June 30

Acts 20

Getting the Price Tags Right

The story is told about some boys in Philadelphia who broke into a hardware store on Halloween night. They didn't steal anything; they just switched the price tags on all of the items in the store. Hammers were selling for four hundred dollars. TVs were listed as two for a dollar. Mousetraps were on sale for forty-nine dollars and a gallon of paint was fifty cents. You could purchase a brand new gas grill for nine dollars. The store had a problem of mixed up values. When people started checking out, the store owner saw the values were incorrect and he closed the store to fix the problem.

Our lives are a lot like that hardware store. The world says that certain items are worth much more than they really are, while other things are not valued at all. The truth is that Satan has come into the store of our culture and switched the price tags on the items in life.

We need to find out - what is really important? We need to ask God to put the correct price tags on the things of life that really matter.  

Here is a short list from our reading today of the true valuables in life.

We must value Jesus. In verse 19 Paul said that he was serving the Lord. Thirty times in the NT Paul refers to himself as a servant of Jesus Christ. A servant doesn't live for himself;he lives to please his Lord.

Is this how you started your day today, "Lord, good morning, what do You have set on your agenda today?  Where do you want me to serve you?"

We must value the Holy Spirit. Paul was very sensitive to the Spirit's leading. He says, "compelled by the Spirit." Can you honestly say that the Holy Spirit is directing your life? Listening to His quiet whisper must be one of our top commitments. This quiet listening can only be done when all of our devices are off and we are sitting quietly in silent expectation.

We must value a great mission. In verses 24-31 Paul is crystal clear on his mission. He wants to finish his race well. His race is to testify of the good news of God's grace to an unbelieving world. Each one of us has been give a unique race to run by the Lord. Do you know and value the race he has called you to run?

On this July 4^th weekend Jesus is recruiting courageous people to value their relationship with Him, the Holy Spirit and the race He has given them.  

 

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, June 29

THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2017

"His [God's] pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,

   nor his delight in the legs of a man;

the LORD delights in those who fear him,

   who put their hope in his unfailing love." (Psalm 147:10,11)

This passsage reminds us to look to God and His strength rather than becoming enamored with natural strength.  While God has given us eyes to see natural things, we must trust Him, through the power of the Holy Spirit, for spiritual sight through faith.  We may then see Him in the proper context and perceive the realities in the natural world through the lens of His Sovereignty and our dignified dependence on Him.

I also find it striking that God "delights in those who fear him."  Many times, when feeling defeated by sin or overcome with worry, we may think that God has grown weary of us.  Yet, even as we stumble, He "delights" in us.  What a loving Father we have!

Amid the celebrations this weekend and the restoration of the summer, may we take some moments to reflect quietly on God's delight in us and His amazing strength and provision for us.  We may have our human weaknesses, but His grace is sufficient for us.  His power is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:7)

As He delights in us, we may also delight in Him.  Through doing so, He will give us the desires of our hearts. (Psalm 37:4)  When first coming to this passage, I thought it referred to God's being moved to give us something that we had wanted independently of Him.  Now, however, I believe that this passage explains that, through the renewing of our hearts and minds and our delighting in Him, our thoughts and desires will become molded after His pattern.  May we delight in Him this summer!

Lord God, thank You for delighting in those who fear You.  Bring us into a deeper knowledge of your glory and goodness this summer.  Help us to grow more into Your image and to trust You more.  Strengthen us through Your Holy Spirit so that we delight in You.  In Jesus's Name, amen.

June 28

Psalm 146

Unlimited God vs. Limited Man

As I was reading through this Psalm I couldn't help but notice how the Psalmist captures the magnitude of God's greatness.  He recognizes God as Creator and Redeemer, with the ability  to feed people and set prisoners free. Not one person on their own has the ability do that. By His design, we are limited. Perhaps the Palmists was given a vision of The Messiah.  Fast forward into Ephesians 6 and we see Paul recognizes God's power in raising The Messiah from the dead, and makes it very clear that He is far above any ruler, authority, power, leader, not only in this world, but in the Olam ha-zeh, and in the Olam ha-ba.  Translated from the original Hebrew that means this world, and the world to come.  Everything is under His feet.  If we look at our lives, our issues, or our circumstances,  and place our trust any where else aside from Adonai, it is easy to see how one might lose hope.  "Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob whose hope is in the Lord his God" (v.5).  The Psalm points to the eternal kingship of the unlimited God. So as we all get ready to face the day with all the issues that await us, our challenge remains, where will we place our hope?  My memory verse for the day is "The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations" (v.10)  I pray for all of us that the eyes of our our hearts may be enlightened, so that we may know what is the hope of His calling, what is the richness of His glorious inheritance in the Kedoshim, (the saints...that's us), and what is His exceedingly great power toward us who keep trusting Him (Eph. 1:18-19)


Blessings,
Randi

June 26th blog post

Wholehearted - What Lies Beyond the Spiritual To Do List


I love lists!  Whenever I have a task or things to accomplish I love to make a list.  It helps keeps me organized, on task, and moving forward.  As I finish things on my list I check them off as done which helps me to have a quick visual of my successful accomplishments.  Did I mention I love lists?

I think Jehu, the newly anointed King of Israel, may have liked lists as well.  We read in 2 Kings how he was a man with a hefty list of things to accomplish in order to rid the land of Ahab, his descendants, his followers, and to remove all of the Baal worship.  With a declared passion of obedience to the Lord he set out to complete his list.  He was successful and accomplished everything on his list.  Ahab dead: Check!  Ahab's descendants and followers dead? Check!  Baal worship abolished in the kingdom? Check!  I imagine that Jehu sat back and felt good that he had done what the Lord told him to do with great success and was satisfied. 

But this is where the problem came in and often does.  What happens after the to do list has been checked off?  2 Kings 10:31 tells us that after the to do list "Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all (not part but it says all) his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam..."  Jehu got comfortable in where his relationship with the Lord was.  His check list for the Lord was done.  He was so successful and had accomplished so much that it seemed to blind his heart from further opportunities to grow in the LORD and to serve the LORD.

I am no different than Jehu at times.  I have my spiritual to do lists; read my bible each day, pray each day, obey the 10 commandments (at least the ones I can remember off the top of my head), be in a small group, go to church; and do my best to live my life as a light of Christ.  Check, check, check, check, check and check!!!  But God is bigger than a to do list.  My relationship with him can not be confined to accomplishments checked off as done.  God desires my whole heart, not a divided one or distracted one, he wants it all.  God wants the best of me not my left over time and attention.  God wants to be first, middle and last in my thoughts, words and actions, in my life.  He wants all of me not just some and done.

When Jehu had finished his to do list for the day that was enough for him.  He didn't return to the Lord and ask to be shown, given wisdom, in how to rule his kingdom.  He didn't ask if there was anything within him that God wanted/needed him to remove.  He didn't ask how he could serve the Lord.  He seemed to be satisfied with where he was and thought it was enough.  He had given the Lord part of his heart and it caused him fall into a false security that it was enough.

I am guilty of having this same attitude all to often.  I read my daily bible and I pray and I feel good about my relationship with the LORD.  But when I wake up each day is my heart and mind set on the Lord and his will, his tasks for me or on my planned out day ahead?  Do I live eager to serve the Lord with my life the way he will call me to serve or do I start out with my own agenda?  Am I satisfied with the place my relationship with the Lord is at or do I desire to take it deeper and for it grow more that day?  Do I take the time to really listen to what the Lord is saying, trying to show me, to see him revealed in my day or do I think I already know, I've already heard or already have seen?  Am I truly all in with all my heart every day?  Do I see my relationship with the LORD as a chore, as time consuming, or interfering with my day at all?  Even just a little bit?  Honest questions that can be hard to answer.  Honest questions with answers that can often times be hard to swallow.

I am a work in progress. I don't want to be a half-hearted to do list child of God.  I want the LORD to grow me, teach me, guide me, reveal to me, live in me wholeheartedly all day and every day of my life.  I want a relationship with the LORD that is passionate, important, and constantly growing.  I know that the first step to this is making sure that I start with prayer.  Prayer for God to give me an undivided heart.  Prayer for God to reveal in me that which hinders his spirit from flowing and what keeps me from growing.  Prayer for constant wisdom and passion for the LORD and his word.  Prayer for guidance and for the Holy Spirit to work in me and through me.  Prayer that I never get comfortable with where I am.  Then I need to remember to never stop praying these things.  They are not a to do prayer list that I check off but a constant daily part of my life.

I want to be an all-in, wholehearted child of God.  "LORD let today be the start of my wholehearted living...."

June 25

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening" Acts 16:25

I have an 80 lbs black lab that is afraid of the hair dryer. Every time I blow dry my hair, she runs to the furthest corner of the house, and sits there in panic. I'm slightly annoyed by her behavior. I can't understand, how could she be so afraid, of something as trivial as a hair dryer. I wish she could relax, and trust, that I won't let anything bad happen to her. Why can't she get it?

Reflecting on my own life, I have to say, that sometimes I react very similarly to my black lab. Recently, I went through a tough situation with my parents. They were both very sick and I'm very far away, not able to help. Even though I knew that God is good, that I needed to trust, I gave in to fear. I tried to fix and control the situation by calling almost every hour, and trying to force solutions. I was in a state of worry and fear. The situation became like a black hole that swallowed everything around me. I was so engulfed in the problem, that everything else was secondary, including God. After a week of playing God, I was completely exhausted and totally depleted emotionally. Things were getting worse in spite of my best efforts.

Acts 16:25 reminds me, that there is a different way to do things. When faced either, with a Red Sea situation or a " blow dryer" situation, we are to run to the Lord, in prayer and worship.  I can only imagine how exhausted and beaten up, Paul and Silas were. Instead of dwelling in self pity or anger, they choose to run to the Lord. They didn't sit around trying to control or force a solution. They trusted the Lord. Prayer should never be a Plan B, but the very first thing we do. We need to trust that God is good and He has our best interest in mind. (Jeremiah 29:11). Only by trusting God we can experience the "peace that transcends all understanding". (Philippians 4:7).

In today's day we are bombarded with so many options. Wherever we go, we face a multitude of choices. However, I think it all comes down to one choice. Am I choosing God, the One, who came so that we "have life, and have it to the full" or the one, who came only to "steal and kill and destroy". (John 10:10).  Our true safety is in God, "You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance"( Psalm 32:7). Everything else that promises security, is an illusion, a lie…

Lord, you are my safety net! Help us to trust you and follow you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 24: Of Spiritual Blindness and the Cure

2 Kings 6:1-7:20

Acts 15:36-16:15

Psalm 142:1-7

Proverbs 17:24-25

"Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see."

Have you ever noticed how much what we believe is dependent on what we perceive?  Thomas was a good example - remember what he said when told Jesus had risen?  If he couldn't see it with his own eyes, he could not believe it.  In his case, and in many other bases in the Bible, it seems to be such a limitation - one Elisha clearly understood, when he made the prayer above to God in behalf of his servant.  

In today's reading we see a few other examples of this: the laborer saw that the ax head was lost.  The servant saw the army arrayed against them.  The King of Israel saw the siege and the famine, and the mother demanding her counterpart give up her child to be eaten as they had eaten hers.   And they each felt fear and anguish.  

Elisha saw things differently - because of his relationship with God, he saw that the ax head could be made to float; saw that army of heavenly hosts arrayed for battle in their behalf; saw the end of the siege and the abundance of food that was to follow.  And so it seems troubling circumstances - even a famine - didn't trouble him. 

The laborer, the servant and the king of Israel were all afraid.  Elisha wasn't.  Who would you rather emulate?

If you're like me, the answer will be obvious...but getting there less so.  How often have I believed my problems were bigger than God?  How often have I succumbed to worry and fear?  How often have I doubted Him, simply because the circumstances He'd chosen for me weren't to my liking? Can you blame me?  I love my kids, and the world they are growing up in seems so much more troubled than the one in which I was raised.   And so I find myself sitting in fear, when all I need to do is come to Him in prayer, because He always answers prayer.  The psalmist tells me what I can do: "When my spirit grows faint within me, it is You who watch over my way...I cry to You, Lord; I say 'You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living'".  He asks God to set him free from prison, to rescue him from those more powerful than he who are pursuing him.

I might add another prayer - that very simple one of Elisha - "Open my eyes, Lord, so that I may see."  

Thursday, June 22

THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2017

"A cheerful heart is good medicine,

   but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." (Proverbs 17:22)

This proverb shares a key truth:  that the conditions of our spirits spill over into our physical and emotional well-being.  Spiritual wholeness promotes health in our minds and bodies.  Put another way, God has created us and endowed us with an integrated body, mind, and spirit.

Have you ever wondered, like me, why God allows us to reach these points of being "crushed in spirit"?  Why not just give us an easy road?

According to Romans 8:28,29, God ordains the happenings of our lives for our good and that we might be conformed into the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  He even uses the challenging moments and stretches in life to draw us closer to Him.

How may we draw closer to God during our tough moments?  I have had a few recent opportunities to practice these thoughts myself and to share them with others:

1) Give thanks to God for His obvious blessings in your life.  You might give thanks for salvation, health, friends, family, His presence, or the beauty of nature.  Take some moments to reflect on His goodness and concern for you.

2) Take on the challenge of trusting God on a moment-by-moment basis.  Are you able to trust Him for a moment?  How about a second moment?  A third?  Pretty soon, you've trusted Him for an hour and then a day.  It reminds me of running.  A five-mile run is exhausting, but we can  make it more manageable by breaking it into smaller chunks.

3) Put on the full armor of God. (Ephesians 6:10-18). The evil one is crafty and attacks our vulnerabilities.  God's armor shields us, and the Word of God equips us to fight back against his lies.

4) Find joy in living for Him during those tough moments.  "I know my Redeemer lives... "

"The Red Sea Rules" expands on this topic quite well.  These ideas have been particularly effective in getting me to think "all for the glory of God."

Lord Jesus, guide us to walk humbly with You during our tougher moments.  Thank You that Your grace is sufficient for us and that Your power is made perfect in our weakness.  Show us how we may respond with faith during our trials.  Deepen our trust in Your character and provision. Make us into mighty warriors for You so that we may live all for the glory of God.  In Your Name, amen.

June 21

Acts 13:46-48


As I'm reading through Acts, I'm remembering  so many conversations on High Holidays like Passover and Yom Kippor being told "we are God's chosen people".  Being young, the next natural question was "chosen for what?"  That question remained unanswered until I began to read the Bible and the Holy Spirit brought to life the truth of my identity that rests in my Jewish heritage.  In Acts 3:25-26 we were reminded that all the way back in Genesis 12:3 God promised Abraham that He would bless His descendants, the Jewish race from which the Messiah would come.  I certainly can't speak for God, but I believe His intent was that the Jewish nation be set apart and holy unto Him so that the Jews would introduce the Messiah to the world and carry out His work. Paul and Barnabas boldly reminded the Jews that by rejecting Jesus, they gave up their mission to be a light for the Gentiles and bring the salvation to the ends of the earth (v. 47).  Paul took up his cross and recognized the great responsibility God had given him and when he too was rejected by the Jews, he turned to carry the message to the Gentiles who honored the word of the Lord.  To some of you who are reading this, it might be hard to understand that a simple, innocent question asked over 50 years ago by a little girl who longed to understand could be found in the Word and answered by the Apostle Paul who, like me, grew up in a Pharisee home and later on in life had an encounter with Jesus, the One true living God. What I've come to realize is that the only reason my question as a little girl wasn't answered was because no one in my family knew the answer.  So now that I understand what we've been chosen for, I pray I can speak God's truth boldly like Paul, with the gentleness of the Fruit of the Spirit as God has commanded. For I am not ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. (Romans 1:16)


Randi

June 18

 

"His love endures forever." Psalm 136

The word, enduring, is defined as: unceasing, abiding, imperishable, lasting, permanent, long-suffering, patient.

"God cannot not love His people." God loves us with an enduring love. What an amazing truth! The question is- how can I hold on to that love, no matter how shaky things are around me? How do I live loved? What does God's enduring love tell me…

-God promises a love that lasts forever, a love that exceeds even the classic "until death do us apart". He loved us before we were born, He loves us now, and He will love us through death, and the life after. There is no end to His love. Whatever stage of life we're in, His love endures forever. What a relief, I don't need to beg for love, I don't need to people please, nor be afraid of death. I am forever loved!

-No matter where we are, location wise, God's love is always there. I can be at home, at work, in the gym, shower, in my bed, or on another continent, there is no space limitation for His love. His enduring love is with us, wherever we are. (Psalm 139, 7-12). I can now be less afraid of change whatever form it takes or wherever it will take me!

- His love endures, even when I want to give up, when I beat myself up, or when I want to hide under the covers. "That Sunday evening, the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them!" (John 20, 19-20) His love passes through the locked doors of our beings and meets us in our hiding places. His love never fails. There is such a relief to know, that I am loved, no matter how much, myself, others, and life circumstances try to convince me that I am unlovable or that I need to perform in order to earn love.

-As Christians, we are never alone. God's love for us endures forever. Who is this God? The Lord who is good, the God of gods, the Lord of lords, the One who does great wonders, who made the heavens and the earth, who made the great lights, the sun,  the moon and the stars, the One who divided the Red Sea, the One who freed us. (Psalm136, 1-26). How can I ever feel lonely when I am loved with an unfailing, everlasting love by such a God? We have the God of gods on our side. Who could stand against us? (Romans 8:31)

- His love that endures forever frees me from worrying about my loved ones. He loves me with an enduring love, but he loves them the same way. I don't need to worry about their journey. I can relax, trust, and remember, that they are deeply and forever loved. I can use the time spent worrying, on doing something else.

 His love endures forever!

 

 

 

June 17: On Being a Barnabas

1 Kings 18:1-46

Acts 11:1-30

Psalm 135:1-21

Proverbs 17:12-13

Christianity needs more Barnabases.  

It's difficult being a Christian these days - in many places, some worse than others.  In the US, the siren call of sinful self-indulgence and idolatrous pursuit is consistent and unrelenting.  The opposition to remaining true to Christian teaching and value is growing.  Stories abound of people who've lost their jobs and their livelihood as they've tried to remain true to their faith.  They are still better off, though - there are so many stories of Christians literally losing their heads for their faith in places of strife, like Syria.  What we are reminded from today's readings is that this persecution is not new.  

It isn't too far from Syria that, centuries ago, God used Elijah to manifest His dominion over all things.  Consider where Elijah was coming from - having obeyed God and prophesied about the drought and the famine, he was suffering its consequences.  First the ravens and the brook ceased to provide what he needed, then he had to turn to a widow who was waiting to die.  This man most certainly wasn't living a life of abundance.

I wonder if he was tempted to abandon God?  If he ever thought, "Lord, I did what You asked, and now I am suffering as well" and was tempted to self indulgence and idolatrous pursuit?  If the temptation grew when, having grown dependent on the Lord through this woman for his bread and water, God permitted her son to die.  Whether or not he experienced such temptation, it appears he weathered the storm, so much so that when God instructed him to take steps to announce himself to Ahab, he does not seem to hesitate - even though Ahab clearly means to do him harm.  He obeys God, and God grants him the privilege of demonstrating His dominion through Elijah.  God rewards his faith, and his faithfulness.

If you are like me, you find yourself discouraged - by your circumstances and challenges, by your failures and inadequacies, by your inability to resist temptation to sin, by how easy and how good things seem for people who live the first rule of Aleister Crowley's new religion back in 1904: "do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law" or, in the more contemporary words of Nike, "Just do it."  When faced with this, perhaps we can be a Barnabas to each other; the NT reading tells us that when, amidst the persecution, he arrived at Antioch and "saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts".

The world makes it difficult for us to be Christians.  Our weaknesses, our shortcomings make it difficult to persist as Christians.  Let's take a page from the NT reading, and "be a Barnabas" for others. 

June 16

Acts 10

 

Scott Taylor is prejudicial. The word "prejudice" means to judge ahead of time, to judge someone before you know their whole story.  I see two young men with white dress shirts and skinny black ties walking on Courtland Avenue and immediately judge them as Mormons.  I see two ladies dressed provocatively standing near a street light and immediately judge them to be prostitutes. I see two gold-chain wearing, hooded, pant-saggers walking down the street and immediately judge them as rappers.

 

Is this wrong? Is this what Jesus wants us to do? How are Christ followers to think when it comes to race and cultural differences?

 

This was a huge problem for the early church. Not only did the Jews label the Gentiles, but their attitudes also separated them from any meaningful interaction. Jews did not associate with Gentiles "at all." (28)  So they put a label on people and felt that gave them the right to never find out their story. This attitudinal barrier always resulted in isolation, insulation and intimidation.

Addressing racism in a Biblical way requires us to invest time and energy on many different levels. This investment must be done with intentionality and a willingness to sacrifice. Overcoming boundaries never occurs passively. I am convinced that the greatest hope for racial reconciliation occurs when the gospel leads the way.

 

The gospel says God loves all people.

The gospel says the "image of God" is tattooed on every person.

The gospel says to "GO" and be the initiator.

The gospel says to pray for your enemies.

The gospel says to share the love of God with all groups.

The gospel says to sacrifice and give your life for others.

 

In the end God wants to reconcile Mormons, prostitutes and rappers to his kingdom. So this requires fresh thinking on our part. The next time you are ready to slap a label on someone walking down the street, ask God how he wants you to reach that person with the gospel and to value that person as he does.

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, June 15

THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017

Two of today's passages discuss the "unity" that we may have as "brothers" and sisters.  In the context of the Church, how does this unity arise?  Naturally or spiritually?

From the very beginnings of the Church, we see the powerful work of the Holy Spirit in convicting people of truth and drawing them unto the feet of Jesus Christ.  While human dedication helped to fan the flame, the Holy Spirit played the key role in the fantastic spread of the Gospel.  And, as we will see in our continued readings in the New Testament, this Church took on a character of unity, according to Paul:  "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:26-29)

Paul urges the Ephesians to maintain this unity by following Christ's example:  "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4:1-6)

As I reflected on this great calling, it caused me to wonder why we don't see more unity naturally in the world.  Clearly, there are strong undercurrents of rage throughout our country and world.  We are frustrated by what we cannot control, even as we may control tons of technology.  We have become less tolerant of dissenting points of view, considering them threats.  We have dehumanized people and "humanized" technology (Siri, Alexa, and so forth).  We prefer the "purity" of artificial intelligence over the "messiness" of human relationships. (Proverbs 14:4)

The human heart is soaked in selfishness.  "Unity" and the "bond of peace" certainly don't come naturallly.  For this reason, I believe that we should rejoice in seeing any "unity" or any "peace" among brothers and sisters in Christ.  We won't see perfection, but we will see the work of the Holy Spirit.  And, for that, we may give great praise to God.

Lord Jesus, may You continue sending Your Spirit into our midst so that we may better reflect the unity and bond of peace to which You have called us.  Give us humility to recognize our shortcomings, impatience, and lack of compassion.  Help us to have Your heart of love.  In Your Name, amen.

June 14

Acts 9

I love reading the story of Saul's conversion to Paul.  Yes, all the stories we read and hear of how people to turn their life over to Christ are fascinating but what I think makes this story so unique is that Saul met Jesus when he was on his way to persecute the very people he was about to be converted into!!!  What I learned from this is that there is no "right" or "wrong" way to come to know the Lord.  The only way to come to faith in Jesus is whatever way God uses to bring you into a relationship with Him.  In that moment when Saul acknowledged Christ, he resolved to obey Him.  It's through a personal encounter with Jesus that conversion happens.  I also started to think about how this story of conversion and circumcision of the heart shows us the very heartbeat and pulse of the Gospel message. Forgiveness and eternal life are gifts of God's grace through faith in Christ and are available to everyone.  That's the bottom line.  It's so simple and we make it so hard for ourselves.  Jesus forgave Paul for every person he persecuted once Paul gave Him his heart.  Paul learned that his obedience and knowledge of the law did not put him in a right relationship with God and God used Paul's past so that Paul could serve the Lord with his future. I believe that hasn't changed and He does the same for us.  Jesus meets us where we are, breaks our chains that link us to our past and uses it all to build His Kingdom. I can't speak for anyone else, but for me that is a big WOW!!!   I pray we all have a Damascus road experience and an encounter with our King.  Like Paul, I pray our past becomes our testimony, our present life becomes our mission field, and our future rests in spending eternity with our King.


Randi

June 11

 "Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting with strife." (Proverbs 17:1)

 

This verse made me think of how valuable peace is. My father was sick for a few weeks, and, even though his condition got worse, he postponed seeing a doctor. The other night, my mother had to call an ambulance because his condition was critical. He was hospitalized. I am an only child, and I feel very responsible for my parents. They live in Romania. After an exhausting day, of calling and worrying, as I was lying in bed, a great sadness and despair came upon me. I pictured my dad in a hospital bed, in a small city in Romania, scared and alone. I felt so sad, powerless, and guilty that I was so far away.

 

Just as my eyes were tearing up, Isaiah 49:15,16 came to my mind: "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion  on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me."

 

My father was not alone nor abandoned. God the Father was with him!  He was in great company and deeply loved. The picture of my father alone and scared was a lie from the enemy trying to steal my peace. Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44), who came to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10)

 

I've read somewhere that "the mind feasts on what it focuses on. What consumes my thinking will be the making or breaking of my identity." There is a spiritual battle over our minds. Indeed, as I focused on God's Word, my sadness vanished, and, once again, I was reminded of the Father's unconditional and unfailing love. I have found peace! Jesus is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), and, every time we choose Him over the Satan's lies, we encounter the promise of the peace that transcends all understanding and guards our minds and hearts. (Philippians 4:7).

 

Thank you, Jesus! Help us to always focus our minds on You, -and your Word- no matter how strong the wind and how frightening the waves are!

 

In Christ,

Anca

 

June 10: Of choices and consequences

1 Kings 7:1-51

Acts 7:30-50

Psalm 128:1-6

Proverbs 16:31-33

Acts 7:39-40: "But our ancestors refused to obey him.  Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.  They told Aaron, 'Make us gods who will go before us..."

Psalm 128:1-4: Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to Him.  You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.  Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.  yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord.

Two opposite views about God.  As Stephen tells the story, when God called Moses up the mountain and he left the Israelites with Aaron, the Israelites decided they no longer wanted to do what God (via Moses) wanted; they wanted to do what THEY wanted to do.  Now if they had gone off and done as they pleased, that would have been bad enough.  But no - they decided they wanted a god that was going to take their orders, and give their sins a seal of approval.  The psalm describes the opposite - a people who follow God.  

We still see that so much today.  Popular culture, in so many ways, can be summarized as "I don't want to follow God, I want God to follow me, and to approve my choices, my lifestyle."  After all, why should He judge?  Can't we all just, in the eternal words of Katy Perry, "love on each other"?  I'm just being "true to myself."  And so chromosomes no longer define gender - feelings do.  Students insist they know better than professors, and schools agree.  It isn't a life - heartbeat and responsiveness notwithstanding - until it's come through the birth canal.  Oh, and anyone that disagrees with any of this is a bigot and a hater.  

The crazy thing is, God loves us so much He doesn't force us down His path - He gave us the ability to make our choices.  What we don't have, is the ability to choose the consequences of our choices, of our actions.  And in His generosity, He gives us an idea what those consequences might be.  And while we know what happened to the Israelites when they disobeyed (and, frankly, we see what is happening in the world today), today's psalm is pretty clear about how abundantly obedience is blessed.  

When tempted to gratify our sinfulness and disobedience, let's pray we know God - "fear the Lord" - well enough to choose obedience.

June 9

Psalm 127

 

Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him.  Psalm 127:3

 

Have you seen the new commercials from Sprint that feature Instagram star, Topher Brophy, with his pooch, Rosenberg? Their relationship takes the idea of identical twins to a new level. It also gives us an unfortunate understanding of the thinking of the next generation. When Topher was asked who his friend was, he replied, "He's my son."  The new thinking is that children are such a hassle, such a headache,  so why put up with them?  Just become a parent of a pet!  This thinking was even taken to the level of bizarre in yesterday's New York Times with an article on becoming "parents" of "pet rats."  

We live in a time when the polarity on most of the important values of life has been reversed. The propaganda championing this reversal is pervasive and persuasive. There are multiple articles on all of the negatives of having children. Children will cost you a bundle;  the estimated cost to raise each one is over 200,000 dollars. Who has that kind of money? There are also multiple studies showing that the happiest married couples are those without children — at least, that's according to research out of the United Kingdom's Open University.

That is why millennials, in record numbers, are abandoning having children and "adopting" pets and calling them sons and daughters. The new terms are "fur-baby" and "pet parent" and they have replaced the old term "pet owner."   

The Bible is the lone voice crying out in all of this media negativity that children are a wonderful gift from God. The Psalmist is crystal clear that children are a blessing, not a curse. And happy families are also a gift from God to those who follow his instructions. Has anyone considered that the reason so many families are unhappy is because they have thrown out God's directions for family living?

I can testify that raising our three children was the greatest blessing we have ever experienced in our marriage. Caring for them as infants, watching them take their first steps, teaching them how to share, helping them with homework, playing games, attending 1 million sports activities, praying with them, eating family dinners, sharing holidays, and even comforting them in the difficulties of life were activities that are the very substance of life itself, and all of them are a wonderful gift from God.   

If there was ever a time to champion children and family it is right now. The lies of the evil one are literally eroding the very foundations of our culture. If we lose this battle and the next generation replaces families with fur-babies, we will all be missing one of the greatest joys in life.

 

 

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, June 8

THURSDAY, JUNE 8, 2017

Today's passages highlighted the supreme value of wisdom:  first through King Solomon and then through the early disciples, particularly those selected to serve as deacons.

As a younger person, I often associated wisdom with stodginess, and I doubted the value of experience.  After all, what couldn't the facile mind pick up through a short burst of study?  Did the adage that "experience is the best teacher" really hold true?  After all, wouldn't knowledge and technological advancement free us from outdated thinking?

Human (or conventional) wisdom does hold significant value, and, yes, it does come through experiencing the ups and downs of life.  In many cases, there is indeed no substitute for experience.  God has shown me through day-to-day experience that knowledge may tell us facts ("what," "when," or "who"), but it doesn't lead to discerning motivations and the real "how" and "why" of our lives.

But we must recognize that, as with everything good, God is the ultimate Source of wisdom.  He has promised to give wisdom to whomever would ask for it (James 1:5), and His Holy Spirit, in addition to leading us into all truth (John 16), speaks wisdom into our lives through His residence in the believer ("indwelling").

Our world has an over abundance of knowledge and a dearth of wisdom.  With the digitization of many industries, we now collect petabytes of data daily.  Researchers have developed tremendous advances in medicine and other technologies.  Yet, there are still people enslaved throughout the world; many children go hungry each night; and, perhaps especially in wealthy societies, there is a great deal of depression and joylessness.  The imbalance of knowledge and wisdom, I believe, helps to explain this contrast.

May we seek wisdom together, for the glory of God.  Wisdom empowers us to serve our Father well and to see things from His perspective.  It helps us to step into another's shoes, to understand their heart motivations, and to work towards constructive solutions.  It takes a long-term view and doesn't shy away from hard work.  It encourage us to use our scarce resources to bless others, rather than wasting them or hoarding them for ourselves.

As the Church, we have the great pleasure of receiving knowledge from God and sharing its fruits with a hungry world.  May our hearts overflow with wisdom so that we will engage with those who are desperately seeking it.  May we treasure God's Word and store it in our hearts.  May we be filled with the Holy Spirit, the Source of wisdom and guidance.  May we wisely give all thanks to the One Who has always loved us.

Lord God, thank You for giving us the blessing of Your wisdom.  We are in desperate need of it in our world today.  May You use us to be a conduit of grace and wisdom in our relationships.  Help us to see things from Your perspective and to live wisely for the long-term.  Thank You for the examples of Solomon and these early disciples.  May we remember You and honor You today.  In Jesus's Name, amen.

June 7

Acts 5:38-39

Therefore, in the present case I advise you; Leave these men alone!  Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.  But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God

A few years ago I was involuntarily transferred to a different school in the district.  Needless to say, I wasn't happy about leaving the comfort of my old school, and much to my dismay, I was not well received at my new destination.  I was being sent on a mission.  God had a plan and an assignment for me to be a one on one para for a special boy with a very special need. As the year progressed I was able see God's hand in it, but at the time, I didn't understand it.  As unhappy as I was, and as hard as I tried to leave, (and believe me, I tried hard), God was just not letting me get out of that school or the task He had set before me. I began to learn what having an assignment from the Lord meant, it was His plan that I be there, and nothing that the administration tried to do to relocate me, or anything attempts I tried on my own to relocate myself were going to work because God needed me to watch over a certain child and that was my God ordained assignment.  Any attempts to flee just left me fighting against God. The administration was fighting against God in trying to get rid of me.  Through lots of tears and a whole lot of prayer, I made it through. God gave me many opportunities to be a witness for Him, and pray for others while I was there. The irony of the whole situation was that by the end of the first year, all the negative remarks, character attacks, and questionable comments that greeted me upon my arrival were blotted out and replaced with kind words and recognition for a job well done.  Today's reading brought this memory back to mind.  Though my experience barely compares with the disciples who were beaten and imprisoned, I learned that nothing anyone can do can derail us from our God given assignments.  Even when you are being disgraced by others we still are called to obedience to God's plan. In that there is joy that can be found in knowing your service was blessed by God. 


Randi

Re: June 5th blog post

Thank you for your encouragement. It is deeply appreciated. 

Ruth

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 5, 2017, at 9:46 AM, Ruth Goulart <regoulart@aol.com> wrote:

What Does This Have To Do With Me?

2 Samuel 24

King David was a man whom God had called and always provided for.  Against a giant named Goliath, David did not worry about being unevenly matched or how many men stood watching and doubting in fear in the army behind him.  David, the shepherd boy, brought his faith, 5 stones and a sling to a sword fight against a giant skilled warrior and trusted with his whole heart that God would provide.  Only one stone was needed for the giant to fall, one stone and a boy with faith that was far bigger than his enemy.

But in our reading today we see a different David, one who desired to find comfort and satisfaction in knowing what he tangibly had at his disposal, what advantage his odds gave him.  He is a far cry from the all trusting shepherd boy he once was.  His focus had shifted from trusting and leaning wholly on the Lord to provide to focusing on what he sees and knows he has.  He was seeking comfort in the things he could touch, see, hear, and count.  It could have been pride or fear that motivated him to take a census of his people, to tally the numbers of his total fighting men.  It doesn't really matter which it was, both reveal an issue of the heart that is not leaning, focusing, trusting, or finding comfort and satisfaction in the Lord.  This once humble, faith filled, God fearing man had lost sight of his Lords leading, faithful provision, and satisfying joy.

"So what does this have to do with me", I ask? 

Well, what do I take a census of in my life?  What things do I allow to draw my attention away from the Lords faithful provisions? How am I leaning on my own understanding (what I can touch, see, hear, or count) and putting it in the place of trust in the Lord?  Am I looking upon the provisions of God in my life with a boastful spirit that lifts up my pride and position rather than the Lord? 

I am guilty!!!  For me, I struggle with trusting the Lord with many areas of my life; my family, my health, my finances, my relationships, my ministries, my future and other things.  I fear when I don't feel in control and I often take a census of my abilities, my resources, and my odds.  The results of my census taking usually determines my steps.  It can lead me to act when I shouldn't or prevent me from action when I should. My understanding, not my faith, then determines my course of action.  But Proverbs 3:5-6 clearly tells me to "trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding (what I can touch, see, hear or count).  In all my ways acknowledge him and he WILL make my paths straight."  When I lean on my faith I trust that God will give me clarity when the time is right and he will see me through in the best way for me. Even when I may feel I am lacking he will be enough, he will empower, he will provide no matter what my abilities, resources or odds may be.

God has been working in me and today's reading is a part of that work.  He is leading me to abandon my census taking, my understandings, my visual safety nets and to take my faith to new deeper levels.  God wants to teach me to lean on him in ways I have not, in ways I have been afraid to.  God is pursuing me and calling me to trust in the fullness of his character, his unfailing faithfulness, his uncompromising promises, and the abundant power of his name.

I am not alone in my journey to a stronger faith and deeper trust in the Lord.  I have the Holy Spirit to help guide me and strengthen me and to use God's word to teach me and help me to walk in the paths that will lead me to where he knows I need to be.  I don't know if any of you can tend to be "census" takers also but I will be praying that God will help us all in our journey to live more faithful and trusting lives where the Glory of the Lord can be seen in us.

My email and my Facebook message box is always open and available to any and all who want to reach out.  I am here to take the journey with any who want company.

June 5th blog post

What Does This Have To Do With Me?

2 Samuel 24

King David was a man whom God had called and always provided for.  Against a giant named Goliath, David did not worry about being unevenly matched or how many men stood watching and doubting in fear in the army behind him.  David, the shepherd boy, brought his faith, 5 stones and a sling to a sword fight against a giant skilled warrior and trusted with his whole heart that God would provide.  Only one stone was needed for the giant to fall, one stone and a boy with faith that was far bigger than his enemy.

But in our reading today we see a different David, one who desired to find comfort and satisfaction in knowing what he tangibly had at his disposal, what advantage his odds gave him.  He is a far cry from the all trusting shepherd boy he once was.  His focus had shifted from trusting and leaning wholly on the Lord to provide to focusing on what he sees and knows he has.  He was seeking comfort in the things he could touch, see, hear, and count.  It could have been pride or fear that motivated him to take a census of his people, to tally the numbers of his total fighting men.  It doesn't really matter which it was, both reveal an issue of the heart that is not leaning, focusing, trusting, or finding comfort and satisfaction in the Lord.  This once humble, faith filled, God fearing man had lost sight of his Lords leading, faithful provision, and satisfying joy.

"So what does this have to do with me", I ask? 

Well, what do I take a census of in my life?  What things do I allow to draw my attention away from the Lords faithful provisions? How am I leaning on my own understanding (what I can touch, see, hear, or count) and putting it in the place of trust in the Lord?  Am I looking upon the provisions of God in my life with a boastful spirit that lifts up my pride and position rather than the Lord? 

I am guilty!!!  For me, I struggle with trusting the Lord with many areas of my life; my family, my health, my finances, my relationships, my ministries, my future and other things.  I fear when I don't feel in control and I often take a census of my abilities, my resources, and my odds.  The results of my census taking usually determines my steps.  It can lead me to act when I shouldn't or prevent me from action when I should. My understanding, not my faith, then determines my course of action.  But Proverbs 3:5-6 clearly tells me to "trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding (what I can touch, see, hear or count).  In all my ways acknowledge him and he WILL make my paths straight."  When I lean on my faith I trust that God will give me clarity when the time is right and he will see me through in the best way for me. Even when I may feel I am lacking he will be enough, he will empower, he will provide no matter what my abilities, resources or odds may be.

God has been working in me and today's reading is a part of that work.  He is leading me to abandon my census taking, my understandings, my visual safety nets and to take my faith to new deeper levels.  God wants to teach me to lean on him in ways I have not, in ways I have been afraid to.  God is pursuing me and calling me to trust in the fullness of his character, his unfailing faithfulness, his uncompromising promises, and the abundant power of his name.

I am not alone in my journey to a stronger faith and deeper trust in the Lord.  I have the Holy Spirit to help guide me and strengthen me and to use God's word to teach me and help me to walk in the paths that will lead me to where he knows I need to be.  I don't know if any of you can tend to be "census" takers also but I will be praying that God will help us all in our journey to live more faithful and trusting lives where the Glory of the Lord can be seen in us.

My email and my Facebook message box is always open and available to any and all who want to reach out.  I am here to take the journey with any who want company.

June 4

June 04, 2017

"And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call." (Acts 2:38)

The other night I invited one of my new friends to come over and have dinner with me. I shared with her about a Christian conference I recently attended on inner healing. She then told me that just a few days ago she decided to see a psychic because she struggles with feelings of depression, loneliness, and fear. I asked her why she made that choice, and she told me that it was easy, convenient, and affordable. She got a great Groupon deal. My heart cried for her, as I understood the dangers of witchcraft. At the same time, I wondered why is the world not aware of the best "Groupon deal" there is, the best gift ever given- the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit implies power- "The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you" (Romans 8:11),- and spiritual gifts such as: word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in tongues.(1 Corinthians 12) He is also the supreme counselor, helper, and comforter. (John 14:26) His presence brings joy, peace, love, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.(Galatians 5:22,23) He offers the best life plan: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived" -- the things God has prepared for those who love him." ( 1 Corinthians 2:9). It is the perfect gift, and it's free!

My hope is that everybody receives this wonderful gift. I pray for my friend. I also understand that it has to start with me. Just like in an aircraft, in case of emergency, I'm advised to put on the oxygen mask first before assisting anybody else I need to make sure that I am honoring this gift in my own life.

-"The Holy Spirit is not just a theological abstraction, nor a set of rules, nor half a sentence at the end of the Apostles' Creed. He is a Person, and He wants us to cultivate an intimate, personal relationship with Him". Thank you, Jesus, for the most wonderful gift! Help us to say yes to you in every area of our lives!

In Christ,

Anca

June 3: Of Candidates Overlooked...

2 Samuel 20:14-21:22

Acts 1:1-26

Psalm 121:1-8

Proverbs 16:18

Psalm 121 reads like a job interview.  I need someone to help me...whom do I hire?  So this Candidate comes in, hands me His resume.  It's pretty short, and already I'm thinking, good luck with that . And then I read what it says - "the Maker of heaven and earth.".  Oh..  Pretty impressive.  IF I believe Him.  But I'm not sure - I've been disappointed by a lot of the things and people I trusted in the past.  So I keep reading. What's He done, what does He plan to do for me?

Hmmm...won't let me slip.  Wait, that's not right.  He won't even let my foot slip, let alone let me fall.  Interesting.  Hold on..."shade at your right hand"...will not even let the sun harm me?  And what's this - "will keep you from all harm...watch over your life...watch over your coming and going...forevermore?"  Whoa...that's EXACTLY what I need, what I've been looking for. 

I look at this resume one more time, in amazement this time, and I ask Him where He's been all this time I've been hiring others who proved to be disappointments eventually.  Where is He working now?  And I am shocked at His reply - He's been with me all along; I just never asked Him to take on the job.  

And I think, how could I have committed such an oversight?  And then I realize that I knew He was there, but had never bothered to get to know Him.  So when I needed someone, I looked elsewhere.  In my neglect, I never gave myself the chance to realize that all I was ever looking for was right there all along.   And so I ended up doing all the work I wasn't competent to do, depending on people and things that could not deliver.  

Now, instead, He's telling me to relax.  He's got this.  What's that You say?  "Be still, and know that I am God."

Ok.  

June 2

John 21

Have you ever failed in life? Failed to live up to your profession, or failed to keep a promise you made?   If you have,  you are in good company. In our reading today,  Jesus puts Peter on the hot seat. Jesus wants to re-establish Peter after his colossal failure of denying Jesus three times. He also wants to re-engage Peter in the mission given to all Christ followers: to disciple others. Jesus wants to make sure someone will care for his sheep just like He did.

Three times Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love Me?"  Peter answered, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." Each time, Jesus answered, "Feed My sheep."

Was Jesus unaware of Peter's love? Of course not. His threefold question was not for Himself, but for Peter. He asked His questions to underscore the essential truth that only love for Christ would sustain Peter in the work that lay ahead, that arduous, demanding work of caring for people's souls.

Jesus did not ask Peter if he loved His sheep, but if he loved Him. Affection for God's people, even our own family, in itself will not sustain us. His sheep and our families, can be unresponsive, unappreciative, and harshly critical of our efforts to love and to serve them.  In the end, we will find ourselves defeated and discouraged.

But if we love Jesus with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, that will provide the relational fuel we need for this assignment. The "love of Christ"--our love for Him--is the only sufficient motivation that will enable us to stay the course, to continue to feed the flock of God.

Thus Jesus asks you and me, "Do you love Me? Feed My sheep."

 

 

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, June 1

THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2017

"Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.  But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:30,31)

While Luke provides the purpose statement for his Gospel in Luke 1:1-4, John waits until this point in the text to speak directly to the reader.  As with his letters, John speaks frankly about Jesus as the source of life and that faith unlocks that life (1 John 5:11-13).

I have always found it encouraging that, while the Gospels present a detailed account of Jesus's ministry, John indicates that there are other miracles not recorded in the Scriptures.  We may look forward to God's sharing revelation of these miracles when we come face to face with Him in His heavenly Kingdom!

How does John anticipate that our faith will develop?  He expects that, by studying the written Word of God, that we will come to know the revealed Word of God, Jesus the Messiah.  His presence and sacrifice on our behalf came following a promise, that we also know through the written Word.  As we have read, the Holy Spirit, Who guides us into all truth, enables us to know the Author of life through the revelation of the Word.

How have you built a study of the Word into your life?  Have you find it coming alive for you in your reading?  I encourage you to pose questions in your reading, similar to what Scott has introduced as leaders' questions for Bible study.  You might consider:  What does this passage share with me about God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit?  What do I learn about men and women?  What does it reveal about sin and righteousness?  How may I apply this teaching so that I may honor God better?

May we find tremendous riches in knowing and studying the Word, so that we may love God, love people, and make disciples.  Through it, we come to know the Source of life and His purposes for us.

Lord God, thank You for sharing Your Word with us through revelation.  Thank You for making knowing to us that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Source and Author of life.  Thank You for showing us how to persevere in this world and to bring honor and glory to Your Name through our lives.  Allow us to grow deeper and to better reflect Your character.  Prepare us today to serve You well and to partner with You in sharing the Gospel with those who are hungry to know You.  In Jesus's Name, amen.

"Creed" by Rich Mullins:  https://g.co/kgs/4vSSEz