March 9, 2010- God in the Lying Down and the Getting Up

Scripture to read today:
Deuteronomy 10; Deuteronomy 11; Deuteronomy 12; Mark 16

Scripture that spoke to me:
Deuteronomy 11:16;18-19
“But be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the Lord and serve and worship other gods… So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.”

Observation:
God just wants us to love and worship Him. That’s all it comes down to, really. But we get so distracted that we forget. Here, he is reminding us to make sure to remember- write it on your forehead… teach it to your children… and talk about the Lord. That is the best way to keep Him in the center of your life. Satan is pretty sneaky. He can creep in where you don’t expect him to be. He will take any chance to deceive that he can find, so we must make sure that God it with us at all times.. in the lying down as well as in the getting up! We can do this by making sure that we are talking about God and talking to God throughout the day. Treating Him as a member of the family, and making sure that our children know Him, too.

Application:
It isn’t always easy to keep God in the center of our lives. I got a pretty good reminder today of His presence, though. You see, I look for God in the coincidences around me. Usually when things just happen that really shouldn’t there God is. This week at Unity, the color of the week is orange. (My pastor is doing a “Colors of Grace” theme for Lent, and this week it is the torchlight scene- Jesus taking on the concerns for everyone.) Anyway, she wants the children’s sermon to be about absorption- Jesus absorbing the hurt and pain for us all on the cross. She asked if I had any small sticky dots that she could give them so that they could put them on the cross (like giving Jesus their hurt, or the way they had hurt someone else.) When I looked for some, there was an entire pack of orange ones! Then, they usually get a small token to take with them to remind them of the lesson. She asked what we had found that was orange- and it was pencil erasers! (Jesus erasing the hurt…) Brought tears to my eyes to see it work out so perfectly! God is good!

Prayer:
Lord, You are everything to us. We want You with us always, no matter where we are or what time of day it is. Always. Forgive us when we wander off and forget You. Gently remind us of Your presence at all times. Thank You for the eerie reminder today, too. I know You’re here and that You are always at work. Amen.

January 9, 2010- Who Do You Say I Am?

Scripture to read today:
Genesis 23; Genesis 24; Luke 9

Scripture that spoke to me:
Luke 9:20
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

Observation:
The people surrounding Jesus had many ideas about Him and who He was. Some thought he was a prophet reincarnated. Others thought he was a wise teacher. Peter hit on the real answer- Jesus is the Messiah.

Application:
Even knowing that Jesus is the Messiah, do we know Him? Do we know how He thinks, what He stands for, who He is? Sometimes I wonder myself. Jesus said some really hard things I’d like to dismiss. I’d like to take the things that are easy for me and forget the hard parts. But to follow Jesus is to follow the entire man, not just the parts that make me happy. So I have to love my enemies, pray for those people I don’t like, embrace the poor and hungry and those different from me, because I want to truly know Jesus.

Prayer:
Lord, help me see who You are through Your Son. If I am to walk in Your ways, show me the path. Amen.

12 Days of Grace- Day 3- Priesthood of All Believers

2 Corinthians 5: 18-20:
And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

True happiness and humanity are found only in Jesus Christ. He came to bridge the gap between people and God.

The priesthood are the clergy and laity of baptized believers who are one in Christ. All people are important- none are more important that others. A priest is God’s representative in the world. A priest:
- pronounces God’s forgiveness and healing grace
- Acts as the people’s representative to God, interceded and offers the love of God.
- Is not necessarily ordained clergy but anyone who has experienced the love, acceptance, and forgiveness of God (and who helps others experience it, too.)

Hebrews 6:20- Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 7:23-28- There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.
- Jesus is our representative to God, sacrificing His life for us.

Three Missions of the Priesthood of Believers:
1- Make Christ real for people
-incarnate Christ is everywhere, not only in the church. People are the church.
2- To be channels of God’s grace
-share love, acceptance, forgiveness with others. Remind others that God forgives them and loves them and offer to pray with/for them
3- Proclaim the mighty acts of God with all our lives
-overcoming fatalism and hopelessness

Characteristics of Mission:
1- Personal- Jesus struggled in the wilderness. Avoid stereotypes and witness naturally
2- Spiritual- wholeness of life according to God’s will. Help interpret God’s will for others’ life.
3- Service-oriented- serve as Jesus served
4- Shared- requires teamwork. Even Jesus called disciples!
5- Calls for our Best! Our best attitude, ability, and action. God calls all Christians not toe be passive participants but active players!

The mission of all Christians is to make Christ real and to share His grace with all around us, proclaiming His mighty acts.

November 5, 2009- Not Good News

Scripture to read today:

Job 28; Job 29; Galatians 1; Galatians 2

Scripture that spoke to me:
Galatians 1:6-7
I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ.You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.

Observation:
There is a lot of misunderstanding, and a lot of truth-twisting, by those who profess to know Christ. I’m sure some of it is unintentional- misinterpretation on the part of the teacher- but some is meant to make you take your eyes from Jesus. Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders have an important job that should be taken seriously. God is found in the Bible, and the truths that are included in the Bible should be the ones that come through in teachings.

Application:
I was speaking with a friend last night who is hesitant to return to a Bible study because of some things the leader was saying. Things that were her own opinion of God and heaven, not anything that she learned by reading the Bible. This teacher needs to recognize that she is twisting the truth, perhaps leading people away from the Good News instead of to it.

Prayer:
Lord, please help me to not be like this teacher. I know there are things that I don’t understand, but let me acknowledge these as unknowns instead of making up my own explanations for these hard concepts. Let me lead no one astray from Your Word. Amen.

July 23, 2009- God is Almighty

Scripture to read today:
2 Kings 20; Isaiah 38-39; Psalm 75; 1 Peter 2

Scripture that spoke to me:
1 Peter 2:11-12
Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.  Live such good lives among the pagans that, thought they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

Observation:
We are aliens in the world, for we are not meant to live on earth for long. We are only visiting here for our lifetime and will move on to the heavens above. Therefore, we should try to stay away from the worldly desires. Show the people of this world what it means to live a good life, no matter what they may say about you, so that they may decide that God is almighty in the end.

Application:
I’ve enjoyed reading an interesting blog from my new friend Patrick, who recently found out some online friends were Wiccan. He has had a problem with this, and so have they, as they have tried to understand each other’s point of view. The Wiccans have tried to defend their position with things that are not Biblical (of course) and Patrick has tried to stay grounded in the scripture. He may not win anyone over to Christ, especially in an argumentative blog, but hopefully they will all remain friends and see that he is a good man who follows an awesome God. Then maybe one day they’ll want what he has! That is what I hope happens with these journal posts every day, too.

Prayer:
Lord, let me know the right things to say so that people see Your greatness. Amen.

July 19, 2009- Causing others to Sin

Scripture to read today:

2 Kings 17; 2 Chronicles 28; Psalm 46; James 3

Scripture that spoke to me:

James 2:1-2a

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways.

Observation:
Those who teach, who instruct, will be looked up to, and others will try to imitate them in their way to life. Therefore, they will be held to a higher accountability.

Application:
Mark 9:42 says “if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone around his neck.” If you are a teacher- a leader- then people look up to you and look at you for the right things to do. That doesn’t mean you’re going to be perfect, but it does mean you have to try pretty hard not to let them down, to show them the right way.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, help me be a good example to those who look up to me. Amen

June 28, 2009- Mold Yourself to God

Scripture to read today:
Amos 1-3; Psalm 80; 2 Timothy 4

Scripture that spoke to me:
2 Timothy 4:2-3
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

Observation:
This is Paul’s final charge to Timothy- preach always- stay above the the world- keep your head.

Application:
This is good advice- don’t let the ways of the world change who you are. But, it isn’t easy to do. We have pride- we want to fit in and have people like us. So we try to mold ourselves to others. Instead, we should try to mold ourselves to God and work to please him.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, forgive me for trying to please others more than You. Help me to keep you in the forefront.

June 21, 2009- Mark of a Minister (And a Father- Happy Father’s Day!)

Scripture to read today:

2 Kings 6; 2 Kings 7; 2 Chronicles 20; 1 Timothy 3

Scripture that spoke to me:
1 Timothy 3:2-7
Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one 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 with proper 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.

Observation:
This is Paul’s description of what a preacher should be. Someone who has managed his own life well, so that the church may be managed well, too.

Application:
I work with two preachers and also know the three at my church very well. I think they all fit this description. Not that they never make a mistake, or have flaws, but that their inner being, their character, is that of someone that people can look up to. I think of Scott, who is on track to be a minister, and see how he fits this description. I also see how God uses these fallible people to teach others about Him.

Prayer:
Lord, I pray for our ministers- that their lives are not only an example, but their hearts are, too. Be with them and their families as they set about to do Your work. Amen.

June 19, 2009- Knowledge is Not Just About the Facts

Scripture to read today:

2 Kings 1; 2 Kings 2; 2 Kings 3; Psalm 82; 1 Timothy 1

Scripture that spoke to me:
1 Timothy 1:5-7
The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

Observation:
Those who don’t understand can’t teach. Paul is telling Timothy to command these men to stop talking. They are not promoting Jesus, but themselves.

Application:
Bible teachers have to stop and take stock every now and then. The stories are good, the insights that a knowledgeable person has are good, but sometimes it becomes more about the knowledge of the facts than the knowledge of the Lord. Don’t get me wrong, the scriptures are where we find God. We learn who He is. But all the stories are just that- stories- if we can’t see God in them.

Prayer:
Lord, help me not to lose sight of You as I read the Bible, but come to know You better. Let me see Your hand at work, not only in the ancient histories, but in my world today. Amen.

June 18, 2009- Don’t Shoot the Messenger

Scripture to read today:

1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 18; 2 Chronicles 19; Colossians 4

Scripture that spoke to me:
2 Chronicles 18:7
The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.”
“The king should not say that,” Jehoshaphat replied.

Observation:
The King of Israel (Ahab) wants to go to war against Ramoth Gilead. He wants the prophets to tell him to do it and that he will be successful. But Macaiah, the Lord’s prophet, will only tell him the truth from the Lord. Ahab doesn’t like to ask him things because he tells the truth, and sometimes the truth isn’t good.

Application:
“Yes Men” seem to make it pretty far in this world. We all want people around us to support us and tell us we’re doing a good job. But when we are not, who will tell us we are not? Only true friends. A true friend isn’t worried about losing the friendship, but is worried about us doing the wrong thing. It isn’t easy to tell a friend the truth. (Even Macaiah finds this out!) It takes strength and love to be honest, especially when you know the truth is going to hurt.

Prayer:
Lord, help me approach people with honesty and integrity. And help me realize that honesty given to me is a sign of love, not condemnation. Amen.