Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Feb. 28
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Feb 27
Monday, February 26, 2018
Blog Post Monday February 26th
A prayer I love to pray at night before bed is for the Lord to give me a song as I wake up in the morning. Every time I pray this he is faithful and as I wake up there is song to help start my day with a focus on the Lord. A song to fill my mind with thoughts of the Lord is so very sweet.
Often times when I am reading scripture I will read a verse that brings a songs to mind and I will pause to sing it or find it and play it. It becomes like a pray for me.
Today in Psalm 42 as I read verse 4 it stopped me as I immediately thought of Chris Tomlin's song "I lift my hands". The verse says, "These things I remember as I pour out my soul." I don't know if Chris Tomlin was inspired by this verse when he wrote his wrote but it was reminder to me to stop and reflect on who the Lord is, what he has done on my behalf as I lift up hands in praise and petition to the Lord in prayer today.
So rather than a prayer I want to share a song, Chris Tomlin's song. Listen to it, remember it, sing it, and lift up your heart and your soul to the lord today as your pour out to him praise, honor, glory as well as needs, hurts, and desires. Let us remember who we are lifting up our voices to when we pray and let that be a peace that washes over us.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeOm4_YOd4A
Sunday, February 25, 2018
February 25, 2018
"He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so. They had a few small fish as well: he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. The people ate and they were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand men were present. "Mark 8:6-9
This passage made me think of three things:
God is an amazing provider. He was able to feed four thousand men with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. He is the answer to the "not enough mentality", and to the scarcity mindset. For a long time, I thought that the answer was money, having more, saving more. Jesus is the answer to everything. When he said on the cross: "It is finished" I believed that included financial fears, bill payments, our basic and advanced needs. Jesus addressed all that, and it's finished indeed. The choice is ours. We can choose to chase the illusion of money and become depleted eventually, or we can turn to Jesus and allow him to feed us abundantly and "do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" Ephesians 3:20. It doesn't mean that we quit everything and fall into inaction, but it's rather an invitation to realize that the true and only provider is Jesus. He is the only bridge between scarcity and abundance. Everything else is just a temporary, sometimes very expensive fix.
Jesus showed great compassion for the people. "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way". Mark 8 1-3 "Selfishness is an epidemic within our society. No one thinks about others anymore. Our lives are too complex and move too fast to care about other- when was the last time you really thought about the well-being of someone else." Jesus is the abundant provider and as his followers, we are invited to be the same way. There are a multitude of simple ways, we can be there for somebody else. Something that I came across recently, is learning to listen. Learning to listen means learning to really focus on what the other person is saying, not interrupting or talking over them, or trying to come up with an answer while they are talking.
Gratitude. Jesus thanked the Father for the bread and for the small fish. Being thankful for the small things that we have, could be the gate, the entry point to the world of miracles and abundance that God has in store for us. "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." Psalm 100:4
Saturday, February 24, 2018
February 24: Of God’s Commands and Human Traditions
Leviticus 15:1-16:28
Mark 7:1-23
Psalm 40:11-17
Proverbs 10:13-14
Mark 7:8. "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions."
Mark 7:20-23: He went on: "What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person's heart, that evil thoughts come - sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person."
It's frightening to think how this is so much more true today, how these have become our human traditions. Think about what society permits, even encourages on a daily basis: abortion, marital infidelity, the abandonment of families and children. To find lewdness one only has to turn the tv on to any number of reality TV shows,. You want folly? We think children who've experienced something traumatic are competent to dictate policy about the traumatic event. You want arrogance? Some of the kids think they are competent to do just that.
After the recent tragedy in Florida, many have decried how messed up society seems today. Is it any wonder? We have let go of the commands of God. Even worse - we've rejected the idea of God. We've not only thrown away the operating manual, we've refused the help of the manufacturer.
Like most of you reading this, I look back at the tragedy in Florida and think "I want answers. I want solutions." Thankfully we know "thoughts and prayers" are not useless. We know, as the psalmist did, that we can cry out to God when "troubles without number surround me"; when our "sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see" resolution. Thankfully we can say to God "You are my help and my deliverer; You are my God, do not delay".
It's been 10 days since the events in Broward County. Father, we need Your help to be able to take hold of Your commands once more. You are our God. Hear our prayer - do not delay.
Friday, February 23, 2018
Feb 23
Psalm 40
Shame and guilt cripple so many people today. I have had conversations with many teens in which they talk about "cutting" themselves to help deal with the pain. The gospel presents us with a different view of cutting. We don't have to cut ourselves to find relief from shame. Jesus was "cut" on our behalf. It is his "cutting" on the cross that changed everything.
In Psalm 40 David speaks about a radical identity change. One minute he is in the slimy pit; the next moment his feet are placed on a rock. One moment he is moaning in despair; the next moment he is singing a song. How does one have such a radical transformation?
The good news is the "cuts" of Jesus on the cross make us different people. Before Christ I was a different person. This person was my old nature, my old self. But that person died. He was killed when I trusted in the "cuts" of Jesus. And now my life is hidden with Christ. I am in Christ. And He is in me. I am a new creation. This doesn't mean that I will never stumble or fall back into my old habits. But I will call them what they are, old habits, and I will confess them. I will thank God for his forgiveness. I will make amends and then I will move on. Not because I am taking sin lightly, but because I am taking who God says I am seriously.
God says that I am holy, pure, unstained, and without blemish. It's not because of anything I have done, but because of the "cuts" of Jesus on the cross.
When I trust in his "cuts," he wipes the slate clean. All guilt, all shame, and all sins are removed from my account and God views me as blameless. Therefore, shame has no place in my life because I am a new creation.
All the ugly parts of my story, the parts I want to pretend never happened, have been redeemed and they have become the moments in my life when God's grace is most on display.
In the end, my mistakes do not define me. My past does not define me. Jesus is the one who defines my identity and I am his beloved child in whom he is well pleased.
Thursday, February 22
"Show me, O LORD, my life's end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting is my life.
You have made my days a mere handbreath;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Each man's life is but a breath." (Psalm 39:4,5)
The Scriptures consistently remind us of the shortness of our lives and the imperative to deploy our time for God and others. In Psalm 90:12, we read this prayer: "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." As with many things, we learn best when we realize the scarcity of something, coming to appreciate it and becoming better stewards of it.
James echoes this concept of our lives being "but a breath," a "vapor," and a "mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." In James 4:13-17, the author discusses how we often boast about our future plans as if we were in control of them. He argues for living with this ethic: "Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'" (James 4:15)
While we are cognizant of our short lifespan, we also understand from God's Word that, after receiving Christ, we receive eternal life and become part of God's family. As a result, we become participants in eternity, even with our short earthly life.
We may then wonder how our lives here may affect eternity. As Pastor Scott has explained, there are few things that last for eternity: God Himself, His Word, and human souls. By pouring our lives out for God, His Word, and others, we may become co-laborers with God in bringing about the glorious future hope that He promises in Christ to all who believe. We may introduce others to Christ, strengthen them in their understanding of His Word, serve them in love, pray for them, help them reach their full potential, encourage them in times of trial, and point out areas that may require submitting to God. That love for others reaps eternal benefit.
Lord God, teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Strengthen us through Your Word so that we will not see our worldly struggles as greater than the hope of eternity. Give us opportunities to honor You and to pour into the lives of others. Fill our lives with joy as we live with an eternal perspective. In Jesus's Name, amen.
________________________________________________________________________
596 Glenbrook Road, Unit 13 | "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection
Stamford, CT 06906-1423 | and the life. He who believes in me will
(C) 203.820.1741 | live, even though he dies; and whoever
(H) 203.355.9374 | lives and believes in me will never die.
(E) swe@edwa.info | Do you believe this?'" -- John 11:25,26
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
February 21
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Todays Reading in Song
Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin?
Jesus is calling
Have you come to the end of yourself
Do you thirst for a drink from the well?
Jesus is calling
The Father's arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with
The precious blood of Jesus Christ
Come today there's no reason to wait
Jesus is calling
Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy
From the ashes a new life is born
Jesus is calling
Grander earth has quaked before
Moved by the sound of His voice
Seas that are shaken and stirred
Can be calmed and broken for my regard
Far be it from me to not believe
Even when my eyes can't see
And this mountain that's in front of me
Will be thrown into the midst of the sea
So let go my soul and trust in Him
The waves and wind still know His name
The waves and wind still know His name
The waves and wind still know His name
Todays Reading in Song
Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin?
Jesus is calling
Have you come to the end of yourself
Do you thirst for a drink from the well?
Jesus is calling
The Father's arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with
The precious blood of Jesus Christ
Come today there's no reason to wait
Jesus is calling
Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy
From the ashes a new life is born
Jesus is calling
Grander earth has quaked before
Moved by the sound of His voice
Seas that are shaken and stirred
Can be calmed and broken for my regard
Far be it from me to not believe
Even when my eyes can't see
And this mountain that's in front of me
Will be thrown into the midst of the sea
So let go my soul and trust in Him
The waves and wind still know His name
The waves and wind still know His name
The waves and wind still know His name
Todays Reading in Song
Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin?
Jesus is calling
Have you come to the end of yourself
Do you thirst for a drink from the well?
Jesus is calling
The Father's arms are open wide
Forgiveness was bought with
The precious blood of Jesus Christ
Come today there's no reason to wait
Jesus is calling
Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy
From the ashes a new life is born
Jesus is calling
Grander earth has quaked before
Moved by the sound of His voice
Seas that are shaken and stirred
Can be calmed and broken for my regard
Far be it from me to not believe
Even when my eyes can't see
And this mountain that's in front of me
Will be thrown into the midst of the sea
So let go my soul and trust in Him
The waves and wind still know His name
The waves and wind still know His name
The waves and wind still know His name