Thursday, November 30

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2017

"'In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed." (Daniel 7:13,14)


In today's reading from Daniel, we receive his testimony of what God revealed about the culmination of history. These words caused Daniel to become unsettled, as he notes in vv. 15 and 29.

Reflecting on the inherent uncertainty of the future tends to produce anxiety within our day-to-day lives. As we recognize our lack of control over even small things, we become nervous and grasp for some authority. Yet, deep within us, we know the reality that this authority is extremely limited. This anxiety flows naturally when we take a "human-centered" perspective on uncertainty.

Likewise, if we look at Biblical prophecy from a "human-centered" perspective, we may find ourselves wondering, "What is the implication of this passage for me? How will I react to these developments?" Again, uncertainty overwhelms and produces anxiety, creating a vicious cycle.

Yet, we may find comfort and strength in both today's uncertainty and that of the future by remembering God's sovereignty over today, tomorrow, and every day. He is consistently working out His good for each Christ-follower, forming us more completely into the image of Christ. Importantly, in right in the center of Daniel's prophecy, we find the "Son of Man." Please note that "He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him."

As Hebrews 13:8 teaches us, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." His sovereignty and authority have existed from eternity past and will exist till eternity future. We may stand confidently for the future, both near and distant, knowing that the Lord Jesus Christ stands above worldly circumstances and powers. These circumstances and powers will fade away in time, but God's Word and God Himself will reign forever.

Practically, I find it encouraging to speak truth into our anxiety by affirming out loud: "God, You are worthy of my trust because You are sovereign all things. I place this situation into Your hand, knowing that You are in control and that You desire Your best. Give me the strength and courage to persevere in this trial and to remember Your rightful authority over my life and my heart. In Jesus's Name, amen."


May We live victoriously in the power of the risen and reigning Christ!



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November 29

Daniel 6

Oh To Have Faith Like Daniel

As I'm reading the account of Daniel I marveled at not only his faith but his self control and obedience to God.  All through his account we have read that he did not falter once in his prayer life or his belief in God.  I've done many Bible studies with women about believing God, knowing Who we belong to, and trusting our Lord but Daniel lived it.  The account of his story is so encouraging and strengthens my faith.  As we live our lives conforming our souls to our Lord, we might, in fact look strange to others.  There were those who were jealous and had hard feelings towards Daniel but no one could find fault in him. Similarly, as followers of Jesus we find favor in God's eyes and live in blessings which often times might look like lack or failure to other people and they don't understand.  As I was reading this I realized that Daniel's life line to God and the key to his faith rested in his prayer life.  He was very disciplined, he didn't hide his daily prayer and he prayed regularly.  Our enemy isn't stupid, he too knows that if he can distract us, keep us busy enough, disconnect who we are in agreement with and get us to lose our focus on our life line to God through prayer, he gains a foothold and we falter. I pray for all of us today that we intentionally continue to set time aside for prayer so that when we are in a "pit with a lion on a snowy day" even unbelievers witness God's undeniable work in our lives.  I pray each victory in Christ strengthens our faith and encourages us to run our race.  The same God who rescued Daniel is the One who hears our prayers and delivers us.

Randi

Monday blog post November 27th

Following The Recipe!



Pumpkin pie is a favorite at Thanksgiving.  The recipe is written out and easy to follow: sugar, 3 different spices, eggs, pumpkin and evaporated milk.  You add each ingredient to the next and then pour that all into a pie shell and bake.  What comes out is a deep golden orange pie ready for a dollop of whip cream and a fork.

Pumpkin pie is one of my dad's favorites.  This past Thursday after his Thanksgiving meal he sat down with fork in hand ready to enjoy the beautifully baked pumpkin pie with a bit of whipped cream my mother had made.  I wasn't present but, from what I've heard, the grimace he made upon taking just one bite let everyone in the room know that this pie was not all that it appeared to be, that they may want to stay away from it.  It turns out that in my mothers busy Thanksgiving preparations she had somehow failed to add the sugar to all the other ingredient the recipe called for.  Little did any of us know what an extremely unpleasant and inedible pie could be created by leaving out just this one ingredient.

I thought of this story when reading 2 Peter 1:5-11.  In these verse we are given a "recipe" for being an effective and productive light for Christ.  We are to start with goodness as our base and add to it knowledge.  Once these are mixed we add in self-control and then perseverance.  Once these have combined we continue and add godliness with brotherly kindness.  Then we top it all off with love.  The result is a life that shines forth the glory of the Lord.  We can become people of purpose, Godly purpose, people of power, people who bring hope, joy, peace, support, encouragement, strength, and on and on...to those around us.  We are a delicious delight to others. We become people who do not fall, who are secure, when walking and living in this truth (vs10)

Why do we follow recipes?  So that we can get the end result that recipe promises is possible by using the ingredients listed and following the instructions.  If the recipe lists 7 ingredients and we say that we only want to use 5 of them we should not be surprised when the end result is nothing like what the recipe promised (as my father learned with his sugarless pumpkin pie).  In 2 Peter, this "recipe"  we are given is not a pick and choose list.  It is not a list that allows us to find substitutions for "ingredients" we struggle with or don't care for.  This list is not a wake up and decided what you feel like keeping and what you can do without for the day kind of list.  This is a very specific list, a specific "recipe" that has been given to us with a specific promise of specific results.

When we look at this "recipe" as a list of possible suggestions what happens is we deceive only ourselves.  Like that pumpkin pie my dad ate, it looked perfect.  It looked just like a pie that had all the required ingredients in it.  But when my dad took a bite, when he experienced the pie, it became clear immediately that it was not what it appeared to be.  We only fool ourselves when we don't seek to start with goodness each and everyday and add to it each of the spiritual "ingredients" listed.  We become nearsighted and blind to the bitterness and distaste that we can leave on peoples lives.  We can leave a bad taste in the lives of people we interact with and cause them to not want to interact with Christ followers in the future.  That means that even though we may look good on the outside we serve no real benefit for the kingdom of God, we become ineffective and unproductive.

I desire to be a bright light for the Lord.  I want to be a means in which people can experience the goodness, knowledge, power, encouragement, godliness, kindness, and love of the lord.  There may be days or situations when I feel tempted to leave one of these things out.  I may feel hurt, I may feel someone is undeserving, I may feel tired, I may feel irritated, I may feel a whole host of different things that will try and make me think that I can leave one or more of these "ingredients" out, but.....

Why do I follow recipes, God's recipes? Because he always gives me a promised result when I do, a good promised result (both for my benefit and the benefit of others).  He reminds me of how he showed me all these things when I didn't deserve them and he reminds me in Philippians 4:13 that I am not alone in mixing these together each day but that I can do all things when he is my strength, when I give him the apron and let him create in me a shinning light that others can experience and delight in.  When I follow the "recipe" I can rest assured that I am truly living an effective and productive life for the Lord.

I encourage you to join me today and ask the Lord to help you better understand what each of these "ingredients" should look like in your life.  Ask the Lord to help you to recognize which "ingredients" you struggle to practice or perhaps who you struggle to display them toward.  Ask the Lord to be your strength and help in the areas that you recognize are a challenge.  I encourage you to seek the Lord and ask him to help you live out this "recipe" so that you can live an effective and productive life for him for the benefit and blessing of others.  

Let the world taste the goodness and glory of the Lord through us today. (Ps. 34:8)

November 25: To trust Him, first we must know Him...

Daniel 1:1-2:23

1 Peter 3:8-4:6

Psalm 119:65-80

Proverbs 28:14

1 Peter 3:9, 13-16...

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult.  On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?  But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.  "Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened."  But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience...

I was reading Saturday's New Testament reading, and struggled with the first part of it, a call to behave so differently from how the world teaches us to respond.  This isn't the first time I've read this, or heard it, or had it taught to me; my struggle remains the same.  It is so difficult not to repay evil with evil, or insult with insult.

Then I read the second part of the reading, and understood why perhaps I have such difficulty with this teaching.  The second part suggests we should be ready to explain why we have the hope that we do, why we revere the Lord like we do.  Maybe that's the problem - maybe I don't know the Lord well enough to revere Him like I should, to trust Him like the call to action requires. 

Father, take pity on how poorly I know You and Your son.  Give me the desire and the direction to get to know You, that I might rightly put my faith in You, and not in the world's false promises. 

Thursday, November 23

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2017

 

 

“For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.  For,

 

‘All people are like grass,

    and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;

the grass withers and the flowers fall,

     but the word of the Lord endures forever.’”

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving!  We have many blessings to celebrate today.

 

The apostle Peter touches upon the imperishable seed of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who has rescued us from sin and death and given us the opportunity to be born again.  He connects the “living and enduring word of God” – our Lord Jesus Christ – with God’s Word, both spoken and revealed through the Scriptures.  In Christ, we have the Word made flesh; in the Scriptures, we have God’s Word recorded for us.  Both of these seeds are indeed imperishable:  with Christ having been raised to a new life and God’s Word lasting throughout history as testimony to God’s character and love for people.

 

Yesterday, Danielle and I visited the Museum of the Bible, which recently opened in Washington, D.C.  I would highly encourage you to visit, as it brings the Word to life and points to the many faithful believers who have ensured that the Word has remained active throughout history.  The Museum houses many copies of first versions of the Scriptures, noting the great importance of translating the Scriptures into local languages of the people.  Early translators of the Scriptures into English faced great peril in their work, and they benefited from one another’s work (and others’ efforts to gather Greek and Hebrew texts into organized form).

 

For me, the visit solidified my belief in the Scriptures as the inspired Word of God.  The Scriptures faithfully record miraculous events that have meaningful archaeological support, and their testimony records the grave challenges – and shortcomings – that the authors faced, from Moses to the prophets to the apostles.  Only God (duly) receives “lionized” treatment; human characters’ failures emphasize their authenticity and dependence on an all-powerful, all-merciful God.

 

In a particularly moving section, the Museum shared a video that looked at first-century Galilee from John the Baptist’s perspective.  He quoted the section from Isaiah included above as a great motivation for his life and ministry.  His faithfulness to that living and enduring Word made him a proper harbinger of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

We would all do well to treasure God’s Word more in our lives and to live faithfully according to its precepts.  May we not become so distracted as to miss its direction.

 

 

Lord God, thank You for sharing Your Word with us.  Thank You that endures forever and that it brings life.  Thank You for sending Your Son as the Word made flesh so that we may know You and experience Your love.  Please reveal more of Yourself to us in the coming days.  We love You and honor You as the source of all Providence today.  In Jesus’s Name, amen.

 

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November 22

1 Peter 1, Psalm 119

As I was reading this, the first thing that hit me was that this letter was written to "God's Elect".  Who are they? They are the ones who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through the sanctifying work of the Spirit. That's us!!! God knew a long time ago we would be reading through the Bible as a Grace family and serving to advance His Kingdom.  He actually chose and appointed us to do it.  Then I read in Psalm 119:19 which said that we are strangers on earth.  When I put it all together verse 30 of the same Psalm seemed to just come to life.  As His chosen servants, walking in faithfulness becomes our way of life. We stand on His promises and in faith we have set our hearts on living in accordance with God's word.  This is what sets us apart. I was reminded that we have to remember and understand we are not set apart from trials of this world, but our eternal destiny has been changed and walking in faithfulness is the link to our destiny. Our lives have become testimony to the faith we profess. We make decisions based on a Biblical moral code and not with our eyes set on things of this world.  Yes, we are God's Elect, we love Who we cannot see and at the same time we are filled with inexpressible and glorious joy.  The salvation of our souls is the end result of our faith. I found comfort and strength in the words of Peter today.  I pray you do too.

Randi 

Blog post Monday November 20th

"Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."  - James 4:17

We have spent that last 324 days reading about the good we ought to do as well as reading stories of the consequences of those who failed to do the good they ought to have done.  Today, in James 11, we read yet another bit of good instruction we ought to do, that we should put into practice:

"Brothers, do not slander one another.  Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it."

It is so easy to be lulled into a false sense that I am not guilty of slander or guilty of speaking against my fellow brothers and sister (or judging them). After all, I believe I am simply stating facts and pointing out areas where others have failed, are weak, didn't meet expectations, irritated me, offended me, frustrated me, wronged me, accused me....I can go on but I will leave room for you to fill in other ways we can feel justified in speaking against others.  After all, I am just venting and getting things off my chest and am choosing to do so in the presence of other believers.

James 11 goes hand in hand for me with Ephesians 4:29

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

We need to guard the words we speak, choose them with great thought and deliberation because our words are meant to help build up, not tear down, they are to benefit those who listen.  If I am confronting or speaking directly against the person who I feel failed, accused me, or offended me, I must remember that while I may need to speak truth I must be careful to make certain I am speaking from a humble place and with a desire to help this person to grow and to build them up in their faith, their character, their service, their understanding and in our relationship.  I need to make sure that the words I speak are meant to truly benefit them and not just satisfy my need to speak my mind or sooth my hurts.  Equally important is for me to be careful when I am speaking about someone to others.  I need to make sure that what I am sharing needs to be heard by those I am talking to.  Am I building up the brother or sister I am talking about in the eyes of those listening to me speak or am I actually speaking against their character and causing someone to look at this person, who isn't even present, in a different negative light?  Is this person, who is listening to me speak about another, benefiting from what I am saying?  Am I displaying a character of grace, forgiveness, mercy, love, compassion, and self-control that they can learn and grow from and then display for others to benefit from?

The key is that I first need to humbly go before the lord and spend time with him in prayer and pour out to him my pride, my hurts, my irritations, my frustrations, my unmet expectations (disappointments), my feelings of offense and my heart that isn't desiring to forgive but rather feels justified.  I need to pour it out and ask the Lord to show me, convict me if need be, any thought or feeling that can be used against a brother or sister.  I need to pray that the Lord would make me aware of impure thoughts, feelings or attitudes that hinder me from displaying the Love of Christ. I need to pray and ask for the lord to fill my heart and mind with his grace and mercy, with his peace and patience, with his love and forgiveness.  I need the lord to remind me of all the ways I have offended him, disobeyed him, or failed him yet he never fails to speak the truth to me in love so that I may be built up and benefit.  When I first seek the lord I am less likely to talk about others to those I shouldn't be.  When I first seek the lord I am more likely to approach the person with a heart of love and grace that builds up with my words rather than speaks against and tears down.  When I first seek the lord I sometimes find that He is enough and perhaps my silence on a matter is the best way to handle the situation as perhaps the Lord is doing a work in that other person that I can not see.

May we all seek to do the good we are called to do today.  May we be slow to speak against others but rather seek ways to build others up and ask the lord to help us know what the needs of others are so that we are a benefit to everyone we encounter.