Saturday, September 24, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
God Used A Donkey!!!
In Numbers 22, you can read the whole story, but here are the basics. The people of Israel were poised to become a very powerful nation and one of the kings in the region did not take too kindly to this. He sent messengers with gold to a guy named Balaam. Balaam was an important man at the time. He was essentially a prophet or a magician who kings would consult before going into a big battle. They wanted his blessing, and were willing to pay for it. Think of him like one of the credit rating groups today who give top-notch ratings and reviews to the companies who pay them for their "research." The king wanted Balaam to come back to his kingdom, bless his men, and curse the Israelites.
Old Balaam welcomed the men and went to decide if he should bless or curse them. His reputation depended on him accurately divining the outcome of battles. God told Balaam that he was not to do as the men wanted. Balaam refused to go with them, so the king offered more money, and eventually God gave Balaam permission to go with them, but only to tell the king he didn't want his money. God's order still stood – do not take the king's side or his bribes. Balaam went, but he went with motives contrary to this. So God cooked up one his many masterful rebukes. Balaam had this donkey. She is known as "Balaam's Donkey" to most historians today. God decided to make this donkey his instrument of truth.
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While Balaam was on his way to get money and get paid, God sent an angel, armed to the teeth to stand in his way. The funny thing was that Balaam, a prophet and diviner by trade was not able to see the angel. He was internationally renowned for having an eye into the spiritual world, but he couldn't see the sword-wielding angel right in front of him. However, he didn't just walk into the angel's waiting death blender. The donkey was able to see the angel. This silly little animal, useful only for carrying things in a slow and stubborn way, saw the angel. The donkey immediately saw the virtue of walking in a direction absent of a guy holding an unearthly sword and promptly turned off the road. Being blind of the truth, Balaam got mad at being carried off into a field and hit his donkey.
The angel moved in the way again, and Balaam's donkey wisely turned around again. Balaam hit her. This happened one more time before the donkey got fed up. She turned around to Balaam and voiced her concerns. Literally – she talked. What did she say? She demanded to know why Balaam kept hitting her! There was clearly a dude with a sword, was she just supposed to walk into him? It was at this time that God let Balaam catch up and showed him the angel that had been there. He was humbled and repented of his motives. He rode his donkey on to the king and stood up to him as God had told him to do.
I want to be like that donkey. She was as humble a creature as I can imagine. We don't think much of donkeys because they are plain and goofy. For God to use this particular animal as a prophet is just plain awesome. I want to be seen for the imperfect and ridiculous person that I am. Then I want for God to give me his vision. I want to be held in low esteem by the world and for God to use me to accomplish his goals. I want for God to give me the ability to speak to the world what they need to hear. And I want my life to be as fun and wonderful a story as this one
Old Balaam welcomed the men and went to decide if he should bless or curse them. His reputation depended on him accurately divining the outcome of battles. God told Balaam that he was not to do as the men wanted. Balaam refused to go with them, so the king offered more money, and eventually God gave Balaam permission to go with them, but only to tell the king he didn't want his money. God's order still stood – do not take the king's side or his bribes. Balaam went, but he went with motives contrary to this. So God cooked up one his many masterful rebukes. Balaam had this donkey. She is known as "Balaam's Donkey" to most historians today. God decided to make this donkey his instrument of truth.
The angel moved in the way again, and Balaam's donkey wisely turned around again. Balaam hit her. This happened one more time before the donkey got fed up. She turned around to Balaam and voiced her concerns. Literally – she talked. What did she say? She demanded to know why Balaam kept hitting her! There was clearly a dude with a sword, was she just supposed to walk into him? It was at this time that God let Balaam catch up and showed him the angel that had been there. He was humbled and repented of his motives. He rode his donkey on to the king and stood up to him as God had told him to do.
I want to be like that donkey. She was as humble a creature as I can imagine. We don't think much of donkeys because they are plain and goofy. For God to use this particular animal as a prophet is just plain awesome. I want to be seen for the imperfect and ridiculous person that I am. Then I want for God to give me his vision. I want to be held in low esteem by the world and for God to use me to accomplish his goals. I want for God to give me the ability to speak to the world what they need to hear. And I want my life to be as fun and wonderful a story as this one
Monday, September 19, 2011
Just Hurt
Work last night was really bad...
Even made a few of us mad...
Sometimes I think my work is in vain...
Then, I remember some who have been taken out of the work lane...
I came home and I just hurt...
Think I would rather work at shovelin' dirt...
My back,
My neck,
My legs just hurt...
Even my feet burn so much...
I barely walk across the floor...
I hope no one knocks at the door...
Cause I just HURT!!!
PamzSpamz
Even made a few of us mad...
Sometimes I think my work is in vain...
Then, I remember some who have been taken out of the work lane...
I came home and I just hurt...
Think I would rather work at shovelin' dirt...
My back,
My neck,
My legs just hurt...
Even my feet burn so much...
I barely walk across the floor...
I hope no one knocks at the door...
Cause I just HURT!!!
PamzSpamz
Sunday, September 18, 2011
1 John 2:18-29
It seems that the situation in the churches to which John is writing is that there were people who had been a part of the church, but had pulled away and were now trying to influence others still in the church to follow them. It sounds like John's readers are feeling unsure about what to do. They know these people who are now trying to give them a "new, improved gospel" and this makes it harder for them to discern the truth. Perhaps these people had seemed very devout and enthusiastic when in the church and now they are equally passionate about their "advanced message." From what John has written so far, the message these people promote has to do with indulging one's desires in the world and turning against certain people. They may be stirring up hate and animosity towards a particular group. They are probably advocating trends, ideas, or pleasures that unbelievers around them are pursuing, arguing that these things are either harmless or even advantageous to the believer.
John begins this section by telling his readers that they are living in the last hour and that part of how they can know this is because there are many antichrists that have come. One interesting point that John makes about these antichrists, that I alluded to already, is that they are coming out of the church. It seems that John is saying that the greatest danger to Christians will not be from those who have never been in a church, but those who at one point were involved in the church and then left. These are the ones John says he wants his readers to know about so that they won't be deceived (v.26).
I can understand why someone who was once in the church would be harder to disregard. Perhaps some of these people are still claiming to be Christians. How are the readers to discern what is the truth? This is exactly what John is addressing.
John has already said that hating your brother is not something you can do if you are loving God (2:9). So if what his readers are hearing is tempted them to hate or turn against particular individuals or groups of people, John is reminding them that that is incompatible with abiding in God. John has also told them that "if any one loves the world, love for the Father is not in him"(2:15). This is the last passage we looked at. John wants them to find their identity and life only in God and to see that pursuing "the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life"(2:16) is to turn from drawing on God's life and filling ourselves with what cannot possibly satisfy and give life.
Now John is telling them that they are in the last hour. It may be that these people John calls "antichrists" are advocating their doctrines with the argument that Jesus has left and that His kingdom is distant and doesn't really affect our lives here and now. But John says this is the last hour. I don't think John merely thought that Jesus was about to return and that he turned out to be wrong on this. I think that John is saying that all of life after the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus is in the "last hour". Don't be fooled--the kingdom is imminent, it has come closer in Christ and is still "at hand". It is the greater reality than life on this earth and should orient all that we do here and now. We live our lives differently now, in the framework of this imminent kingdom which is solid and real while "the world passes away". So this to is meant to help John's readers to remember the truth and discern the truth from falsehood. We can live now in the light of the coming rule and reign of God through Christ, because the Kingdom of God is a real hope, the actual future.
Ultimately John says in vv. 22-23 that the best way to discern what someone is saying is to know what she/he is saying about Jesus. First, he says that the antichrist is one who denies the Father and the Son, but then in the next verse he states that to deny the Son is to deny the Father. You can't have one without the other. God is the Father, Son, and Spirit God. This is who He is. To abide in God is to abide in this Trinity. To love God is to love all of God and to see that the heart of who He is and what He does involves the Father, Son, and Spirit. God is drawing us up into this very relationship of love between the Father and Son in the Spirit. To reject Jesus, but somehow to hold onto a generic "God" is to reject the Triune God revealed in Christ.
John assures his readers on the flip side that to confess Christ is to have the Father also. And he assures them more than once that God is already abiding in them by His Spirit and that He is and able to continue to teach them the truth. They do not need to be afraid that they will not be able to discern the truth. In v. 21 he tells them he is writing this to them not because they don't know the truth but because they do. In v. 27, he tells them that they have been anointed by God and that this anointing "teaches you everything". They do not need to fear. So how do they hear this Spirit? Well, John says they need to keep abiding in the word they heard from the beginning and to abide in Jesus. This I think shows the reason John's warns them about the antichrists. The real danger, the real loss when we hold onto hate, or look to the world for our life and identity is that we stop abiding, drawing on, living in, the great, good love and presence of our triune God. Did you notice how many times John repeats the word "abide" in this passage? This is the whole thing. Sometimes we want things in our lives to go faster or change. We want more immediate, tangible evidence of God's work. Or we fear we might be missing out on life somehow and so we try to grab a hold of our spiritual lives and take control.
But John reminds us over and over that it all comes down to abiding in Him. Whatever is going on in our lives, whatever we are struggling with, we are to hand it all to Him, and to rest in, wait on, live in His presence and peace. It is our abiding in Him, not counting on ourselves that will make us confident when He returns. It is interesting that shame comes not from what sins we have committed, but from not abiding in Him. So John concludes in v. 29 that we can be sure that "every one who does right is born of him" because we know Jesus is righteous. And this doing right is living in God, letting Him tell us who we are, letting Him work in our lives and in the lives of others around us, counting on Him and obeying Him out of our trust that He is light.
PamzSpamz
John begins this section by telling his readers that they are living in the last hour and that part of how they can know this is because there are many antichrists that have come. One interesting point that John makes about these antichrists, that I alluded to already, is that they are coming out of the church. It seems that John is saying that the greatest danger to Christians will not be from those who have never been in a church, but those who at one point were involved in the church and then left. These are the ones John says he wants his readers to know about so that they won't be deceived (v.26).
I can understand why someone who was once in the church would be harder to disregard. Perhaps some of these people are still claiming to be Christians. How are the readers to discern what is the truth? This is exactly what John is addressing.
John has already said that hating your brother is not something you can do if you are loving God (2:9). So if what his readers are hearing is tempted them to hate or turn against particular individuals or groups of people, John is reminding them that that is incompatible with abiding in God. John has also told them that "if any one loves the world, love for the Father is not in him"(2:15). This is the last passage we looked at. John wants them to find their identity and life only in God and to see that pursuing "the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life"(2:16) is to turn from drawing on God's life and filling ourselves with what cannot possibly satisfy and give life.
Now John is telling them that they are in the last hour. It may be that these people John calls "antichrists" are advocating their doctrines with the argument that Jesus has left and that His kingdom is distant and doesn't really affect our lives here and now. But John says this is the last hour. I don't think John merely thought that Jesus was about to return and that he turned out to be wrong on this. I think that John is saying that all of life after the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus is in the "last hour". Don't be fooled--the kingdom is imminent, it has come closer in Christ and is still "at hand". It is the greater reality than life on this earth and should orient all that we do here and now. We live our lives differently now, in the framework of this imminent kingdom which is solid and real while "the world passes away". So this to is meant to help John's readers to remember the truth and discern the truth from falsehood. We can live now in the light of the coming rule and reign of God through Christ, because the Kingdom of God is a real hope, the actual future.
Ultimately John says in vv. 22-23 that the best way to discern what someone is saying is to know what she/he is saying about Jesus. First, he says that the antichrist is one who denies the Father and the Son, but then in the next verse he states that to deny the Son is to deny the Father. You can't have one without the other. God is the Father, Son, and Spirit God. This is who He is. To abide in God is to abide in this Trinity. To love God is to love all of God and to see that the heart of who He is and what He does involves the Father, Son, and Spirit. God is drawing us up into this very relationship of love between the Father and Son in the Spirit. To reject Jesus, but somehow to hold onto a generic "God" is to reject the Triune God revealed in Christ.
John assures his readers on the flip side that to confess Christ is to have the Father also. And he assures them more than once that God is already abiding in them by His Spirit and that He is and able to continue to teach them the truth. They do not need to be afraid that they will not be able to discern the truth. In v. 21 he tells them he is writing this to them not because they don't know the truth but because they do. In v. 27, he tells them that they have been anointed by God and that this anointing "teaches you everything". They do not need to fear. So how do they hear this Spirit? Well, John says they need to keep abiding in the word they heard from the beginning and to abide in Jesus. This I think shows the reason John's warns them about the antichrists. The real danger, the real loss when we hold onto hate, or look to the world for our life and identity is that we stop abiding, drawing on, living in, the great, good love and presence of our triune God. Did you notice how many times John repeats the word "abide" in this passage? This is the whole thing. Sometimes we want things in our lives to go faster or change. We want more immediate, tangible evidence of God's work. Or we fear we might be missing out on life somehow and so we try to grab a hold of our spiritual lives and take control.
But John reminds us over and over that it all comes down to abiding in Him. Whatever is going on in our lives, whatever we are struggling with, we are to hand it all to Him, and to rest in, wait on, live in His presence and peace. It is our abiding in Him, not counting on ourselves that will make us confident when He returns. It is interesting that shame comes not from what sins we have committed, but from not abiding in Him. So John concludes in v. 29 that we can be sure that "every one who does right is born of him" because we know Jesus is righteous. And this doing right is living in God, letting Him tell us who we are, letting Him work in our lives and in the lives of others around us, counting on Him and obeying Him out of our trust that He is light.
PamzSpamz
1 John 2:15-17
How does this strong command and warning follow from the previous passage about who were now are in Christ? Well, it looks like there were people in the churches that John was writing to who were claiming the new life in Christ but were harboring hate for others and were continuing to pursue the things of the world and were trying to claim that they really loved God. In other words, though they claimed to believed all the truths about God that John has been discussing, they were not living as if these truths were true. Like someone who visits the doctor, believes in this doctor's great ability to heal, writes down all that the doctor commands, and yet goes away and does none of it. John insists that what Jesus has done, is reality and it affects real change. It is not possible to go on living as before because that is to live a lie, an unreality.
We already talked about the passage on hating your brother so I won't go back to that one now. Why is it that we cannot love the world and have the love of the Father in us? Well, to have the love of the Father in us is to know who we are and where our life really comes from. To know the love of the Father is to know that we are His children--really, truly His sons and daughters. That is not just a new label to add to all the rest, it is the reality that all roles, labels, thoughts about ourselves must conform to. We are His sons and daughters and God is making this reality more and more manifest--someday it will swallow up all the brokenness that still distorts the truth and there will be no doubt as to our true selves. God is our life, not just the origin of our biological life but the only source of true life. The Greek word for eternal life is zoe. It is not just bios, biological life going on forever and ever. It is life from God--real life, the only source of life. It goes beyond the biological and yet of course includes it, because God is the author of all life. The life God gives us in Christ is a life that is removing and destroying all the brokenness, evil and twistedness of sin. It is the life that comes from the very heart of the triune God--full of love, joy, peace, and hope.
To love the world is to still be seeking for our life and identity in it, to still believe that there is something out there that is going to give us our meaning, purpose, identity, life. Obviously, John is not speaking here of enjoying the earth and the beauty of God's creation. He is not speaking against music and art that can be enjoyed and reflected upon. And, he has already told us that to love God is to love our brothers and sisters.
He says in verse 16 that what is in the world that he is warning his readers about is "the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life." Lust is a desire for possession and control of some object, person, or circumstance. Why does one lust? Because he/she is not trusting that whole, rich life is only found in God. Because he/she is not satisfied, is restless and looking for fulfillment of these lusts to make that insatiable longing be satisfied. A lustful person is not convinced that what God is giving is truly enough.
The pride of life refers I think at least partly to the ever present concern on this world with how we appear to others. It is a concern for power (not just positional power), a desire to have influence, to be well thought of by others. Again this means that someone caught up in the pride of life is not trusting that they are already empowered by God, loved by God and "famous" with God (CS Lewis), so they seek these things elsewhere.
John wants to uncover for his readers what is really going on when we love the things of this world and indulge ourselves with them. The desire to love and pursue these things means that this person is not living in the love of the Father. We cannot receive God's life when we are looking for life somewhere else. We cannot live in His love and peace. In fact, what the world offers, is as John put it earlier, darkness. It twists and breaks us. What the world offers is what God is healing us from so that we can receive His life. And John ends this section by telling us "And the world passes away, and the lust of it." These other things we are tempted to pursue to give us life and identity, John says, are not real--they will pass away. It is not like there really are two places to find life--God and the world, but that God is a little better. The world will pass away. It is a shadow, a empty promise that cannot fulfill itself. Real life, life that lasts is in God alone.
But aren't we all still struggling at times with loving the world and the things of the world? Does this mean that God is not abiding in us? Well, I think if we go back to the 1st chapter, we see that John has already said that yes, we still sin. In fact, he says we need to keep admitting that truth and handing it over to the One who can and does forgive us and who is destroying that sin in us. God will remind us over and over of the emptiness of the world's promises. Our participation in God's work in our lives is to agree with God that our lives and true identities are only to be found in Him and to not place ourselves in temptation's way. We need reminding when we are indulging ourselves or tempted to indulge ourselves that we are seeking a very poor imitation of the life God has for us. And our obedience to what we know is right, to what we sense God is calling us to should come out of a trust that God is the only source of life and so I trust that as I take His path I will see the fruits of this over time. God does desire that we trust Him and live as if He is who He reveals Himself to be--to our ultimate joy and life. As we struggle to live in this world and not be of it, we can place our hope in God, to finish His work in us and to lovingly continue to show us the emptiness of all other "sources" of life.
This passage reminded me of a quote by C.S. Lewis that you have probably all heard before, but I am going to include it here because it fits so well:
"When he said, 'Be perfect," He meant it. He meant that we must go in for the full treatment. It is hard; but the sort of compromise we are all hankering after is harder--in fact, it is impossible. It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird; it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad..."
PamzSpamz
We already talked about the passage on hating your brother so I won't go back to that one now. Why is it that we cannot love the world and have the love of the Father in us? Well, to have the love of the Father in us is to know who we are and where our life really comes from. To know the love of the Father is to know that we are His children--really, truly His sons and daughters. That is not just a new label to add to all the rest, it is the reality that all roles, labels, thoughts about ourselves must conform to. We are His sons and daughters and God is making this reality more and more manifest--someday it will swallow up all the brokenness that still distorts the truth and there will be no doubt as to our true selves. God is our life, not just the origin of our biological life but the only source of true life. The Greek word for eternal life is zoe. It is not just bios, biological life going on forever and ever. It is life from God--real life, the only source of life. It goes beyond the biological and yet of course includes it, because God is the author of all life. The life God gives us in Christ is a life that is removing and destroying all the brokenness, evil and twistedness of sin. It is the life that comes from the very heart of the triune God--full of love, joy, peace, and hope.
To love the world is to still be seeking for our life and identity in it, to still believe that there is something out there that is going to give us our meaning, purpose, identity, life. Obviously, John is not speaking here of enjoying the earth and the beauty of God's creation. He is not speaking against music and art that can be enjoyed and reflected upon. And, he has already told us that to love God is to love our brothers and sisters.
He says in verse 16 that what is in the world that he is warning his readers about is "the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life." Lust is a desire for possession and control of some object, person, or circumstance. Why does one lust? Because he/she is not trusting that whole, rich life is only found in God. Because he/she is not satisfied, is restless and looking for fulfillment of these lusts to make that insatiable longing be satisfied. A lustful person is not convinced that what God is giving is truly enough.
The pride of life refers I think at least partly to the ever present concern on this world with how we appear to others. It is a concern for power (not just positional power), a desire to have influence, to be well thought of by others. Again this means that someone caught up in the pride of life is not trusting that they are already empowered by God, loved by God and "famous" with God (CS Lewis), so they seek these things elsewhere.
John wants to uncover for his readers what is really going on when we love the things of this world and indulge ourselves with them. The desire to love and pursue these things means that this person is not living in the love of the Father. We cannot receive God's life when we are looking for life somewhere else. We cannot live in His love and peace. In fact, what the world offers, is as John put it earlier, darkness. It twists and breaks us. What the world offers is what God is healing us from so that we can receive His life. And John ends this section by telling us "And the world passes away, and the lust of it." These other things we are tempted to pursue to give us life and identity, John says, are not real--they will pass away. It is not like there really are two places to find life--God and the world, but that God is a little better. The world will pass away. It is a shadow, a empty promise that cannot fulfill itself. Real life, life that lasts is in God alone.
But aren't we all still struggling at times with loving the world and the things of the world? Does this mean that God is not abiding in us? Well, I think if we go back to the 1st chapter, we see that John has already said that yes, we still sin. In fact, he says we need to keep admitting that truth and handing it over to the One who can and does forgive us and who is destroying that sin in us. God will remind us over and over of the emptiness of the world's promises. Our participation in God's work in our lives is to agree with God that our lives and true identities are only to be found in Him and to not place ourselves in temptation's way. We need reminding when we are indulging ourselves or tempted to indulge ourselves that we are seeking a very poor imitation of the life God has for us. And our obedience to what we know is right, to what we sense God is calling us to should come out of a trust that God is the only source of life and so I trust that as I take His path I will see the fruits of this over time. God does desire that we trust Him and live as if He is who He reveals Himself to be--to our ultimate joy and life. As we struggle to live in this world and not be of it, we can place our hope in God, to finish His work in us and to lovingly continue to show us the emptiness of all other "sources" of life.
This passage reminded me of a quote by C.S. Lewis that you have probably all heard before, but I am going to include it here because it fits so well:
"When he said, 'Be perfect," He meant it. He meant that we must go in for the full treatment. It is hard; but the sort of compromise we are all hankering after is harder--in fact, it is impossible. It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird; it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad..."
PamzSpamz
1 John 2:12-14
Now let's look at the 2 phrases addressed to the young people. They are very similar with each other, but the second one expands Johns point. The first time John says he is writing to the young people because "you have overcome the evil one" and the second time because "you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one." Again, I wonder if the young people who first heard this were a bit surprised, "I have overcome the evil one?" These are great words that John addresses to the youth. There is so much going on in those years, so many pressures. We all remember, I am sure, the struggles of these years and how everything seems so crucial. It can be very hard to stay anchored. There are plenty of times when one feels anything but strong. Linda, my daughter, is now at this age and we talk a lot about the pressures she faces at school: the pull to "fit in" and all the things that threaten to pull her off center. What great words John says here and how freeing and reassuring they are to those in the midst of youth. John says they have already overcome the evil one. But again, this isn't dependent on them, their own strength. John reminds them that "the word of God abides in you." God has already done a work in you, John is saying, and the battle against the evil one is won. Don't think when you face these daily pressures that assault you that you are defenseless or that the outcome is still to be determined and dependent on you. You can resist evil because God is truly in you and He has overcome.
If you look at John's word to both children and youth, He is reminding them of the truth of who they are in Christ. So that they can hold onto that in the midst of a world that sends other messages.
Now let's look at John's words to fathers. He says the same thing both times to them! I guess he felt it bears repeating and that the most important thing to remind them of is that they know God and that He is from the beginning. Why does he emphasize for the parents that the God they know is the One from the beginning? Well, I think because it is so tempting for fathers (and mothers too!) to believe that parenting is all up to them, that they are in a sense "the beginning"--where the buck stops. But John wants to remind them to keep their perspective in line with the truth. God is the One from the beginning. Before these fathers were fathers, were even thinking of becoming fathers, God was Father. God has always been Father and our parenting is done in that truth. God is my Father, as well as, the Father of my children. I am being Fathered by Him as I am mothering and Gary is fathering our kids. And He Fathers them as well and they grow up to be my brothers and sisters in Christ
God Bless
PamzSpamz
If you look at John's word to both children and youth, He is reminding them of the truth of who they are in Christ. So that they can hold onto that in the midst of a world that sends other messages.
Now let's look at John's words to fathers. He says the same thing both times to them! I guess he felt it bears repeating and that the most important thing to remind them of is that they know God and that He is from the beginning. Why does he emphasize for the parents that the God they know is the One from the beginning? Well, I think because it is so tempting for fathers (and mothers too!) to believe that parenting is all up to them, that they are in a sense "the beginning"--where the buck stops. But John wants to remind them to keep their perspective in line with the truth. God is the One from the beginning. Before these fathers were fathers, were even thinking of becoming fathers, God was Father. God has always been Father and our parenting is done in that truth. God is my Father, as well as, the Father of my children. I am being Fathered by Him as I am mothering and Gary is fathering our kids. And He Fathers them as well and they grow up to be my brothers and sisters in Christ
God Bless
PamzSpamz
Friday, September 16, 2011
Part 4 Study 1John 2:10-11
So now John gets back to the issue of fellowship and darkness. John is helping his readers to uncover more of what it means to live in God's light instead of the darkness. John is saying that when we abide in Christ, there is an effect on our relationships with others. Our fellowship with God is intimately connected with how we view others. Now why is that? Well, who are we abiding in? Christ. And He is the first one who truly loves God and His brothers--us! In Him, God and humanity are brought together. Jesus loves His heavenly Father and He loves us, His sisters and brothers. Jesus sees and knows and loves us--sees us clearly in our sin and darkness and loves us and rescues us to live in His life and light and to be made more and more like Him and like the sisters and brothers we were created to be.
In hating our brother, we fail to recognize that we are the same--both able to live and be redeemed and transformed only by the gracious action of God. To love our brother is to see in him/her the same good news that Jesus can break through the darkness with His light. This doesn't mean that there aren't times when we struggle with great anger and hate toward others. And it doesn't mean that we have to be absolute best buddies with everyone we meet. It goes beyond feelings. To hate our brother is to reject him, to fail to see God's love and commitment to that person, and to fail to hope for them to be filled with God's life just as we hope for that for ourselves. This does mean, though, that when we do hate someone else we have a clue that, at the time, we are no longer walking in the light and able to receive fellowship from God. Only the one who truly loves both God and brother can rescue us. Only Jesus, as we turn over our hate, can dissolve it. Really, the only way to be a sister to others is to recognize that Jesus is first a brother to them. We participate in Christ's brothering of others (and of course in His brothering of us!).
John says in v. 10 that when we abide in the light, "there is no cause for stumbling" but (in v. 11) that when we are in the darkness we do not know where we are going because darkness blinds our eyes. When we hate another, we cannot see that person clearly. When we hate even ourselves we cannot see clearly. And when we proceed to relate to another then out of hate, we proceed blindly. Here is a wonderful reason to turn our troubled relationships over to God. We cannot possibly move forward when we are looking at a distorted picture of reality. I have thought of this as I have listened to the news of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hate blinds. We come to see the "enemy" as a thing, a "cut-out" of a real human being and there is no way forward. We need to recognize who we truly are--broken creatures all in great need of being made able to receive the wonderful life God desires to pour out on us.
And what a great freedom--to turn our relationships over to the one who will never deceive us!
In hating our brother, we fail to recognize that we are the same--both able to live and be redeemed and transformed only by the gracious action of God. To love our brother is to see in him/her the same good news that Jesus can break through the darkness with His light. This doesn't mean that there aren't times when we struggle with great anger and hate toward others. And it doesn't mean that we have to be absolute best buddies with everyone we meet. It goes beyond feelings. To hate our brother is to reject him, to fail to see God's love and commitment to that person, and to fail to hope for them to be filled with God's life just as we hope for that for ourselves. This does mean, though, that when we do hate someone else we have a clue that, at the time, we are no longer walking in the light and able to receive fellowship from God. Only the one who truly loves both God and brother can rescue us. Only Jesus, as we turn over our hate, can dissolve it. Really, the only way to be a sister to others is to recognize that Jesus is first a brother to them. We participate in Christ's brothering of others (and of course in His brothering of us!).
John says in v. 10 that when we abide in the light, "there is no cause for stumbling" but (in v. 11) that when we are in the darkness we do not know where we are going because darkness blinds our eyes. When we hate another, we cannot see that person clearly. When we hate even ourselves we cannot see clearly. And when we proceed to relate to another then out of hate, we proceed blindly. Here is a wonderful reason to turn our troubled relationships over to God. We cannot possibly move forward when we are looking at a distorted picture of reality. I have thought of this as I have listened to the news of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hate blinds. We come to see the "enemy" as a thing, a "cut-out" of a real human being and there is no way forward. We need to recognize who we truly are--broken creatures all in great need of being made able to receive the wonderful life God desires to pour out on us.
And what a great freedom--to turn our relationships over to the one who will never deceive us!
Part 4 Study on 1 John 2:7-9
Up until now, I haven't pointed out the way John addresses his readers. In 2:1, he calls them "my little children" and here he says "beloved". Don't jump over this word too fast! John is telling them that this is the truth of who they are. It is not spoken of as a potential or a goal, but a reality. We are beloved...by God!!! This is the good news. The God who is light loves us, we are His beloved. We begin here, we are not trying to arrive there.
John is helping his beloved readers to see how what he is writing relates to the revelations of God that went before. First he points out that this is not new. The commandment to trustfully obey God is an old commandment. Remember, Abraham obeyed by faith. He makes two more points about this old commandment. First he reminds them that they had it "from the beginning." God has not changed in His love for us. His character, and His desire for us to count on Him and live out of that trust is constant. From the beginning, God has intended that His creatures have intimate fellowship with Him--a fellowship in the truth and therefore free of deceit. Secondly, John says that this old commandment is "the word which you have heard." So it is from the beginning and they have heard this in His word. It is God's eternal purpose and it is God's self revelation to them in His word. It's not a secret, at least anymore.
"Yet," John goes on, "I am writing you a new commandment." It is what they have heard before and yet what John is writing them about also is new. How can that be?
Again John makes two points. It is new because this commandment "is true in him and in you." Here is that word "in" again and this is an amazing phrase. The reason this is new is because it is now true in Christ and in us! Something has happened in Christ, the one who was from the beginning and yet John saw, heard, and touched Him. He is the life that has been made manifest to us, but it goes beyond that. Christ by His life, death, and resurrection, has made this commandment a living reality both in Him and in us. It is no longer a command outside of us, hanging over our heads, something we strive on our own to accomplish but always fail at. Jesus becomes human, grabs a hold of our humanity and makes this trusting, abiding, obedient relationship with His heavenly Father a reality in human flesh. And not just a reality for Himself, He makes it a reality in us. I find this so overwhelming that it is hard to feel that I can articulate adequately what this means. Actually I don't yet know all that this means. But I do know that it means that God has done something real in my life by uniting Himself to me in His Son. I forget this so easily and turn again to seeing God as external to me, watching and waiting to see if I am going to come through in my attempt to follow His example. But whether I always feel this is true John is saying that in objective reality, God has made this true in Christ and in me.
John goes on to say that this is a new commandment because "the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining." Again John is saying that the reason for the newness is because something has changed in reality. The triune God has already done something and it is continuing to have real effect. God didn't just change the rules, or decide to forgive us now. God did something--in Christ in us, and now John speaks on a larger scale of the darkness and the true light. The darkness that surrounds us and is in us in actually passing away--not because of us but because of God. It may appear quite immovable and all encompassing. There are times when I look around and I see incredible amounts of darkness. It can be so overwhelming. But John is telling us the truth. Actually the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
So this commandment to live in Christ is one we can participate in in a new and wonderful way because Christ has already made it real in my life. And I can trust this because I know the character of God is that He is all light and no darkness. This good news is hard to hold onto, isn't it? It is always amazing to me, no matter how many times I hear it. It was hard I am sure for John's first readers as well. We can abide in Christ, live in Christ, know the truth about ourselves and our complete inadequacy to save ourselves and yet not be crushed by it, because Christ has done all that is necessary to truly abide with us and share His life with us and make us more and more able to receive that life. Why wouldn't I then want to turn and abide in Him when He is working to accomplish His purposes for me? To resist His work, to not strive to get every obstacle to receiving His peace and life out of the way, seems ridiculous when I read John's words. But God desires to remind us of this truth again and again. Darkness deceives us. We can get entangled over and over in questioning whether God can be trusted. We easily forget not just His goodness, but His accomplishing a new intimacy with us in Christ which He is making manifest over time. As long as we are on this dark planet, we will still struggle with the darkness--in our relationships with God and each other, and in our lives. But John reminds His readers that the darkness is passing away, and we are made alive in Him--this is what God has accomplished and we can trust Him to go on being the light that is already shining.
My prayer for you is that you will see more clearly the truth that you are His beloved and will find strength in Him to turn to Him throughout the day for the trust and strength you need to obey in whatever He is leading you to do.
John is helping his beloved readers to see how what he is writing relates to the revelations of God that went before. First he points out that this is not new. The commandment to trustfully obey God is an old commandment. Remember, Abraham obeyed by faith. He makes two more points about this old commandment. First he reminds them that they had it "from the beginning." God has not changed in His love for us. His character, and His desire for us to count on Him and live out of that trust is constant. From the beginning, God has intended that His creatures have intimate fellowship with Him--a fellowship in the truth and therefore free of deceit. Secondly, John says that this old commandment is "the word which you have heard." So it is from the beginning and they have heard this in His word. It is God's eternal purpose and it is God's self revelation to them in His word. It's not a secret, at least anymore.
"Yet," John goes on, "I am writing you a new commandment." It is what they have heard before and yet what John is writing them about also is new. How can that be?
Again John makes two points. It is new because this commandment "is true in him and in you." Here is that word "in" again and this is an amazing phrase. The reason this is new is because it is now true in Christ and in us! Something has happened in Christ, the one who was from the beginning and yet John saw, heard, and touched Him. He is the life that has been made manifest to us, but it goes beyond that. Christ by His life, death, and resurrection, has made this commandment a living reality both in Him and in us. It is no longer a command outside of us, hanging over our heads, something we strive on our own to accomplish but always fail at. Jesus becomes human, grabs a hold of our humanity and makes this trusting, abiding, obedient relationship with His heavenly Father a reality in human flesh. And not just a reality for Himself, He makes it a reality in us. I find this so overwhelming that it is hard to feel that I can articulate adequately what this means. Actually I don't yet know all that this means. But I do know that it means that God has done something real in my life by uniting Himself to me in His Son. I forget this so easily and turn again to seeing God as external to me, watching and waiting to see if I am going to come through in my attempt to follow His example. But whether I always feel this is true John is saying that in objective reality, God has made this true in Christ and in me.
John goes on to say that this is a new commandment because "the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining." Again John is saying that the reason for the newness is because something has changed in reality. The triune God has already done something and it is continuing to have real effect. God didn't just change the rules, or decide to forgive us now. God did something--in Christ in us, and now John speaks on a larger scale of the darkness and the true light. The darkness that surrounds us and is in us in actually passing away--not because of us but because of God. It may appear quite immovable and all encompassing. There are times when I look around and I see incredible amounts of darkness. It can be so overwhelming. But John is telling us the truth. Actually the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
So this commandment to live in Christ is one we can participate in in a new and wonderful way because Christ has already made it real in my life. And I can trust this because I know the character of God is that He is all light and no darkness. This good news is hard to hold onto, isn't it? It is always amazing to me, no matter how many times I hear it. It was hard I am sure for John's first readers as well. We can abide in Christ, live in Christ, know the truth about ourselves and our complete inadequacy to save ourselves and yet not be crushed by it, because Christ has done all that is necessary to truly abide with us and share His life with us and make us more and more able to receive that life. Why wouldn't I then want to turn and abide in Him when He is working to accomplish His purposes for me? To resist His work, to not strive to get every obstacle to receiving His peace and life out of the way, seems ridiculous when I read John's words. But God desires to remind us of this truth again and again. Darkness deceives us. We can get entangled over and over in questioning whether God can be trusted. We easily forget not just His goodness, but His accomplishing a new intimacy with us in Christ which He is making manifest over time. As long as we are on this dark planet, we will still struggle with the darkness--in our relationships with God and each other, and in our lives. But John reminds His readers that the darkness is passing away, and we are made alive in Him--this is what God has accomplished and we can trust Him to go on being the light that is already shining.
My prayer for you is that you will see more clearly the truth that you are His beloved and will find strength in Him to turn to Him throughout the day for the trust and strength you need to obey in whatever He is leading you to do.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Part 3 Study of 1 John 2:1-6
Now that John has again reminded his readers of the character of the triune God he says that we know God if we keep His commandments. In fact, we are nothing better than liars if we claim we know God but we don't obey Him. Again, this makes sense in our human relationships. A child can come to know better his/her parents' hearts only as they do as they are told. They can come to see the wisdom in the things the parents ask them to do and so know their parents on a deeper level. God's commandments come out of who He is and when we do them we know better, on a deeper level, that He truly is good and for us. When we disobey (don't walk in the light) we miss the opportunity to see how He would have worked and used our obedience in our own transformation. Staying in the darkness doesn't help you see better in the darkness.
It is important, too, to remember here that a crucial part of obeying God is trusting Him, counting on Him. Trust is the foundational command so that all of our obedience is to flow out of a trust that He is active and good and present. And, as we trust Him and act on that trust, we see that He is trustworthy, we come to know Him better. As we all know it is difficult if not impossible to have an intimate friendship when there is no trust.
It is interesting to look at v.5 and see that when we keep His word, "love for God is perfected" in us. Notice it does not say that we perfect our love for God. Rather as we trust God and act on that, even when that means being honest about our own sins, God is able to do something in us--He is able to grow our love for Him to perfection--which goes back to what it means to be righteous. Righteousness, perfection, is not some abstract individual goal to attain. To be righteous is to be in right relationship. To obey God is to grow in having more and more of an intimate full loving relationship with Him. Right now I know my love for God is poor. I do not enjoy loving Him very much. How wonderful to know that some day nothing will impede me from loving Him with all that I am and so also come to love fully all His ways as well.
Last point--John says that the way to know we are in Christ is to walk or live in the same way He walked. John is speaking about something deep, internal, personal. The point is not so much that we need to follow Jesus' example but much more we should as abide where He abides, remain with Him wherever He goes, share in His heart and mind, be led by His Spirit. Being in Christ is not just imitating Him, appearing like Him, mimicking Him, letting Him be our role model. That's all superficial and shallow, external compared to what John is telling us. Jesus is far more than a example or a tool or instrument or means to an end. The connection between Jesus and us is far more profound. Jesus walked by the Spirit, trusting wholly in His good and loving Father, doing what He saw His Father doing, knowing and sharing in His very heart.
God is light and Jesus, the Righteous, by becoming the expiation for our sins has connected Himself to us in such a way that now we can share in His loving relationship with His Father and He will make us right in Him so that our fellowship with God is perfected.
And this study just makes me truly want to seek where light is and stay out of the darkness...For God is Light...
Someone once said..."It is hard to live for Jesus..."
I beg to differ...I served satan...and when I say..."I served satan..." I mean that...but Praise God I had nowhere to look but up...and Praise God that day ALL SINS WERE REMOVED AND HAVE SINNED NO MORE...THAT IS WHAT GOD WILL DO FOR YA...HIS LIGHT WILL KEEP YOU ON THE PATH CALLED STRAIGHT...
AMEN!!! It is my sincere hope that these lessons bless you as much as they are helping me in studying them...
PamzSpamz
It is important, too, to remember here that a crucial part of obeying God is trusting Him, counting on Him. Trust is the foundational command so that all of our obedience is to flow out of a trust that He is active and good and present. And, as we trust Him and act on that trust, we see that He is trustworthy, we come to know Him better. As we all know it is difficult if not impossible to have an intimate friendship when there is no trust.
It is interesting to look at v.5 and see that when we keep His word, "love for God is perfected" in us. Notice it does not say that we perfect our love for God. Rather as we trust God and act on that, even when that means being honest about our own sins, God is able to do something in us--He is able to grow our love for Him to perfection--which goes back to what it means to be righteous. Righteousness, perfection, is not some abstract individual goal to attain. To be righteous is to be in right relationship. To obey God is to grow in having more and more of an intimate full loving relationship with Him. Right now I know my love for God is poor. I do not enjoy loving Him very much. How wonderful to know that some day nothing will impede me from loving Him with all that I am and so also come to love fully all His ways as well.
Last point--John says that the way to know we are in Christ is to walk or live in the same way He walked. John is speaking about something deep, internal, personal. The point is not so much that we need to follow Jesus' example but much more we should as abide where He abides, remain with Him wherever He goes, share in His heart and mind, be led by His Spirit. Being in Christ is not just imitating Him, appearing like Him, mimicking Him, letting Him be our role model. That's all superficial and shallow, external compared to what John is telling us. Jesus is far more than a example or a tool or instrument or means to an end. The connection between Jesus and us is far more profound. Jesus walked by the Spirit, trusting wholly in His good and loving Father, doing what He saw His Father doing, knowing and sharing in His very heart.
God is light and Jesus, the Righteous, by becoming the expiation for our sins has connected Himself to us in such a way that now we can share in His loving relationship with His Father and He will make us right in Him so that our fellowship with God is perfected.
And this study just makes me truly want to seek where light is and stay out of the darkness...For God is Light...
Someone once said..."It is hard to live for Jesus..."
I beg to differ...I served satan...and when I say..."I served satan..." I mean that...but Praise God I had nowhere to look but up...and Praise God that day ALL SINS WERE REMOVED AND HAVE SINNED NO MORE...THAT IS WHAT GOD WILL DO FOR YA...HIS LIGHT WILL KEEP YOU ON THE PATH CALLED STRAIGHT...
AMEN!!! It is my sincere hope that these lessons bless you as much as they are helping me in studying them...
PamzSpamz
Death of a Friend
Today I found out that one of my best friends from church lost her husband...David Sinard passed away this morning after a long illness...
I remember the day that he and Lisa met...LOL...it was a love-hate relationship...they were so not what you would have thought...but their combination complimented each other...
They had Beth and Lisa's whole world was wrapped at that moment...
Then they adopted Johnny...
Their family and love grew...
My heart goes out to Lisa, Beth and Johnny...
God they will need your strength as these days will be hard for them...except knowing that he is now with You...
---RIP---
David Sinard...
I remember the day that he and Lisa met...LOL...it was a love-hate relationship...they were so not what you would have thought...but their combination complimented each other...
They had Beth and Lisa's whole world was wrapped at that moment...
Then they adopted Johnny...
Their family and love grew...
My heart goes out to Lisa, Beth and Johnny...
God they will need your strength as these days will be hard for them...except knowing that he is now with You...
---RIP---
David Sinard...
Part 2 Study of 1 John 1:5-10
This is a meaty passage, isn't it? And at first it seems a bit confusing. John seems to be saying that we cannot fellowship with God if we are still sinning, but also that we are sinners and to say differently is to make God a liar.
Let's consider the passage as a whole. John speaks of fellowship here--both with God and with one another. Fellowship is closely related in John's mind... with how we are living our lives. And we deceive ourselves when we try to pretend this isn't not so (i.e. I can live anyway I want and it should not affect our friendship in the least). Walking in the light is the way to have real fellowship with God and each other. In fact , in verses 8 and 10, John says that we cannot have God's truth (v.8) or his word (v.10) in us if we are not truthful about ourselves.
Now consider how John talks about sin and darkness here. We looked at v.5 last week and noticed that John was excited to share with them the truth that God is all light and that there is no "dark side" to him so that we can trust him utterly. Now he continues with this darkness idea in v. 6 by saying that we cannot fellowship, have an intimate relationship with God when we are walking in the darkness. So what does it mean for us to walk in the light? Does it mean to be sinless? Actually no, because John goes on to say in v.8 that we are deceiving ourselves when we claim we have no sin. And this seems to be following directly on his thought in v.6 about walking in the darkness. I think that John is saying that darkness involves deceit, being deceived about yourself and others. When we walk in darkness, we remain in a place of deceit. And what are we deceived about? About who we are, and where our source of life and identity truly lie. We say we are fellowshipping with God, but we are not receiving His light into our lives.
What ultimately is sin? Sin is not trusting God to be our life, not trusting Him to be the triune God He has revealed Himself to be. Sin is not just what we do wrong--the deeper part of sin is the lack of trust in God that these deeds spring from. Sin then is related to this deceit and darkness. And of course, deceit leads to a greater and greater desire to cover up the truth. We can become afraid of the light, because of what it may reveal. And this I think is why John begins by assuring his readers about the character of God. God is not deceiving us--if there is any light we can count on to be for us, it is God's light. It will not be easy for it to shine in our lives but we can be sure that it will lead to full life--fellowship with God and with others.
What may seem ironic is, that the way to step into the light is to admit we are in darkness, that we sin. God in other words, is not expecting me to be perfectly trusting of Him on my own, or to be perfect independent of Him (as if that were even possible!) I begin and continue to move forward by confessing to God that I am not counting on Him to be all that He is in my life. I hand over to Him my lack of trust and I stop deceiving myself that I am really very together already. It seems, in fact, that John is saying that one way we know the truth is in us is that we see more clearly our sin. God's truth, His words, moves in and we see more and more as we walk with Him the many ways we have not yet trusted Him and the many ways we charge ahead on our own every day.
And what does John say about this sin? That when we confess it, God is faithful and just and will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So John turns his readers back to the wonderful character of God and expands their understanding of what it means that He is light. God is faithful, just, forgiving, and cleansing. Apparently then, it is not our job to make ourselves righteous. We participate in God's making us righteous by turning over to him all the junk His light continues to reveal to us.
God Bless,
PamzSpamz
Let's consider the passage as a whole. John speaks of fellowship here--both with God and with one another. Fellowship is closely related in John's mind... with how we are living our lives. And we deceive ourselves when we try to pretend this isn't not so (i.e. I can live anyway I want and it should not affect our friendship in the least). Walking in the light is the way to have real fellowship with God and each other. In fact , in verses 8 and 10, John says that we cannot have God's truth (v.8) or his word (v.10) in us if we are not truthful about ourselves.
Now consider how John talks about sin and darkness here. We looked at v.5 last week and noticed that John was excited to share with them the truth that God is all light and that there is no "dark side" to him so that we can trust him utterly. Now he continues with this darkness idea in v. 6 by saying that we cannot fellowship, have an intimate relationship with God when we are walking in the darkness. So what does it mean for us to walk in the light? Does it mean to be sinless? Actually no, because John goes on to say in v.8 that we are deceiving ourselves when we claim we have no sin. And this seems to be following directly on his thought in v.6 about walking in the darkness. I think that John is saying that darkness involves deceit, being deceived about yourself and others. When we walk in darkness, we remain in a place of deceit. And what are we deceived about? About who we are, and where our source of life and identity truly lie. We say we are fellowshipping with God, but we are not receiving His light into our lives.
What ultimately is sin? Sin is not trusting God to be our life, not trusting Him to be the triune God He has revealed Himself to be. Sin is not just what we do wrong--the deeper part of sin is the lack of trust in God that these deeds spring from. Sin then is related to this deceit and darkness. And of course, deceit leads to a greater and greater desire to cover up the truth. We can become afraid of the light, because of what it may reveal. And this I think is why John begins by assuring his readers about the character of God. God is not deceiving us--if there is any light we can count on to be for us, it is God's light. It will not be easy for it to shine in our lives but we can be sure that it will lead to full life--fellowship with God and with others.
What may seem ironic is, that the way to step into the light is to admit we are in darkness, that we sin. God in other words, is not expecting me to be perfectly trusting of Him on my own, or to be perfect independent of Him (as if that were even possible!) I begin and continue to move forward by confessing to God that I am not counting on Him to be all that He is in my life. I hand over to Him my lack of trust and I stop deceiving myself that I am really very together already. It seems, in fact, that John is saying that one way we know the truth is in us is that we see more clearly our sin. God's truth, His words, moves in and we see more and more as we walk with Him the many ways we have not yet trusted Him and the many ways we charge ahead on our own every day.
And what does John say about this sin? That when we confess it, God is faithful and just and will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So John turns his readers back to the wonderful character of God and expands their understanding of what it means that He is light. God is faithful, just, forgiving, and cleansing. Apparently then, it is not our job to make ourselves righteous. We participate in God's making us righteous by turning over to him all the junk His light continues to reveal to us.
God Bless,
PamzSpamz
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
My Baby Turned 30...
Wow...where has time gone???
On September 11th...my baby...Stephanie turned 30...This was a hard one for me...harder than when I turned 50...But then does a Mom ever really let go??? No, I do not think so...No wonder they say that a Mother's Love is next to God's Love...and His is even so much more...
It was a great day though...She was able to spend it with both of her boys...
They are both like her and in so many different ways...gotta love her...LOL...
I love you Stephanie...
MOM...
On September 11th...my baby...Stephanie turned 30...This was a hard one for me...harder than when I turned 50...But then does a Mom ever really let go??? No, I do not think so...No wonder they say that a Mother's Love is next to God's Love...and His is even so much more...
It was a great day though...She was able to spend it with both of her boys...
They are both like her and in so many different ways...gotta love her...LOL...
I love you Stephanie...
MOM...
Monday, September 12, 2011
Satan Called a Convention
Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, "We can't keep Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from conservative values. But we can do something else. We can keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to church, let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that experience in Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"
"How shall we do this?" shouted his angels.
"Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent unnumbered schemes to occupy their minds" he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend then borrow, borrow, borrow. Convince the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work six or seven days a week, ten to twelve hours a day so they can afford their lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work."
"Overstimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive, to keep the TV, VCR, CD's and their PC's going constantly in their homes. And see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."
Fill their coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, sweepstakes, mail order catalogues, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering, free products, services and false hopes."
"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted, and unprepared for the coming week. Don't let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead. And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotion."
"Let them be involved in soul-winning. But crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family unity for the good of the cause."
It was quite a convention in the end. And the evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, busy and rush here and there.
Has the devil been successful at his schemes? You be the judge.
"How shall we do this?" shouted his angels.
"Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent unnumbered schemes to occupy their minds" he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend then borrow, borrow, borrow. Convince the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work six or seven days a week, ten to twelve hours a day so they can afford their lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work."
"Overstimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive, to keep the TV, VCR, CD's and their PC's going constantly in their homes. And see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."
Fill their coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, sweepstakes, mail order catalogues, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering, free products, services and false hopes."
"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted, and unprepared for the coming week. Don't let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead. And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotion."
"Let them be involved in soul-winning. But crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family unity for the good of the cause."
It was quite a convention in the end. And the evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, busy and rush here and there.
Has the devil been successful at his schemes? You be the judge.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Burning Brightly
John 5:32 "He was a burning and a shining light..."
When John came to bare witness of the truth, Jesus said He was a burning and a shining light. By the commission of God, the truth was burning in and through John, and so he bore witness to the truth. Whilst a burning fire most certainly bares light, it needs to be fuelled in order to do so. When a fire runs low on fuel and it is not quickly replenished, it slowly but surely stops giving light and starts emitting smoke. The problem with smoke is that, rather than giving light, it begins to burn the eyes, the nose and the throat, often suffocating those who inhale it.
The point is that our witness for Christ can have either a positive or a negative affect on people; depending on how the fire is burning within us, that is, how our lives are affected by and for Christ. Sadly, many times we hear people say that some of the most defeated, negative, murmuring, contentious, selfish, hypocritical and unhappy people around are those who also profess to know Christ. Now whilst we can never judge whether others truly know Christ or not, what the Word of God does tell us is that we will be known by our fruit; that which is forthcoming from our professed relationship with Christ Jesus.
Our witness for Christ should not be an unbearable fog of condemnation, judgement and a list of do's and don'ts. It should not be a holier than thou attitude which looks down on others. It should not suffocate others to the point of gasping for air and wanting to find the closest emergency exit. Rather, our witness for Christ should be a burning and shinning light to others. It should be one of following God as dear children and walking in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.
Our witness should be one which radiantly shines forth love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self control; all of which comes from that which we have so graciously, mercifully and lovingly been freely afforded in and through the spirit of Christ who now abides in us and us in Him.
Today, may we be encouraged that our testimony produces the light of Christ for all to see and always only to the glory of God. In this day and age, let us more fervently spend time in the Word of God, pray without ceasing and not neglect the gathering together of the saints; as we continue steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers. For it is in so doing that fuel will continually be added to the fire that burns within each one of us, and it is in this way that Jesus Christ will work mightily in every individual member of His Body; shining His light to the world in and through you and me.
God Bless,
PKShttp://www.bible%20pictures.com/
When John came to bare witness of the truth, Jesus said He was a burning and a shining light. By the commission of God, the truth was burning in and through John, and so he bore witness to the truth. Whilst a burning fire most certainly bares light, it needs to be fuelled in order to do so. When a fire runs low on fuel and it is not quickly replenished, it slowly but surely stops giving light and starts emitting smoke. The problem with smoke is that, rather than giving light, it begins to burn the eyes, the nose and the throat, often suffocating those who inhale it.
The point is that our witness for Christ can have either a positive or a negative affect on people; depending on how the fire is burning within us, that is, how our lives are affected by and for Christ. Sadly, many times we hear people say that some of the most defeated, negative, murmuring, contentious, selfish, hypocritical and unhappy people around are those who also profess to know Christ. Now whilst we can never judge whether others truly know Christ or not, what the Word of God does tell us is that we will be known by our fruit; that which is forthcoming from our professed relationship with Christ Jesus.
Our witness for Christ should not be an unbearable fog of condemnation, judgement and a list of do's and don'ts. It should not be a holier than thou attitude which looks down on others. It should not suffocate others to the point of gasping for air and wanting to find the closest emergency exit. Rather, our witness for Christ should be a burning and shinning light to others. It should be one of following God as dear children and walking in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.
Our witness should be one which radiantly shines forth love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self control; all of which comes from that which we have so graciously, mercifully and lovingly been freely afforded in and through the spirit of Christ who now abides in us and us in Him.
Today, may we be encouraged that our testimony produces the light of Christ for all to see and always only to the glory of God. In this day and age, let us more fervently spend time in the Word of God, pray without ceasing and not neglect the gathering together of the saints; as we continue steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers. For it is in so doing that fuel will continually be added to the fire that burns within each one of us, and it is in this way that Jesus Christ will work mightily in every individual member of His Body; shining His light to the world in and through you and me.
God Bless,
Friday, September 9, 2011
He Is God
He is the First and Last,
The Beginning and the End!
He is the keeper of Creation and the Creator of all!
He is the Architect of the universe and the Manager of all times.
He always was, He always is, and He always will be ...
unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never Undone!
He was bruised and brought healing!
He was pierced and eased pain!
He was persecuted and brought freedom!
He was dead and brought life!
He is risen and brings power!
He reigns and brings Peace!
The world can't understand him,
The armies can't defeat Him,
The schools can't explain Him, and The leaders can't ignore Him.
Herod couldn't kill Him, The Pharisees couldn't confuse Him, and The people couldn't hold Him!
Nero couldn't crush Him, Hitler couldn't silence Him,
The New Age can't replace Him, and "Oprah" can't explain Him away!
He is light, love, longevity, and Lord.
He is goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, and God.
He is Holy, Righteous, mighty, powerful, and pure.
His ways are right,
His word is eternal,
His will is unchanging, and His mind is on me.
He is my Savior,
He is my guide, and He is my peace!
He is my Joy,
He is my comfort,
He is my Lord, and He rules my life!
I serve Him because His bond is love,
His burden is light, and His goal for me is abundant life.
I follow Him because He is the wisdom of the wise,
the power of the powerful,
the ancient of days, the ruler of rulers, the leader of leaders, the overseer of the overcomers, and is to come. And if that seems impressive to you, try this for size.
His goal is a relationship with ME!
He will never leave me,
never forsake me,
never mislead me,
never forget me,
never overlook me and
never cancel my appointment in His appointment book!
When I fall, He lifts me up!
When I fail, He forgives!
When I am weak, He is strong!
When I am lost, He is the way!
When I am afraid, He is my courage!
When I stumble, He steadies me!
When I am hurt, He heals me!
When I am broken, He mends me!
When I am blind, He leads me!
When I am hungry, He feeds me!
When I face trials, He is with me!
When I face persecution, He shields me!
When I face problems, He comforts me!
When I face loss, He provides for me!
When I face Death, He carries me Home!
He is everything for everybody everywhere, every time, and every way.
He is God, He is faithful. I am His, and He is mine!
My Father in heaven can whip the father of this world.
So, if you're wondering why I feel so secure, understand this...
He said it and that settles it.
God is in control, I am on His side,
and that means all is well with my soul.
Everyday is a blessing for GOD Is!
The Beginning and the End!
He is the keeper of Creation and the Creator of all!
He is the Architect of the universe and the Manager of all times.
He always was, He always is, and He always will be ...
unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never Undone!
He was bruised and brought healing!
He was pierced and eased pain!
He was persecuted and brought freedom!
He was dead and brought life!
He is risen and brings power!
He reigns and brings Peace!
The world can't understand him,
The armies can't defeat Him,
The schools can't explain Him, and The leaders can't ignore Him.
Herod couldn't kill Him, The Pharisees couldn't confuse Him, and The people couldn't hold Him!
Nero couldn't crush Him, Hitler couldn't silence Him,
The New Age can't replace Him, and "Oprah" can't explain Him away!
He is light, love, longevity, and Lord.
He is goodness, Kindness, Gentleness, and God.
He is Holy, Righteous, mighty, powerful, and pure.
His ways are right,
His word is eternal,
His will is unchanging, and His mind is on me.
He is my Savior,
He is my guide, and He is my peace!
He is my Joy,
He is my comfort,
He is my Lord, and He rules my life!
I serve Him because His bond is love,
His burden is light, and His goal for me is abundant life.
I follow Him because He is the wisdom of the wise,
the power of the powerful,
the ancient of days, the ruler of rulers, the leader of leaders, the overseer of the overcomers, and is to come. And if that seems impressive to you, try this for size.
His goal is a relationship with ME!
He will never leave me,
never forsake me,
never mislead me,
never forget me,
never overlook me and
never cancel my appointment in His appointment book!
When I fall, He lifts me up!
When I fail, He forgives!
When I am weak, He is strong!
When I am lost, He is the way!
When I am afraid, He is my courage!
When I stumble, He steadies me!
When I am hurt, He heals me!
When I am broken, He mends me!
When I am blind, He leads me!
When I am hungry, He feeds me!
When I face trials, He is with me!
When I face persecution, He shields me!
When I face problems, He comforts me!
When I face loss, He provides for me!
When I face Death, He carries me Home!
He is everything for everybody everywhere, every time, and every way.
He is God, He is faithful. I am His, and He is mine!
My Father in heaven can whip the father of this world.
So, if you're wondering why I feel so secure, understand this...
He said it and that settles it.
God is in control, I am on His side,
and that means all is well with my soul.
Everyday is a blessing for GOD Is!
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