Oct. 31st

Hebrews 2

The author of the book of Hebrews is unknown, but this letter seems to be written to encourage the Jewish people who followed "The Way" and perhaps began to waiver in faith.  They were being treated as outsiders or even traitors and were outcasts in what was once their well known community.  Perhaps they had returned to traditional Judaism as the pressure of being ostracized increased. The author, while clearly concerned that they remain strong in their faith, is very encouraging by reminding them that Yeshua had already opened a gateway to their heavenly sanctuary, symbolized by the tearing of the veil when He was crucified.  So these followers now face quite the dilemma.  Perhaps that is why the author begins this chapter by saying "it is necessary for us to pay especially close attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away". So, what does that mean for us reading this today?  When we look around us today, it is so crucial for us to hold on to truth as well, and not get discouraged.  God has put all things in subjection to Himself.  Nothing has been left outside of His control. (v.8)  I don't understand much of what is going on around us, but I am finding the confusion is fueling my faith, and by the power of the Spirit, I find myself being a bolder witness. When conversations come up regarding worldly topics, I find myself directing whoever I'm talking with to God, His love, mercy, and His sovereignty. Let's tie in today's reading of Psalm 103. In the midst of today's chaos, who else will forgive all of our iniquities and redeem our lives from the pit? Adonai will execute judgement but will show compassion and grace to those who love Him. Be strong in your faith.  His Kingdom rules over all.

Randi

October 30

October 30, 2018

Lamentations 3:1-66

Hebrews 1:1-14

Psalm 102:1-28

Proverbs 26:21-22

Commentaries note that the title of the 102nd Psalm would also be a very appropriate title for Lamentations chapter 3: "The prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the Lord." A friend reminded me recently that God prefers our honesty (which leads to real intimacy) with Him over our "politeness." A good reminder for me as I read the first portion of this chapter.

The tenor of this passage changes in verse 21, when Jeremiah calls something to mind: "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."

While there is so much that could be explored about this chapter, I thought I would share two insights from Matthew Henry's commentary. He writes "God is an inexhaustible fountain of mercy...These rivers of mercy run fully and constantly, but never run dry." He continues, "Portions on earth are perishing things, but God is our portion forever…when I have God…I have enough; I have that which is sufficient to counterbalance all my troubles and makeup for all my losses."

These reminders give me hope and courage for this ordinary Tuesday in October, where just like every day, I desperately need and can draw from God's inexhaustible love and mercy and provision that "counterbalances all my troubles."

Blog Post Monday October 29th

Philemon 1:6-7 struck me today.

6.I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. 7. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

Our faith needs to starts with the understanding and knowledge of God's word.  That doesn't mean having a seminary degree and being able to answer every biblical question and spew out verses and references like a concordance, but you CAN'T have faith in something you don't know and you can't know if you aren't taking the time to read God's word and pray in order to gain understanding.  Whatever our level of faith is we are reminded by Paul that our faith (whatever level that is for you) needs to be active.  Faith can't remain a knowledge you have gained or mere words on the pages of your bible.  Faith, our knowledge and understanding of and in God's word, needs to be exercised and lived out in each and every circumstance of each and every day.  When we live actively in our faith the truths of God's word are made stronger, are seen, are felt in us.  When going to the gym, results, physical strength and sculpting of ones body are not seen or achieved in a matter of days but over time with much active effort.  The same is truth with our faith.  Being active means practicing even when it may seem challenging, even when our faith may seem contrary to the circumstances, and even when we may not feel like it.  Being active means to live, to speak, to display, to act in each moment according to the scriptural knowledge and understanding that built our faith and to do so despite the circumstances we are in.  Like the gym, when we remain active in our faith we begin to see and feel a change in our lives and it should move us to dig deeper into God's word and to seek to expand our faith more and more so that we can be even more active in it -  living, speaking, displaying our constantly growing faith.

The benefits of living in active faith are two-fold.  First, there is a benefit to us.  Paul tells Philemon that living in active faith will give us a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ, thus growing our faith even more.  God's promises and truths are tested over time and through every situation, in the good and the bad, in the easy and the difficult, in the joyful and the painful ones we can know the full goodness of God if we choose to live through those moments in the faith we have and in the hopes that our faith will be strengthened and grow in the process.  Second, there is a benefit to others.  Philemon's active faith was a source of joy and encouragement to Paul and it refreshed the hearts of other believers.  People who actively live in faith stand out to others.  I can think of several examples of people in my life who live active faith in any and all circumstances and I am awed by them, encouraged by them and honestly a bit envious of them.   We don't need to envy active faith, we need to live our own active faith so that our lives can refresh hearts and bring joy and encouragement to others.  Active faith builds the faith of both us and others, it refreshes both us and others, it encourages both us and others - it is a win win state of living.

Life is full of struggles and challenges as well as smooth and easy times.  Our faith can and needs to be active in both.  It is often the more challenging times that our active faith is more needed and most easily seen.  Don't be discouraged in your faith when life gets challenging because that is when active faith is truly needed more than ever.

A Philemon Prayer (Philemon 1:4-7)

Lord, I thank you for the faith you have given to me and especially the faith you have given to others.  Lord we need to constantly spend time in your word getting to know you and see you and hope in you so that we can have faith that we can actively live in.  May your grace strengthen us to live our faith in any and all situations.  May your spirit remind us of truths and lift us up when the weight of life seem heavier than our faith can handle.  May our active faith lead us to have a full understanding of every good thing we have in you, in you Lord not earthly temporary things but every good thing we have in you.  Grow our faith Lord, deepen it, renew it, refresh it, sustain it, increase it so we may encourage and refresh the hearts of others and encourage them to have their own faith that they can actively live out.  Thank you for the gift of faith and the opportunity we have to practice it in our lives.

AMEN

A Prayer Of Gratitude For People of Faith. (Philemon 1:4-7)

Lord I do not thank you often enough for the people of faith you have put in my life and even for those I merely hear about but never have the fortune of meeting.  Today I want to thank you for these people.  Like me they are not perfect people, they have struggles and shortcomings, but they seek to recognize their weaknesses and in faith and with your grace they live to serve you.  My life has been blessed in so many ways and my own faith has grown as a result of this community of the faithful.  Lord I ask for your spirit to encourage all the faithful around the world, both those I know and those I have yet to meet.  Please encourage us all, as Paul encouraged Philemon, to be active in sharing our faith, living it out in our daily lives with trust and confidence as well as using words to proclaim it.  Reminds us Lord that when we are active in sharing our faith then we will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in you, Christ Jesus.  How encouraged I am today to actively share my faith with the full knowledge that it can not just bless others but it can strengthen my own faith in the process.  Thank you again Lord for the joy, encouragement, and refreshed heart I have and continue to receive from those who are faithful to you.  I am truly blessed.

AMEN

Sunday, October 28

"We lived in malice and hating one another." Titus 3:3

One of the assignments in our bible study this week, was to describe a present challenge to love someone that's hard to love. I had my list ready, with my landlord top of the list. My friend had one simple answer. She said that the person that she finds hardest to love is, herself.  How beautifully  honest! Self-Love. It's estimated that 30 million Americans were raised in alcoholic homes. That doesn't include other forms of dysfunction and abuse. When in a dysfunctional situation one thing that happens, is the loss of self. The person needs to abandon him/herself and focus on others, in order to survive. Most people raised in dysfunction, become addicted to fear, codependent, people-pleasers, addicts. Unfortunately, on top of that, certain religions teach that self love is selfish, that others need to come first and that we almost need to despise ourselves in order to serve others and God correctly.

It's sad to think that there are people trying to love others while they hate themselves. People running fast to help others, because they can't stand to be alone with themselves. I believe self-love is essential. "Love your neighbor as yourself."Mark 12:31. "Do to others as you would have them do to you. "Luke 6:31. There are many aspects of self- love. I find that the most important action towards self-love, is taking the time to connect with our God, our Creator, our Father. That's where healing, protection, creativity , guidance come from.  It's the foundation for everything. "For without me you can do nothing" John 15:5. 

The other day, as I was browsing through youtube, I came across a sermon that got me thinking. The pastor, asked one question…

"You love and believe in God. I know you do! But how many of you love and believe in yourselves?"

"And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. " Romans 5:5

Lord, we open our hearts to your divine love.  Heal us, teach us, and lead us into loving You, ourselves and our brothers and sisters the right way! 

October 27: Of the World and the Word

Jeremiah 51:1-53

Titus 2:1-15

Psalm 99:1-9

Proverbs 26:17

Can you imagine the uproar if a pastor were to preach Paul's words to Titus today?  I can imagine the flashpoints over such verses as "urging younger women…to be self-controlled and pure…and to be subject to their husbands".  Or "encourage the young men to be self controlled…[to] show soundness of speech that cannot be condemned."  Or how about this one: "Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them…"

It seems today's society couldn't be more different.  Foul language is not only acceptable, it is idealized - it's "honest" and "edgy".  Self control and purity are archaic; anything goes so long as it is consensual.  And truth is whatever you want it to be - because it's "your truth".  But while obscene language and bad behavior are no longer cause for outrage, society has found many replacements.  

Consider the verses above.  As difficult as it is for me to read about submission and slavery, I think the world (if it bothered to read Titus) would be triggered, and would then bring out the torches and pitchforks.  How then to understand Paul's words?

Context helps.   The verse on submission is perhaps best read in the context of Ephesians 5:24-25, where submission is companion to a husband who loves his wife "just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her".  This is not submission to dominance; it is submission to love and sacrifice, to a man who is supposed to put his wife first.   

And the verse about slavery?  No, it isn't a good place to be.  But context about bad situations can be found in the Bible.  In his book "The Red Sea Rules", Pastor Robert J Morgan's first rule for dealing with difficult, even impossible situations is this: Realize that God means for you to be where you are.  This is probably why, in Philippians 4:12, St Paul wrote "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."  This from a man who, when he found himself unjustly imprisoned - a worse situation, I suggest, than slavery - had the ability to sing songs of praise, joyfully.  

So much of the world takes joy in attacking the Bible, the order God has created, and the rules He gives us with which to enjoy His creation.  And yet, when one looks at the life the world prescribes, it so seldom seems to lead to happiness, to joy.  Context again - Matthew 7:15 ("Watch out for false prophets") and 20 ("Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them").  

Where does this all lead me today?  To choice.  When we read the Lord's Word, we can (a) follow the world, and take umbrage at archaic, chauvinistic and patriarchal norms that have no place in a modern society where inclusion and consent are all that matter; or (2) take His Word in the most important of contexts - that of the Creator of the universe who deigned to love us despite our sins, and who gave us the instruction manual with which to fully enjoy His creation.  

Father, the world is a seductive place.  When choosing between the world and Your Word, teach us to choose wisely.  

Oct 26

Titus 1 October 26, 2018

They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. Titus 1:16

According to author Brennan Manning, "The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable."                                                          

Reading Titus today and seeing the list of godly characteristics, I came up short. When I look honestly inside my heart, I realize I am a bundle of paradoxes. One minute I am blameless but the next minute I am the one to blame. I believe and have faith that could anchor a battleship; the next moment my faith disappears. I love and then I hate. I try not to be quick-tempered and then something goes wrong on my computer and I shout at it, as if my computer will have hurt feelings by my yelling. The bottom line: I come up really short with Paul's list.

So how can I not be a contributor to the number one cause of atheism in the world?   Only by living by the grace promised by God. To live by grace means I own all of the chapters of my life, both the good and the bad. By admitting the continual struggle with the dark side of my heart, I am acknowledging that I am totally dependent on God's grace. As Thomas Merton put it, "A saint is not someone who is good but who experiences the goodness of God."

The gospel of grace nullifies our worship of superstar Christians who project that they never struggle with the dark side. It destroys this two-class system that many people have set up in their minds, that there are struggling Christians and then there are people like me. What I so deeply appreciate about Grace Church is that we are a family where you don't have to hide your struggles. We all know that there is a continual battle going on for our hearts and we intentionally create a safe place where we can share the battle.

Own the paradoxes and struggles and then testify of the grace of our good God that is the foundation of our lives.


--
"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, October 25

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2018


"Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage -- with great patience and careful instruction." (2 Timothy 4:2)


This fourth chapter of 2 Timothy represents the last words of Paul recorded in the Scriptures. The chapter communicates an urgency -- "Do your best to come to me quickly" -- and a finality -- "for I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure." (vv. 9, 6) Paul recognizes that his earthly time has neared its conclusion, and he is eager for Timothy to carry forth the mission and to encourage him with a visit.

Early American pastor and theologian Jonathan Edwards, born in Enfield in 1703, prepared a series of "Resolutions" as a young man, which guided his spiritual practice throughout his life. He recognized early on the great value in that redeeming time and living in earnest devotion to God. Two of his resolutions lie below:

(5) Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

(7) Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.


How do we measure up to this sense of urgency? Do we approach time as a precious currency? Do we choose to invest our lives or to spend them aimlessly?

May we live faithfully and with urgency, realizing that our opportunities are not limitless. Echoing Moses's prayer in Psalm 90:12: God, "teach us to number our days,/ that we may gain a heart of wisdom.


Lord God, thank You for the tremendous example of the apostle Paul and his discipleship relationship with Timothy. Help us to number our days properly and to live with appropriate urgency. Give us opportunities to bless others and to pass along what You have poured into our lives. In Jesus's mighty Name, amen.


"Life Means So Much" by Chris Rice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXardqLLI_M


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October 24

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for restoration and for training in righteousness, so that the person belonging to God may be capable, fully equipped for every good deed. (Messianic Tree of Life)

This is perhaps one of my favorite verses.  There's something about knowing that every word we read in our daily readings has been breathed by God. In the Greek, the word used here is  Theopneustos, "God-breathed"—Theo means "God" and "pneustos" means breath.  If I have an idea and say something, it's "Randi breathed", meaning unless it's a word that came from God, it's all my own thoughts. (Usually a good cue for me to be quiet).  But we read in 2 Peter 1:20-21 "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." This is why it's so important to stay in the Word, and not the world.  We need God's Word to teach us and train us so that we are equipped to live in this world. We belong to God.  His Spirit is alive and active in all of us and the same Spirit that inspired the Word to be written, will lead us into greater understanding and knowledge of God as we spend time in the word.  If we stop and think about it, Jesus, God incarnate, quoted Scripture when He was tempted in the wilderness.  The Scriptures from Deuteronomy equipped Him to fight the temptations being presented to Him by satan.  They are the breath of God, our life, and our food.  I pray we go out into the world today, filled with the very words God intended for us to depend upon as our lifeline to Him.

Randi

bible blog Monday October 22nd

A Prayer For A Clear Conscience (Today's reading 2 Timothy 1:3 Supporting scripture Acts 7:54-8:2, Acts 9:1-22 and Romans 3:23)

Lord, I have encountered many people recently who are suffering.  Not people suffering from illness or ailment of the body but of the spirit and of the heart.  So many are gripped by fear, anxiety, and depression due to things from their past.  Lord, I have been hearing story after story of regret, guilt, shame, self disappointment, and failure that people are carrying around.  What a heavy burden it is to carry, a burden that eventually becomes more than one can bare and weighs the carrier down till they can no longer keep going as they had or should.  Lord, I read Paul's words to Timothy but I can't help but remember that Paul was a man with a past.  He persecuted the early believers and even partook in the killing of one of your own by overseeing and condoning it. He was a man who was guilty of past offenses, who could, and some might argue should, by all means live with regret. Yet, when Paul writes to Timothy he specifically states that he is a man who serves God with a clear conscience.  Paul is a man who, despite his past, lived in the freedom of a clear conscience.  Lord there is only one way Paul could write this and live this and that is because of his faith, his experience and encounter with the savior he once stood in opposition of.  Paul didn't just experience your presence that day on the road to Damascus but he experienced your love, forgiveness, mercy, and grace and he let it wash over him, he let it cleans him from the burden he could have carried.  I know Lord that you did not live, die, and rise again for your forgiveness to be mere words but for your life, death and resurrection to break the chains of regret, shame, guilt, and failure.  Actions can have consequences but your blood was shed to lift off the burden of guilt and regret.  We can not show, we can not proclaim your goodness and grace if we are still stuck in regret and not living in the freedom the cross brought.   Lord, it is my prayer that all who are suffering in spirit and heart from past burdens would have an encounter, an experience with you, the savior, that allows you to be more than just words on a page but to have a personal experience of the heart and mind that frees them from a burden that you willing took in their place on the cross.  Lord, I also pray for those of us who encounter the many who carry the burden of past, help us Lord to not judge, to not condemn, to not encourage them to carry this burden but to love them as you have loved us.  Help us to remember and remind others that one can be sorry and yet still experience freedom from the burden of regret.  Help us to lead those in need to the cross and walk with them carrying the burden along side them till they come to see you and experience you completely, in freedom of spirit and heart.  Lord, it is with a clear conscience that we should all live and serve.  Help us to remember that does not mean living a perfect life because if that were the case none of us would be free as none of us is perfect, we have all fallen short of the glory, the perfection of God.  Help us to remember that your mercy and grace is what ushers forgiveness, is what free us from our pasts, and opens up our hearts to live each today in the freedom you call us to.  Lord, may we each live in the freedom of the cross and be a light and guide for those who need to be freed.

AMEN

If you know someone who suffers from regret, shame, guilt, failure, etc. consider sharing the following song with them.  It's called Freedom Hymn.  Christ needs to be the freedom song of every heart and it is only through Him that true freedom can be experienced.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3xzHSTaATI

October 20: Of Honesty and Personal Responsibility

Jeremiah 35:1-36:32

1 Timothy 5:1-25

Psalm 89:14-37

Proverbs 25:25-27

"But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God." - 1 Tim 5:4

"Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." - 1 Tim 5:8

"As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list.  For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry." "So I counsel younger widows to marry..." - 1 Tim 5:11, 14

The church in Ephesus was getting larger, and Paul had asked Timothy supervise the affairs of the growing church while he was away.   One would think Paul would instruct Timothy to make sure the church cared for all its weakest members, but in today's reading he advises against supporting some of the widows.  Why?  Is Paul encouraging selfishness?  Why deny the community's support of younger widows, or widows who have children?  Reflection leads me to two possible reasons: honesty and personal responsibility.

Honesty is tough these days.  People insist feelings override fact, that wanting it makes it right, and if someone opposes your "truth" they must be a hater.  Personal responsibility is also difficult.  One of the most frequently recurring themes I hear is it is someone else's fault, and they need to fix it; they pass the buck to community - the government, the church, someone else.  

Paul had no time for that nonsense.  In words that today would cause some to take offense, he refused young widows and widows with children and grandchildren the church's help.  He pointed out the likelihood that younger widows would want to remarry, and that the idleness that support would afford, coupled with their relative youth, would lead to trouble.  He also pointed out the obligation of children and grandchildren of the latter to support their widowed mother in her time of need.  He inflicted honesty, and preached personal responsibility.  

Why were these more important to Paul than charity in these instances?  I think it's because honesty and personal responsibility are critical not just for our relationship with each other, but they are essential for our relationship with God.  I think it is because our relationship with God should be the foundation for everything we are and everything we do, and for that relationship to grow, I think it needs to be rooted in an honest understanding of who we are and Who He is, and I think it requires we take personal responsibility for watering and nourishing it - with prayer, scripture…and with acts of charity. 

Father, it is tough enough that our sinful desires make us want to distort, even deny the truth of who we are and Who You are.  It is even harder when the world encourages us to do so, indeed demands that we do so.  Protect us from the world and from our own sinfulness; keep our eyes open to Your truth, and give us the desire to nurture our relationship with You. 

Oct 19

The books of the great Dr. Seuss are favorites of many children. One of his most notable characters has got to be Horton the elephant. It's impossible not to love that guy. Remember that flaky duck mother who leaves her egg with Horton and said, "Would you watch this egg please?" She disappears and never comes back. Horton the elephant stays with the egg until it hatches and then he becomes a wonderful mother. Remember that great line Dr. Seuss gives to Horton

"I meant what I said, and I said what I meant.

An elephant's faithful 100 percent."

A promise kept is one of the great experiences of human life. Do you know what I am talking about?  Have you ever experienced the exhilaration of someone keeping a promise? Do you know how exciting it is to meet a Horton or someone who tells you the truth?

 

In Jeremiah 33 we meet the greatest promise keeper of all time, God.  Look at His great promise:

The LORD also said: "You've heard foreigners insult my people by saying, "The LORD chose Israel and Judah, but now he has rejected them, and they are no longer a nation." Jeremiah, I will never break my agreement with the day and the night or let the sky and the earth stop obeying my commands. In the same way, I will never reject the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob or break my promise that they will always have a descendant of David as their king. I will be kind to my people Israel, and they will be successful again."

There you have it. As long as the sun is shining by day and the moon is reflecting by night, God is going to keep his promise. The immediate impact of these great statements is to show how superior God's promise keeping is to ours. A lot of times we think God responds like us when people let us down. But God is always faithful. He doesn't act like we do. Even if David's descendants turn their backs on God, He will never turn His back on them.

God is loyal! God is faithful! God remains true! God doesn't go back on His word! When God promises, God fulfills, always!  Count on it!!!

 

If God is such a faithful promise keeper, we should imitate Him and be faithful promise keepers too. When you make a promise, keep it. So, make your promises carefully and sparingly. But when you make one, remember "I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. A Christian's faithful 100 percent."

 

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, October 18

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2018

"Here is a trustworthy saying:  Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task.  Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.  He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect.  (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?). He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.  He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap." (1 Timothy 3:1-7)

These verses and others in Titus help us to understand the high calling for serving as an elder.  While we could focus on the specific characteristics, the broad message involves living in a honorable way before God and others and rejecting those commitments or distractions that would cause us to fall into sin.

Elders seek to protect the Church and promote the advance of God's Kingdom.  They serve on behalf of "God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth." (3:15)  This dual mandate of guarding the truth and God's family while pressing forward in outreach does not come without its challenges.  Striking proper balances for the Church have caused many disagreements among congregations.  Elders must set forth love as the first principle:  loving God, loving people, and making disciples.  Serving as an elder is less about title and more about just that:  serving.

While these qualifications for serving as an elder may seem high, I believe that we will all benefit from seeking to fulfill them.  We will miss out on great joy and fellowship if we settle for 80% commitment in our faith; we will not know the full blessing of God's intimate presence with us.  These qualifications and the motivations behind them will lead to a fruitful Christian life, marked by the fruit of the Spirit.  Don't we all want that?

Please pray for those serving in Church leadership.  Pray that our motivations would be godly and that our concern would begin with God and His family.  Pray that we would protect and promote the truth and seek to spread the sweet of aroma of Christ.

Lord God, thank You for sharing these qualifications of serving as an elder.  Help us to see how we may better fulfill these characteristics in our own lives.  Point out those distractions or alternative commitments that keep us from 100% connection with You.  Make us ready for the leadership opportunities You have set before us.  Bring forth the fruit of the Spirit so that we may spread the sweet aroma of Christ.  In His precious Name, amen.

Oct. 17

1 Timothy 2

In his self description at the beginning of this letter, Paul identifies himself by emphasizing his credentials as an apostle, and his authority as commanded by God.  He did this to encourage Timothy and now that we are reading this, I believe his words are to encourage us as well.  His words should not be taken lightly.  We are approaching the end of our 40 Days of Prayer journey and I have to say, it has impacted me tremendously.  Our spirits were opened up to the wisdom of who God is, and we learned how to pray with the intention of changing our hearts and the culture through prayer. While we may have prayed for our family, friends, and loved ones, as I read the Apostles instructions on Godly worship and prayer I was reminded that we are commanded to pray for everyone. It's easy to pray for people we like, but what about our enemies?  What about the person who might have offended you?  We are commanded to pray for our government and those who are in authority, whether we agree or disagree with what we see happening around us. We are also told we can find something to thank God for regarding all men. Even those who persecute us and are against us have a place in the over-arching plan of God.  I don't know about anyone else but this challenges me.  It's hard for me to thank God for the defiant 5 year old in class or pray for my neighbor who gives new definition to "extra grace required".  However the core of this truth on prayer is found in verses 3 through 6. "This is good, and pleases God our Savior,  who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people." The purpose of prayer is so that everyone will be saved and come to know Jesus, therefore the gospel must be presented to all without reservation. This actually can be done with very few words, all we have to do is pass along the free gift of love and grace that we have received through Jesus. It costs us nothing to receive it, nothing to give it, yet it cost Christ everything for us to have it.  When we worship and pray, it's not about us, it's about the One who gave it all for us.

Randi

October 13: When and Why Persecution is Worth It

Jeremiah 22:1-23:20

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

Psalm 83:1-18

Proverbs 25:1-14

"…we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring." - 2 The 1:4

How were the Thessalonians were being persecuted.  One reference mentioned that "property was being seized.  Workers were stopped from practicing their trades.  Those who found a new faith were shunned by their families.  Some were insulted, some beaten, and some put to death."  I wish it didn't happen anymore.  Sadly, it still does.  Just a bit of research and one can read about how Christians are being killed and injured in Nigeria, where in July of last year, a gunman attacked a church and killed 12.  And in 2016, almost halfway around the world, a pastor was killed by North Koreans in a Chinese border town.  

One doesn't really have to go that far.  Right here, the government is demanding a Catholic order of nuns provide contraception and abortion coverage, and the Supreme Court found that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission had shown hostility towards a baker's religious beliefs when the baker refused to bake a cake for a gay wedding.  That fight cost the baker a lot of money, as did the fight of a Washington florist who refused to provide decorations for a similar event.  

Why do people choose to suffer such hardship?  Paul - who himself suffered much for the Gospel - explains that "as a result, you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.  God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled…"

Paul's reassurances are good.  But as I was reflecting following a chat about our Lord with a friend yesterday, I don't have to take Paul's word for it.  That would be like concluding a restaurant's food was good from a food critic's words.  Far better to go and taste the food; far better to get into a relationship with our Lord.  

I think the baker, the florist, the pastor in North Korea, and all those in Nigeria have done as much, and have decided the suffering was worth it.  May we get to know Him as well, and come to the same conclusions.  

Father, help us to get to know You, through all the noise and disruption and distortion of the world, help us to see Your face, to grow to love You, and to conclude that yes, it is all worth it. 

Oct 12

The prophet Jeremiah might go down as one of the greatest preachers of all time. Who could ever forget his sermon illustrations of shaping pottery, burying a linen belt, and the breaking of a jar. While there is plenty of doom and gloom in his message, there is also hope found here.

Yet hope is found in a strange way. Many times, God asks us to do things that we feel are counterintuitive.

Jeremiah 21:8-9   Furthermore, tell the people, 'This is what the Lord says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; he will escape with his life.

Surrender is the way of life. Now, that is a revolutionary message. The last thing we would think would bring life and hope to an army is surrender. Yet when God is in it, it is true.

Larry Harris tells a story about the Vietnam War. During the Vietnam War, the Communists solders were told to avoid surrender at all cost. They were told that the Americans would torture them, beat them, and starve them to death. Some of them surrendered anyway and were taken to camps where many were treated better by their enemies than by their own comrades. After the war, many of them elected to come to the United States. They have become US citizens and are living in a land of freedom and abundance. For them surrender was the best thing they could have done.

So, it is with our surrender to God, when we say to the Lord, "I am turning my life over to you, you come control me, you show me the paths to walk in life," it is then that we find life in all its greatness and abundance.

 

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"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, October 11

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018

"But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,

    whose confidence is in him.

They will be like a tree planted by the water

    that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

    its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

    and never fails to bear fruit." (Jeremiah 17:7,8)

While Jeremiah's prophecy includes many laments over the sinful nature and warnings of oncoming judgment, there are nuggets of tremendously encouraging truth for those who seek to follow and honor God.  This passage, which echoes the encouragement of Psalm 1, stands as such an example.

Ultimately, the person described here doesn't necessarily have any other "things going for" him or her.  Instead, the sole determinant is that he or she "trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him."  This binary decision of trusting or not trusting in God creates substantial ripple effects in our lives.  Given this passage's focus, we will concentrate on the positive effects of trusting Him.

Please notice the analogy of a "tree planted by the water."  Given the sometimes arid terrain in Israel, this metaphor spoke to the hearts of its original hearers.  The trees near a river would flourish and remain green; their survival aptly depended on the live-giving river.  In a similar vein, those who trust in God rely on His portion like a river.  Revelation 21 discusses a "river of life" flowing directly through heaven.  In addition, those who trust in God become rooted in Him.

As a result of the connection with God, those who trust flourish like the tree.  They do not fear nor worry in lean or challenging times because their confidence ultimately comes from being rooted in God's faithfulness.  Their joy remains consistent, knowing that leaner times offer God more opportunity to show His provision and that greener times point to His overwhelming generosity.  This person "bear[s] fruit" through his or her life, demonstrating the love of God to a watching world.

Would you like this description to fit your life?  How may you more fully trust in God so that His radiance might be displayed in you?  Please consider reading His Word today and spending time talking with Him.  Please prioritize your connection with and trust in God as paramount for any measure of "success."

Lord God, thank You for allowing us to become rooted in You by trusting in Your provision.  Thank You for the encouraging truth of Your Word and the recognition that You never forsake Your people.  Help us to turn to You in humility and understand our dependence on You today.  Make us like trees planted by the water, so that we may point to Your goodness and love through our transformed lives.  In Jesus's Name, amen.

Oct. 10

Psalm 80

When I was reading this Psalm, the first thing that stood out to me was the praise that was given to God, the Shepherd of Israel. The Psalmist is acknowledging God's exalted position by recognizing His place, He is enthroned upon the cherubim. Asaph asked that the God of majesty and glory would shine forth on behalf of His people. When God does shine forth, darkness and gloom vanishes and he is magnified.  God's exalted position has not changed. Only God can change things. We should find our rest when we are facing impossible situations and need clarity and perspective by posturing ourselves in humility and knowing that God the all mighty who is the Shepherd of Israel who brought them from Egypt to Canaan is strong enough to also deliver us in our present moment. This prayer of faith, understanding, and dependence is a model prayer for us as well. This past month of prayer has made me realize that God is so much bigger than any of my circumstances.  Acknowledging He dominates this universe and at the same time loves me has changed my perspective in the way I pray.  Lord, I pray You shine forth on everyone reading this blog , let gloom and darkness vanish. I pray You break through and be magnified in our lives. Let Your will be done today in our lives, on earth as it is heaven.

Randi

How close are you?

"Why do the ways of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?You have planted them, and they have taken root. They grow and bear fruit, you are always on their lips, but far from their hearts."

Out of everything I read today these verses rang loudly. So many people and churches today and even in Grace Church, worship every Sunday , Give their time, know all of The books of the Bible by heart, but where is God all week long? Where is God in our households, where is God in the workplace, where is God in our marriages, with our children, and more importantly where is God in our hearts? We may even belong to four small groups, go on missions trips, volunteer and hospitals in homeless shelters, but if God is not in our hearts and his spirit is not evident then in the quietness of our lives we are just like the people spoken about and In Jeremiah. You were always on their lips but far from their hearts.I will go as far as to say they will be many people in hell who know the Bible very well. Lord God I pray for today that anyone who reads this will examine our own hearts to make sure that you live there, that you are rooted there. We Need you Lord to Take first place in our lives. We need you Lord help us to push away everything else that's not of you. Pride, hurt, anger, jealousy, bitterness, regret, resentment and so much more. Help our prayers to be breakthrough prayers that bring healing, freedom and a closer walk with You.


Chuck Goulart
President Anytime Appliance
Repair Service LLC
203-943-0961
Sent from my phone
please ignore typos

Blog Post Monday October 8th

A Prayer For Lives Lived Serving Christ By Serving Others (Colossians 3:23-24 {not in today's reading Jeremiah 31:3 & Hebrews 10:24-25})

I pray for each person who reads this Lord.  There are so many of us across the world in different circumstance, with different influences, different opportunities, different paths of life.  No matter where we each find ourselves, Lord, you have called us to live the moments we have today and every day as if we are living them for you.  I take that to mean to love people - both the easy to love and those who are difficult for us to love or perhaps that we may feel don't deserve our love.  It means to serve others - not just in ways we enjoy or that fit comfortably into our schedules but to serve when it might mean sacrifice or doing things we don't enjoy or just don't want to do.  It means to think of others and the ways we can encourage and build them up according to their needs and not our desires.  It means to face the struggles and trials in our day with the knowledge of who you are, Lord, and the grace to face it all so that we may be a light and testimony to who you are so that others around us may see our faith in the trials and be drawn to know more about who you are and the Love you have to give. 

Lord, help each of us to remember that when we give up our rights to be offended, our rights to hold a grudge, our dislikes and irritations, when we surrender our time, our wants and need, when we give up the honor we might feel is due to ourselves and surrender it to you, you will not leave us empty and in want.  No, you will fill us to overflowing.  Lord, we can live our lives working at all things as if we are working for you when we purposefully live for the promises of something more than this life, a reward beyond the boundaries of mortal successes and achievements, when we look to the promises of eternity with you and the hope and security it bring us.  That eternal promise was made not because we deserved it, not because we were faultless, not because it was easy to give or because of a God who was selfish but because you are a selfless God who loves with an everlasting love and has pursued and drawn us to you with a lovingkindness that is unlike any to be found anywhere else.

Prepare our hearts for every step we will take and may your spirit be a reminder of how you did not spare anything for us but you lived wholeheartedly for us, for our good and your glory.  When we remember this, Lord, let it spur us on to do good, to love and to encourage others. In your strength and joy may we truly serve you in all that we do and with all we encounter today.

AMEN

October 6: Of Sunday Christians

Jeremiah 6:16-8:7

Colossians 2:8-23

Psalm 78:1-31

Proverbs 24:26

Jeremiah 7:1: "'Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, "We are safe"—safe to do all these detestable things?"

Colossians 2:8: See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

For so long I struggled with the idea of Sunday Christians.  I was practically a charter member of my generation - the kind who lived in sin Monday to Saturday, then thought everything was fine when I showed up at church on Sunday.  It certainly wasn't just me - there was a lot of it going around…people like me who mechanically mouthed prayers, chatted outside, even flirted in the choir loft between hymns.  And so many people said it was ok.  

Little surprise, then, my life was little changed for the better. And the habits I developed got me into trouble, and the trouble I got into seemed to multiply.  Sunday church didn't matter, because I wasn't really at church…physical presence alone was insufficient, no matter what the hollow and deceptive philosophy of human tradition preached.  

Someone finally explained it to me.  Church wasn't supposed to be the cure, it was supposed to be the manifestation of the cure.  Coming to church on Sundays was supposed to be the leper's return to Jesus to thank Jesus for healing him.  The deliverance, the change of our hearts - that comes from God, from relationship and communion with Him.  Being close to Him, we are transformed.  You know how people who have been married together long enough start finishing each other's sentences, start anticipating each other's needs?  Their relationship changed them, cleaved them together.  That's the same relationship we should want with God.  

Father, help us to recognize the subtle lies the world and our sinfulness tell us.  Remind us that You aren't a Sunday God, You are God of every day, every moment.  Teach us to hunger to be with You every single day, every single moment.

Oct 5

Colossians 1

What was the goal of the apostle Paul, the passion that got him out of bed in the morning, that caused his heart to beat faster?  Colossians 1:28 states his goal as, "to present everyone perfect in Christ." The word perfect doesn't mean flawless - it means mature or complete. The goal is spiritually maturity through discipleship.

Pastor A.W. Tozar was "spot on" when he diagnosed the problem of the Western church when he said, "the problem is that everything is made of the act of accepting Christ, then there is no more seeking."  Our goal is not to make converts but disciples.

In a nationwide survey, George Barna asked thousands of Americans, 40% of which were Christians, what their goal in life was. Not one ( including pastors and hundreds of people who regularly attended church) said their goal was to make disciples. The result is that Christianity in the West is declining about 2 percent each year.

I would be in despair about this statistic but for the fact that Jesus said He was building His church. Paul was "all in" in his commitment to join Jesus in this mission.

"To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me."   Colossians 1:29. Notice he says, "His energy."  I thought Paul would say "my" energy.  The energy for his great mission is supplied by Jesus Himself. This perfect blending of divine power and human effort is the key to victory. Remember it is called the great Co-Mission; our mission is to make disciples of all nations and to do this in His energy. So, who are you discipling this week?  

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"Multiplying leaders to change the world"