May 31

John 19, Psalm 119

His-story (history)   was set in motion the day God spoke the word and this speck in the universe called Earth was formed.  Each piece of the story that we read fits perfectly in a design that culminates into Jesus' last words -- "It is finished "  (John 19:30)  The mission our Father sent Jesus on was completed but His-story didn't end. Yes, on that day the veil was torn, symbolizing that we have open access to our Father, but the empty tomb defines our victorious life in Christ and our final destiny.  As we await for Jesus' return, I think we have to grasp that as His disciples walked with Him over 2000 years ago, we too now walk, by the power of His Spirit.  The baton has been passed.  Just as there was no turning back for Jesus the day He left His throne in heaven, there is no turning back for us.  The statutes He has laid down for us are righteous and fully trustworthy (Psalm 119:137).  So as we sang on Sunday, bear your cross till we receive our crown because no matter where we are or what we're going through, we can trust that when we call on Jesus with all of our hearts, He will answer us.  (Psalm 119:145)


Blessings,
Randi

May 29th blog post

My Spiritual Flashlight


"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."  Psalm 119:105

Every year for the past 23 years my family has spent one week in July at Camp Spofford.  We stay in the same accommodations; Tentel 5.  There are no bathrooms in a Tentel (they are like giant wooden tents).  You have to walk down a bumpy path to get to the ones that are shared by all the Tentel guests.  During the day this is easy but at night, in the middle of the night, the path is dark.  I know the direction I need to take to get there but without a flashlight it is dark and I have a little fear of the dark and what might linger within it.  I also can not see the roots along the path, the rocks, the divots, the trees, and obstacles that are ready to trip me up as I journey to the bathroom.  I know they are there, after all I have walked this path for 23 years but it doesn't mean that in the darkness I can't be tripped.  Our flashlights are one of the first and most important things we remember to bring with us.

Recently God has put a heavy longing in my heart to get back to and walk the path to Joy.  I know where it is and I know I have walked the path at different times in my life but I have allowed struggles, trials, and a host of different things to darken the path.  I have scratches and bruises on my heart from storms in my life that have knocked me down on the path to Joy.  Psalm 119:105 is a reminder that I tend to forget to use my spiritual flashlight on my journey.  God's word is meant to be my source of light that helps me to navigate past the hurdles that can knock me down and steal my joy.  I must daily pray and seek God and ask him to use his word to fill my heart with his truths, promises and hope that will light my heart and mind and lead me to the joy of the Lord, the place I so very desperately desire to dwell.  His word needs to always be the first and most important part of my day, it will make all the difference when the unexpected pops up along the path, it will help keep me steady and moving forward to the place I need and long to dwell.

Whatever your journey, whatever your path, don't forget that you were not meant to walk it in the darkness of the unknown or unaided.  You were meant to walk it with the hope that God's word brings, with the guidance and direction he gives us.  Let God's word guide you and lead you each and every day.  If you feel lost the lord is ready to be your light.  If you aren't sure how to do this then I'd be happy to talk to you more about what I am learning and to pray with you, just send me an email.  Sometimes the journey is easier when when we walk it together.

God bless you and may you each be filled with the abundant joy of the Lord. 

May 28- 2 Samuel 13:1-39

The story of Tamar…

As we read in 2 Samuel 13:9, Tamar, David's daughter and, a princess is raped by her step brother Amnon. How does the world around her deal with that? Tamar is advised not to make the rape public, to keep silent. She is left to live with her big secret, and she became a desolate woman.  This incident became a life sentence for her.  Absalom, her brother, doesn't express any feelings, doesn't seem like he has a lot to say, but, in silence, builds hate in his heart and eventually kills his brother. David is angry but does absolutely nothing about the situation. He fails as a father. I am sure Tamar felt unimportant, guilty, and dead. This was such an unfair situation for this young girl.

David doesn't take any action but hopes like many of us that through some magic means things will just work themselves out. I heard someone say that, when we fail to take action in matters that are important to God, we eventually stop hearing the voice of God.  Inaction has a high price. 

The world failed Tamar but Jesus came to all the Tamars in history, men and women, to give them life, rich, abundant life, and to give them hope (John 10:10). No matter the past, we don't have to become depressed or crushed by grief.  The world might have turned us into a Tamar, but Jesus made us the sons and daughters of the Absolute King (John 1:12-13); we have a royal heritage. David failed Tamar, but our Father will never fail us: "He will never leave you nor forsake you."(Deuteronomy 31:6). He loves us with an unfailing love, an everlasting love. He knows exactly what kind of love we need, he knows how to heal us and restore each one of us, no matter how unique our case is.

Jesus came to make each story a success story. God can turn any past into a purpose.   "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11.)  "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.)

 I wish I could go back in history and tell Tamar that there is hope, that her life doesn't need to be over and that I understand. I cannot do that, but how many Tamars are around me today?…

In Christ,

Anca

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 27: Of Kings and Consequences; Of Discouragement and Persistence

2 Samuel 12:1-31

John 16:1-33

Psalm 119:65-80

Proverbs 16:4-5

Yesterday Pastor Scott, when reflecting on David's sin I got confirmation of what I'd put in my own personal reflection yesterday: God gave us freedom of will, but He did not give us freedom from consequences.  We are free to choose our actions, but we are not free to choose their consequences.  Today we read about two things: the consequences David faced, and the confirmation of God's continued, unbroken, persistent love despite his sin.

As the father of 3, I cannot begin to imagine having to bury my children.  It would be far worse if one of them passed on because of something I did.  This is the horror David faced - the child born to him and to Bathsheba, conceived during the adultery - God decreed that that child would die, as a consequence of David's actions.  And while that was just a starting point - turmoil to follow, stay tuned - in David's shoes, I would have been convinced that my sin had been so grievous God couldn't possibly want to fulfill the promises He'd made to David.  

But that wasn't so.  They had another child - they named him Solomon.  But in the text we read in 2 Sam 12:24-25 "The Lord loved him; and because the Lord loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah."  Jedidiah?  Who the heck was that?  So I had to look up the notes on this verse.  It turns out that the name contained an echo of David's name, and so it "provided assurance to David that the Lord also loved him and would continue his dynasty" (Zondervan NIV Study Bible [Red Letter Edition]).  

Have you ever been discouraged by your own sinfulness?  If you are like me, and if you read my blogs, you know I am.  Terribly, hopelessly frustrated some times, to the point I cannot understand why God continues to forgive me, given the gravity, the magnitude, the grievousness and the persistence of my sin, given how many chances He's given me and how consistently I've wasted those opportunities.  Today I am not going to be discouraged by my sinfulness.  Don't get me wrong- I will continue to detest them.  But while my sins do have consequences (as do all my choices), one thing is true - for me, for David, for the adulterous woman in the New Testament, for all of us: despite all our sins' consequences, God does not condemn us.  In His love, He sends His son to do what we cannot do, not now, not ever - to take away the stain of our persistent sinfulness, and make us presentable to the Father as His children.  

Praise You, God, for the persistence and certainty of Your love, which is more than enough to take on the burden of all our sins.  May we never be so discouraged by our sinfulness as to forget that; remind us of that when we sin, so we are never afraid to run back to You.

PS  I write this not so early Saturday morning, waking up in Memphis, TN, driving from Connecticut to Los Angeles with my daughter. It's our first time, and we will indulge in the obligatory selfie in front of Graceland, where the one they call "The King" lived.  And, for all intents and purposes, died.  Reportedly, from an overdose of drugs he took that caused his heart to stop.  Like David, for all his success, his adoring fans, his wealth, Elvis had to bear the consequences of his choices.  And while I certainly enjoy his music, I hope the selfie we take reminds us of that truth, and this other truth: there is no king but Jesus.

May 26 2017

2 Samuel 11

I have had sad conversations at times in the ministry. One of the most heartbreaking is the one concerning adultery. When one partner finds that the other has been unfaithful to their wedding vows, it devastates them.

As I talk with the offending party I usually hear sentences like, "I didn't think it would ever happen to me," "I didn't think I would get caught," and "it started so innocently." Regardless of the excuse, the consequences of adultery are deadly.

One spring night it did start innocently with David. He was now approaching 50 and he would not be going to the front lines with the boys. So why not go out for a nice evening stroll? But there was a view he shouldn't have looked at. And an invitation he wasn't supposed to give. And the boundaries set by God were conveniently forgotten.

Marriage is God's invention; it has his fingerprints all over its design. God clearly stated right from the start that it is a lifelong commitment between two people of the opposite sex.

While we can choose our sin, we can't choose our consequences. Some of the consequences of David's disobedience included an unwanted pregnancy, the death of an innocent man and a baby, the loss of respect from his children, and future political upheaval and violence – all the days of his life.

The world we live in today does not believe in sexual boundaries. The rule of thumb is to do whatever comes naturally to you. This is what I love to call, "Jerry Springer Theology." This way of thinking and living is both dangerous and deadly. As much as people think they are free, real freedom comes from living inside the boundaries God has given us. That is where the greatest marital joy possible is found.

So do we have anything to say to people who get caught in the web of sin? 1000 years after this event, a woman who was caught in the very act of adultery would be brought to Jesus. Jesus spoke two life-changing truths to her. First, he said he didn't condemn her. He would take her condemnation to the cross and pay the penalty she deserved. Second, he said to leave her life of sin. If anyone is brave enough to own their sin, God is powerful enough to forgive it. God is also so gracious that if a couple wants to restore their broken marriage, he will give them the resources and the strength to accomplish it. It will not be an easy path to travel down, but it is the right one. I pray that if you are in a disconnected marriage today, you will allow Jesus to bring restoration and renewal to it.

 

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, May 25

THURSDAY, MAY 25, 2017

"All this I have spoken while still with you.  But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (John 14:25-27)

Have you ever wondered what the future would hold?  Of course you have!

Jesus's disciples found themselves in a similar moment.  Facing a great change, with the departure of their Leader and Lord, they may have logically felt that pit of anxiety rising in their stomachs, as they considered what the future might hold.  How would they maintain their courage in a world that Jesus had already declared to be against them?  If Jesus were vulnerable to attack, how about them?  How would they maintain their strength?  Or even stick together?

Jesus comforts them through these last moments before His crucifixion with several mentions of the Spirit's imminent coming.  In two instances, Jesus highlighted that the Holy Spirit would guide the disciples into all truth and make clear what Jesus had taught.  He would also speak through the disciples in difficulty situations, including in front of authorities.

In short, the Spirit's coming would ensure that the peace of Christ might be with His disciples even after His departure.  Through His shed blood, Jesus provided the means for us to come into a lasting relationship with God.  The Holy Spirit, present at Creation and Sustainer, would breathe life into the disciples through bringing truth and bearing fruit unto righteousness.

Praise be to God for giving the Spirit for those who follow the Son.  May He bring us into all truth and make us fully alive!

Lord God, thank You for offering us salvation through the sacrifice of Your Son.  Draw us closer to you through understanding truth and receiving the peace of the Holy Spirit.  Give us a deeper love for You and for people.  Make us disciples, strengthened with courage to bless others and live for Your glory.  In Jesus's Name, amen.

May 24

Psalm 119:17-32

If God were to deal with us with only strict adherence to the law, we'd all be dead by now.  I believe it's His desire that by the light and power of His Holy Spirit we learn to understand the wonders of His Word which takes us beyond just learning to memorize Scripture and adhering to laws. As the Psalm says, we are strangers on earth, we need to know how to navigate our way through this broken world. Usually when people are given are rules to follow the feel restricted but through Scripture God wants to open and illuminate our hearts and minds to live out of a relationship of being in love with our Savior while we are here. That's what produces the longing in our souls. As we read Scripture the character of God is defined, which takes us beyond being restricted and in fact gives us freedom.  Divine Wisdom is found in knowing Christ and the only way to do that is to read the Word.  We find grace in following the path of faith. Now obviously God knows we are going to mess up. However, the Holy Spirit will convict us and bring us to our knees and back on course. When we repent, we find comfort in His word and above all else, we find forgiveness at the foot of the cross.  Once we admit we are wrong, God responds with grace. It's there, on our knees, that we that we begin to grasp how desperately we need to stay focused on Jesus.  I pray now that we have chosen the way of truth, we look up and see that God is good to His servants and has opened our eyes to see the beauty in His law, which became flesh.  I pray we follow in the freedom that God set in our hearts when we made Jesus Lord of our lives.



Randi

Re: Thursday, May 18

I'm afraid that this message failed the first time.

_____________________________
From: Steve Edwards <stephene01@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2017 10:30 PM
Subject: Thursday, May 18
To: Steve Edwards <swe@edwa.info>

THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2017

 

 

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.  I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also.  They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.  The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.  I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.  This command I received from my Father." (John 10:14–18)

 

 

In this passage, we see the close connection between Jesus's identity and His mission.  Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus offers seven key "I am" statements:  "the bread of life"; "the light of the world"; "the gate"; "the good shepherd"; "the resurrection and the life" "the way, the truth, and the life"; and "the true vine."  In addition, in John 8:58, He declares His pre-existence of Abraham:  "Before Abraham was, I am!"  These powerful images highlight both Jesus's mission and identity and point to the fullness of His deity, echoing God's address to Moses as "I am who I am."

 

Each of Jesus's "I am" statements tie to His relationship with His followers.  Several refer to our coming to know Him initially, while others speak about the perseverance of those who have trusted in Him.  Throughout these statements, we recognize that we experience the fullness of our personhood and joy in Christ:  "that your joy may be complete." (John 15:11)

 

In light of our knowledge of the Great "I am," how shall we respond?  How may we properly understand our identity and mission?  As Pastor Scott has shared from The Red Sea Rules, God has placed us where we are "(1) by God's appointment (2) in His keeping (3) under His training (4) for His time."  God's sovereignty extends to every aspect of our lives and in the sometimes chaotic circumstances in which we find ourselves.  In this picture of sovereignty, God superintends that we may experience His love and presence, even in the midst of struggles and woe.

 

Ultimately, the Bible testifies that our identity and mission both arise from our Creator.  Fashioned into His image, we are blessedly His.  We may be secure in His love and kindness for us.  Called as His own, we may now find our fulfillment in loving, knowing, honoring, and serving Him.  Praise be to God that, through the atoning sacrifice of His Son, we may become partakers in this mission.

 

Do you feel confident in your identity and mission today?  If not, how could you receive encouragement from Jesus's example here or Paul's (Philippians 1:21; Philippians 3:1–14)?

 

 

Lord God, thank You for giving us the opportunity to know You and to serve You.  Thank You for making us in Your image and calling us Your own.  Give us wisdom so that we may follow You wholeheartedly and bring You glory.  In Jesus's Name, amen.

 

________________________________________
1) Blog:                  http://bit.ly/rV1Cw1

2) Facebook:        http://on.fb.me/tc6jkS

May 19

John 10

At a Bible study I once asked people to write down one question they would like to ask God. Here is one response:  "While I myself want to admit you're the only true God, I still don't want make my friends upset by saying this. Why can't we just let everyone choose what they want to believe?"

 

As Christ followers we are being sent this message daily. "Can't you tone it down a bit; you are upsetting the social order by your radical claims of the exclusivity of Jesus."

 

In John 10 we observe that this radical talk of exclusivity created a riot 2000 years ago. The context of this conversation is the celebration of Hanukkah. In the Temple area, a space large enough to hold 100,000 worshipers, Jesus addresses the most important issue in all of history. "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." There it is. This issue divides and upsets the social order both then and now. And what is Jesus' response? "I and the Father are one." Can there be any misunderstanding of what Jesus meant? This is the clearest statement of Jesus' divinity he ever made.  There can be no mistake about what he meant. The Jews understood exactly what he meant because they picked up stones to kill him for the crime of blasphemy. This claim is unmistakable; it is undeniable; it is as clear as the nose in front of your face.

  

In a post-modern world we are told that no one has the right to claim to be God. Yet the radical Jesus of the Bible does just that. "I and the Father are one" was a claim made by Jesus. It was never made by Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius or any other religious leader.  This claim is nothing less than a scandal. These words rattle the cages of every post modern person. People squirm when they hear this exclusivity.

 

We ought to squirm because either Jesus was right or he was wrong. Those are the only choices.

 

I believe when Jesus was telling us of his "oneness" he was not uttering these words out of arrogance but out of great compassion. I believe that given the undeniable miracles, the authority of his words, and the sinless life he lived, we would be fools for doubting this claim. And if this claim is true, then Jesus' appearance on this planet and the sacrificial giving of his life for us is the greatest, most significant act ever done in the history of mankind.

 

Sorry, I can't keep quiet. I need to tell the whole world.

 

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

May 17

John 9

As I read the account of the blind man, I couldn't help but think of Red Sea Rule #2. Jesus lived His life here on earth answering the question "How can God The Father be glorified in this situation?".   In regards to the blind man, Jesus explains very clearly "His blindness cannot be explained or traced to any particular person's sins. He is blind so the deeds of God may be put on display."  (V.3)  The blind mans name is Siloam.  I checked into the meaning of the name.  His name means "sent" -- it's as if his name is a reminder that his healing was sent by God.  Jesus didn't explain the source of the mans blindness because it wasn't necessary -- that wasn't His mission.  His mission was to do the work of God, Our Father. Since healing blind eyes is the work of the Lord, this is yet another display to the Pharisees that Jesus is God.  I love how Scripture ties together as we see in Psalm 146:8 it reads "The The Lord opens the eyes of the blind", and in Isaiah 35:5 we read that "The eyes of the blind shall be opened".  If only the Pharisees would have opened their eyes, they would have seen that The Messiah to whom they had been praying to for centuries was standing right in front of them. Jesus used a very unconventional way to heal the mans eyes.  By mixing dirt and His spit together I'm sure a few eyebrows were raised.  But if we think about it, when we meet people who walk in spiritual blindness and speak the Gospel of Truth, that can also be considered unconventional causing a few eye brows to be raised as well.  Just as Jesus modeled, we cannot neglect our call to serve and our areas of service.  I pray we all get a chance to raise some eyebrows today.

Randi

May 15th blog post

Supplying the Needs   1 Samuel 17


I am an introvert (more severe than people will every really know), a recovering perfectionist, highly self critical of most things I do, I over analyze almost everything I do or say, I don't have a college degree, I love to do lots of things but I am not necessarily proficient at any one thing (Pintrest reminds me of this daily), I have many areas of weakness, and I have a body that is getting older each day and reminding me of this fact with things like new reading glasses needed.  I don't say this out of pity for myself but to lay out before everyone the many shortcomings that can and sometimes do confront me when I am given opportunities to serve the Lord.

David was a mere boy.  He was not a solider but a shepherd.  His outward appearance was nothing compared to his eldest brother Eliab (1 Samuel 16:6-7).  Yet despite everything going against him David's heart for the Lord, which was big, drew him to see an opportunity to serve the Lord in which he willingly volunteered for.  I believe David knew that he alone was not qualified to take on the giant Goliath but he knew his God was.  He knew that God can and does use willing hearts and turns them into skillful hands with his power.  Even when brought before the King and those with the skill and ability David did not posses he was spoken to with discouragement because of his lack of age, stature, and skill as a soldier: "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth." 1 Samuel 17:29.  This is where I might have hung my head in agreeing defeat but not David.  He knew his shortcomings but he also knew his passion to serve and spoke about how God had delivered him, empowered him to do things in the past which he should not have been able to do.  I don't believe he saw a giant with skill that out matched his own.  I believe David saw an opportunity to be a willing vessel for the Lord and to bring him glory.  David knew that he would bring what little he had to the fight and that God would make up the rest of what was needed.  The result?  God was glorified through a victory which was against all human odds.  The victory and glory didn't come about the way we would have humanly envisioned it but God usually has a way of bringing Glory to himself in ways and through people whom we never would have imagined.  His power is truly made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9) and David is perfect example of this for me.

I find that God calls me to things that are so far out of my human skill set and beyond my comfort and abilities.  But what I have learned and experienced in saying yes to the opportunities that are beyond my abilities is the faithfulness of my God.  He never calls me and then leaves me to figure it out alone.  He equips me through his spirit to do that which I am not able to do in my own human weakness.  The result?  I always pray, is for God to be glorified.  I am an introvert who does not like to be the focus of attention, I have no educational degree to hang on my wall, I have been a stay at home mother for the past 23+ years of my life.  Yet, despite these "lacks" in my character and resume God has called me to stand before women (and on occasion the church) and to speak the word of God.  He has called me to write a story despite the fact that my grammar is awful and English class was my worst grade throughout school.  Why does he do this?  Why does he seem to like to call us to those things that we aren't always skilled to do?  I can only guess that it is because it leaves no room to question that when a giant is slayed by a boy and when the word of God is spoken by a stay at home mother that God is the one who is working and moving and doing and therefore it is God and God alone who deserve the Glory, Honor, and Praise.

Why do I share this?  Because I need to be reminded not let myself loose focus on the Lord's abilities to use me.  To not focus on my inabilities, shortcomings and fears.  I need to always trust that the Lord is enough.  I need to always trust that if I am willing and have a humble heart then the Lord can use me in ways I never thought I could be used.  I need to remember that if God can take me and all those weaknesses and shortcomings and use me then how much more can he do through others?  I don't want to be like Saul and look only at the outward and see inability and therefore discourage, I want the Lord to give me eyes to see the heart, the willingness of others, and then to encourage others to get into the fight, the ministry, the opportunities and let God be enough, let God make up the different, let God empower, let God be glorified. 

Have a willing heart to do whatever the Lord is calling you to do and be sure that God is faithful and he will be enough for the victory, the ministry, the opportunity.  We truly can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). Be encouraged.

May 13: I am John Q. Pharisee

1 Samuel 13:23-14:52

John 7:31-52

Psalm 109:1-31

Proverbs 15:5-7

Apologies again for the tardiness.  Sometimes Saturdays are even busier than weekdays...

When I read yesterday's NT reading, I could not help but think that the Pharisees were insisting on taking comfort in what they thought they knew, so much so that they ignored what they did not understand.  They thought there was nowhere Jesus could go that they would not find Him.  They thought Jesus came from Galilee.  They thought the mob of common people was ignorant.  And the one man who suggested they listen to Jesus - well they decided he was wrong from the get go as well. And because they insisted on what they thought they knew, they missed out on getting to know the Messiah they'd supposedly been waiting for all that time.  How different might things have been for them if, upon seeing Jesus's miracles, hearing His teaching and seeing the hordes that followed Him, they might have instead asked "Who is He?".  They might have instead given Him the benefit of the doubt, and in doing so, discovered His sovereignty.  The fact is, when I read today's reading about the Pharisees, I thought "if I'd been a Pharisee during Jesus's time, instead of insisting He was a fraud in order to protect the life I had, I would have tried to get to know Him.  Maybe then I would have understood that He was God, and would have deferred to Him even at risk of the life I had."  

And then it occurs to me: I am such a hypocrite.  The truth is, when things happen that I don't understand, things that derail my ambitions, that threaten my way of life, that create discomfort and uncertainty - when these things happen, I respond much more like the Pharisees than, say, the crowds that submit to Him, the sinners that repent.  I complain; I demand; I reject Him and His sovereignty over all things - all this despite how often He has shown so very clearly His ways are above my ways, His thoughts are above my thoughts.  I can't even claim to be like Nicodemus, prepared to give Him an opportunity to speak to me.  I am the epitome of the person in today's Proverb - the "fool [that] spurns a paren't discipline".  

Father, be patient and persistent with me.  My rejection does not change the truth - that You re sovereign over all things, and without You I cannot stand.  Overwhelm my stubbornness with your love and mercy.  In Jesus's name I pray.

May 12

Psalm 108  

 

The story is told of a pastor who was officiating at a funeral. When the service was completed, he was asked to lead the funeral procession as it made its way to the cemetery. So he got into his car and started driving at the head of the long column. This is where the trouble began. Sometime during the journey he turned on his radio and started listening to the news. He soon became lost in his thoughts and forgot where he was going. About that time, he passed a Kmart and thought about something he needed to pick up. So he turned into the parking lot. As he was looking for a parking space, he just happened to glance into the rear-view mirror and saw a string of cars following, all with their lights on.

 

While we laugh at this story, it is a reminder that it is so easy to lose our way on the road of life. On Sundays we are taking a journey with the Israelites as they make their escape from Egypt.  We have discovered that God's purpose in their Red Sea situation was to bring glory to himself. It is when God is glorified that our hearts are most satisfied. The very reason we have been given life today is to praise, worship and glorify our great God.

 

This was David's heart's desire in Psalm 108. His heart was secure and steadfast, even though he was in a very difficult battle. It was his worship of God that brought peace to his heart.  David practiced this by singing to the Lord early in the morning. In his singing, he reminded himself of the greatness of God. God has a superabundance of love and he is faithful to us even when we are not faithful to him. David also declared that God's glory needs to be known all over the earth.  

 

So how is your heart today? Is it steadfast? Does it have supreme confidence that God is in control of every detail of your life?

 

If you have lost your way, it is time to start singing. You might want to do this discretely, but whistling usually doesn't get you fired. Pick your favorite praise song and start singing. When you live "all for the glory of God" you will gain the victory.  

 

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, May 11

THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2017

"Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.'" (John 6:68,69)

In today's reading, we find the disciples standing firm, led by Simon Peter, as Jesus faces abandonment from the crowds.  This episode underscores that discipleship involves self-denial and overcoming natural objections to Christ's teaching.  Yet, why would there have been objections?  Didn't the crowds recognize Him for Who He is?

After Jesus's teaching about being the "bread of life," we may imagine that the crowds had two common themes running through their minds:  confusion and indignation.

Their confusion likely arose from the apparent foreignness of this teaching.  Given the revelation that God had captured in the Scriptures and through His prophets, the people of Israel would have struggled to understand the context of Jesus's statements.  He seemed to be indicate a different and direct means of coming to the Father:  through Him.  Some members of the crowd might have wrestled with the compatibility of the Mosaic law and this teaching.  And, practically speaking, how would they "eat" His flesh and "drink" His blood?

At the same time, the crowd would have fought against indignation.  Their leaders had clearly taught the superiority of the revelation they had received.  Hadn't God spoken directly to Moses?  Hadn't His people received manna from heaven as evidence of their chosen status before God?  Why would this lowly carpenter without formal education lecture them and mention that their ancestors' manna had not saved them from death?  Where did He gather the nerve to insult them?

Just as the crowds didn't accept Jesus's teaching that day, we find many modern people who reject the truth claims that Jesus makes.  Ultimately, we see that He points not to a new philosophy, but rather to Himself as God's revelation and mediator.  As we talk with friends who may be struggling to grasp spiritual concepts, we may refocus attention on the key question:  "Who is Jesus to you?  Would you like to know Him?"

Just as the light of the sun reveals the world around us, so too may we experience full revelation through the light of the Son.  Knowing the Person of Jesus Christ, as Simon Peter and the other disciples did, allows us to understand His truth.  Through knowing the Son, we then know the Father and receive eternal life (John 17:3; 1 John 5:11-13).

As we approach Christ and seek to follow Him, may we find encouragement that He will teach us with grace and truth:  "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am humble and gentle in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 10:28-30)

Lord Jesus, thank You for revealing Your truth to us and calling us to Yourself.  We seek to know You fully.  Please reveal more of Yourself and Your truth into our lives so that we may glorify Your Name.  We would like to go beyond our human limitations so that we may be Your steadfast disciples.  Give us courage to press forward into You.  We love You and honor You today.  In Your holy Name, amen.

May 10

John 6:28-29

Then they asked him "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this:  to believe in the one he has sent."

As I read this passage I found myself going back and remembering many traditions I grew up with.  These traditions were passed on through generations, mostly by story telling.  Much like the game telephone, I'm sure they got lost in translation, but they were traditions none the less.  Keeping this mind, I realized that the religious Jews of Jesus' day had more than just the Law of Moses to keep; they also had centuries of customs, traditions, and rabbinical commandments to observe.  The only religion they knew was one of works, and so of course they wondered what new works might be required by the teachings of Jesus. They didn't understand that the relationship they searched for between themselves and God had nothing to do with works.  Perhaps the same is true for us. As busy as we get during our day, there is still no "work" we can do except live out of a relationship of being completely yielded to God with complete trust that we are in His will and are living out the purpose He has for us while we spend time here. -- that is all He requires. As we do this, the Holy Spirit guides us into the paths of God's plan for us so that He can do His works through us.  This is where the Pharisees missed the connection.  Perhaps they misinterpreted the Genesis 15:6 scripture that was fulfilled in James 2:23 that said it was because Abraham believed the Lord that it was credited to him as righteousness. Everything hinges on our believing.  In my quiet time this morning, God put on my heart the word "faith".  My prayer today is that we all have eyes that see and ears that hear, and that we go through our day knowing there is nothing more we can do to please God our Father, except believe and trust in His Son Jesus.


Randi

May 8th blog

Juggling with the truth

How important is truth?  How important is it to speak truth?  What about when the truth is hard to speak because you know it will be hard for the one listening to hear?  What about when the truth is hard to speak because you know that the one listen will not see the truth but only you, the one speaking, and possibly lash out at you (when they will see you as judging them rather than sharing the truth)? What about when the truth spoken reveals not just the lies, wrongs, or misgivings of another but also speaks to your shortcomings and failures?  Truth is vital to a Christ centered life but it isn't always an easy thing to hold onto.

Eli is an example of what happens when we let truth go unspoken for too long and when we don't live it wholeheartedly for ourselves.  His sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were living in direct disobedience to the truth of God's word.  They were using their position for their glory and gain and not for the Lord.  Eli was obviously not only aware of his sons disobedient deeds but was partaking in the gluttony of their actions as well (1 Samuel 2:29 "Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people?")  Eli made a feeble attempt to speak truth to his sons but it was without success and without determination.  Eli seemed to have had the passive mentality of "I tried" and washed his hands of any part he felt he had in making sure that the truth of God's word was held up (both in his sons lives as well as his own).  He was juggling the truth with his desires and interests and when the Lord confronted him the only thing left before Eli to hold onto was the convicting truth and therefore the consequences of choosing to not live by that truth.

In stark contrast we have Samuel, the young boy, who had to proclaim difficult truth to his mentor, Eli, that the consequence's of his family's sin and the passive attitude held toward that sin was now going to be paid in full.  After this difficult declaration of truth by Samuel, we read in chapter 3 verse 19 "The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground."   I love this verse.  None of the words of God spoken to Samuel, none of the truths revealed, were ever dropped.  They weren't juggled carelessly but held responsibly.  God is faithful to keep his promises, to hold them up, both the blessings and the curses, but he also gave Samuel the strength and ability to carry those truths, to share those truths, to speak boldly those truths as a benefit to any who would listen as well as a guide for his own life.  I'm sure Samuel had moments when his bold life of truth seeking and speaking kept people and their sins away from him.  Despite how people may have seen Samuel, despite what people thought of his truth living life Samuel remained faithful to God, faithful to his word, and obedient to the truth and willing to speak whatever truth God revealed needed to be spoken.

I find myself at the dividing line between Eli and Samuel.  I have sitting on my kitchen table in front of me God's word, his truths spelled out clearly before me to live out in my life and to proclaim to others in love.  Yet I realize that I can often take a passive seat like Eli and juggle the truth with my fears and with my limited understanding of a situation.  When I do this I am letting other factors hinder me from letting the truth of God be poured out in either my actions or words for the benefit of others.  "What will they think if I speak this truth of God?"  "Will they call me a hypocrite?"  "Will they lash out and tell me I am judging them rather than being able to see that it is not I but the Lord who spoke this truth?"  "Will they even really listen to me, so should I even bother?"  "I don't really want them to think I am some holier then thou person if I act this way."  "I don't really know what is going on in their lives that makes them speak or act the way they do so maybe I should just mind my own business." These are some of the thoughts that I can find myself juggling with when the Lord is calling me to speak his truth into the life of someone else.  What it comes down to is that I value my reputation and my comfort in the world more then I value my calling to be salt and light, to be a witness of the truth, to be an obedient child of God for the benefit of others.

Now, do not get me wrong.  I don't believe God wants us to pick up his word, go outside, and start beating people over the head with the truth.  Eli had a relationship with his sons and it was through that relationship that God wanted him to speak truth and to live truth in their sight.  Samuel had a relationship with the people of Israel as a prophet, priest and judge.  It was through that relationship that God wanted him to live out truth and to speak it forth.  It is through relationships that we can cultivate an environment that gives us opportunity to speak truth and sometimes, I think more importantly, to live out the truth of God's words.  But here is the things with living out the truth of God, at some point we need share why we live the way we choose.  We need to allow our actions to be a springboard to sharing, verbally, the truth.  That does not mean that it will always be accepted with open arms and ready hearts and that is ok because I am called to live for the Lord and in obedience to him.  I am called to seek him and to let him lead me into the opportunities for he knows the hearts of others and he knows the work going on inside them.  I am not here to look around and determine in my own understand who needs to hear what truth and when.  I am called to live in obedient leading and let the Lord move in me and guide me.  It is for the blessing and benefit of those listening that I live a life of obedience to the truth and that I speak it when God places the opportunity before me.

I desire to live on the side of Samuel with whom the Lord was with and I want the truths of God firmly held in my hands and to proclaim them in my life so that others may be drawn to the light of truth and be rescued from whatever may be hindering them.  I want to put aside my fears, my pride, my comforts, and my understandings and let the Lord teach me, guide me, and use my life to be a vessel of truth.  I want to live a life of blessing for others.  I want to be a truth seeker, truth speaker, and truth life liver.

So my prayer is this, that I would:  Daily seek the Lord and his truth.  Daily ask the Lord to guide my heart, mind and life.  Daily to recognize and confess my sins to him who is faithful to forgive them.  Daily seek ways to cultivate the relationships in my life.  Daily inquire of the Lord and how he would use me in the lives of those around me.  Daily seek the strength of the Lord to be able to live and carry the truths of God's word in my heart and my mind.  I want to be a vessel of hope, obedience and truth. 

May 6: Ruth and Boaz - a true love story

Ruth 2:1-4:22

John 4:43-54

Psalm 105:16-36

Proverbs 14:26-27

The story of Ruth and Boaz is a love story - not so much in the modern sense, but in the truest sense.  Ruth is a widow; she does not appear to be a woman of means; we know not whether she was attractive.  By today's standards, there appears to be nothing to recommend her, other than her loyalty to one who has nothing to offer in return.  

Boaz hears of this loyalty; as she gathers the leavings of the laborers harvesting Boaz's field, he welcomes her, he offers her his protection and provision, and he even instructs the laborers to be less diligent in their efforts, in order to leave more for Ruth.  And while, according to God's custom, Boaz is not first in line to "redeem" Ruth - to take her into his home as his wife - he is undeterred; when the first in line to redeem Ruth proves unwilling to risk his own estate by marrying Ruth, Boaz accepts the risk and takes her in.   They are married, and they have a son, whom they call Obed, who becomes the father of Jesse, in turn the father of David.

I said earlier it was a love story in the truest sense.  What I meant by that was this: it wasn't just about Boaz and Ruth; it was about the two of them and God.  In all they did and in all their interaction, Ruth and Boaz obeyed the customs and norms the Lord had established for Israel.  Ruth was a foreigner, yet when Naomi instructed her in what to do, she neither challenged nor questioned; she obeyed.  And God blessed them.

The world teaches us something very different about relationships and love.  In so many ways, it tries to get us to believe it is all about us, about what we want; about gratification and indulgence.  The other only exists to provide that; and God?  Well He doesn't factor in at all.  Are divorce rates, the rates of single parenthood, and the consequences of all that any surprise then?

The truth is, marriage is difficult.  It is difficult because selflessness is at the very least difficult and, in fact, darn near impossible.  Impossible, that is, on our own strength.  Thankfully, we have Boaz's and Ruth's example - we can choose to live NOT according to our own fallible ways, doomed to failure, and instead live according to His commands, and enjoy His strength and support, and His blessing.

May 5

John 4

Every day our lives are walking billboards to the world. Every day we are carrying a message to the world.  This message is proclaimed by our body language, our words, our attitudes, how we spend our time and resources, how we treat people, and  by what makes us smile or cry; on purpose or by accident, for better or for worse, everyone is carrying a message.

The sobering reality is that many times the message we think we are proclaiming is not the actual message people are hearing.   

Designer Cliff Dickens has created unique ads for companies.  He says that his ads carry their actual message.

Trader Joe: a poor man's Whole Foods. (Kathie and I love shopping there!!)

Starbucks: we serve you decafe if you are rude.

Hallmark: when you care enough to give a card mass-produced by a corporation.

Old Spice: smell like grandpa. (nailed this one)

WebMD: convince yourself you have a terminal illness.

Harley Davidson: here for you during your mid-life crisis.

Victoria Secret: lowering a woman's self-esteem since 1977.

The point is, everyone is carrying a message and it may not be the one you want to project.

In John 4 we have a woman whose message impacted a whole town.  Believing the message that Jesus could quench the thirst of her eternal soul, between verses 26 and 27, she became a Christ follower. Her first response was to drop her water jar and go back into town and share the "message" that had changed her. When we make Jesus our Lord, Savior and Thirst Quencher, it changes everything in our lives. It is never business as usual after Jesus comes in.

Since we have such a wonderful message to proclaim, that Jesus is still the thirst quencher, the challenge for us is to make sure that gospel message is being lived out in every aspect of our lives.

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, May 4

THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2017

"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them."

‭‭John‬ ‭3:31-36‬ ‭NIV‬‬

http://bible.com/111/jhn.3.31-36.niv

This passage reminds us that each Christ-follower may find eternal life in the Son.  The apostle John notes the same in 1 John 5:11-13, explaining that we may have confidence that, if we have the Son, we have life.  Jesus Himself elaborates on this life and explains that He desires that it be "abundant" in John 10:10.

In John 14:6, Jesus describes Himself as the "way, the truth, and the life."  In The Imitation of Christ, Thomas à Kempis indicated that we should desire that Christ become our way; that His truth come alive; and that His life would become our very breath.  Paul describes this life as being crucified with Christ, that we would no longer live to ourselves alone but to His honor and glory. (Galatians 2:20; Romans 6)

Have you experienced the fullness of Jesus's life in you?  Perhaps you could dialogue with our Father about experiencing greater abundance and finding complete joy in knowing Christ and sharing His love with others.

Lord Jesus, thank You for bringing life to us through Your perfect obedience and sacrifice on our behalf.  Form us into Your image and make our joy complete as we follow You.  We love You and look to You today as the way, the truth, and the life.  In Your holy Name, amen.

"Knowing You":  https://g.co/kgs/fLEYkE

May 3

Judges 17:6, 18:1, 19:1

In those days Israel had no king

A king is a sovereign ruler, usually over a land or a group of people, or both.  In chess, the king is the most important piece in the game.  Lose the king, you lose the game. So what happens when there is no king over the land?  Better yet, what happens when you have crowned yourself king or lord in this game we call life?  I found it interesting that "in those days Israel had no king" was used three times as a lead sentence.  Must be an important point.  We see in our reading how without a king idolatry began in the family of Micah.  That spread to the tribe of the Danites.  We start to see that furnishing ourselves with our own gods brings about spiritual confusion and leads to everyone doing what is right in their own eyes.  Let's just touch on that a second and look back on a few biblical examples of what happened when things were done according to what was right in someone's own eyes.  It seemed right in the eyes of Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, even though God said it was wrong.  It also seemed right in the eyes of Jacob to sell Joseph to slavery, even though God said it was wrong.  David thought it was right to commit adultery and murder, even though God said it was wrong. Maybe someone is reading this who needs to have a King over their lives because like the Israelites, there are other gods in the way, or it seems right to do life through your own eyes.  The good news is that King Jesus left His throne in heaven, came and taught us how to live, and gives us an opportunity to make Him King and Lord over our lives.  In doing this, all the mistakes we've made when we thought "it was right in our eyes", get covered in the blood poured out at Calvary.  There is a King.  His name is Jesus.  He is Sovereign and the most important piece in the game.  He loves us, and when we allow Him to Lord over our lives, we walk in His victory and win at this game called life.

Randi

May 1st blog

"Then Monoah prayed to the LORD: 'O LORD, I beg you, let the man of God you sent to us come again to teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.' "  Judges 13:8



Monoah and his wife were childless and the angel of the Lord told them that they would have a baby who would have a special calling.  In their excitement this husband and wife could have just rejoiced, praised God, and started dreaming about all the things they would get to do as new parents.  They could have missed the fact that God wanted to use this new life for a God glorifying, kingdom saving (and building) purpose. 

I love that upon the news of a promised child Manoah's first response was to pray.  He saw his inadequacies and he understood how God works through the lives of others and so he did not want to assume that the success of building this child up rested on his human shoulders.  He prayed, he sought and ask the Lord to teach him how to be a father and to know how this little person needed to be raised in order to be all that God intended him to be.

The lessons I can learn as a parent from this are very obvious to me and something I need to seek every day.  But for some reason God had this verse strike my heart deeply in a very different way.  This is not just a prayer that I need to pray as a mother in knowing how to be there for my children, to raise them up.  This is something God wants me to pray concerning all the people he puts in my life.  I am a part of a great small group, I help work with the youth, I have neighbors I want to build relationships with, I have friendships, I have family members, I have people that God has put into my life for a reason and I need to be praying that God will help show me, teach me how to be there, for each of the them uniquely.  What are their needs (as God sees them) and how can I build them up according to those needs (Ephesians 4:29)?  What are the burdens of others and how can I be there to help carry those burdens with them (Galatians 6:2)?  How do I live with others being like mined, with the same love and spirit, and with humility that allows me to value them and their interests above myself and my own (Philippians 2:2-4)?  How do I bear with others (Romans 15:1)?  How do I show kindness, a tender-heart and how do I forgive especially when I feel a right to my hurt, anger or pain (Ephesians 4:31-32)?  How do I speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15)?

Teach me Lord, I beg you, to teach me how to be a friend that loves at all times (Proverbs 17:17), how to be a sister in Christ to every person I meet, to be a Godly example to my neighbors and friends, to be a Christ like role model for the youth, to live as a supportive daughter, sister, mother, wife, aunt to my family, and to be your hands, feet and voice that administers help and healing to all those you place in life.

Why do I need this to be my prayer?  Because God has a compassionate heart, a gracious and merciful spirit, an unhindered love, and a gentle hand for his creation, for those he has placed in my life as well as for myself.  He wants for others exactly what he wants for me.  He knows and sees the heart of each of us and he is calling us to seek him so that we can learn to see others and be there for others the way he sees them and the way he is there for them.  We are special to the Lord and he has a plan and purpose for each of us and like Manoah I want desperately, so very desperately to be a woman of God who is all I am able and need to be for the benefit of those around me.  If the lord has placed people in my life I want to be humble and let the lord teach me how to be all that God desires me to be.  And just as God faithfully answered Manoah I know that if I make this my daily prayer, my hearts cry,  the Lord will be faithful to answer and empower me to be all he has called me to be and to do all he has called me to do.