Following Christ without a box

help, generous, mercy

2012-02-01T04:33:00.002-05:00

This morning here's where I read...

Ecclesiastes 6 (When Solomon wrote this book, I think he was a bit depressive toward the end of his life),

Proverbs 19 (another book written by Solomon, a bit more encouraging),

1 Peter 2.

There's a lot of good stuff in each of these chapters. But in all of that, this is the only verse that came up off the page...

Proverbs 19:17 If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord - and He will repay you! (NLT)

or, in the ESV - Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his deed.

Here's the paraphrase in The Message - Mercy to the needy is a loan to God, and God pays back those loans in full.

So, what does that mean for you?

I wonder why it came up off the page for me today?

testing

2012-01-31T05:08:00.002-05:00

1 Peter 1:6 (NLT) So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead,

even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while.

7 These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong & pure.

It is being tested as fire tests & purifies gold...

& your faith is more precious to God than mere gold.

Who's this for this morning besides me?

Here it is from The Message...

"I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime.

"Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine.

"When Jesus wraps this all up, it's your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory."

2 > 1

2012-01-30T04:30:00.002-05:00

Ecclesiates 4: 9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.

10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help.

But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.

11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm.

But how can one be warm alone?

12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer.

Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Especially during these last 17 months, I simply don't think I could have made it w/o my wife, Lynn. What a gift she is!

stuff

2012-01-29T04:49:00.002-05:00

Here's some stuff I read this a.m....

Ecclesiatstes 3
1 For everything there is a season,
  a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die.
  A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal.
  A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh.
  A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
  A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching.
  A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend.
  A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate.
  A time for war and a time for peace.

11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end.

Proverbs 16
1 We can make our own plans,
  but the LORD gives the right answer.

2 People may be pure in their own eyes,
  but the LORD examines their motives.

3 Commit your actions to the LORD,
  and your plans will succeed.

5 The LORD detests the proud;
  they will surely be punished.

6 Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin.
  By fearing the LORD, people avoid evil.

7 When people's lives please the LORD,
  even their enemies are at peace with them.

8 Better to have little, with godliness,
  than to be rich and dishonest.

9 We can make our plans,
  but the LORD determines our steps.

16 How much better to get wisdom than gold,
  and good judgment than silver!

18 Pride goes before destruction,
  and haughtiness before a fall.

19 Better to live humbly with the poor
  than to share plunder with the proud.

25 There is a path before each person that seems right,
  but it ends in death.

31 Gray hair is a crown of glory;
  it is gained by living a godly life.

32 Better to be patient than powerful;
  better to have self-control than to conquer a city.

33 We may throw the dice,
  but the LORD determines how they fall.

leading

2012-01-28T05:01:00.002-05:00

This vid goes with words below...
All the way my Savior leads me - Chris Tomlin

http://youtu.be/Lvi1UM_4YcM

All the way my Savior leads me
Who have I to ask beside
How could I doubt His tender mercy
Who through life has been my guide

All the way my Savior leads me
Cheers each winding path I tread
Gives me grace for every trial
Feeds me with the living bread

You lead me and keep me from falling
You carry me close to Your heart
And surely Your goodness
And mercy will follow me

All the way my Savior leads me
Oh, the fullness of His love
Oh, the sureness of His promise
In the triumph of His blood

And when my spirit clothed immortal
Wings its flight to realms of day
This my song through endless ages
Jesus led me all the way
Jesus led me all the way

You lead me and keep me from falling
You carry me close to Your heart
And surely Your goodness
And mercy will follow me

You lead me and keep me from falling
You carry me close to Your heart
And surely Your goodness
And mercy will follow me,
will follow me

All the way my Savior leads me
All the way my Savior leads me

radical

2012-01-27T05:25:00.002-05:00

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
and a light for my path. (NLT & ESV)

I LOVE to sleep. Getting up early was such a struggle because I just love the warm & fuzzy feeling of lying in bed, all covered up, warm, & comfortable.

Let's have a moment of silence for lying in bed, all covered up, warm, & comfortable...

now, picture this...

beginning of January, 2003...

I start waking up at 4:30 to 5 A.M.!!! - for no reason.

Every morning during the first 2 weeks of January of 2003 I'm waking up. And this isn't my usual kinda groggy, sleepy kinda waking up. This is a HELLO! I'M AWAKE! kinda thing.

I was NOT amused.

After a couple of weeks of this, I asked my wife, Lynn, about it. (She's nurse practitioner)

I figured she was gonna say it's just another facet of being in your fifties. (whee)

She says, "I don't know. Maybe the Lord is trying to tell you something. Why don't you ask Him"

So, the next morning, when I woke up, I asked Him if there was something He was trying to tell me.

A Voice inside my head said, "Get up and read."

As much as I like to sleep, that was not something I would say to me.

So, I got up, read in the Bible, I listened.

And I've been doing that every morning ever since. I don't set the alarm, never have - God just wakes me up. Now it's more like 4am when He does that. And I just wake up. HELLO!

My life has been wrecked by doing this - in a good way.

God started talking to me, & He ain't stopped. He talks to me thru my eyes.

I read a psalm every day (me & Billy Graham), I read a chapter in the new testament, & a chapter in the old testament. I read sequencially - iow, I'm read in, say, Acts, straight thru. Then maybe James, then the gospels, etc. You get the idea. I don't read randomly.

He's wrecked me.

My life has gone through so many changes. He's constantly healing me, changing me, pruning me (back to the ground sometimes), encouraging me, loving on me, disciplining me, kicking my butt!

Iow, He's being a Father.

He's taken me in directions & places I never would have chosen. I've said & done things I never would have chosen to say or do.

He says just the things I need to heard that day through the places I "just happen" to read that morning.

He's given me verses or passages to hold on to during a year or season that have literally kept me from losing my mind (what's left of it!)

I have just one ting to say about this...

PLEASE DO THIS TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

The smartest thing I've EVER done was getting up each morning, reading the Bible, & listening out for what He might have to say to me.

The dumbest thing I've ever done?

Waiting until I was 52 1/2 yrs old to do it.

Don't be as dumb as I was.

hope deferred

2012-01-26T04:58:00.002-05:00

I'm doing a dangerous thing - I'm asking for opinions! ;-)

What does this verse mean, practically speaking, for us?

I've given you a few different translations to give you perspective.

Proverbs 13:12

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
  but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. (NLT)

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
   but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. (NIV)

Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick,
   but a sudden good break can turn life around. (The Message)

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
   but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. (ESV)

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life. (Amplified)

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life. (NKJV)

so...

2012-01-25T04:56:00.002-05:00

Exodus 22:28

NLT - You must not dishonor God or curse any of your rulers.

NIV - Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.

ESV - You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

The Message - Don't curse God; and don't damn your leaders.

Amplified - You shall not revile God [the judges as His agents] or esteem lightly or curse a ruler of your people.

NASB - You shall not curse God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

Holman - You must not blaspheme God or curse a leader among your people.

NKJV - You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

Hmmmmmm... somethin' tells me that no matter how we translate it, we're in trouble, no matter which side of the aisle we sit on.

thoughts from Proverbs 11

2012-01-24T05:49:00.002-05:00

Here's some selected verse that proved interesting this morning...

Proverbs 11

2 Pride leads to disgrace,
  but with humility comes wisdom.

4 Riches won't help on the day of judgment,
  but right living can save you from death.

5 The godly are directed by honesty;
  the wicked fall beneath their load of sin.

7 When the wicked die, their hopes die with them,
  for they rely on their own feeble strength.

12 It is foolish to belittle one's neighbor;
  a sensible person keeps quiet. (dan note: the old I get the more I think it's best to say little & listen much)

13 A gossip goes around telling secrets,
  but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.

14 Without wise leadership, a nation falls;
  there is safety in having many advisers.

17 Your kindness will reward you,
  but your cruelty will destroy you.

19 Godly people find life;
  evil people find death.

20 The LORD detests people with crooked hearts,
  but he delights in those with integrity.

22 A beautiful woman (dan note: or a handsome man) who lacks discretion
  is like a gold ring in a pig's snout.

25 The generous will prosper;
  those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

27 If you search for good, you will find favor;
  but if you search for evil, it will find you! (dan note: boy, howdy!)

31 If the righteous are rewarded here on earth,
  what will happen to wicked sinners?

think about it

2012-01-23T05:20:00.002-05:00

Proverbs 10:24 The fears of the wicked will all come true; so will the hopes of the godly.

work assigned

2012-01-22T05:06:00.002-05:00

Acts 20:24 But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus - the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

Ministry isn't something we do.

Ministry is something we are.

So many people I know don't minister, or don't think they can minister, unless they're in some position at some church or organization.

If we are called to minister, it will just come out of us, whether we in a position or not.

It's something that compels us.

It's something for which we must find expression in our life because it's the very essence of who we are.

And even though we ay not see it until we get to heaven, the ripple effect of God loving & caring through us in ministering to others is eternal.

I wish I could be more articulate, but after Lynn's flight from Kenya FINALLY got there, we didn't get back from the Atlanta airport until late & we didn't get to sleep until after midnight, so I'm a little sleep (well, actually, I feel a little frayed around the edges!)

take the time

2012-01-21T04:31:00.002-05:00

Acts 19
8 Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God. 9 But some became stubborn, rejecting his message and publicly speaking against the Way. So Paul left the synagogue and took the believers with him.

Then he held daily discussions at the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout the province of Asia—both Jews and Greeks—heard the word of the Lord.

We live in an instant society & culture. We want what we want, & we want it NOW!

Living in this kind of paradigm sometimes makes our attempts at so called evangelism to sometimes take on the characteristics of a drive by shooting - it's kinda like we fling a lot of truthful statements at people as we're passing by them.

It's interesting that Paul spent 2 years having "discussions" with people in Ephesus - 2 years. It doesn't say if he had good crowds, small crowds, or what.

There doesn't seem to be a lot of goal orientation in this activity. Boy! I wonder how long Paul would last in our goal oriented, success drive world?!

The notes in my Bible say that lecture halls like this one in Greece were used for schooling in the mornings, but during the hot part in middle of the day, they were not.

So, let me get this right...

During the hot part of the day, when people are off work, Paul goes each day to a place of indeterminate size (& temperature) in Ephesus to sit around & discuss the fact that Jesus is the Messiah. And he does this for 2 years.

2 years.

Here's what I think we need to grasp here (among other things). Sharing the truths about Jesus & a relationship with Him is something that people will listen to if they know the person who's doing the talking.

Iow, they need to know you & me. Impacting people for Jesus takes an investment of time & effort on our parts in the people that we want to reach for Jesus.

John Maxwell has written that "People don't care what you know until they know you care."

Yeah...

That applies especially in trying to influence them to become Christ followers.

So, let's take time, however long, to connect with people, love them, show them who we are, & share with them the life we find in & thru Jesus.

holding on

2012-01-20T04:59:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, ya just have to sit & hold on to what you can...

Isaiah 41:9b NLT For I have chosen you & will not throw you away.
   10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
   Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
   I will strengthen you.
   I will help you.
   I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

Matthew 6:33 The Message Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.

Don't worry about missing out.

You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

34"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now,
         and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.

God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

causing trouble

2012-01-19T04:46:00.002-05:00

Acts 17
1 Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was Paul's custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. 3 He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, "This Jesus I'm telling you about is the Messiah." 4 Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women.

5 But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd. 6 Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council. "Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world," they shouted, "and now they are here disturbing our city, too.

I wonder how many of us could be accused of causing trouble simply by sharing the truths about Jesus?

I'm not suggesting we cause civil unrest - Paul & Silas certainly didn't.

But their sharing about Jesus as the Messiah certainly cause a stir.

How many of us are willing to risk causing a stir in sharing what we've found in Jesus?

believing

2012-01-18T02:52:00.002-05:00

Acts 16:16 One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a demon-possessed slave girl. She was a fortune-teller who earned a lot of money for her masters. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved."

  18 This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And instantly it left her.

  19 Her masters' hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. 20 "The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!" they shouted to the city officials. 21 "They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice."

  22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn't escape. 24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.

  25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! 27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, "Stop! Don't kill yourself! We are all here!"

  29 The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

  31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household." 32 And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. 33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. 34 He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.

keeping on

2012-01-17T04:48:00.002-05:00

Pro 4:25 Look straight ahead,
      and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
26 Mark out a straight path for your feet;
      stay on the safe path.
27 Don’t get sidetracked;
      keep your feet from following evil.

And these were the other verses in Proverbs that God gave me at the beginning of 2010 for this season.

Do you know how hard it is to not look around at the way things are, but keep looking at the central vision for this season?

Do you know how tough it is to keep moving forward when there's little to no light?

Do you know how difficult it is to not be distracted by the many gajillion things that have been thrown in our pathway to divert, discourage, undermine, & confuse us?

And yet, we're just putting one foot in front of the other.

I've held on to these verses too, as simple instructions on how to live especially in this season, one day at a time.

trust

2012-01-16T04:03:00.002-05:00

Proverb 3:5-6 The Message
Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
He's the one who will keep you on track.

On January 18, 2010, (like 2 yrs ago this coming Wednesday) God gave me these verses, amongst 5 passages, to hold on to during this present season of my life.

To say that I've held on to these verses with a death grip is an understatement.

Many times since, they've kept me from losing what little sanity I have.

Holding on to the central fact that I must trust God & not figure it all out is something that keeps me putting 1 foot in front of the other.

Even in all that has transpired in these last couple 2 yrs, can I say we can trust Him?

Yes.

scandalous

2012-01-15T02:54:00.002-05:00

Acts 13:38b ...through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. 39a Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God...

This is the scandal of the depth of God's forgiveness...

If we ask, if anyone asks, we can get forgiven, of anything.

Anyone...

So, does that mean if Osama bin Laden had asked for forgiveness for his sins, God would have forgiven him?

Or if Hitler had?

Or Saddam Hussein?

Or Kim Jong Il?

Or you?

Or me?

Scandalous!

missing it

2012-01-14T06:10:00.002-05:00

Matthew 6:33b (The Message) Don't worry about missing out.

You ever feel like you've missed it?

But God is far more interested in us "getting it" than we are.

If that is true, & we love the Lord with all our soul, mind, & strength, & we answer yesr to whatever, whoever, whenever, wherever, & however, then wouldn't it make sense that the chances of us "missing it" be pretty slim?

Just a thought...

made it thru psalms, again

2012-01-13T05:17:00.002-05:00

Made it through Psalms 1 more time! What a rich, rich book. I read a psalm every morning until I read thru it, then read thru Proverbs, then start back thru psalms.

Just sayin'...

Psalm 150
1 Praise the LORD!

   Praise God in his sanctuary;
      praise him in his mighty heaven!
2 Praise him for his mighty works;
      praise his unequaled greatness!
3 Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn;
      praise him with the lyre and harp!
4 Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;
      praise him with strings and flutes!
5 Praise him with a clash of cymbals;
      praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
6 Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD!
   Praise the LORD!

amazing

2012-01-12T06:20:00.004-05:00

You have NO idea how this is SO where I need to be these days. I've put each separate thought that pops out in these verses on a separate line. I just wonder how this is all gonna play out in my life this year.

Matthew 6 The Message

33 Steep your life in...

God-reality,

God-initiative,

God-provisions.

Don't worry about missing out.

You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

34 "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now,

and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.

God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up

when the time comes.

in my head

2012-01-11T00:56:00.004-05:00

Here's what's running around in my head now...

All of You is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

You are my supply
My breath of life
And still more awesome than I know
You are my reward
worth living for
And still more awesome than I know

All of You is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

You’re my sacrifice
Of greatest price
And still more awesome than I know
You’re the coming King
You are everything
And still more awesome than I know

All of You is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

More than all I want
More than all I need
You are more than enough for me
More than all I know
More than all I can say
You are more than enough for me

All of You is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You is more than enough
(Enough - Christ Tomlin)

Matthew 6:33 Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
34 "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

get off our butts

2012-01-10T04:10:00.005-05:00

Psalm 8:1 A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. 2 (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.) 3 But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.

4 But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.

This describes events shortly after Stephen (1st Christian martyr) was stoned to death, the account of which is found in Acts 7.

It does make ya wonder that the persecution was used by God to get His new Christian followers off their butts & out into the world. There are accounts earlier in Acts about how they had sold their earthly goods, had their money held in common with everyone else, & were basically waiting for Jesus to return.

God wasn't gonna have any of that.

So there was persecution, so they headed for the hills.

The result?

The people who ran off to get away from Saul's persecution ended up telling people about Jesus, & spreading the gospel.

Hmmmmmmm...

Sometimes we bellyache when things aren't going just peachy keen.

Maybe God's using tough times to get us off our butts & spread the gospel.

Just a thought...

me & Billy

2012-01-08T05:41:00.004-05:00

I heard about 10 yrs ago that Billy Graham reads a psalm & a proverb every day. I thought if it's good enough for Billy, it's good enough for me ;-)

So, I started reading through psalms, 1 a day. When I get through all 150, then I read a chapter in Proverbs each day. I also read each day somewhere else in the Old Testament (I'm in Job right now - AAUGH!) & somewhere in the New Testament (I'm in Acts right now)

I can't tell you how reading a psalm each day has changed my life. Yeah, there's some where David asks the Lord to bash in the teeth of his enemies. But for the most part, it's pretty good stuff.

The interesting thing is how these psalms speak to me each day. Psalms is all about our connection with God. It's always kool to me that so many times so much of what I need to hear or remember is "coincidentally" in the psalm I read that morning.

Here's what stood out to me this morning. Go read the whole psalm when you're done.

Psalm 145
1 I will exalt You, my God and King,
  and praise Your name forever and ever.
2 I will praise You every day;
  yes, I will praise You forever.
3 Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise!
  No one can measure his greatness.

8 The LORD is merciful

        and compassionate,

  slow to get angry

      and filled with unfailing love.

9 The LORD is good to everyone.

  He showers compassion on all His creation.

13b The LORD always keeps His promises;
He is gracious in all He does.

14 The LORD helps the fallen

  and lifts those bent beneath their loads.

15 The eyes of all look to You in hope;

You give them their food as they need it.

16 When You open Your hand, You satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.

17 The LORD is righteous in everything He does;

He is filled with kindness.

18 The LORD is close to all who call on Him,

  yes, to all who call on Him in truth.

19 He grants the desires of those who fear Him;

  He hears their cries for help and rescues them.

20 The LORD protects all those who love him,
  but he destroys the wicked.

21 I will praise the LORD,
  and may everyone on earth bless his holy name
  forever and ever.

a rock

2012-01-07T04:54:00.003-05:00

Psalm 144:1 Praise the LORD, who is my rock.
  He trains my hands for war
  and gives my fingers skill for battle.
2a He is my loving ally and my fortress,
  my tower of safety, my rescuer.
He is my shield, and I take refuge in him.

3 O LORD, what are human beings that you should notice them,
  mere mortals that you should think about them?
4 For they are like a breath of air;
  their days are like a passing shadow.

ordinary, but...

2012-01-06T04:24:00.002-05:00

Acts 4:13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.

I wonder if people say that about us - that we're obviously ordinary, but that we have been with Jesus?

Do we spend enough time with Jesus that it shows?

I think it shows all the time on the face & in the speech of my friend, Sheila Hayslip.

What about you? Do you think it shows you spend time with Jesus?

And what about me? Does it show how much time I actually spend with Him?

Somethin' to think about...

a hand up

2012-01-05T04:25:00.002-05:00

Acts 3
1 Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o'clock prayer service. 2 As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money.

  4 Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, "Look at us!" 5 The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money. 6 But Peter said, "I don't have any silver or gold for you. But I'll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!"

  7 Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man's feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. 8 He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.

  9 All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. 10 When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded! 11 They all rushed out in amazement to Solomon's Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John.

I just noticed that the man wasn't healed until Peter took him by the hand & helped him up. It wasn't until during the act of standing that the lame man was healed.

Hmmmmmm...

Anybody see the interesting thing that is besides me?

The lame man had to take a significant step of faith for the miracle to happen.

I wonder what kind of miracles would happen in each of our lives if we took the hand of the sick & lame (in more ways than just physical) & in the name of Jesus helped them up?

before & after

2012-01-03T04:23:00.002-05:00

Psalm 139:5 You go before me and follow me.

Iow, God is out ahead of me preparing the way.

And He's following behind me, mopping up the consequences of my obedience.

I've been living with this verse since 2008, when it became one of the verse God gave me particularly for 2008 & 2009.

But it's true all the time, any year, for any one, not just me.

God doesn't operate in time. He sees the whole picture at once - beginning, end, & middle.

He's got it all worked out.

(Will someone remind me of this everyday for a while?)

psalm 139

2012-01-02T04:30:00.004-05:00

Psalm 139
1 O LORD, you have examined my heart

  and know everything about me.

2 You know when I sit down

           or stand up.

  You know my thoughts even when I'm far away.

3 You see me when I travel

     and when I rest at home.

You know everything I do.

4 You know what I am going to say

even before I say it, LORD.

5 You go before me and follow me.

You place your hand of blessing on my head.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

  too great for me to understand!

7 I can never escape from your Spirit!

  I can never get away from your presence!

8 If I go up to heaven,

        you are there;

  if I go down to the grave,

                        you are there.

9 If I ride the wings of the morning,

  if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

10 even there your hand will guide me,

  and your strength will support me.

11 I could ask the darkness to hide me

  and the light around me to become night—

12   but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.

To you the night shines as bright as day.

Darkness and light are the same to you.

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

  and knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

  Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,

  as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

16 You saw me before I was born.

   Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out

before a single day had passed.

17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.

  They cannot be numbered!

18 I can't even count them;

  they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake up,
you are still with me!

23 Search me, O God,

            and know my heart;

  test me

                    and know my anxious thoughts.

24 Point out anything in me that offends you,

  and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

day one of 2012

2012-01-01T02:22:00.002-05:00

Psalm 138:2b I will give thanks to Your name
   for You unfailing love & faithfulness,
because Your promises are backed
   by the honor of Your name.

3b You encourage me by giving me the strength I need.

8 The Lord will work out His plans for my life.

Isn't it ironic that I was slated to read this psalm in my sequential reading of Psalms on this 1st day of the new year. In the 9 years I've been getting up early to read, listen out for what He may have to say, & write some of it down, I have found that such things as my "happening" to read Psalm 137 on the 1st day of the new year is not merely a coincidence.

What does it mean?

Clueless.

What are some of His "promises" mentioned in verse 2? Read the verses at the end of my blog from yesterday.

Just sayin'...

********************

John 20:21b As the Father has sent Me, so I send you.

My Life Application Bible says this about that familiar verse...

"Whatever God has you to do, remember:
     1) Your authority come from God,
     2) Jesus has demonstrated by words & actions how to accomplish the job He has given you.
"As the Father sent Jesus, Jesus sends His followers... & you."

Another coincidence? Hmmmmm... I don't think so.

looking ahead

2011-12-31T03:31:00.002-05:00

A few years ago, Marianna Warren went to IHOP KC. She brought me back a kool tan & black journal from there that has the IHOP logo on the front.

At the beginning of 2010 I was needing something to write down where I was reading everyday in the Bible & keep track of what comes up off the page. I've been journaling like this since 2003, when I started getting up early, reading the Bible, & listening out for whatever God has to say.

After 2 years, I've finally filled it up. I'm gonna be using a new journal tomorrow. Here's what I wrote in my last entry today.

"This journal has taken me through 2 of the most difficult years of my life. There is so much of the why of these 2 years that I don't understand. But in it all I have really tried to be & do what God seemed to want me to be & do. I never would have chosen on my own to do any of it.

"What's ahead? I do not know.

"All I can do is follow & see where He takes me."

As a servant, sometimes we don't get to know the why. Sometimes we're just called to be & do what we're told. That's the unglamorous part of servanthood they don't tell you about.

Waiting is no fun.

Obedience is sometimes tough.

But what it all comes down to is trust - do I trust Him? Through all of these 2 years that is the thing He's kept whispering to me - "Trust Me."

So, I'm trusting, even though I cannot see what this is all about, nor what may be ahead.

During these 2 years I've held on to some scripture passages that I believe He gave me. I'll list them below. I've literally held on to these some days with a death grip. I know beyond a shadow of doubt that if He hadn't given these to me I would have lost my mind, more than once. The last one is the first (the only?) passage He's added for 2012.

As I end 2011, & using this journal Marianna gave me, I continue to hold on to these verses.

I continue to trust Him, & wait.

2010 / 2011 verses

1 Thess 5:18 No matter what happens, always be thankful; for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Pro 3:5 (The Message)

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
   don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
   He's the One Who will keep you on track.

Pro 4:25 Look straight ahead,
      and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
26 Mark out a straight path for your feet;
      stay on the safe path.
27 Don’t get sidetracked;
      keep your feet from following evil.

Heb 10: 35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.

Is 41:9b For I have chosen you & will not throw you away.
   10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
   Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
   I will strengthen you.
   I will help you.
   I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

2012 verses

Matthew 6 The Message

33 Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.

Don't worry about missing out.

You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

34 Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now,
         and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.

God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

ok...

2011-12-30T04:02:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, all ya got is all ya got...

Matthew 6:33 The Message

Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.

Don't worry about missing out.

You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

34"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now,
and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.

God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Jesus prayed for us

2011-12-29T05:05:00.002-05:00

Read this slowly...

John 17
1 After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. 2 For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. 3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. 4 I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.

  6 "I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, 8 for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.

  9 "My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. 10 All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. 11 Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. 12 During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.

  13 "Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. 14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do. 17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19 And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.

  20 "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

  22 "I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. 24 Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!

  25 "O righteous Father, the world doesn't know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. 26 I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them."

overcoming

2011-12-28T05:01:00.002-05:00

John 16:33b Here on earth you will have many trials & sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

This came up off the page for me today.

I've tried to write something for it, but can't seem to.

I feel like it's for someone else out there.

All I can say is for whoever you are, read it, & take heart.

grape vines

2011-12-27T05:37:00.003-05:00

John 15
NLT
1 "I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
5 "Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

As many of you know, I grew up on a small farm in southern Ohio. We had a grape arbor at the edge of our back yard, next to one of the large vegetable garden areas. Everyone in our neighborhood had one. We all liked grapes!

Each year at the end of the growing season, the vines would get trimmed back so that next year they would bear fruit. If we didn't trim the back vines back each year, the plant would end up putting all its energy into growing vines & not fruit.

Some years the vines got trimmed back severely, to just this kind of main stalk. It helped the plant get rid of vines that were not efficient, or may have become diseased, or weren't putting out new vines enough.

All this trimming, pruning, & severe cutting back was done for one reason, & one reason only - so we could have lots of big, fat, juicy grapes. The grape vines existed for one reason & one reason only - to serve us by producing grapes. If a vine didn't, it was chopped down & replaced by one that would.

Now you're no dummy. You see the parallels.

The thing is, I've never enjoyed being pruned back. It hurts. And trust me, when the severe pruning happens (a.k.a. the last 16 months), it's not a pleasant thing.

But all the pruning is done for one reason & one reason only - so we can bear new, greater, more abundant fruit.

(Will someone remind me of this, regularly?)

Here's the same passage in the ESV (Hannah gave Lynn & I the new study ESV Bible for Christmas - kool). I've also included the passage in The Message, for a different slant.

ESV
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

The Message
1-3 "I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.
4"Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me.
5-8"I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.

I AM here

2011-12-26T04:42:00.002-05:00

John 14:27b Don't let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

vs 6 I am the way, the truth, & the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.

Depression, fear, worry, stress, neuroses, demonic attack, psychoses - stuff that fills our lives, our culture, our world.

Jesus basically says, "don't let those things bother you."

How can He tell us this is unequivocally?

Because He is here, with us - the God of the universes is among us.

quiet

2011-12-25T04:35:00.002-05:00

Psalm 131
1 LORD, my heart is not proud;
my eyes are not haughty.
I don't concern myself with matters too great
or too awesome for me to grasp.
2 Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself,
just as a small child is quiet with its mother.
Yes, like a small child is my soul within in.

counting

2011-12-24T04:33:00.002-05:00

Psalm 130
5 I am counting on the LORD;
     yes, I am counting on Him.
  I have put my hope in His word.

6 I long for the Lord
     more than sentries long for the dawn,
  yes, more than sentries long for the dawn.

********

John 12
44 Jesus shouted to the crowds, "If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. 45 For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.

2 yrs

2011-12-23T05:42:00.002-05:00

On 12/23/09 I got up at my usual time to read & listen out for whatever God had to say to me.

I was reading in 1 Thessalonians 5 that day. When I got to verse 18, it came up off the page.

"No matter what happens, always be thankful; for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."

And the restlessness started in my heart - usually when that kind of restlessness comes along from God, it means change is coming. Little did I know...

Then in January, 2010, He gave me 3 more passages...

Proverbs 3:5 (The Message)
Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
   don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
   He's the One Who will keep you on track.

Proverbs 4:25 Look straight ahead,
      and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
26 Mark out a straight path for your feet;
      stay on the safe path.
27 Don’t get sidetracked;
      keep your feet from following evil.

Hebrews 10:35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.

I didn't know what was coming, but I knew something was.

In April, the day after I turned over House of Grace & Christ Chapel Downtown to Dave White, He gave me this passage...

Is 41:9b For I have chosen you & will not throw you away.
   10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
   Do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
   I will strengthen you.
   I will help you.
   I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

And so, to make a long story short, we moved to Blairsville September 1, 2010.

For the first 8 months of 2010 we were plummeting into whatever God had "next" for us.

But on 9/1/2010 we came to a stand stlll.

And we've been at a stand still ever since.

A couple of months ago, He gave me this passage...

Matthew 6:33 The Message Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.

Don't worry about missing out.

You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

34 Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now,
         and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.

God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Have the last 2 years been hard?

Yes.

Do you understand what's going on?

Nope.

I'd best describe us now as clueless.

What am I getting these days? The same thing I've been getting for 16 months...

"Wait."

"Trust Me."

Everything you have thought or might think, we have thought of dozens of times over the last 16 months.

Every scripture you could quote, we have read, dozens of times.

And whatever advice you might give, we've been given &/or thought of ourselves, & considered it dozens of times.

We try to remember that we are servants. Servants are told what to be & do, & sometimes aren't told why.

(btw, anyone who says, "All I want to be is a servant of the Lord" usually hasn't been one.)

(& anyone who quickly quotes to you the verse, "They that wait upon the Lord..." probably never has had to.)

Does the last 16 months make any sense?

Nope.

For around the last 4 decades both of us were going at about 100 mph in ministry.

Now we are standing still.

We are clueless.

And we constantly listen out for further instructions from God.

I think it's important for people to know, now, what it's like living during this season of our life, not when we've moved on to the next season with God. It's so easy to look back & talk about how dauntlessly we followed the Lord through it all, cheerfully & giddily. Sometimes being a servant, following, & trusting, isn't quite as glamorous as it seems when we've come out of it & moved on to some more glittering ministry opportunity.

These 2 yrs have been the toughest in our lives. And we don't have a clue what it all means. And what 's more, we don't see an any end in sight for this season we're in.

But this season wasn't our idea, it was God's. We're not responsible for making it happen. He is. We're just responsible to serve Him as He leads us.

And so, we wait, & trust.

following

2011-12-22T04:19:00.002-05:00

The real test isn't to believe this when times are good.

The real test is to believe this no matter what the times are.

Psalm 128
1 How joyful are those who fear the LORD -

  all who follow his ways!
2 You will enjoy the fruit of your labor.
  How joyful and prosperous you will be!
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine,
  flourishing within your home.
Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees
  as they sit around your table.
4 That is the LORD's blessing
  for those who fear him.

unless

2011-12-21T04:04:00.001-05:00

Psalm 127
1 Unless the LORD builds a house,
  the work of the builders is wasted.
Unless the LORD protects a city,
  guarding it with sentries will do no good.
2 It is useless for you to work so hard
  from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
  for God gives rest to his loved ones.

3 Children are a gift from the LORD;
  they are a reward from him.
4 Children born to a young man
  are like arrows in a warrior's hands.
5 How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them!
  He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.

some things to ponder

2011-12-20T05:07:00.004-05:00

John 8

vs 12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said,

   "I am the light of the world.

         If you follow me,
              you won't have to walk in darkness,
              because you will have the light that leads to life."

vs 31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him,

     "You are truly my disciples if you obey my teachings.

   32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

vs 36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

trusting

2011-12-19T03:56:00.002-05:00

Psalm 125
1 Those who trust in the LORD are as secure as Mount Zion;
  they will not be defeated but will endure forever.

2 Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem,
  so the LORD surrounds his people, both now and forever.

4 O LORD, do good to those who are good,
  whose hearts are in tune with you.

If we believe this, how then should we live?

lots of stuff

2011-12-18T03:31:00.002-05:00

John 6:44 For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me...

Iow, when we feel anything about God, it's not us creating those thoughts, it's God reaching out to us.

So God is always reaching out to us, we're just responsible to respond.

********

God touched me a couple of mornings ago with the psalm. I'm still not completely sure why I reacted so emotionally to it. Here it is in 3 different versions.

Psalm 121

New Living Translation
1 I look up to the mountains—
      does my help come from there?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
      who made heaven and earth!

3 He will not let you stumble;
      the one who watches over you will not slumber.
4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel
      never slumbers or sleeps.

5 The Lord himself watches over you!
      The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
6 The sun will not harm you by day,
      nor the moon at night.

7 The Lord keeps you from all harm
      and watches over your life.
8 The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
      both now and forever.

The Message
1-2 I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains?
   No, my strength comes from God,
      who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.

3-4 He won't let you stumble,
      your Guardian God won't fall asleep.
   Not on your life! Israel's
      Guardian will never doze or sleep.

5-6 God's your Guardian,
      right at your side to protect you—
   Shielding you from sunstroke,
      sheltering you from moonstroke.

7-8 God guards you from every evil,
      he guards your very life.
   He guards you when you leave and when you return,
      he guards you now, he guards you always.

New King James Version
1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
         From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
         Who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;
         He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
         Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD is your keeper;
         The LORD is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
         Nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;
         He shall preserve your soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in
         From this time forth, and even forevermore.

harvest

2011-12-16T04:13:00.002-05:00

John 4:35 (Jesus said) You know the saying, 'Four months between planting and harvest.' But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.

We are surrounded, all the time, by people who have no connection with God.

It's always amazing to me how people will respond to a gentle, unobnoxious sharing of what I've found through Jesus.

Usually it's the people that I think probably won't listen who end up being the ones who listen the most.

Ya just never know.

We all are so hesitant to share the new life we find intrusting Jesus as our means of connecting with God.

I think we're just afraid, or lazy.

But then I think about this - what if the person(s) who shared about their lives as Christ follower with us had been afraid, or lazy, & hadn't told us all the stuff we needed to hear that eventually encouraged us to follow Him.

Scary thought, huh?

Exactly.

And please remember one other thing...

Forever is a VERY long time.

my help

2011-12-15T05:03:00.004-05:00

Please go to this link & listen to this - this is all I got this morning...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtZX7a44fMI

Psalm 121
1 I look up to the mountains—
  does my help come from there?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
  who made heaven and earth!

3 He will not let you stumble;
  the one who watches over you will not slumber .
4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel
  never slumbers or sleeps.

5 The LORD himself watches over you!
  The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade.
6 The sun will not harm you by day,
  nor the moon at night.

7 The LORD keeps you from all harm
  and watches over your life.
8 The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go,
  both now and forever.

peeps

2011-12-14T04:09:00.002-05:00

Psalm 120
1 I took my troubles to the LORD;
  I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.
2 Rescue me, O LORD, from liars
  and from all deceitful people.
3 O deceptive tongue, what will God do to you?
  How will he increase your punishment?
4 You will be pierced with sharp arrows
  and burned with glowing coals.

This passage is for someone today - don't know who.

*******************

John 2:23 Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. 24 But Jesus didn't trust them, because he knew human nature. 25 No one needed to tell him what mankind is really like.

I know this makes Jesus sound harsh, but He simply knew everyone's heart & knew how sinful, self-absorbed, & faithless people were, and are.

These verses don't suggest that Jesus didn't trust people, & that we shouldn't trust them either. What I do think it means is that we, like Jesus, should just understand who & what we're working with when we relate & connect with people.

People, including you & me, will always let each other down. In the final analysis, the only person who completely faithful, always, & who we can completely trust, in all things, is God.

How many times have you or I seen or known people, or have at times ourselves, trusted people more than we should have - trusted them as much, or more, than we should trust only one person - God?

read it all

2011-12-13T02:41:00.002-05:00

Psalm 119
1 Joyful are people of integrity,
  who follow the instructions of the LORD.
2 Joyful are those who obey his laws
  and search for him with all their hearts.
3 They do not compromise with evil,
  and they walk only in his paths.
4 You have charged us
  to keep your commandments carefully.
5 Oh, that my actions would consistently
  reflect your decrees!
6 Then I will not be ashamed
  when I compare my life with your commands.
7 As I learn your righteous regulations,
  I will thank you by living as I should!
8 I will obey your decrees.
  Please don't give up on me!

9 How can a young person stay pure?
  By obeying your word.
10 I have tried hard to find you—
  don't let me wander from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart,
  that I might not sin against you.
12 I praise you, O LORD;
  teach me your decrees.
13 I have recited aloud
  all the regulations you have given us.
14 I have rejoiced in your laws
  as much as in riches.
15 I will study your commandments
  and reflect on your ways.
16 I will delight in your decrees
  and not forget your word.

17 Be good to your servant,
  that I may live and obey your word.
18 Open my eyes to see
  the wonderful truths in your instructions.
19 I am only a foreigner in the land.
  Don't hide your commands from me!
20 I am always overwhelmed
  with a desire for your regulations.
21 You rebuke the arrogant;
  those who wander from your commands are cursed.
22 Don't let them scorn and insult me,
  for I have obeyed your laws.
23 Even princes sit and speak against me,
  but I will meditate on your decrees.
24 Your laws please me;
  they give me wise advice.

25 I lie in the dust;
  revive me by your word.
26 I told you my plans, and you answered.
  Now teach me your decrees.
27 Help me understand the meaning of your commandments,
  and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds.
28 I weep with sorrow;
  encourage me by your word.
29 Keep me from lying to myself;
  give me the privilege of knowing your instructions.
30 I have chosen to be faithful;
  I have determined to live by your regulations.
31 I cling to your laws.
  LORD, don't let me be put to shame!
32 I will pursue your commands,
  for you expand my understanding.
He
33 Teach me your decrees, O LORD;
  I will keep them to the end.
34 Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions;
  I will put them into practice with all my heart.
35 Make me walk along the path of your commands,
  for that is where my happiness is found.
36 Give me an eagerness for your laws
  rather than a love for money!
37 Turn my eyes from worthless things,
  and give me life through your word.
38 Reassure me of your promise,
  made to those who fear you.
39 Help me abandon my shameful ways;
  for your regulations are good.
40 I long to obey your commandments!
  Renew my life with your goodness.

41 LORD, give me your unfailing love,
  the salvation that you promised me.
42 Then I can answer those who taunt me,
  for I trust in your word.
43 Do not snatch your word of truth from me,
  for your regulations are my only hope.
44 I will keep on obeying your instructions
  forever and ever.
45 I will walk in freedom,
  for I have devoted myself to your commandments.
46 I will speak to kings about your laws,
  and I will not be ashamed.
47 How I delight in your commands!
  How I love them!
48 I honor and love your commands.
  I meditate on your decrees.

49 Remember your promise to me;
  it is my only hope.
50 Your promise revives me;
  it comforts me in all my troubles.
51 The proud hold me in utter contempt,
  but I do not turn away from your instructions.
52 I meditate on your age-old regulations;
  O LORD, they comfort me.
53 I become furious with the wicked,
  because they reject your instructions.
54 Your decrees have been the theme of my songs
  wherever I have lived.
55 I reflect at night on who you are, O LORD;
  therefore, I obey your instructions.
56 This is how I spend my life:
  obeying your commandments.

57 LORD, you are mine!
  I promise to obey your words!
58 With all my heart I want your blessings.
  Be merciful as you promised.
59 I pondered the direction of my life,
  and I turned to follow your laws.
60 I will hurry, without delay,
  to obey your commands.
61 Evil people try to drag me into sin,
  but I am firmly anchored to your instructions.
62 I rise at midnight to thank you
  for your just regulations.
63 I am a friend to anyone who fears you—
  anyone who obeys your commandments.
64 O LORD, your unfailing love fills the earth;
  teach me your decrees.

65 You have done many good things for me, LORD,
  just as you promised.
66 I believe in your commands;
  now teach me good judgment and knowledge.
67 I used to wander off until you disciplined me;
  but now I closely follow your word.
68 You are good and do only good;
  teach me your decrees.
69 Arrogant people smear me with lies,
  but in truth I obey your commandments with all my heart.
70 Their hearts are dull and stupid,
  but I delight in your instructions.
71 My suffering was good for me,
  for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.
72 Your instructions are more valuable to me
  than millions in gold and silver.

73 You made me; you created me.
  Now give me the sense to follow your commands.
74 May all who fear you find in me a cause for joy,
  for I have put my hope in your word.
75 I know, O LORD, that your regulations are fair;
  you disciplined me because I needed it.
76 Now let your unfailing love comfort me,
  just as you promised me, your servant.
77 Surround me with your tender mercies so I may live,
  for your instructions are my delight.
78 Bring disgrace upon the arrogant people who lied about me;
  meanwhile, I will concentrate on your commandments.
79 Let me be united with all who fear you,
  with those who know your laws.
80 May I be blameless in keeping your decrees;
  then I will never be ashamed.

81 I am worn out waiting for your rescue,
  but I have put my hope in your word.
82 My eyes are straining to see your promises come true.
  When will you comfort me?
83 I am shriveled like a wineskin in the smoke,
  but I have not forgotten to obey your decrees.
84 How long must I wait?
  When will you punish those who persecute me?
85 These arrogant people who hate your instructions
  have dug deep pits to trap me.
86 All your commands are trustworthy.
  Protect me from those who hunt me down without cause.
87 They almost finished me off,
  but I refused to abandon your commandments.
88 In your unfailing love, spare my life;
  then I can continue to obey your laws.

89 Your eternal word, O LORD,
  stands firm in heaven.
90 Your faithfulness extends to every generation,
  as enduring as the earth you created.
91 Your regulations remain true to this day,
  for everything serves your plans.
92 If your instructions hadn't sustained me with joy,
  I would have died in my misery.
93 I will never forget your commandments,
  for by them you give me life.
94 I am yours; rescue me!
  For I have worked hard at obeying your commandments.
95 Though the wicked hide along the way to kill me,
  I will quietly keep my mind on your laws.
96 Even perfection has its limits,
  but your commands have no limit.

97 Oh, how I love your instructions!
  I think about them all day long.
98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
  for they are my constant guide.
99 Yes, I have more insight than my teachers,
  for I am always thinking of your laws.
100 I am even wiser than my elders,
  for I have kept your commandments.
101 I have refused to walk on any evil path,
  so that I may remain obedient to your word.
102 I haven't turned away from your regulations,
  for you have taught me well.
103 How sweet your words taste to me;
  they are sweeter than honey.
104 Your commandments give me understanding;
  no wonder I hate every false way of life.

105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
  and a light for my path.
106 I've promised it once, and I'll promise it again:
  I will obey your righteous regulations.
107 I have suffered much, O LORD;
  restore my life again as you promised.
108 LORD, accept my offering of praise,
  and teach me your regulations.
109 My life constantly hangs in the balance,
  but I will not stop obeying your instructions.
110 The wicked have set their traps for me,
  but I will not turn from your commandments.
111 Your laws are my treasure;
  they are my heart's delight.
112 I am determined to keep your decrees
  to the very end.

113 I hate those with divided loyalties,
  but I love your instructions.
114 You are my refuge and my shield;
  your word is my source of hope.
115 Get out of my life, you evil-minded people,
  for I intend to obey the commands of my God.
116 LORD, sustain me as you promised, that I may live!
  Do not let my hope be crushed.
117 Sustain me, and I will be rescued;
  then I will meditate continually on your decrees.
118 But you have rejected all who stray from your decrees.
  They are only fooling themselves.
119 You skim off the wicked of the earth like scum;
  no wonder I love to obey your laws!
120 I tremble in fear of you;
  I stand in awe of your regulations.

121 Don't leave me to the mercy of my enemies,
  for I have done what is just and right.
122 Please guarantee a blessing for me.
  Don't let the arrogant oppress me!
123 My eyes strain to see your rescue,
  to see the truth of your promise fulfilled.
124 I am your servant; deal with me in unfailing love,
  and teach me your decrees.
125 Give discernment to me, your servant;
  then I will understand your laws.
126 LORD, it is time for you to act,
  for these evil people have violated your instructions.
127 Truly, I love your commands
  more than gold, even the finest gold.
128 Each of your commandments is right.
  That is why I hate every false way.

129 Your laws are wonderful.
  No wonder I obey them!
130 The teaching of your word gives light,
  so even the simple can understand.
131 I pant with expectation,
  longing for your commands.
132 Come and show me your mercy,
  as you do for all who love your name.
133 Guide my steps by your word,
  so I will not be overcome by evil.
134 Ransom me from the oppression of evil people;
  then I can obey your commandments.
135 Look upon me with love;
  teach me your decrees.
136 Rivers of tears gush from my eyes
  because people disobey your instructions.

137 O LORD, you are righteous,
  and your regulations are fair.
138 Your laws are perfect
  and completely trustworthy.
139 I am overwhelmed with indignation,
  for my enemies have disregarded your words.
140 Your promises have been thoroughly tested;
  that is why I love them so much.
141 I am insignificant and despised,
  but I don't forget your commandments.
142 Your justice is eternal,
  and your instructions are perfectly true.
143 As pressure and stress bear down on me,
  I find joy in your commands.
144 Your laws are always right;
  help me to understand them so I may live.

145 I pray with all my heart; answer me, LORD!
  I will obey your decrees.
146 I cry out to you; rescue me,
  that I may obey your laws.
147 I rise early, before the sun is up;
  I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.
148 I stay awake through the night,
  thinking about your promise.
149 In your faithful love, O LORD, hear my cry;
  let me be revived by following your regulations.
150 Lawless people are coming to attack me;
  they live far from your instructions.
151 But you are near, O LORD,
  and all your commands are true.
152 I have known from my earliest days
  that your laws will last forever.

153 Look upon my suffering and rescue me,
  for I have not forgotten your instructions.
154 Argue my case; take my side!
  Protect my life as you promised.
155 The wicked are far from rescue,
  for they do not bother with your decrees.
156 LORD, how great is your mercy;
  let me be revived by following your regulations.
157 Many persecute and trouble me,
  yet I have not swerved from your laws.
158 Seeing these traitors makes me sick at heart,
  because they care nothing for your word.
159 See how I love your commandments, LORD.
  Give back my life because of your unfailing love.
160 The very essence of your words is truth;
  all your just regulations will stand forever.

161 Powerful people harass me without cause,
  but my heart trembles only at your word.
162 I rejoice in your word
  like one who discovers a great treasure.
163 I hate and abhor all falsehood,
  but I love your instructions.
164 I will praise you seven times a day
  because all your regulations are just.
165 Those who love your instructions have great peace
  and do not stumble.
166 I long for your rescue, LORD,
  so I have obeyed your commands.
167 I have obeyed your laws,
  for I love them very much.
168 Yes, I obey your commandments and laws
  because you know everything I do.

169 O LORD, listen to my cry;
  give me the discerning mind you promised.
170 Listen to my prayer;
  rescue me as you promised.
171 Let praise flow from my lips,
  for you have taught me your decrees.
172 Let my tongue sing about your word,
  for all your commands are right.
173 Give me a helping hand,
  for I have chosen to follow your commandments.
174 O LORD, I have longed for your rescue,
  and your instructions are my delight.
175 Let me live so I can praise you,
  and may your regulations help me.
176 I have wandered away like a lost sheep;
  come and find me,
  for I have not forgotten your commands.

trusting

2011-12-12T04:35:00.002-05:00

These verses were for me today, but there were also for someone else, especially verse 17. Will you let me know, & why, if they were for you too? I'd like to share with you why they're for me today.

Psalm 118
vs 6 The Lord is for me, so I will not be afraid.
   What can mere mortals do to me?

vs 7a Yes, the Lord is for me, He will help me.

vs 8 It is better to trust the Lord
   than to put confidence in people.

vs 9 It is better to trust the Lord
   than to put confidence in princes. (dan note: iow, government officials)

vs 17 I will not die,
   but I will live to tell what the Lord has done.

a promise

2011-12-11T04:13:00.002-05:00

Matthew 6:33b (The Message) Don't worry about missing out.

some verses from Psalm 116

2011-12-10T04:13:00.002-05:00

Psalm 116
1 I love the LORD because He hears my voice
  and my prayer for mercy.
2 Because He bends down to listen,
  I will pray as long as I have breath!

5 How kind the LORD is! How good He is!
  So merciful, this God of ours!
6 The LORD protects those of childlike faith;
  I was facing death, and He saved me.
7 Let my soul be at rest again,
  for the LORD has been good to me.

12 What can I offer the LORD
  for all He has done for me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
  and praise the LORD's name for saving me.
14 I will keep my promises to the LORD
  in the presence of all His people.

15 The LORD cares deeply
  when His loved ones die.
16a O LORD, I am Your servant;

17 I will offer You a sacrifice of thanksgiving
  and call on the name of the LORD.
18 I will fulfill my vows to the LORD
  in the presence of all His people—
19 in the house of the LORD
  in the heart of Jerusalem.

Praise the LORD!

true trusting

2011-12-09T04:21:00.002-05:00

Psalm 115:11 All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord.

   He is your helper, He is your shield.

It's easy to trust the Lord when times are good. Anyone can trust Him when things are going well.

But true trusting comes when times are tough, when things aren't going like we think they should, or when we're clueless as to what's going on.

Here is says God's our helper & our shield.

Iow, I think this means He is the engine pulling the train of our life, protecting us as we roll along.

And it's not easy to believe that fully when things are tough. We second guess a lot, whether we're really being &/or doing what He intended.

Over these last 15 months particularly, the recurring thing God has said to me is "trust me" - I have tried to, mostly because I have no choice ;-) He's the One who got us into this situation. I guess then He's the One who gonna have to keep us as we stay here, or lead us if we're supposed to be&/or do otherwise.

Here's the rest of the psalm, so you can get a feeling of context...

Psalm 115
1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us,
  but to your name goes all the glory
  for your unfailing love and faithfulness.
2 Why let the nations say,
  "Where is their God?"
3 Our God is in the heavens,
  and he does as he wishes.
4 Their idols are merely things of silver and gold,
  shaped by human hands.
5 They have mouths but cannot speak,
  and eyes but cannot see.
6 They have ears but cannot hear,
  and noses but cannot smell.
7 They have hands but cannot feel,
  and feet but cannot walk,
  and throats but cannot make a sound.
8 And those who make idols are just like them,
  as are all who trust in them.

9 O Israel, trust the LORD!
  He is your helper and your shield.
10 O priests, descendants of Aaron, trust the LORD!
  He is your helper and your shield.
11 All you who fear the LORD, trust the LORD!
  He is your helper and your shield.

12 The LORD remembers us and will bless us.
  He will bless the people of Israel
  and bless the priests, the descendants of Aaron.
13 He will bless those who fear the LORD,
  both great and lowly.

14 May the LORD richly bless
  both you and your children.
15 May you be blessed by the LORD,
  who made heaven and earth.
16 The heavens belong to the LORD,
  but he has given the earth to all humanity.
17 The dead cannot sing praises to the LORD,
  for they have gone into the silence of the grave.
18 But we can praise the LORD
  both now and forever!

Praise the LORD!

just think about this

2011-12-08T05:07:00.004-05:00

Matthew 6 (The Message)

33 Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.

Don't worry about missing out.

You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

34 "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now,

and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.

God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

so...

2011-12-07T04:10:00.002-05:00

Psalm113:1 Praise the LORD!

Yes, give praise, O servants of the LORD.
  Praise the name of the LORD!
2 Blessed be the name of the LORD
  now and forever.
3 Everywhere—from east to west—
  praise the name of the LORD.
4 For the LORD is high above the nations;
  his glory is higher than the heavens.

5 Who can be compared with the LORD our God,
  who is enthroned on high?
6 He stoops to look down
  on heaven and on earth.
7 He lifts the poor from the dust
  and the needy from the garbage dump.
8 He sets them among princes,
  even the princes of his own people!
9 He gives the childless woman a family,
  making her a happy mother.

Praise the LORD!

servanthood

2011-12-05T04:19:00.004-05:00

Luke 17:7 "When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, 'Come in and eat with me'? 8 No, he says, 'Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.'

9 And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not.10 In the same way, when you obey me you should say, 'We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.'"

Anyone who says, "All I want to be is a servant of the Lord" has never been one.

who do we serve, really?

2011-12-04T04:06:00.002-05:00

Luke 16:13 "No one can serve two masters.

For you will hate one and love the other;

you will be devoted to one and despise the other.

You cannot serve both God and money."

How many of us who say we are Christ followers chase the American Dream so hard find ourselves loving money more than God?

who ya hangin' with

2011-12-03T03:37:00.000-05:00

Luke 15:1 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!

Considering the depth of the depravity of the world at the time of Jesus, I wonder what kind of person you had to be yo be a "notorious" sinner? Ya musta had to be quite a doozie of a sinner!

But the religious establishment didn't like that Jesus did that.

I wonder if we have the strength to hang out with some people today who might be viewed as "notorious sinners". Most of us who are Christ followers tend to hang with our fellow prissy & precious Christian friends.

I wonder what would happen if more of us would hang w/ people who are clearly not Christ followers, not as another notch on our belt of "people we've saved" but simply because they, like us, are beautiful & cherished children of our common Abba Father?

And I wonder if we'd be willing to hang with such people if our prissy Christian friends took exception to it?

Just a thought...

giving up & getting

2011-12-02T04:43:00.002-05:00

Psalm 108:13 With God's help we will do mighty things for He will trample down our foes.

Luke 14:33 No one can become My disciple without giving up everything for Me.
     And what do we get if we do?
     We get a connection with the God of the universes.
     We get the life He dreamed for us a gajillion years ago.
     So what we give up pales in comparison to what we get.
     Just a thought...

how it all comes out

2011-12-01T05:10:00.002-05:00

Luke 13:29 And people will come from all over the world—from east and west, north and south—to take their places in the Kingdom of God.

30 And note this: Some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are the greatest now will be least important then."

we're the project

2011-11-29T02:53:00.003-05:00

Psalm 105:16 He called for a famine on the land of Canaan,
  cutting off its food supply.

17 Then He sent someone to Egypt ahead of them—
  Joseph, who was sold as a slave.

18 They bruised his feet with fetters
  and placed his neck in an iron collar.

19 Until the time came to fulfill His word,
  the LORD tested Joseph's character.

20 Then Pharaoh sent for him and set him free;
  the ruler of the nation opened his prison door.

21 Joseph was put in charge of all the king's household;
  he became ruler over all the king's possessions.

22 He could instruct the king's aides as he pleased
  and teach the king's advisers.

iow folks, we're the project.

God knew what kind of man Joseph needed to be when his time came to embrace the destiny God had for him - becoming the Egyptian leader, second only to Pharoah, during the 7 yrs of plenty & the 7 yrs of famine.

God knows what kind of person we need to be for each of the seasons of our lives. And He attempts to prepare us for those seasons.

iow folks, we're the project.

We're always being challenged, stretched, refined, pruned, disciplined, & all those plentiful tools God uses on us to mold us into what we need to be.

And ain't it fun?

Yeah, right.

We're on a journey with God. All along the way, He's slowly trying to turn us back into Himself. We're always in the middle of some sort of growth experience.

That's right - we're the project.

Will someone remind me of this occasionally?

Go

2011-11-28T04:36:00.002-05:00

Luke 10:2 The harvest is so great but the workers are so few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest, & ask Him to send more workers for His fields.

Father, send more workers to work together with us in this field you've given us. There's so many people who need to be loved here & told about you, & there's just 2 of us.

vs 3 - Go...

God's intentions are never passive. Our mandate is to go - to the people around us right now - to people He'll bring into our life - to places He'll take us, close by, & far away.

vs 19a - I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy...

If there's one thing I've learned in the last 15 months is the cleverness, the persistence, & the evil destroying tactics of the devil. NEVER underestimate him, & never discount him & his influence.

And that his demons are all very, VERY active.

Our job is to chase them away with the power & authority of Jesus name & blood.

That all sounds kinda mystical & pentecostal. Well, maybe so, maybe not. These last 15 months I have experienced the capabilities & cleverness of the devil & his demons in ways that I hadn't thought of or heard about.

Never underestimate him & them - but remember we have the authority to send them all away.

I hesitate to mention all this because I know the attack will start again in some new innovative way.

Just sayin'...

couple of passages I read this morning

2011-11-27T03:19:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, it's good to let the sheer power of scripture kinda pour over you...

Psalm 103:1 Let all that I am praise the LORD;
  with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
2 Let all that I am praise the LORD;
  may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins
  and heals all my diseases.
4 He redeems me from death
  and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5 He fills my life with good things.
  My youth is renewed like the eagle's! (dan note: good to know, at my age!)

6 The LORD gives righteousness
  and justice to all who are treated unfairly.

7 He revealed his character to Moses
  and his deeds to the people of Israel.
8 The LORD is compassionate and merciful,
  slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 He will not constantly accuse us,
  nor remain angry forever.
10 He does not punish us for all our sins;
  he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
  is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12 He has removed our sins as far from us
  as the east is from the west.
13 The LORD is like a father to his children,
  tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he knows how weak we are;
  he remembers we are only dust.
15 Our days on earth are like grass;
  like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
16 The wind blows, and we are gone—
  as though we had never been here.
17 But the love of the LORD remains forever
  with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children's children
18   of those who are faithful to his covenant,
  of those who obey his commandments!

19 The LORD has made the heavens his throne;
  from there he rules over everything.

20 Praise the LORD, you angels,
  you mighty ones who carry out his plans,
  listening for each of his commands.
21 Yes, praise the LORD, you armies of angels
  who serve him and do his will!
22 Praise the LORD, everything he has created,
  everything in all his kingdom.

Let all that I am praise the LORD

*************************

Luke 9:23 Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your selfish ambition, take up your cross daily, and follow me.

24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
          (dan note: oh my... it seems like every day I see more & more areas of my life I'm trying to hang on to my concept of what I think my life should be, rather than just letting go & let God express His dreams for my life)

25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?
          (dan note: how many people do we know who have done this? How many of us do this?!!!)

26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.

sometimes

2011-11-27T02:51:00.000-05:00

sometimes at night I stand by the large windows in the dining room & watch the headlights of the cars going down the main highway about 200 yards away & wonder if life is passing me by

trust

2011-11-26T04:07:00.002-05:00

40 On the other side of the lake the crowds welcomed Jesus, because they had been waiting for him.41 Then a man named Jairus, a leader of the local synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come home with him.42 His only daughter,* who was about twelve years old, was dying.
  As Jesus went with him, he was surrounded by the crowds.43 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding,* and she could find no cure.44 Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped.
  45 "Who touched me?" Jesus asked.
  Everyone denied it, and Peter said, "Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you."
  46 But Jesus said, "Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me."47 When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed.48 "Daughter," he said to her, "your faith has made you well. Go in peace."
  49 While he was still speaking to her, a messenger arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. He told him, "Your daughter is dead. There's no use troubling the Teacher now."
  50 But when Jesus heard what had happened, he said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be healed."
  51 When they arrived at the house, Jesus wouldn't let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, James, and the little girl's father and mother.52 The house was filled with people weeping and wailing, but he said, "Stop the weeping! She isn't dead; she's only asleep."
  53 But the crowd laughed at him because they all knew she had died.54 Then Jesus took her by the hand and said in a loud voice, "My child, get up!"55 And at that moment her life* returned, and she immediately stood up! Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.56 Her parents were overwhelmed, but Jesus insisted that they not tell anyone what had happened.

right living

2011-11-25T04:33:00.003-05:00

Read this psalm this morning in my sequential Psalms reading that Billy Graham & I do ;-).

I got the feeling I needed to share it for someone who reads these rambles I write each day. Don't know who it's for, but for whoever you are, here it is...

Psalm 101:1 I will sing of your love and justice, LORD.
  I will praise you with songs.

2 I will be careful to live a blameless life—
  when will you come to help me?

I will lead a life of integrity
  in my own home.

3 I will refuse to look at
  anything vile and vulgar.

I hate all who deal crookedly;
  I will have nothing to do with them.

4 I will reject perverse ideas
  and stay away from every evil.

5 I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors.
  I will not endure conceit and pride.

6 I will search for faithful people
  to be my companions.
Only those who are above reproach
  will be allowed to serve me.

7 I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house,
  and liars will not stay in my presence.

8 My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked
  and free the city of the LORD from their grip.

thanksgiving

2011-11-24T04:39:00.002-05:00

Psalm 100:1 Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth!
2   Worship the LORD with gladness.
  Come before him, singing with joy.
3 Acknowledge that the LORD is God!
  He made us, and we are his.*
  We are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
  go into his courts with praise.
  Give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good.
  His unfailing love continues forever,
  and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

a couple of things

2011-11-23T06:10:00.002-05:00

There's a lot in today's note. Some days it just happens. Sorry...

Matthew 5:27 Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector's booth. "Follow me and be my disciple," Jesus said to him. 28 So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.
29 Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi's fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. 30 But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus' disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with such scum?"
31 Jesus answered them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor—sick people do. 32 I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent."

When Lynn & I helped start in the '90's a new church in south Houston County, we had another church buy property next door to us & build a church. Many people asked us how we felt about having "competition" move in next door. We just laughed! There were PLENTY of people who never went to church within a 5 mile radius - enough for us, or neighbor church, & at least 10 or 12 others!

When Pastor John started Christ Chapel in Macon, & we helped start the other Christ Chapel campus churches in the their cities, many people said we didn't need another church. Once again, we just laughed! There are plenty of people who never go to church in all of these towns!

As we've lived here in Blairsville, waiting on God's timing, one of the many things on our hearts is to offer a fellowship that is appropriate for our culture & time. Many people have asked us why we need this. We sometimes just laugh. Because there seems to be plenty of people up here who never go to church.

In each of these cases, people don't understand that what we're about is NOT trying to capture the people who already are a part of a faith family. We're interested in those who AREN'T.
**************

And now a separate thought, or maybe a thought that goes along with that...

Luke 5:37 "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. 38 New wine must be stored in new wineskins.

Here's what my Life Application Bible footnotes these verses with...

"Wineskins" were goatskins sewn together at the edges to form watertight bags. Because new wine expands as it ages, it had to be put in new, pliable wineskins. A used skin, having become more rigid, would burst & spill the wine.

"Like old wineskins, the Pharisees were too rigid to accept Jesus, who could not be contain in their traditions or rules. Christianity required new approaches, new traditions, new structures.

"Our church programs & ministries should not be so structured that they have no room for a fresh touch of the Holy Spirit, a new method, or a new idea. We, too, must be careful that our heart does not become so rigid that it prevents us from accepting new ways of thinking that Christ brings. We need to keep our heart pliable so we can accept Jesus' life-changing message."

And here's an excerpt from A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller. on his blog today of Donald Miller.

"A general rule in creating stories is that characters don’t want to change. They must be forced to change. Nobody wakes up and starts chasing a bad guy or dismantling a bomb unless someone forces them to do so. The bad guys just robbed your house and are running off with your last roll of toilet paper, or the bomb is strapped to your favorite cat. It’s that sort of thing that gets a character moving.

"The rule exists in story because it’s a true thing about people. Humans are designed to seek comfort and order, and so if they have comfort and order, they tend to plant themselves, even if their comfort isn’t all that comfortable. And even if they secretly want for something better."

I heard an interview on the radio with a woman who worked with people in domestic abuse situations. She said most woman who come to her for help go back to the situation they came out of, back to the man who abused them. When the interviewer asked why, the woman said that even though most women had family they could escape to and friends who would take them in, they returned to the abusive man because the situation, as bad as it might be, was familiar. People fear change, she said. Though their situations may be terrible, at least they have a sense of control; at least they know what to expect. Change presents a world of variables that are largely out of their control. And then the woman said this: “The women in these situations are afraid to choose a better story, because though their current situation might be bad, at least it’s a bad story they are familiar with. So they stay.”

Sorry I started writing this morning & couldn't shut up.

So what am I trying to say?

We're not about scarfing up people who are already going to church. We're about encountering & impacting those who don't know Jesus personally.

A conservative estimate these days is that our American culture changes about every 3 years - read that again - every 3 years. There's things in my refrigerator older than that!

If someone was crazy enough to send you & me as missionaries to Northern China, what would we do? We'd speak Chinese, we'd wear their clothing, we'd eat their food, we'd listen to their music, we'd study their cultures, customs, traditions. In short, we'd use EVERY means & facets of their culture to make them feel comfortable so that we might capture them for Jesus.

Why is it then so easy for us to see that this is the way to win people to Jesus in Northern China, but we can't see that's the way to win people to Jesus in postmodern America? Our culture changes so rapidly now that it's hard to keep up. Why do we insist on doing things in tired, worn out, hackneyed ways? Why can't we use the essence of our ever-changing culture to impact people for Jesus? It's just a tool to get the job done. And when that tool doesn't work anymore, find one that does!

Where would you & I be if those who reached us hadn't used the tools that made us stop for a minute & listen to them, and consider that Jesus just might have something to say to us?

praise

2011-11-22T04:40:00.002-05:00

1 Sing a new song to the LORD,
  for he has done wonderful deeds.
His right hand has won a mighty victory;
  his holy arm has shown his saving power!
2 The LORD has announced his victory
  and has revealed his righteousness to every nation!
3 He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel.
  The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

4 Shout to the LORD, all the earth;
  break out in praise and sing for joy!
5 Sing your praise to the LORD with the harp,
  with the harp and melodious song,
6 with trumpets and the sound of the ram's horn.
  Make a joyful symphony before the LORD, the King!

7 Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
  Let the earth and all living things join in.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands in glee!
  Let the hills sing out their songs of joy
9 before the LORD.
  For the LORD is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice,
  and the nations with fairness

seek 1st the Kingdom...

2011-11-21T04:20:00.002-05:00

at least 1 scripture for 2012

Matthew 6 (The Message)

33 Steep your life in God-reality,
         God-initiative,
             God-provisions.

Don't worry about missing out.

     You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

34 Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now,

         and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.

God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

telling

2011-11-20T04:26:00.000-05:00

Psalm 96:2b Each day proclaim the good news that He saves.

We're lazy,
   or afraid,
      or we don't want people to think we're a "religious fanatic",
          or we don't want to "offend people"...

That's why we don't tell people about the way that Jesus has made so that we can connect with God.

Where would you & I be if the people who were instrumental in our connecting with God had been lazy, or afraid, or worried we'd thought they were a religious fanatic, or were concerned they might offend us?

There are SO MANY people all around us who are going slam to hell because we're more concerned about ourselves than about them.

Let's tell just one person we know today about Him.

And don't worry - they prolly already think we're crazy ;-)

accepting

2011-11-19T05:03:00.003-05:00

Luke 1:38 Mary said, "I am the Lord's servant, & I am willing to accept whatever He wants. May everything you have said come true."

This is what Mary said when the angel, Gabriel, told her that she was to become pregnant with the Son of God, the Messiah, conceive not my having intercourse with a man, but by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Now let's pretend here for a minute...

You're a young teenage girl in the backwater town in a backwater province in the far eastern side of the far-flung empire of Rome.

You're engaged to a local guy.

One day, this person appears to you, someone so imposing & scary that he says, "don't be afraid".

Then he tells you something you (or anyone else for that matter) has EVER heard before - that you're gonna become pregnant, w/o being married & w/o having intercourse with a man.

And the baby that you're gonna have is the long-promised Messiah.

Yeah.

As Pastor John would say, what is written really happened, but not everything that happened is written.

What would you think if this happened to you?

You & I would probably be thinkin' a whole lot of things, none of them positive.

I think Mary thought them too. But in the end, even in the face of some pretty stupendous, unbelievable claims & statements, Mary said ok. She affirmed the fact that she was the Lord's servant, doing whatever it was He directed her to be &/or do.

I think Mary was no fool. I think the Holy Spirit gave her a clue to what she was getting into. But at the same time, I doubt if she knew then what she knows now about what kind of obedience she was stepping into.

But I don't think what God wanted Mary to be & do is much of anything different from what God wants us to be & do.

Even though because Jesus is our Savior, the One who makes our connection with God possible, even though we are therefore made God's children, we, like Jesus, are in a servant role to the Father.

Iow, we say yes to the " 'ever's " - whatever, whoever, wherever, whenever, however.

And we serve.

Sometimes that involves something we want to do. Sometimes that means being or doing something that makes sense. Sometimes that involves being in a safe place to be or do it. Sometimes it looks like something do-able.

But a lot of the time, it's not any of those things.

And we're like Mary, trying to figure out if we're gonna trust the God of the universes, & be & do what He wants us to be & do.

Or if we're gonna remain in what we think is "in control" of our lives.

This is the part of the life of a Christ follower we don't hear about much. Sometimes it seems these days there's an awful lot of ooshy-gooshy, touchy-feely, "ooo, Jesus is my best friend," "I just love my Daddy-God," kind of thing that's held up as the norm.

I think that has more to do with our middle-class smorgasbord kind of concept of Christianity and very, very little to do with the reality of being a Christ follower.

We serve.

Not very glamorous, is it?

It's not living in a McMansion, driving gas guzzling cars, sipping lattes, shopping the sales at Kohl's, eating like cultured hogs & spending a huge chunk of our time & money losing weight, living precious & safe little socially acceptable lives, and accruing enough wealth so our "retirement years" can be "easy street".

We are offered is the chance to serve the God of the universe, higher & holier than we imagine, stronger & wiser than we can conceive, who plans for humankind are so subtle, vast, overarching, & perfect, and Who is the very essence of love.

We, like Mary, are offered the chance to be a part of His plans, and in some finite way, to be like Him.

It will cost us everything.

And we, like Mary, can obey, or not.

when things are tough

2011-11-18T04:58:00.002-05:00

Psalm 94:16 Who will protect me...?
  Who will stand up for me...?
17 Unless the LORD had helped me,
  I would soon have died.
18 I cried out, "I am slipping!"
  but Your unfailing love, O LORD, supported me.
19 When doubts filled my mind,
Your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

I remember when I underlined that passage. It was during a VERY dark time in my life - a time when I really didn't know what was coming next.

I smile now when I think back to then, because I know what came next - some of the finest, if not the finest days of my life, so far.

When things are tough, it's hard to see past them. Little did I know then what my life would be like very soon. I just kept moving forward, mostly because I had no other viable choice. ;-)

Will you remind me of these verses every once in a while? I need to remember.

Mark 16:15 And then he told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved.

vs 20 And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.

The operative word in these two verses is "go"

I wonder what it means to have been reminded what my life was like when I underlined those first verses & what it became soon after that & then to have the verses in Mark come up off the page the same day?

who's stronger

2011-11-17T04:40:00.002-05:00

Psalm 93:3 The floods have risen up, O LORD.
  The floods have roared like thunder;
  the floods have lifted their pounding waves.
4 But mightier than the violent raging of the seas,
  mightier than the breakers on the shore—
  the LORD above is mightier than these!

Sometimes it's good to remember that even when what seems to be terrific forces come against us or beat on us, there is Someone who is greater.

Don't know what that's for today, but there it is ;-)

time

2011-11-16T04:25:00.004-05:00

Psalm 92:14 Even in old age they will produce fruit;
they will remain vital & green.

Go to this link as you read these words: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQHgszswgP8

Time that is left - Mark Schultz

What will you do with the time that’s left
Will you live it all with no regret?
Will they say that you loved till your final breath?
What will you do with the time that’s left?

Oh, Hallelujah!
Oh, Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Amen

What will you do with the time that’s past?
Oh and all the pain that seems to last?
Can you give it to Jesus and not look back?
What will you do with the time that’s past?

Oh, Hallelujah!
Oh, Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Amen

What will He say when your time has come?
When He takes you into His arms of love?
With tears in His eyes will He say well done?
What will He say when your time has come?

Oh, Hallelujah!
Oh, Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
(Lord be present in all my ways,
help me follow You all my days oh Father God)
Amen

What will you do with the time that’s left?
Will you live it all with no regret
Will they say that you loved till your final breath?
What will you do with the time?

trust

2011-11-15T04:22:00.003-05:00

Sometimes, some scripture needs to explanation or interpretation ;-)

Psalm 91
1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
  will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 This I declare about the LORD:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
  he is my God, and I trust him.

3 For he will rescue you from every trap
  and protect you from deadly disease.

4 He will cover you with his feathers.
  He will shelter you with his wings.
  His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
  nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
  nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side,
  though ten thousand are dying around you,
  these evils will not touch you.

8 Just open your eyes,
  and see how the wicked are punished.

9 If you make the LORD your refuge,
  if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you;
  no plague will come near your home.
11 For he will order his angels
  to protect you wherever you go.
12 They will hold you up with their hands
  so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone.
13 You will trample upon lions and cobras;
  you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

14 The LORD says, "I will rescue those who love me.
  I will protect those who trust in my name.

15 When they call on me, I will answer;
  I will be with them in trouble.
  I will rescue and honor them.
16 I will reward them with a long life
  and give them my salvation."

favor

2011-11-13T04:19:00.004-05:00

Psalm 89:17b Our power is based on Your favor.

Dictionary.com defines "favor" this way...

favor:
1. something done or granted out of goodwill, rather than from justice or for remuneration; a kind of act

2. friendly or well-disposed regard; goodwill
3. the state of being approved or held in regard: to be in favor at court

4. excessive kindness or unfair partiality; preferential treatment
5. a gift bestowed as a token of goodwill, kind regard, love, etc.

It's really easy to think that things happen in our lives because we're pretty good people, or that we're wise, or that we're some sort of "holy" because we hang out a lot around God or His people.

Nope.

It's because God chooses to channel Himself through us.

And if we don't watch ourselves & monitor our hubris & pride, He can choose to not.

Just sayin'...

who ya lookin' at

2011-11-12T05:12:00.002-05:00

Mark 10:13 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.
14 When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 15 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it." 16 Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.

One day at combined staff meeting, my son, Kevin, who was sitting beside me, was looking through some of the pics on his computer.

Later on in the day, he shared this - I think it explains the kind of faith Jesus was talking about...

"I was looking at some pictures of me & my son, Trey, together. (dan note: Trey's a preschooler) In every one of the pictures, Trey is looking at me.

"He's not looking around,
     he's not looking at where we're going,
          he's doesn't care how long it takes to get there,
               he doesn't care where he's going,
                    he doesn't care what all we will go through getting there.

"All he cares about is that he's with me.

"I wanna be like that again."

yeah...

hmmm...

2011-11-11T04:11:00.002-05:00

Mark 9:23b Anything is possible if a person believes.

Here's what my Life Application Bile says about this verse...

"Jesus words do not mean we can automatically obtain everything we want if we just think positively. Jesus meant that anything is possible if we believe, because nothing is too difficult for God.

"We cannot have everything we pray for as if by magic, but with faith, we can have eberything we need to serve Him."

following

2011-11-10T04:22:00.002-05:00

Mark 8:34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, Jesus said,

"If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition,

      take up your cross,

          and follow me.

35 If you try to hang on to your life,

    you will lose it.

But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News,

you will save it.

36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

        37 Is anything worth more than your soul?

38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days,

      the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

Okay, so how is this fleshed out in your life? Share with me.

reaching?

2011-11-09T04:15:00.002-05:00

2 Chronicles 31:21 In all that he did in the service of the Temple of God and in his efforts to follow God's laws and commands, Hezekiah sought his God wholeheartedly. As a result, he was very successful.

Would this be an indicator of the truth in what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33?

Matthew 6:33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Or is this a bit of a stretch?

think about it

2011-11-08T04:43:00.003-05:00

Mark 6:30 The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. 31 Then Jesus said, "Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile." He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn't even have time to eat.

  32 So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. 33 But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them. 34 Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

  35 Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. 36 Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat."

  37 But Jesus said, "You feed them."

  "With what?" they asked. "We'd have to work for months to earn enough money* to buy food for all these people!"

  38 "How much bread do you have?" he asked. "Go and find out."

  They came back and reported, "We have five loaves of bread and two fish."

  39 Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass.40 So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred.

  41 Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share. 42 They all ate as much as they wanted,43 and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish. 44 A total of 5,000 men and their families were fed from those loaves!

So, if Jesus feed 5000 men & their families, that means there were prolly 5000 women there too?

That's 10,000 adults.

And then let's say there was just 1 kid for every family - there were prolly more than that, but let's say that...

That's 15,000 people.

Philips Arena in Atlanta holds 18,000

Think about that for a minute...

Jesus fed enough people to come close to filling Philips Arena.

Think about the logistics of something like that.

Think how long that would take.

Think about it...

Now, what does that miracle have to say to you & me today?

How many times?

2011-11-07T04:44:00.002-05:00

Mark 5:36 Jesus... said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid. Just trust me."

How many times do we have to hear the Savior of the world say that to us before we really do trust Him?

How many times does He have to come through for us before we believe?

How many times does He have to bail our butt out before we believe He cares?

How many times does He have to keep us from something we really, really think we want or need before we see he really, really does have a plan for us?

How many times?

read

2011-11-06T03:34:00.002-05:00

Mark 4:24 Then (Jesus) added, "Pay close attention to what you hear.

The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given - and you will receive even more.

25 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given.

But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them."

I'm not sure why I thought of this while reading these two verses...

People say to me frequently that they'd like to get more intimate with God, or be a better Christ follower, or that God would speak to them more clearly about stuff, or something that indicates they want a better connection to God. And they usually ask me if I know a book that could help them out with that.

I usually ask them where they're reading in the Bible. Most aren't.

I used to be like that.

I was an idiot.

You all know that me & Billy Graham read a psalm every day ;-)

I read somewhere in the New Testament - right now I'm in the gospel of Mark. I may keep reading through the other two gospels, or maybe God will lead me to another book in the New Testament. But I read through a book ten check with Him to see where I need to go.

And a few years ago I started reading through the Old Testament. I'm in 2 Chronicles. I'm ready to be out of Chronicles - it's all about the kings of Israel & Judah. It's a little dry ;-)

I said all that to say this...

Read the Bible. Start out by reading Psalm 1; tomorrow read Psalm 2; the next day, Psalm 3...

You get the idea.

Maybe you could also start reading the gospel by John, the same way - 1st day chapter 1, 2nd day chapter 2, etc.

Trust me, your life will change, for the better.

Now, I will tell ya this - if you read the Bible, God will mess with you.

And He will mess with you in the area(s) that your LEAST want Him to put His finger on.

And if you read the Bible every day, God will not shut up.

You see, the Bible is God speaking to us.

Read it.

The smartest thing I've ever done in my life was to start reading the Bible every day.

The dumbest thing I've ever done is to wait until I was 52 1/2 to do it!

Read it. Start today.

obey

2011-11-05T04:05:00.002-04:00

Mark 3:13 Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him. 14 Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach, 15 giving them authority to cast out demons. 16 These are the twelve he chose:

Simon (whom he named Peter),
17 James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them "Sons of Thunder"),
18 Andrew,
Philip,
Bartholomew,
Matthew,
Thomas,
James (son of Alphaeus),
Thaddaeus,
Simon (the zealot),
19 Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).

(Have you ever thought about the fact that Jesus gave Judas the authority to cast out demons?)

Look at that list of people. Could there be a more diverse or obscure (up till then) bunch?

Most of them we know little to nothing about who they were when Jesus called them.

Most of them we know little to nothing about what happened to them after Pentecost.

My Life Application Bible says that Jesus picked these people for one reason only - He knew they would obey Him.

Here's how dictionary.com defines obey...
   1. to comply with or follow the commands, restrictions, wishes, or instructions of: to obey one's parents.
   2. to comply with or follow (a command, restriction, wish, instruction, etc.).
   3. (of things) to respond conformably in action to: The car obeyed the slightest touch of the steering wheel.
   4. to submit or conform in action to (some guiding principle, impulse, one's conscience, etc.).

Sometimes it's not really glamorous to obey.

Sometimes it's downright scary.

Other times it just doesn't make sense.

But in the final analysis, Jesus is concerned with one thing about obeying...

That we obey Him.

And, bottom line, we're not responsible for the consequences of our obedience.

He is.

Think about it...

notorious sinners

2011-11-04T05:04:00.002-04:00

Mark 2:13 Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector's booth. "Follow me and be my disciple," Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.

15 Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus' followers.) 16 But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees* saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, "Why does he eat with such scum?*"

17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners."

There are some interesting things here...

I wonder what it took to be known as a "notorious sinner" back then? I mean, there was some pretty raunchy sinnin' goin' on back then. I just wonder what ya had to be &/or do to be known as such.

I also wonder what it would take these days to be known as a "notorious sinner"? Considering the things we are & do these days, I'd say we were about on par with the folks back then, & maybe then some. ;-)

But the thing that strikes me is the fact that Jesus hung out with these sinners. We have a tendancy to hang with our friends who are Christ followers, not with people we know who aren't believers.

I wonder where we'd all be if the people who encouraged us & led us toward Jesus had felt the same way - not wanting to hang with non-believers.

Just a thought...

following

2011-11-03T05:19:00.002-04:00

Mark 1:16 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 17 Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" 18 And they left their nets at once and followed him.

19 A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee's sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets. 20 He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men.

These guys quit what they were doing & followed Jesus.

Did they know what they were getting into?

No.

Did they probably have a lot of questions?

Yes.

I'm sure they wondered a lot of times what in the world they'd gotten themselves into.

I'm sure there were times they thought Jesus was crazy.

I'm sure some of the miracles He pulled off made their hair stand on end.

I know they were scared of what the leaders in the Jewish community would do to Him, & them, when Jesus would speak harshly to the leaders.

But the important thing about the disciples is that no matter what they faced, they still followed.

Will somebody please remind me of this often?

a couple of things

2011-11-02T04:24:00.002-04:00

Psalm 76:70 He chose his servant David,
  calling him from the sheep pens.
71 He took David from tending the ewes and lambs
  and made him the shepherd of Jacob's descendants—
  God's own people, Israel.
72 He cared for them with a true heart
  and led them with skillful hands.

My Life Application Bible says that David spent years taking care of sheep, which are animals completely dependent on their caretakers. Later, God called David out of tending sheep to tend to Israel.

The thing my LAB draws from this is that we should downplay or dismiss the place, season, or situation we may find ourselves in. Many times it a training ground for what lies ahead.

(Will some of you remind me of this often?!)

************************

Matthew 28:16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!

(dan note: I've always found this astounding - that after see the risen Jesus, eating with Him, touching Him, some of the disciples still believe He was who He said He was. Amazing!)

  18 Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

The operative word in this is "go"

Do you notice it isn't location specific?

That could mean go to your work place, neighborhood, family, city, friends, Facebook, or whatever, wherever, whenever, whoever, however.

It's a call to action - to go to the people around you. God will lead us to whatever portion of "all nations" He wants us to take the simple news that He makes all things new.

the pathway

2011-11-01T05:05:00.002-04:00

Proverbs 4

25 Look straight ahead,

   & fix your eyes on what lies before you.

26 Mark out a straight path for your feet;

   stay on the right path.

27 Don't get sidetracked;

   keep your feet from following evil.

so...

2011-10-31T04:08:00.002-04:00

Proverbs 3:5 The Message

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;

don't try to figure out everything on your own.

Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;

He's the One who will keep you on track.

Just sayin"...

the least

2011-10-30T04:49:00.001-04:00

Matthew 25
31 "But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

  34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.'

  37 "Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?'

  40 "And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'

  41 "Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, 'Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn't feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn't give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn't give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'

  44 "Then they will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?'

  45 "And he will answer, 'I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.'

  46 "And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life."

So, what does this say about our excessive lives & our insensitivity to those around us?

feedback, please

2011-10-29T04:33:00.001-04:00

I'd like some feedback - if God gave these verses to you to hold on to, what do you think He would be saying to you?

I'd really like to know - 2 heads are better than 1 ;-) - I've lived with the Isaiah verses for 2 years. I've just started living with the Matthew verses - You may see or hear things about them that I've missed. Tell me what they say to you.

Matthew 6 The Message

33 Steep your life in God-reality,

            God-initiative,

                  God-provisions.

Don't worry about missing out.

        You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

34 Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now,

     and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.

God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up

   when the time comes.

Isaiah 41 NLT

9b For I have chosen you & will not throw you away.

10 Don't be afraid,
        for I am with you.

Do not be dismayed,
        for I am your God.

   I will strengthen you.

   I will help you.

   I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

following

2011-10-28T05:19:00.001-04:00

Psalm 72
24 You will keep on guiding me with Your counsel,
     leading me to a glorious destiny.

25 Whom have I in heaven but You?

I desire You more than anything on earth.

26 My health may fail,

   & my spirit may grow weak;

        but God remains the strength of my heart,

   He is mine forever.

In the first 5 months of 2003, God brought a "restlessness" to my spirit. (I was on staff at Christ Chapel in Macon.)

This usually means that change is coming.

So I waited & kept my heart open to what & where he might lead.

To make a long story short, on the first Friday in May (5/5/03), I was at home. Lynn was off at a medical conference or something. Hannah was in her room, studying. I was reading Erwin MacManus' book, "Seizing Your Divine Moment".

And God started dropping into my head & heart that I was supposed to leave music ministry (after 30 years) & start serving in Christ Chapel's 20something ministry, called House of Grace.

The next morning I got up as usual to read & listen out for Him. Every day for 5 months He'd been bringing things up off the page to continue the restlessness, to challenge me to change, & to be committed enough to serve in whatever way He led.

So the day after I make one of the biggest shifts in my life, at His leading, I get up & read Psalm 72, which is all about this guy talking about how the wicked prosper.

I was not impressed.

I figured someone as super holy & sacrificial as I deserved a word of encouragement!

And then I got to verse 24...

Yeah...

I was pretty ashamed of my "super holy" pouting.

Now I find myself in another season, 8 yrs older, not sure if I'm much wiser.

Sometimes, regardless of whatever we're facing, we have to believe things like what we read in verses 24-26.

Sometimes, the true strength of our hope for what lies ahead, our trust in Him, & our servanthood with Him is truly most evident when we're clueless.

the whole ball of wax

2011-10-27T04:37:00.001-04:00

Matthew 22:34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. 35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36 "Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?"

37 Jesus replied, "'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.'*

38 This is the first and greatest commandment.

39 A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."

Iow, to sum it up in 4 words...

love God,

love others.

I have a dear sweet friend who has that tattooed on his forearms in BIG script.

Just sayin'

some verses

2011-10-26T03:44:00.001-04:00

These are just some verses that came up of the page today as I read this psalm...

Psalm 71
1a O Lord, You are my refuge...

3a, c Be to me a protecting rock of safety
   where I am always welcome...
You are my rock & my fortress

5 O Lord, You alone are my hope
   I've trusted You, O Lord, from childhood.

6a Yes, You have been with me from birth;
   from my mother's womb You have cared for me.

9a and now, in my old age, don't set me aside.

15 Now that I am old & gray
   do not abandon me, O God.
Let me proclaim Your power to this new generation,
Your mighty miracles to all who come after me.

looking

2011-10-25T04:41:00.000-04:00

2 Chronicles 16:9 The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.

iow, amongst the many facets of God's identity...

     He's looking around for those who are serious about Him,

knowing that life's no picnic if we totally follow Him;

        and He does this with a specific purpose...

   to give us the strength to be & do what He dreamed for us to be & do.

What does this indicate about God?

What does this indicate about what He thinks about us?

And what does this indicate about His level of care for us?

Do any of us really believe this statement?

And if we do, how then should we live?

simplify

2011-10-24T04:34:00.001-04:00

Matthew 19
16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?"

  17 "Why ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. But to answer your question—if you want to receive eternal life, keep* the commandments."

  18 "Which ones?" the man asked.

  And Jesus replied: "'You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself.'*"

  20 "I've obeyed all these commandments," the young man replied. "What else must I do?"

  21 Jesus told him, "If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

  22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

  23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 24 I'll say it again—it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!"

  25 The disciples were astounded. "Then who in the world can be saved?" they asked.

  26 Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible."

  27 Then Peter said to him, "We've given up everything to follow you. What will we get?"

  28 Jesus replied, "I assure you that when the world is made new* and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

29 And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life.

30 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.

some stuff

2011-10-23T05:04:00.001-04:00

King Asa said this...
2 Chronicles 14: 7 The land is ours because we ought the Lord our God, & He has given us rest from our enemies.

Hmmmmm....

so does that dovetail into Matthew 6:33
NLT Seek the Kingdom of God[a] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
(or in The Message) Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

So, what could God be trying to say to me?

##########

Psalm 68: 19 Praise the Lord; Praise God our Savior!
For each day He carries us in His arms
20a Our God is the God who saves.

###########

Matthew 18:20
NLT For where 2 or 3 gather because they are Mine, there I am also.

The Message And when two or three of you are together because of Me, you can be sure that I'll be there.

I've always wanted to this verse as the cornerstone of a gathering ministry & name a ministry 18/20.

faith

2011-10-22T04:25:00.001-04:00

Matthew 17:20 "You don't have enough faith," Jesus told them. "I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.

Do we believe this?

Or do our rational, scientific minds get in the way?

Dictionary.com defines faith as"strong or unshakeable belief in something, esp without proof or evidence".

So, if we believe what Jesus said here, then what would that mean?

And if we don't, what does THAT mean?

losing & finding

2011-10-21T04:58:00.001-04:00

Matthew 6
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples,

"If any of you wants to be my follower, you must
      put aside your selfish ambition,
         shoulder your cross,
            and follow me.

25 If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it.

But if you give up your life for Me, you will find true life.

26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process?

Is anything worth more than your soul?

So much here...

"put aside your selfish ambition" - how many of us have selfish ambitions?
        Some that are disguised as "ministry goals"?

"if grasping something, we'll lose it; in letting go, we find what we long for" - how many times have we all seen this happen in our lives & in the lives of the people around us.

"getting everything, losing the most important" - I think of Steve Jobs today when I read this

I'm finding that the more we let go of our lives, the more God is able to express the dreams He dreamed for us a gajillion years ago.

Think about these verses today, will ya. I've lived long enough to know they speak the truth.

faith & trust

2011-10-20T04:15:00.001-04:00

Matthew 15:32 Then Jesus called his disciples and told them, "I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. I don't want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way."

  33 The disciples replied, "Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?"

  34 Jesus asked, "How much bread do you have?"

  They replied, "Seven loaves, and a few small fish."

  35 So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground.36 Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to the disciples, who distributed the food to the crowd.

  37 They all ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. 38 There were 4,000 men who were fed that day, in addition to all the women and children.

This is the SECOND time Jesus did this kind of thing. The first time is recorded just a few chapter before.

The first time there were 5000 men, which means there were probably an equal amount (or more) of women. And those women probably brought children with them. So there could easily have been 10,000+ men & women there - plus children!!!

If you saw Jesus feed that many people, would you have asked Jesus the question the disciples asked in this passage?

Or would you have said anything, in light of what you'd seen Him do just before?

I used to think the disciples must have been idiots.

Then Someone reminded me that I'm the same way.

How many times is my life has God bailed my butt out?

How many times has He pulled off a miracle for me?

How often have I seen His hand guiding my life?

And how often do I whine, fret, worry, complain, & pout when my prissy little life doesn't go the way I think it should (like this last year)?!

Yeah, me & the disciples must be at least cousins...