April 23: Of Child Discipline or the Lack Thereof

These were yesterday's readings and reflection.  Please forgive me for the tardiness.

Judges 1:1-2:9

Luke 21:29-22:13

Psalms 90:1-91:16

Proverbs 13:24-25

"Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them." - Proverbs 13:24

Last month, two young girls, ages 15 and 13, stole a car.  They tased the driver, who then clung  to the car while the girls drove off.  The girls lost control of the car, and by doing so they killed the owner.  

It turns out, this isn't an isolated incident.  Washington DC has seen a 300% increase in carjackings this year, many carried out by young teenagers who steal the car, then use it to commit other crimes - robberies and shootings among them.  

This was terrible for the victim, no mistake.  But upon reflection one realizes it is going to be pretty terrible for the two girls as well.  Whether or not they go to jail, something like this is not without consequences.  Either they are going to be stricken with grief and guilt at what they did - how does one get over that? - or they are just not going to care, which to my mind is far, far worse.  

But you know who else it is terrible for?  Every single parent whose child, whom they love, has put themselves in such a situation. Youtube has so many videos of parents breaking down in screams of agony and tears of pain when their children are sentenced to lengthy prison terms, or worse.  The ones we don't see - the quiet ones, when the parents become aware of the choices their children have made, the damage they've done to themselves and others, the long and difficult road they face to restitution, recovery and restoration - those are equally as painful.

To avoid that pain as much as we can for all involved, we need to raise our kids right.  And as scripture expresses so very clearly, discipline is essential.  

I will leave you with a feel good story - can you imagine how proud Matthew Garcia's mom must have felt?  When she raised her son, I suspect she loved him enough to discipline him.  

https://youtu.be/qZBODEPkGas

A Parable Prophecy - Tuesday 20th Blog Post

Tuesday 20th Blog Post

A parable prophecy

I learned something new today while reading Jesus' parable in Luke 20:9-18. I encourage you to re-read it with the following perspective: The owner of the vineyard is God. The vineyard is Israel. The tenants are the religious leaders. The servants are the prophets and priests God sent. The son is Jesus, our Messiah.

In this short story, Jesus tells of how the religious leaders were blessed with land and fruit, yet when God sent his priests and his son Jesus to collect the fruit, the leaders beat them and killed Jesus.

Jesus revealed to the religious leaders that he knew about their plan to kill him and he references Psalm 118:22. He reminds us that God gives us access to many good things and that he wants us to use them for his purposes - to treat His people with love. Are you using the resources God's given you to bless others?

April 17: Of Polar Opposites and Different Endings

Joshua 15:1-63

Luke 18:18-43

Psalm 86:1-17

Proverbs 13:9-10

What a fascinating contrast between the "certain ruler" and the blind beggar.  Could there have been two more different people in scripture?  The both encountered Jesus, but one of them left filled with sadness, the other filled with awe and praise.  Why?

Let's state the obvious, then ask the tough questions.  The ruler had the security of his position, his authority, and his wealth.  In his comfortable existence, what he didn't have was a need for God.  So yeah, he followed the rules - but that was because that's what people in his position did, right?  Yes he was obedient, but his obedience was superficial.  It wasn't premised on a desperate need for God, which is why there were things he could not give up.  And why he went away sad.

The blind beggar, on the other hand, had nothing - the only hope he had was Jesus.  You saw it in his desperation - people were telling him to shut up, but he had nothing to lose by ticking them all off.  He was blind.  He was a beggar.  He had nothing, nada, zip.  He was desperate - and this miracle-working rabbi he'd heard about was the only possible hope he had.  So he cried out, expressing with his voice the need, the dependence of his heart on God.  And Jesus gave him the desire of his heart - not just his sight, but a relationship with Him: he "followed Jesus, praising God."

So here are the tough questions: How desperate are we for God?  And is there anything in our lives that prevents us from seeing how desperate we should be for Him, anything we would be reluctant to give up to get to know Him?  And if there are such things, what do we do about them?

Father, teach us to realize how desperate we really should be for Jesus, how helpless we are without Him.  Give us hearts ready and willing to give up anything and everything that gets in the way of that realization, so that we might cry out to Him, have Him answer us, and then follow Him filled with praise.

April 16: Of Sins and Noses Under Water

Joshua 13:1-14:15

Luke 18:1-17

Psalm 85:1-13

Proverbs 13:7-8

We are a swimming family.  I swam competitively in high school (and no, I wasn't very good), and today both my high school sons have spent an inordinate amount of time in the water.  Which is perhaps why reading the parable of the two men in the temple, my mind floats (pun intended) to the water analogy I've heard used when people argue about greater and lesser sins.

The analogy goes like this: sins vary in gravity.  Some are like having your nose 5 feet under water.  The worse ones are like having your nose 50 feet under water.  And the less serious ones - the white lies, for example - maybe they're like having your nose a mere 5 inches beneath the surface.  They may vary in gravity, but the variance doesn't matter - if your nose is under water, you are going to drown.   

The Pharisee didn't get that.  He was all "well at least I'm not a thief or a killer".  He didn't realize it didn't matter.  He was a sinner, and he was going to drown in his sin, however small he thought his sin was. 

The tax collector got it, though.  He didn't care to know how far from air he was, all he knew was that he couldn't breathe water.  And so instead of comparing himself with others, he was calling for the help: "God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

Note to self: when under water and air is needed, acknowledge the situation and ask for help.  And when in a state of sin (as in, always) and salvation is needed, acknowledge my helplessness and cry out to Jesus.  

April 10: Of Choices and the Content of Our Hearts

Deuteronomy 34:1-Joshua 2:24

Luke 13:22-14:6

Psalm 79:1-13

Proverbs 12:26

Choices.  We blogged about them yesterday, and today the theme continues.  Reading today's psalm, I was struck by what the psalmist chose to do in the face of the devastation Israel had suffered, amidst "the dead bodies of [God's] servants [left] as food for the birds of the sky".  He could have taken advice from Job's wife - "curse God and die" or challenged God, demanded of God the way one of the robbers crucified next to Jesus did.  

But that's not what the psalmist did.  He inquired of the Lord - "how long?  Will you be angry forever?"  He asked - he didn't demand: "may your mercy come quickly to meet us".  He acknowledged dependence - he didn't insist on entitlement: "for we are in desperate need…help us, God our savior, for the glory of Your name".

In the NT reading, what a different choice is made.  Jesus asks the Pharisees to decide whether or not it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath.  The Pharisees try to avoid taking a stand - they remain silent.  But in doing so, the content of their hearts was revealed just as clearly as the hearts of Job's wife and the robber.  

Father, our choices lay bare the condition of our heart.  Whatever the circumstances we face, may our hearts lead us to approach you as the psalmist did: with acknowledgement, humility, obedience and surrender.  Help us to ask for our daily bread, but choose to see Your will is done - not ours.  

April 9: Of the Choice to React or Respond

Deuteronomy 33:1-29

Luke 13:1-21

Psalm 78:65-72

Proverbs 12:25

Reading today's NT scripture, I was led to to realize our reactions are choices we make.  We are told of the synagogue leadership that chose to react with indignation when Jesus healed a woman crippled by a spirit for 18 years.  Rather than rejoice, the leadership chose to get angry, because Jesus healed her on the Sabbath.   Even worse, perhaps because they had no leverage to compel Jesus to obey them, rather than respond by speaking a message of hope to the people, they told them not to come for healing on the Sabbath. 

The woman's reaction we can probably guess.  When she heard Jesus's words, might she have been afraid to believe they were true?  Might she have hesitated before trying to straighten herself, for fear she would find she was still unable to?  Then Jesus put His hands on her, and "immediately she straightened up".  What did she do?  She praised God. 

If this had happened today, I wonder what people's reactions would have been.  Would they have rejoiced with the woman, and praised God for the miracle?  Or would they have chosen to find fault with Jesus, to complain, to demand explanations of God as to why He let that woman suffer all that time when He could have clearly prevented it all in the first place?  And, perhaps, used that thinking to dismiss God, to deny His goodness, His nature?  

Father, when we come face to face with Your many miracles, when You open our eyes to see them as often as they occur, grant that we react with the praise and rejoicing of the crippled woman, and not with the sinful cynicism of the synagogue leaders.  In Jesus's name we pray.

Living for Christ

Blog post 8th April 2021

Deuteronomy 32: 28-52

Luke 12: 35-59

Psalm 78:5-64

Proverbs 12:24

LIVING FOR CHRIST

Moses urged the people to think about God's word and teach it to their children. The Bible can sit on your bookshelf or night stand and gather dust or you can make it a vital part of your life by regularly setting aside time to study it. When you discover the wisdom of God's message, you will want to apply it to your life and pass it on to your family and others. The Bible is not just good reading its real help for real life.

We are to equip ourselves with the word, Jesus is coming. Jesus repeatedly said he would leave this world but would return at some future time. He also said that a kingdom was being prepared for his followers. Christ's return is not a trap or to catch us off guard. God is delaying his return so more people will have the Opportunity to follow him (2 Peter 3:9). I pray we don't procrastinate in getting to know the word and that we are living for Jesus.

Before Christ's return we have time to live out our belief and to reflect Jesus' love as we relate to others.

Let us be sincere in all we do and not hypocritical, may we be ready to witness and not fearful, may we be trusting and not worried, may we be generous and not greedy and May we be diligent and not lazy in our works. I pray our lives will be more like Christ's so that when he comes, we will be ready to greet him joyfully. Jesus promises a reward for those who have been faithful to the Master. Our heavenly rewards will be the most accurate reflection of what we have done on earth, and they will be far greater than we can imagine. 

 

When I read Luke 12:48 "But people who are not aware that they are doing wrong will be punished only lightly. Much is required from those to whom much is given, and much more is required from those to whom much more is given" I was confused but I read it again and felt convicted because Jesus has told us how to live until he comes. The more we know about the word the more we have essentially been given the knowledge. So when we have acquired this knowledge, the more it is expected. So it's like in the past maybe you were unaware of your sins but now that you have acquired the knowledge we should not be acting like we did in the past. Are you living up to what is required of you?

 

I pray we be steadfast and spread the word of Jesus in our walk with Christ. May we come to know that we have already been chosen and we that we are loved. Jesus is our anchor to the ground and our hope, our firm foundation. May we praise Jesus in the middle of the storm, in the middle of the trial. Father Lord your word remains the same. I pray we follow your word and commandments, that we remain faithful and trust in you, 

Amen 

 https://youtu.be/q5m09rqOoxE

--

Aimee Spencer

April 3: Of Causes, not Consequences

Deuteronomy 23:1-25:19

Luke 10:13-37

Psalm 75:1-10

Proverbs 12:12-14

     "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."  

     It's easy to confuse consequence with cause, and to focus on the wrong thing.  Our two boys are swimmers, and they like winning races - the consequence.  We try and focus them on the cause: "leaving it all in the pool" - doing their best whenever they are in the water, in a race or in practice.  We have to remind them race results are simply byproducts, and what's important is the effort they make.  Not an easy lesson to learn - they like winning.  

     The disciples confused consequence with cause as well.  And they celebrated consequence, not cause.  You can almost hear them: "Whoa!  I cast out a demon!" "Oh yeah?  Well I cast out five!  Who gets to sit next to Jesus now?"  This is why Jesus had to remind them what was important: not what they could do, but who they were - blessed, their names written in heaven. 

     As we wait to celebrate Easter, remembering our Lord's resurrection, and as we reflect on all that we have been blessed with on earth, it would be good to remember that all this is the consequence.  We celebrate because not only are our names written in heaven, we have a place before our God as His sons and daughters.  Cause, not consequence.  

March 2: Of Finding the Strength to Do What We Must

Deuteronomy 21:1-22:30

Luke 9:51-10:12

Psalm 74:1-23

Proverbs 12:11

"Let's roll."  These were Todd Beamer's last words, a statement of resolution, on an in-flight call to Lisa Jefferson to report their plane, UA Flight 93, had been hijacked.  Lisa then told him about the other hijacked planes that morning.  Todd and others with him decided they weren't going to sit by and do nothing while the armed hijackers crashed the plane, and when they were done talking, Todd left the line open, dropped the phone, and said those fateful words.

We know what happened after that: the plane crashed, killing all passengers onboard, in a field 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, far away from the intended target - the White House.  We also know that before he dropped the phone, Todd - a graduate of Wheaton, a Christian college - asked Lisa to pray with him.  They prayed Psalm 23.  As the time approached when he might well die, Todd turned to God and found the strength he needed to do what he knew he must.  

The first line of today's NT reading is "as the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem."  As we commemorate Good Friday, we realize Jesus knew what He was going to do, and know how terrible the death He faced was.  How did He find the strength to continue?  We know that He prayed.  In fact, we know He prayed all the way till the night before Good Friday. 

Do you sometimes find yourself paralyzed, unable to do what you know you must - by fear, or worry, by the prospect of pain, perhaps even death?  How wonderful that we can turn to God for the strength we need.  It worked for Jesus.  It worked for Todd Beamer.  It will work for us.  

April Fools NO blog.......kidding:)

Yay! WE ARE NOW IN APRIL!! FEELING INCREDIBLY THANKFUL GOD IS TRULY DOING GREAT THINGS

Deuteronomy 18:1-20:20

Luke 9:28-50

Psalm 73:1-28

Proverbs 12-14

In Luke 9:35 A voice came from a cloud, saying "This is my Son,whom I have chosen; listen to him."

Reading Luke vs 35 I felt convicted as sometimes I don't  focus on his word and listen to what he is saying to me.  

We Tend to not listen to what Jesus is telling us and we are listening to our sin, friends even ourselves Instead of listening to the word and what Jesus is trying to tell us.

I sometimes lose the point of what God is trying to tell me when I don't listen and I get carried away with "business".   In Luke 9:28-50 Jesus  spoke to his disciples about his death and they did not understand, they were concerned with their own well being, and missed what Jesus' death was about and its significance.

 

 

In the song I have attached to express these words that really moved me, they made me want to open up and get going. To make myself more available to do God's work, To be still and Listen;

 

                      " I just want to see you move.

                                I am available.

                      I hear you call, I am available." 

 These words really struck me. I feel like I am not letting God use me enough to be available and truly focus on his word. What is he saying!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjIY4UKGl-Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm8oK6pn678&list=RDGMEMMib4QpREwENw3_jAc0YgNw&start_radio=1

 

Father, I pray that we can live true to you. God your word should be our final Authority. Help us to follow your Laws Lord, Lord help us to become less of me and more of you.

 

Amen

--

Jenna Spencer

475-299-0404

jennaspencer3@gmail.com