care of it. And I am crummy at maintaining anything ~ Audrey always reminds me the vehicles or lawn mowers need an oil change. We have a few very uncomplicated shovels. How simple it is to shovel instead of all the complications of owning a snow blower. But I still want a snow blower :)  It's like that with what the Bible is saying today - don't get complicated, simply follow Jesus. Don't get distracted. Deal with this world sparingly. I really need to learn this.

The Entrance is marked "FAITH"

At that time God said to Joshua, "Make stone knives and circumcise the People of Israel a second time." So Joshua made stone knives and circumcised the People of Israel at Foreskins Hill. Josh 5:2-3  The old generation who refused to enter the promised land had died off, and now this young generation was ready to enter into all God had for them. It's interesting that they first entered the promised land, then they made the sign of the covenant ~ circumcision.  Much like Abraham who believed first, and then was circumcised. If crossing the Jordan river is a picture of our entrance into the Kingdom of God, or potentially our entrance into heaven, it was critical that they did not get circumcised to enter the land, something that the Jews would discover later through Paul - you don't get enter the Kingdom by works - you are saved by faith alone! Enter by faith and obedience ~ Simply Following Jesus.

An Old Message

It's not the latest message, but more like the oldest—what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. The experts of our day haven't a clue about what this eternal plan is. If they had, they wouldn't have killed the Master of the God-designed life on a cross. 1 Cor 2:6-8
The message of the cross is still so misunderstood by people today, and they completely miss the message of love that it contains. They miss that God wants to bring us the best in life, not take away all our fun. I pray I would be able to demonstrate God's wisdom in my actions, and in my speech. 

All My Children

All your children will be taught by the LORD, and great will be their peace Isaiah 54:13 
I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save. Isaiah 49:25  I'm so thankful for these verses, speaking about the restoration and hope of Israel. I pray these promises over my dear friends whose kids are struggling with their relationship with the Lord, and/or with the church. The Lord is the best teacher, and I pray that He would get the message through to them in ways they can understand and respond to, and that they would turn wholeheartedly to love the Lord, modeling a lifestyle worthy of the calling with which they have been called. God - contend with the enemy of their souls, save them to the uttermost, and let there be great peace in our families. I also claim these scriptures for my precious kids - Douglas, Robyn & Emily Dawn - that they will be taught by the Lord (a personal relationship with Him), great will be their peace (not based on circumstance), God Himself will contend for them (if God is for us, who can be against us?), and they will live a saved life - all their days. Amen.

Blessed

All these blessings will come down on you and spread out beyond you because you have responded to the Voice of God, your God: God's blessing inside the city, 
God's blessing in the country; God's blessing on your children, the crops of your land, the young of your livestock, the calves of your herds, the lambs of your flocks. God's blessing on your basket and bread bowl; God's blessing in your coming in, God's blessing in your going out. Deut 28:2-6 These blessings will come down on me and spread out before me IF I respond to the Voice of God. It's so important to live a life obeying what the Lord commands. His commands are for our good, for my good. There is tremendous blessing found when we really serve the Lord. As I look at my life, I see I've been blessed. It's always good to stop and thank the Lord for what He has already blessed me with. Of the greatest blessings I every could imagine, it is Audrey, Douglas, Robyn and Emily Dawn ~ I am blessed.

Don't only pray - send cash!

Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. Gal. 5:25
We can't know what is right, we have to do what is right. We can't just 'feel' like we care, we need to show it. Thinking and Feeling strongly about following Jesus is wonderful, but it's not authentic unless it is demonstrated in the way we live. Audrey and I know it is right to give to the poor, and we can be touched to tears when we see people in need, but if we don't do something to help - what good is that? We think and we feel, but we need to act. I saw a note on the internet regarding Japan's devastation which read "Don't pray - send cash". Obviously this person has no comprehension of the power of prayer, but I did understand the need to do both. It should have read "Don't only pray, send cash". May I live what I know and feel, and may it make a difference in this world where Jesus has called me to be light and salt.

Every Day - Study, Learn, Obey.

When he sits down on the throne of his kingdom, the first thing he must do is make himself a copy of this Revelation on a scroll, copied under the supervision of the Levitical priests. That scroll is to remain at his side at all times; he is to study it every day so that he may learn what it means to fear his God, living in reverent obedience before these rules and regulations by following them. He must not become proud and arrogant, changing the commands at whim to suit himself or making up his own versions. If he reads and learns, he will have a long reign as king in Israel, he and his sons.  Deut 17:-18-20
This is what a king was required to do, and this is what I need to do. I have this scroll, copied by priests - THE BIBLE. It needs to remain at my side all the time, and I need to study it EVERY DAY. Through reading God's Word, I learn to fear him (not be afraid of God, but to have deep respect and reverence for Him). And out of reverence, and really out of love and a relationship that grows every day, I demonstrate that it has impacted my heart by being obedient to His Word. I can't change the Bible to make it say anything it doesn't, or twist it to suit my own purposes, but be careful to read, learn, and obey - and this will overflow to my kids. And I just found out that Emily Dawn is reading my blog. How happy I am. I love you Emily, with all my heart. 

Pull The Trigger

Give freely and spontaneously. Don't have a stingy heart. The way you handle matters like this triggers God, your God's, blessing in everything you do, all your work and ventures. There are always going to be poor and needy people among you. So I command you: Always be generous, open purse and hands, give to your neighbors in trouble, your poor and hurting neighbors Deut 15:10-11  Triggers ~ This kind of living and giving TRIGGERS God's blessing in everything we do. Get yourself in blessings way by pulling the trigger, by being generous and kind and open and giving. The poor are with you always, so always be generous.  

The Results of Believing

"These are some of the signs that will accompany believers: They will throw out demons in my name, they will speak in new tongues, they will take snakes in their hands, they will drink poison and not be hurt, they will lay hands on the sick and make them well." Mark 16:17 & 18  This sounds like followers who are experiencing kingdom power to drive back the devil. Throwing out demons, speaking in other languages, invulnerable to poison, and extending healing. The key to this is believing ~ those who believe. Believing is not the climax, but the commissioning. Not the goal, but the gateway. Believing starts this all off; then following. We act what we really believe. May there be enough evidence to convict me in a court of law that I am a believer, a follower of Christ.

Loved - Blessed - Increased

And this is what will happen: When you, on your part, will obey these directives, keeping and following them, God, on his part, will keep the covenant of loyal love that he made with your ancestors: He will love you, he will bless you, he will increase you.  Deuteronomy  7:12-13
It seems to me that God has been faithful to my ancestors, to my parents, that His love has been demonstrated to me in so many ways, His blessing is more than I can contain, and His increase has been more than I could imagine. I am so very, very blessed. May I not 'keep' the blessings of God, but pass them on to others. I am blessed to be a blessing. I see the connection with following God and being blessed, but I see less of the connection with me following him - more from my heritage. I am so often so unfaithful, but there has been an overflow of blessing on my life because of my parents. I am undeserving, but very grateful. May I steward God's love, blessings, and increase well in a way that is fitting.

Generosity - What Do You Have Left?

Jesus called his disciples over and said, "The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they'll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford—she gave her all." It's wonderful to be generous when you have a lot; it's also good to be generous when you have a little. Scarcity should not determine generosity. Generosity is a condition of the heart that is not based on what you have, but rather what you have to give.  Generosity is not related to the amount you give, but the amount you have left.

No Shilly - Shallying, Just Pray About Everything

The Cursed Fig Tree

Jesus was matter-of-fact: "Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, 'Go jump in the lake'—no shuffling or shilly-shallying—and it's as good as done. That's why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it's not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive—only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins." Mark 11: 22-25
I am consistant, and have been for years, with my Bible reading. I've really embraced the life journal, as well as now reading through the Bible in 3 years (twice) as a congregation, but I need to live more of a life of prayer. Praying about everything, and yes, not just in the asking. I love that we have grown corporately in prayer, and we  are praying together as a staff on Wednesdays, and the pre-service prayer on Sundays, and the morning prayers at the office.

Sense of God

Jesus said, "What a generation! No sense of God! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring the boy here." Mark 9:19

Instead of "Ye of little faith", The Message phrases it "No sense of God". How much do I live in a sense of God? An awareness of His presence, His Will, His activity. God wanted to set a little boy free from demonic possession and no one could see that but Jesus. The man was unsure if Jesus was able. God not only is able to set people free, but He desires to do so - and all things are possible for those who have an acute sense of God!

Not Really Suffering....

Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. Mark 8: 34-36

Don't run from suffering? Embrace suffering?? I realize I don't have much suffering in my life. I'm not looking to intentionally create suffering for me, but perhaps if I was really letting the Lord lead me, there might be more suffering. I don't seem to be much of a threat to the enemy. I need to change that.