September 29: Of Chains and Rejoicing

Isaiah 57:14-58:21

Philippians 1:1-26

Psalm 71:1-24

Proverbs 24:9-10

Paul is said to have written Philippians likely while during the two years he was under house arrest in his own home in Rome.  I can't imagine it was pleasant, and while the fate of his Savior would perhaps have given him some inkling the call he answered would lead to difficult times - how often had he been imprisoned, flogged…shipwrecked even?  - I think it would be perfectly human to express frustration, even anger at the suffering his submission to God seemed to require.  



Which is what makes Phi 1:12 and 14. And 18-19 so remarkable: "I want you to know…that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the Gospel;" "because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord" and "I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God's provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance".  



Last week I wrote about God seeing us through the situations that cause us despair, about how He brought us "through fire and water, but [He] brought us to a place of abundance".  This week God tells me He can do even better, if we let Him, the way Paul did.  Paul didn't have to find his way to that abundant place to rejoice in the work of God - He saw God's hand working amidst, and through, his difficulties.  And his heart was such that, as difficult as his circumstances were, these circumstances, and the results they were achieving, were reasons to rejoice. 

Today's psalm reads, in part, "Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel."  Paul remained under the power of those who were "evil and cruel" - and he didn't. They sought to prevent him from spreading God's word - and, despite putting him under house arrest, they couldn't.  Because of God's work through Paul, people were STILL coming to know Jesus.  



I am having a tough time wrapping my head around this idea that the very painful circumstances we suffer may themselves already be the victory.  The thing is, why should it be difficult?  Our Lord's suffering was part of the victory.  Every scourge, every wound from the crown of thorns, indeed every drop of blood spilt either while praying in anguish in the garden, or hanging wounded on the cross - every one of those moments was part of the victory.  And so, as difficult as it is to imagine, each of those moments was reason to rejoice.  

Father, when things are difficult - when children seem to be making bad choices, when parents are getting old and infirm, when we have bills we cannot pay, when we find ourselves unemployed with little idea where we might find the next job; when we are confronted with illness, injury and death - help us to see that Your will is being done through our suffering, and teach us, as you did Paul, to rejoice - not despite of our chains, but because of them.  



PS Lord - this change we ask of You is WAY beyond our ability to effect on our own.  So if it is going to happen, You have to make it happen.  Just sayin'.  Thanks again.


September 28, 2014

Isaiah 55

One of the greatest tasks I face every day is to get my heart joyful in the Lord. It seems that when I listen to the radio, watch TV, read the internet or open a newspaper, the information fills my heart with despair and darkness. The bad news is like eating a crusty, moldy, week-old mayonnaise and bologna sandwich; it just upsets the stomach. The world promises to satisfy us with laughs and cheers but not many people are smiling these days. If you want to know how much this is impacting people, go on a "smile search" for a day. Keep track of how many smiling faces you see around you in a 24-hour period.

I have often heard that children laugh much more than adults. Many numbers are thrown around concerning the frequency, but the most recent stat is that children laugh more than 300 times a day, whereas adults laugh less than 20 times a day. The implication is that somehow as we grow older we become too entangled with the bad news and it steals the joy from our hearts.

Isaiah knew this was a possibility to the people of God.  He wanted to redirect their appetites to that which is truly satisfying and good.  So he wrote this encouragement in Isaiah 55:2.

Why spend money on what is not bread, and labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

God is urging us to reject the junk food of the world and eat the organic, wholesome, soul food that he offers us. When we eat what is good and wholesome, it brings delight to our hearts. The enjoyment of God is the only happiness that will truly satisfy us. When we fill our hearts with Jesus, it fills our life to overflowing with joy. If you try to find happiness in anything on earth, you are going to be disappointed.

The application of this is clear. Get rid of the junk food of this planet and sit at the table and find Jesus. When you spend time with Jesus, you find joy.

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, September 27

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2018


"Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:4-6)


Isaiah 53 represents the clearest and most complete prophecy regarding the Messiah's crucifixion, written at least 600-plus years before His appearance. The specificity and rawness of these words jolt us on reading them, even if we have considered them before. The depth of suffering that Jesus would endure on our behalf compels us to worship and to give thanks for His tremendous love.

The text suggests that, even though we were not present at the time of His crucifixion, we substantively joined with the crowd: "... we considered him punished by God,/ stricken by him, and afflicted." As a result of our sinful nature -- just as the crowd in Jerusalem exhibited such a nature -- we may have echoed and amplified their cries of "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" This reality brings to mind Romans 5:8: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." The crucifixion emerged only from God's tremendous love and compassion.

While Isaiah 53 does focus on the crucifixion, it also suggests a Resurrection:

"Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities." (Isaiah 53:10,11)


Through His suffering, Jesus guaranteed victory. Rising from the dead, He showed His vanquishing of death and sin. He had answered His calling and fulfilled God's promises to His children, the faithful of every tribe, tongue, and language. As Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 1:20, God's promises are real in Christ: "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God."


Lord God, thank You for completing Your promises to us through Your Son's suffering on the cross. Thank You for solidifying these promises through the continuous sermon of the empty tomb. Give us hearts and courage to proclaim this truth today and to live honorably and reverently before You today. Help us to remember that Your victory is complete and assured. We love You and worship You today. In Jesus's mighty Name, amen.


"Death Was Arrested": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMsMiluCUUI


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Sept. 26

Ephesians 4:17-32

When we are going about our day it is so easy to pick out people.  We tend to assess a person by the way they dress, as this gives us insight into their belief paradigm, such as when we see Jewish people walking to temple on Shabat wearing a Yarmulke, or we see the crossing guard standing outside of Strawberry Hill in the morning wearing a turbine. But how do we identify a person who claims to follow Jesus? With the exception of wearing a cross, are we bearing our cross?  Paul gives us insight into a description of what a disciple might look like, and if I'm understanding this correctly, it's what we wear on the inside that sets us apart. He begins by pointing out that the first thing that sets us apart is that we are not stumbling around in the futility of our old way of thinking.  He continues to say that we put on our new self, renewed by the spirit of our minds. Our language is also different from the rest of the world. We don't speak harmful words, and we live our lives focused and in tune with God so that we do not grieve the Holy Spirit.  We get rid of bitterness, rage and anger through confession (on a daily basis). Sounds pretty rigid, but in fact we have more freedom in Christ than we realize because we are no longer bound by the chains of this world. Although outwardly people might not be able to tell we are different, we are completely redefined and realigned on the inside and the reflection of the glory of our God is what should catch someone's eye.  That's what makes us stand out in a crowd.  We carry an abundance of love inside of us which doesn't really belong to us, and is incomprehensible, but the truth is that by faith we have been saved by grace, and that changes everything about us. We are kind when it is hard, forgive even when we think we're right, and remember, it wasn't the nails that held Jesus to the cross, it was love.  We give as we have received. The world will know we are Christian not by what we wear, but by our love. I pray we all recognize the opportunity God gives us today to love someone.

Randi

September 25

September 25

Isaiah 45:11-48:11

Ephesians 3:1-21

Psalm 68:1-18

Proverbs 24:1-4

As I began today's reading, I struggled to focus, feeling overwhelmed by the new responsibilities, challenges and opportunities that this fall held for me. I was forecasting problems for tomorrow and for two years down the road. Psalm 68 verse 19 stopped me in my tracks: "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." God brought me back into the present moment, reminded me that He would carry me and my burden today and redirected my focus to His character. What a rescue! The descriptions of God in Psalm 68 are so rich and beautiful. We're told our God refreshes His weary inheritance, He gives power and strength to His people, is a father to the fatherless, is majestic and powerful, the list goes on. As I reflected on these things, very appropriately, this worship song started to play...

"I will sing of all you've done, I will remember how far You've carried me, from beginning to the end. You are faithful to the end." 

It occurred to me in that moment, instead of fretting about the future, I could recount God's faithfulness in the past. This morning I chose to reflect on three powerful experiences of God's faithfulness in my life through harrowing seasons and give thanks that the same God who carried me then will bear my burden today. 

Faithful to the End - Paul McClure (maybe a lovely addition to your morning quiet time!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tw8tYFh1JY

Sep 22: Of Tardy Reflections

Isaiah 39:1-41:16

Ephesians 1:1-23

Psalm 66:1-20

Proverbs 23:25-28

It's difficult not to look around and not feel frustration, even despair.  I grew up in Manila, and I don't know what is worse - what is going on now, or the fact that it has only been 32 years and already the nation seems to have forgotten the painful lessons of the 70s and early 80s.  I live in the US, and where poverty has ravaged the country of my birth, it seems prosperity is threatening to destroy my adopted home, where truth and gender are now subjective, God's existence is rejected, and the practice of one's faith is now reason for pro-, or per-secution under the law.  

I was thinking about this today, and was grateful that I was a day late in my reflection (for which, by the way, I apologize).  My thoughts were enough for frustration; the idea this was the world my children were going to have to navigate was enough to bring me to despair.  

How wonderful, then, that God reminds us across so much of today's (Saturday's) readings.  When we grow weak struggling against the world's influence, we are reminded that "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak…those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength…they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."  When we are confronted with the reality of the world He reminds us that He is our God, "who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."  And He reminds us that these troubles have a purpose: "For You, God, tested us…You  brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs…we went through fire and water, but You brought us to a place of abundance."

I had no stories to tell today; no quotes from the classics, no references to pop culture.  All I had was worry and fear and despair; and God's reassurance and strength.  Father, when I doubt, remind me to take heart, for You have overcome the world.  

Sept 21

September 21, 2018

Galatians 6:7  Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.  

As we come to the end of our gardening season I would like to share with you some wisdom. In fact, I would call this the first rule of gardening; plant the right seeds. A few years ago, we learned this the hard way. We had purchased peppers at a local garden shop, but someone had switched the labels on one of the packs. We thought we had bought all sweet bell peppers when in actuality some of the plants were HOT peppers. After many weeks of growing, the fruit matured and was hanging there in all of its beauty. So, Kathie decided to bite into one of these fine-looking peppers. Her mouth immediately jumped to a 5-alarm fire. The burn was so great she actually thought about going to the emergency room. The two pepper plants looked very similar but in the end, they produced drastically different fruit.

This matter of sowing is not a small matter. Every day we are either sowing to destruction or sowing to eternal life. There is nothing neutral in life, nothing. So be very careful what you plant in the garden of your life.  Samuel Smiles put it this way,

"Sow a thought, and you reap an act;

 Sow an act, and you reap a habit;

  Sow a habit, and you reap a character;

Sow a character, and you reap a destiny."

So, my prayer for all of us today is that this will be a day of sowing for eternity. Since there is a God who knows every intimate detail of our lives, he knows every act and every word we will speak today. We are told that even a cup of cold water given in the name of Jesus counts for eternity. So, use your words and your actions today to impact eternity.

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, September 20

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other." (Galatians 5:22-26)

Galatians 5 contrasts life under the Spirit and life under the flesh, including these concluding statements about the fruit of the Spirit.  While we may wish to live out the qualities of the fruit of the Spirit (22,23), this privilege is reserved for living under the Spirit.  For those who have received Christ as Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit has become resident in their hearts at the moment of salvation.  Thereafter, the Christ-follower may appropriate the power of the Holy Spirit by (1) confessing sin, (2) seeking to be filled and guided by the Holy Spirit, and (3) trusting God to be faithful to His character.

Too often, we may trust in the "sanctified self" vs. the fruit of the Spirit.  We may believe too much in our own righteousness.  This self-reliance ultimately leads to disappointment because the power of the Spirit is inherently not present.  We have sought a counterfeit power.  Instead, logic and faith demand that we rely solely on the power of the Holy Spirit (infinite, mighty) instead of our own (finite, weak).  How could you rely more on the Holy Spirit to honor God with your thoughts, words, and deeds today?

In addition, it appears that our main participation in reflecting the fruit of the Spirit lies in what we reject.  Paul writes:  "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."  The Christ-follower turns away from the sinful nature ("the flesh") so that he or she may reflect God's character.  It is akin to scooping ice cream into a clean bowl instead of a filthy one.  The contents of the clean bowl will be clean after leaving the clean bowl—not so for the dirty one.

Then, Paul closes with an admonition to reject "conceited" attitudes.  Living under the Spirit means abandoning our pride.  Living under humility, we are able to promote unity and love among the Body of believers.  Otherwise, we will find ourselves "provoking and envying each other."

Paul concisely and clearly presents the contrast between life under the Spirit and under the flesh.  May we commit today to living under the Spirit and seeking to loving God, loving people, and making disciples.

Lord God, thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit so that we might be guided and empowered.  We seek today to live under His power.  Show us where we may crucify the flesh.  Bring forth the fruit of the Spirit in us so that we may honor You and bless Your people.  In Jesus's mighty Name, amen.

Sept. 19

Galatians 5:7

You were running a great race! Who blocked you from following the truth?

I read this verse and had to stop, especially today, the Holiest Day of the Jewish Calendar, Yom Kippur.  Today, Jewish people around the world are fasting according the law given to them by God in Leviticus. Today is the day of Atonement. It is the final day in the 10 days of Awe which began on Rosh Hashanah.  According to the law given by God, the Jewish people are to "humble their souls" and fasting is presented to God as an offering of cleansing. According to Jewish tradition, on Rosh Hashanah, God inscribes each person's fate for the coming year into a book, the Book of life. Then, He waits until Yom Kippur to "seal" the verdict. During the Days of Awe, Jewish people try to amend his or her behavior and seek forgiveness for wrongs done against God and against other people. That was the belief I was taught and I grew up with. Prayers will be said in the Synagogues today which will negate any vows which were made and broken the year before, and they will recite several lines of confession of sins committed before God. However, unless they are part of a Messianic congregation, (which I never was),  they will not see the beauty and the fulfillment of their Messiah in the very scriptures they are reading. It wasn't until I came to know Jesus that the fragmented pieces of the story came together. Jesus told us in Matthew 5:17-19 that He didn't come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, in fact, He came to fulfill it. So as Jewish people are fasting on this day of Atonement, they are not seeing they have been made AT ONE with God through Jesus. So in light of this, when we think about the words of the Apostle Paul, he had it right.  The Jewish people started by running a great race!  They were chosen by God to usher the Messiah into the world, and they were given God breathed Scripture so that when He came into the world they would be the first to recognize Him. But, "He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem" (Isaiah 53:3).  I don't know why the very people He came to save first didn't recognize Him, but as Paul says, "the one who is confusing you will pay the penalty, whoever he is".  The enemy blocks us from seeing and following the truth. Just look around at the world today.  So my prayer today is not only for the Jewish people who are fasting, but anyone who is being blocked from following the truth and believes that their works is what makes them right with God. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. He has fulfilled the law, and paid it all.

Randi

Tuesday September 18th Blog Post

Psalm 62:1 & 5 – "Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him."

 

David writes Psalm 62, where verses 1 and 2 and verses 5 and 6 are the exact same. Verses 1 and 5 really stuck out to me. "Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him." The first part David tells his soul to find rest in God. What a solid reminder to us that while we are living these busy lives that so often cause stress and anxiety because of the amount of work we do, we need to rest. David however doesn't tell his soul to rest while binge watching Netflix, playing video games, or doing some type of worldly resting. Instead he tells his soul to find rest in God. What a peaceful and joyous statement. "Find rest in God", it seems so simple, yet I find that so many times I try to search for my own rest, my own reset button, my own downtime. True rest is found in God, we don't need to search for it, but for some reason I find myself searching for rest all the time.

 

Today, instead of searching for rest, find rest in God. A good friend shared a podcast with me called the Ransomed Hearts Podcast and the specific episode titled Micro Practices (March 5^th) really stuck out to me. It's all about how you can use micro practices throughout the day to help you slow down and find rest in God. The one I found extremely helpful is at the end of the day put down everything related to electronics and just sit. Reflect on the day and where you saw God. It doesn't need to be long (hence the name micro practice), maybe only 2 to 3 minutes. I find that when I do that I actually feel like I am finding rest.

September 15: Of Neville Longbottom, Paul, and Parents

Isaiah 19:1-21:17

Galatians 2:1-16

Psalm 59:1-17

Proverbs 23:13-14

"There are all kinds of courage.  It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends."
- Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster - Hogwarts, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"

"Do not withhold discipline from a child…punish them with the rod and save them from death."

Proverbs 23:13-14

Parenthood takes great courage and strength.  We are torn between the desire to give our children what they want, and to teach them what is good.  We aspire to give them comfort, but know hardship is a far better teacher.  And if you are like me, there will be many times you will forego calling them to account, forego imposing a consequence for their wrongdoing, just because it is so much easier to let it slide.  

Those who read JK Rowling's first Harry Potter book will know that Neville Longbottom, at that time a nebbish young boy, had the courage NOT to let it slide.  When Harry, Ron and Hermione were sneaking out of their dormitory, Neville stood up to them, tried to stop them because he thought they were going to get into trouble.  He was protecting his house, Gryffindor, and his friends.  

In today's NT reading, we find Neville wasn't the first one - Paul finds himself in similar situation, having to stand up to Peter who, unlike Paul, HAD walked with Christ, and HADN'T tried to get all the Christians killed, and to Cephas, in an effort to protect the church, and his friends - yes, Peter and Cephas, whom Paul believed had turned their back on the message of salvation by faith ever so slightly.  Like Neville, Paul did NOT let it slide.

Sometimes the place where it is hardest NOT to let it slide, is as a parent, when one of the kids does something that requires correction.  The world today preaches that to love our children is to enable them, to condone their bad behavior.  And when they do something wrong, the world demands we let them "express themselves".

When that happens, the Paul/Neville response can be difficult.  Some parents are just tired. Some parents don't want conflict, don't want to have to deal with a tantrum.  Still others might be afraid their kids won't like them, or speak to them.  Some kids might even say "you think you're so perfect"…and the parents will know they aren't.  

But just as Paul had to stand up TO the sin, and stand up FOR Peter and Cephas; just as Neville had to stand up TO the misbehavior and stand up FOR his friends, so to as parents are we call to stand up TO the wrongdoing, because that means we will stand up FOR our children.  It isn't easy, so God, please give us strength.

Sept 14

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ"   Galatians 1:6

Erma Bombeck used to tell a story that illustrates our "grace starved" culture. One Sunday while attending church, she saw a young child struggling to keep the proper etiquette. He was squirming, humming, turning around in the pew, and smiling at other parishioners. Finally, his mother jerked him by the arm and said in a course whisper that was loud enough to be heard by most of the congregation, "Stop that grinning." Then she gave the child a firm spank on his fanny as tears rolled down his cheeks. Bombeck said she would not advocate misbehavior, but she wanted to hug that tear stained child and tell him about a God who is happy and smiling. "My God has a sense of humor big enough to have created someone like me." She wanted to say to the mother, "You fool. You are sitting next to hope, light, and joy without even noticing. If you can't smile at church, where else can you go?" If you can't find grace in the church, where else will you find it.

Unfortunately, many Christians have lost their joy in the "amazing grace" of Jesus. That is the message Paul was correcting in the church at Galatia. Their false gospel was that they were saved by keeping a bunch of rules and always frowning. The good news is that we are saved from first to last by God's grace. So, stop frowning and looking like you have sucked on lemons.  Smile and enjoy the amazing grace of God and be sure to pass it along to others.

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, September 13

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

"Do not move an ancient boundary stone

     or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,

for their Deferender is strong;

     he will take up their case against you."  (Proverbs 23:10,11) 

Have you had any opportunities recently to shade the truth to your own advantage?  Perhaps the opportunity may have not really disadvantaged another party directly, but the shading of the truth would have enhanced your own status, power, or finances?

This proverb urges us to live with absolute integrity, especially with regard to those who may struggle to defend themselves.  Today, the rich appear to receive more "just" treatment, as they may leverage more extensive and expensive resources in defending and promoting their cause.  Even if we don't consider ourselves "rich," we still face the temptation and opportunity to take advantage of others in (temporarily) inferior positions.  Facebook and other public forums are rife with attempts to claim the moral (or other) high ground.

The Proverbs and Scriptures generally reinforce the truth that honesty and love cannot be separated and that, while God protects the poor and oppresses, we must join Him in this effort.

Our honesty allows us to love God and love people deeply and from the heart; we may approach God confidently and without reservation.  Have you ever noticed how even a white lie clouds our vision and heart?  The short-term gain translates into longer-term pain and damage to our integrity.

In addition, God has called us to show love to all people, but particularly the poor and oppressed.  Loving brothers and sisters in Christ makes the whole Body of Christ stronger; loving those who haven't yet come to know the Lord sows the seeds of Kingdom advancement.  Dishonesty and taking advantage destroy goodwill and thwart the growth of the Kingdom.

May we live boldly, not just focused on self-protection, but rather on blessing others.  We hunger and thirst for God's presence in our country and world.  May we spread the sweet aroma of Christ to each person.

Lord God, thank You for the truth of Your Word and the power given through the Holy Spirit.  Help us to live with integrity and to be a blessing to all people, but especially the poor and oppressed.  Point out to us where we must be careful and how we may spread the sweet aroma of Christ.  In Jesus's Name, we pray.  Amen.

Sept. 12

Isaiah 11:1-5

We've all  read this passage many times and maybe someone has already had this revelation so please bear with me as share mine for the first time.  As I was reading this, I not only saw the  prophetic vision of the Messiah, I also saw a perspective of how to live a God directed, spirit filled life.  Being created in God's image, as we follow Jesus, our journey conforms us to His image.  In these verses we see what empowered Christ.  "The Ruach of Adonai (Spirit of the Lord) will rest upon Him, Spirit of Wisdom and insight, Spirit of Counsel and might, Spirit of knowledge and the fear of Adonai.  His delight will be in the fear of Adonai" (v1-3)  Jesus' life was driven by the complete Spirit that rested upon Him.  The Branch that came forth from the stem was full of life. Jesus lived His earthly life as a man filled with the Spirit of God. Just like Jesus, our victory rests in our dependency. Our first prayer verse in our 40 days of prayer was John 15:5-7 and in it Jesus said that He is the vine, we are the branches and if we "abide" in Him, we will bear much fruit. I looked up the word "abide" in the original Hebrew and it means " to have breath in".  So just as Jesus had his very life and breath in the Spirit of God, we too have our life in the very breath of Jesus.  Our bodies are His temple, (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  We live and move and have our being in Him.  This is how we live a victorious Christian life, staying in His word, and filled with God's Holy Spirit.  Lord, I pray for an increase of your Spirit on everyone reading this blog.  I pray Lord that by the power of Your Ruach Ha Kodesh (The Holy Spirit), that we love as You loved and serve as You served. I pray Lord we see with Your eyes, and hear as You heard. Let us be Your voice calling, let us be Your hands healing, let us bring Your hope and joy to this broken world. I pray Your Spirit rests upon us and by that power You let us be Your love to whoever you put in front of us today.

Randi

Tuesday 11th

Psalm 54:4 "Surely God is my help. The Lord is the one who sustains me".

I admire David's outlook in this Psalm. It prompts me to question, how does God sustain? And how do I get my sustenance?

It is sometimes difficult to go to God as our primary helper and to look to him to sustain us. However, in order to gain true help and lasting sustenance, we must go to Him. As Dave recently shared in church, we went through a challenging few months this year and personally, I was able to look to God to sustain me throughout physical, mental, and emotional challenges. I believe God gave me strength. I was able to turn to his Word, to his children (fellow believers), to music, and to prayer. Altogether I came out with a sense of hope amidst a sad situation. God provides us with sources to help keep us going and works in multiple different way.

Lord, help us to get to a place where we understand that you are the only true source that can sustain us. Forgive us for looking elsewhere for sustenance. Give us eyes to see where we are looking in wrong places. Thank you for keeping us going. Thank you for strengthening us when we are weak. Thank you for supporting us physically, mentally, emotionally. Amen.

Bible Blog Post Monday September 10th

A Prayer To Be A Willing and Ready Vessel For The Lord (Isaiah 6:8)

"Whom shall I send?  And who will go for us?"

There are so many, Lord, who live without hope.  So many who live in fear and anxiety.  So many who live lost in depression and loneliness.  So many who live in pride and self sufficiency.  So many who live in opposition to your truth without understanding.  So many who live in worldly plenty but spiritual poverty.  So many who live in busyness yet never seem to make headway.  So many who live searching in vain to fill a longing that only you can fill.  Lord, we are surrounded by people who need to know you, to know your truth, your grace, your mercy, your forgiveness, your gentleness, your comfort, your salvation, your love.  You have placed each of us where we are, surrounded by people in need, so that we can be your hands of mercy, your feet of support, your ear of understanding, your arms of love, your heart of compassion, your voice of truth and hope. 

Lord, I believe that every day you are asking each one of us who know you and call your father "Whom shall I send and who will go for us?"  You are saying, "There is opportunity today.  There are lives in need and I have given you my hope to proclaim.  Will you go to those with whom I want to send you?  Will you speak, serve, love and support those I place into your lives?  Are you willing to put aside yourself and share my love with others, even those whom you may find difficult to share my love with?"

I want to respond as Isaiah did, Lord.... "Here am I.  Send me!"  Here I am Lord a willing vessel to be used by you today.  Ready me, equip me, prepare me and place me where you know I can best be used to speak truth and hope and love into the lives that you are preparing to hear and experience it.  Help me, Lord, to not allow myself to get caught up in my own day and my own busyness but to trust you and to let your spirit lead me wherever and whenever you are ready to have me be a vessel for you.

Thank you, Lord, for giving us the opportunity to be a part of the work you are doing in the lives of others and may we find joy and peace in serving you by serving others. 

I am ready Lord.  Send me.....

AMEN

September 8: Of Robert de Niro, Oxen and Relationships

Isaiah 1:1-2:22

2 Corinthians 10:1-18

Psalm 52:1-9

Proverbs 22:26-27

So after reading the start of Isaiah, I wondered what I would have done had someone come ranting to me the way Isaiah does at the start of his book.  You know what came to mind?  Robert de Niro.  And no, not Robert de Niro in "Meet the Parents", but Bobby D in "Taxi Driver", where he has that iconic line - "you talkin' to me?"

See, that's what I might have said to Isaiah had he come at me with the language in today's OT reading.  I would have been a bit taken aback that someone would have the temerity to speak to me this way, and offended that someone would judge me that way.  After all, I'm the kind of guy who makes it to temple, who offers burnt offerings, who celebrates the festivals.  I go to church, I tithe, I confess my sins.  Are you sure "you talkin' to me?"

Sadly, he is.  He's reminding me of something very important: that God doesn't want me to transact with Him, He wants me to have a relationship with Him.  He doesn't want me going off on my own doing what I want during the week and trying to make it right with Him on Sundays and with tithes and offerings.  He wants a relationship, He wants me to get to know Him.

And why is that?  Because (and I have mentioned this before) knowledge is transformational.  The knowledge, the certainty of something, or of Someone, changes us, and does so from the inside.  We then take on His heart, and it shows in our actions, and even more so in the fruit of our actions.  

Father, when we are tempted to trade with You - You know, I get to do this if I go to church and say four Our Fathers - have mercy on us, and remind us - gently, but firmly and clearly - how much happier we will be in relationship with You.  The push us along that path - with a cattle prod, if need be, so as "the ox knows its master, and the donkey its owner's manger", we may get to know You as well.  

Sept 7

Psalm 51

Brokenness is the pathway to healing. Only those who are truly repentant will find the restoration of their hearts. David is writing this after a huge scandal in his life. You heard of Watergate, well this is Adulterygate and it completely destroyed one family.

There are several notable truths here:

Don't hide the transgression. If we have the courage to confess it, God has the power to forgive it. There is healing in confession.

God is rich and mercy and grace.

God can turn apparent tragedies into triumphs… this includes our sin.

God is the God of second chances. No sin, no failure needs to be fatal.

A story from several years ago shows the great power of the second chance God. Some fishermen in the highlands of Scotland came into a little Scottish inn late one afternoon for a cup of tea. As one was describing the, "one that got away" to his friends, he flung out his hands in the typical fisherman's gesture. He did this just as the waitress was setting down his cup of tea. The resulting collision left a huge tea stain on the whitewashed wall. The fisherman began apologized profusely.

Just then another gentleman seated nearby said, "Never mind." Rising, he took a crayon from his pocket and began to sketch around the ugly brown stain. Slowly there emerged the head of a magnificent royal stag with antlers spread.

This artist was Sir Edwin Henry Landseer, one of England's greatest painters of animals.

Now if an artist can do that with an ugly brown stain, what can God do with my sins and mistakes if I but give them to Him? He can wash away the sin but he can also make beautiful the lingering stain of sin.

I have discovered this in recent years, the freest people in the world are those who do not hide their sins and weaknesses but trust God to make something beautiful of the mess. Walk in freedom today. 

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Sept. 5

Psalm 49

A few weeks ago one of my Mom's best friends passed away.  My Mom saw her as very wealthy, as she led a comfortable life and left her children a large inheritance.  As my Mom was explaining her world view of life to me, I couldn't help but remind her that within the past few years the woman's daughter has joined in a same sex marriage and her grandson was having difficulty not only coming to terms with that, but also wrestled with addictions.  The inheritance left to them cannot fix those problems.  Only Jesus can.  As we read today's Psalm, we learn that only God redeems our souls, and that although we see people with worldly wealth, we are to remember that they might be congratulating themselves now, but they will never see the true light. (v.17-20)  Our responsibility is to shine The Light into dark places. We all face some battle, and it is not easy. Struggling financially isn't fun, I can write a book about it.  But at the end of the day, I've learned that like most things,  it is something that can be managed with discipline, it's only not fun cause I take my eyes off of Jesus, my portion, and start comparing myself to a different standard.  I'm starting to really understand that this life is all about the next one coming, my eternity.  As we prepare to go into 40 days of prayer, my hearts desire is that we all come through with a different perspective and we see this life and our mission through Gods eyes.  Jesus has saved us, living out eternity with Him is our inheritance, and it is well with my soul.

Randi

Blog Sept 3rd

Today all throughout the reading we see the conflict between the sinfulness of all of us, the pleasures of this world and the righteousness of God. If we're honest with ourselves perhaps we can even see our own sin that so easily in tangles us. We read of kings and kingdoms, the free and oppressed, the rich and the poor. Can we see any bits of ourselves, perhaps a glimpse into our hearts like a self reflected video clip of the deepest parts of our lives that we share with noone yet God sees it all. Salomon tells us in verse two and three "I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive. Better than both is the one who has never been born who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.
Ladies and gentlemen, this world is full of darkness, evil, sin, selfishness, greed, and every other evil thing done under the sun. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord because through Him we have redemption that we can share with others. Through Him we have freedom from this world and what it offers. Through Him we have Grace with which we can extend grace to others. Through Him we have forgiveness, Forgiveness for ourselves and the ability to forgive others, and through Him we have eternal life To be able to enjoy our Lord and Savior for eternity. Not because anything great that we do or have done, not because of the dumb things that we do or have done, Not for any other reason besides of His great love for us. Let us remember that our faith and our Christianity is not just for us and for our salvation as if to sell us hell insurance and be done. No it is for us to share, to live, to disciple, to serve, and tonight just go to church but to be the church! So in the end love God, love people, make disciples.

Chuck Goulart
203-943-0961
Sent from my phone
please ignore typos

monday blog post Spetember 3rd

A Prayer through Songs Of Praise  (Psalm 47:5-7)

"God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD amid the soundings of trumpets.  Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King sing praises.  For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise." Ps 47:5-7

Rather than lift our voices in spoken prayer inspired by scripture, today, I encourage us to sing a song of praise (sing a prayer of praise) or gratitude to God as inspired by today's reading from Ps. 47.  It does not matter what condition our lives are in today, a song of praise can heal, can sooth, can uplift, can encourage, can remind, can offer hope, can bring joy, can refocus, can convict, can calm, can quiet.... a song of praise to God can be just what our hearts and lives need to live in His embrace and joy today.  Don't rush through this.  Ask God to give you a song and then sing it out loud to him, unhindered, unashamed, and surrendered.  Find a quiet place, or go to the roof top, a sidewalk corner, the grocery story checkout line, wherever but sing and sing and sing your song of praise till it fills your heart with who your God is and you can't help but be awed that all He is lives with you and in you no matter what your day brings. 

Join me with your song today!  Let us together make a joyful noise.

Here is my song for today that I will be lifting up:  "How Great Thou Art"  (feel free to click on the link to listen to this song and to sing along)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48i4l1715uc

If "How Great Thou Art" is also your song of praise let me know.  If you have a different song of praise please share with me what your song is today.  I would love to know what songs of praise are being lifted up to our God.

AMEN

September 1: Of Kipling, Hamlet, Job and Flight Thresholds

Job 40:1-42:17

2 Corinthians 5:11-21

Psalm 45:1-17

Proverbs 22:14

Today we get to the end of Job's story.  He finally gets the opportunity to face God, and it doesn't go the way he'd hoped.  He was looking for a reason, an explanation, some confirmation of his righteousness.  That is NOT what he got.  Instead, God reminds Job of who He is, and the only response Job can make, after all he said and cried and lamented, after all he suffered, is silence.  "I spoke once, but I have no answer - twice, but I will say no more." 

I am trying to imagine what Job must be thinking, must be feeling at this time.  A renewed realization of who he was and who God was, perhaps, coupled with a deep sense of remorse for his words?  Yet might that not have been caught in the mire of sadness for the loss of his family, anger and frustration at all he had suffered?  Perhaps sprinkled with a bit of relief that his long, excruciating suffering might finally be coming to an end, one way or another?  

People talk about the fight-or-flight response.  When faced with adversity, I think our first instinct is to resist.  At the point at which we conclude fight is futile, we flee. For the purposes of this blog, let's call that the flight threshold.  The "FT".

Different people have different FTs.  And different levels of adversity trigger different FT responses.  Where some might flee to a drink, others might finish the bottle.  Where one might take a pill to take the edge off of the pain, others might take ten and hope not to wake up.  

Where, as Kipling said, one might be able to "meet with Triumph and Disaster, and treat those two impostors just the same", others might respond, like Hamlet did when faced with the certainty his mother had just so quickly married the uncle who'd killed his father, by asking "whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing, end them."

Job faced adversity far greater than Hamlet.  Yet, while he'd ceased to fight, he never fled - not to the sin of cursing God, not to the act of ending a life he'd admitted he was better off never having lived.  When faced with difficulty far less than the loss of all one's children, of all one's worldly possessions, and of one's health, we should have so high an FT.  I'll be honest - I don't know that I do, and I hope never to have to find out.  

Father, when we struggle against adversity and near the end of our rope, come to us like You did Job, and remind us that You have Your reasons, and comfort us with that knowledge.