1 Thessalonians 4:1b ...live in a way that pleases God.
What does that mean, to you?
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
one day at a time
Psalm 110: 2 The Lord will extend your powerful dominion from Jerusalem.
vs 3c - ...your vigor will be renewed each day like the morning dew.
vs 5 - The Lord stands at your right hand to protect you.
I woke up around 1:30 & started thinking about what's up ahead for The Warehouse & downtown.
It was pretty overwhelming. So I got up, talked briefly to Will, who was reading his Bible (yes, he's SO holy! ;-), & then read some in mine.
What are the coincidental chances of me reading Psalm 110 this morning, when I was needing to read those 3 verses & have some tangible encouragement from my Abba Father?
It wasn't coincidental.
Thanks, Abba. Help me not be overwhelmed with all that You've planned for The Warehouse & downtown. I know You're in charge. I know You'll give me whatever strength & grace I need. I also know that You strength works best in my weakness. And I'm really weak. Thanks for loving me. Thanks for sustaining me. Thanks for being You.
I love you, Abba
vs 3c - ...your vigor will be renewed each day like the morning dew.
vs 5 - The Lord stands at your right hand to protect you.
I woke up around 1:30 & started thinking about what's up ahead for The Warehouse & downtown.
It was pretty overwhelming. So I got up, talked briefly to Will, who was reading his Bible (yes, he's SO holy! ;-), & then read some in mine.
What are the coincidental chances of me reading Psalm 110 this morning, when I was needing to read those 3 verses & have some tangible encouragement from my Abba Father?
It wasn't coincidental.
Thanks, Abba. Help me not be overwhelmed with all that You've planned for The Warehouse & downtown. I know You're in charge. I know You'll give me whatever strength & grace I need. I also know that You strength works best in my weakness. And I'm really weak. Thanks for loving me. Thanks for sustaining me. Thanks for being You.
I love you, Abba
Friday, May 29, 2009
letting God do it
Psalm 109: 27 Let them see that this is Your doing,
that You Yourself have done it, Lord.
This psalm is all about someone who's doing bad stuff to the psalmist. But for some reason, as I was reading it this morning, this verse came up off the page.
This is what I hope people will see with downtown - that God's done whatever happens, not me, or us. That's a dicey path to walk, b/c we have to listen very closely, & watch carefully, so as to get His cues as to what to be & do.
that You Yourself have done it, Lord.
This psalm is all about someone who's doing bad stuff to the psalmist. But for some reason, as I was reading it this morning, this verse came up off the page.
This is what I hope people will see with downtown - that God's done whatever happens, not me, or us. That's a dicey path to walk, b/c we have to listen very closely, & watch carefully, so as to get His cues as to what to be & do.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
strength
Psalm 108: 1 My heart is confident in You, O God;
no wonder I can sing Your praises with all my heart!
2 Wake up, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn with my song.
3 I will thank You, LORD, among all the people.
I will sing Your praises among the nations.
4 For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
May Your glory shine over all the earth.
13 With God's help we will do mighty things,
for He will trample down our foes.
As I walk into whatever it is God has for me & for The Warehouse, I always have the devil & his demons whispering something in my ear - it's one of those things the devil & his demons knows will distract me & cause me to hesitate.
"You can't do this. You're gonna fail, again."
And the devil is correct. I can't do this on my own.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul is asking Him to take away that chronic thing in Paul's life that was tripping him up, annoying him, & holding him back.
God said something pretty pivotal, to Paul, & to me...
"My gracious favor is all you need. My strength works best in weakness."
If that's true, then God's gonna work a doozie downtown, because I know my weakness(es) all too well. I know how capable I am. I know the limits of my abilities.
If anything's gonna happen downtown, it's gonna have to be God doing it, because in my own strength I can't make anything happen.
Notice God said, "My strength works best best in weakness."
Well, then He must be gonna do something pretty stupendous, because my weakness is pretty stupendous!
As I've walk this journey so far with God about & in downtown, I've seemingly said, "I don't know" more than I have in the rest of my life put together. I've said, "Let's just see where He leads us" more often than ever. So far, He's given me enough light to take one step at a time.
So far, I've been pretty okay with it. It goes against the way I've done most of the things in my life & so-called career. (I'm a planner) But I believe I've felt His pleasure in what I'm about as much, or maybe more, than in any other time in my life.
I need you to pray for me as I walk through this season of the journey with Him. I'm completely out of my depth with this downtown thing. I don't know what all's ahead. I'm taking it slowly, trying to let "His strength work best in my weakness."
I'd love for you to come join me in the adventure of downtown. Pray about whether God would want you to be a part of it, too. Ya never know, maybe He would want to join your weakness with my weakness, & "work best" through us both at the same time?
;-)
no wonder I can sing Your praises with all my heart!
2 Wake up, lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn with my song.
3 I will thank You, LORD, among all the people.
I will sing Your praises among the nations.
4 For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
May Your glory shine over all the earth.
13 With God's help we will do mighty things,
for He will trample down our foes.
As I walk into whatever it is God has for me & for The Warehouse, I always have the devil & his demons whispering something in my ear - it's one of those things the devil & his demons knows will distract me & cause me to hesitate.
"You can't do this. You're gonna fail, again."
And the devil is correct. I can't do this on my own.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul is asking Him to take away that chronic thing in Paul's life that was tripping him up, annoying him, & holding him back.
God said something pretty pivotal, to Paul, & to me...
"My gracious favor is all you need. My strength works best in weakness."
If that's true, then God's gonna work a doozie downtown, because I know my weakness(es) all too well. I know how capable I am. I know the limits of my abilities.
If anything's gonna happen downtown, it's gonna have to be God doing it, because in my own strength I can't make anything happen.
Notice God said, "My strength works best best in weakness."
Well, then He must be gonna do something pretty stupendous, because my weakness is pretty stupendous!
As I've walk this journey so far with God about & in downtown, I've seemingly said, "I don't know" more than I have in the rest of my life put together. I've said, "Let's just see where He leads us" more often than ever. So far, He's given me enough light to take one step at a time.
So far, I've been pretty okay with it. It goes against the way I've done most of the things in my life & so-called career. (I'm a planner) But I believe I've felt His pleasure in what I'm about as much, or maybe more, than in any other time in my life.
I need you to pray for me as I walk through this season of the journey with Him. I'm completely out of my depth with this downtown thing. I don't know what all's ahead. I'm taking it slowly, trying to let "His strength work best in my weakness."
I'd love for you to come join me in the adventure of downtown. Pray about whether God would want you to be a part of it, too. Ya never know, maybe He would want to join your weakness with my weakness, & "work best" through us both at the same time?
;-)
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
reaching out
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!
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."
After Jimmy Farrell's talk last night at House of Grace, can we ever again be laissez faire about talking to people about Jesus?
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."
After Jimmy Farrell's talk last night at House of Grace, can we ever again be laissez faire about talking to people about Jesus?
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
trusting
Psalm 106:24 The people refused to enter the pleasant land, for they would not believe His promise to care for them.
The people the psalmist is talking about is the children of Israel. The pleasant land was the Promised Land of Canaan.
The Israelites wouldn't go into Canaan b/c they didn't think God would keep His promise to take care of them, deliver their enemies to them, & give them victory.
These are the people who saw 7 plagues afflict the Egyptians, so as to convince Pharoah to let them go. These are the people who walked across the Red Sea on dry land & then saw Pharoah's army swallowed up by the same sea. This is the people who had a pillar of smoke leading them thru the desert, shading them, & a pillar of fire at night, lighting up their camp.
We can shake our heads all we want, but we're just like the Israelites. I know in my life, over & over again, God comes thru, but I still worry & wonder if He'll come thru again, when the situation & needs are different. Do you ever do that?
Bottom line, we're just stupid - willful & stupid. How many times does God have to do what He says & promises for us to trust Him?
2 Corinthians 12:7b So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.
8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.9 Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.10 That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
We feel like we have to be strong, large & in charge, capable, sufficent - iow, able to get the job done.
It's interesting that the longer I live, the one thing God wants me to be is obedient. As Pastor John says, if something scares us & is not something we can pull off on our own, then it's usually what God wants us to be or do.
Why does He do that? If we could do it with our own strength & abilities, we would. If God keeps us in a place where we feel not quite able to pull it off, then we'll depend on Him, & He'll get the glory, not us. (If we get the glory, we'll get even more prideful than we are!)
That's where I am with downtown. I feel so out of my depth. I think God's a little crazy wanting me to be the catalyst for this ministry. We all know I certainly don't possess whatever it is to pull this off.
Even though God started talking in earnest to me about downtown about a year & a half ago, es[ecially in the past 6 months, I've said, "I don't know" more than I have in the rest of my life put together. I'm just walking thru this season, being & doing what I think is supposed to be & be done. I'm totally depending on God for His favor, wisdom, & ideas.
It's a funny place for me. For most of my so-called adult life as a music minister, before I did anything, I knew what was to be done, how to do it, who would do it, when to do it, & how it would all look in the end.
Now I just take one day at a time, with the direction He gives me.
It's a different place for me to live. But I like it. He's in charge, not me. He's the one providing the ideas, direction, & the wisdom & strength to pull them off. And He's the one coming up with the favor needed to actuate it all, not me.
God's able to do His deal b/c I'm not always trying to butt in with who I am & what I can do. I'm way out of depth here. If this ting downtown is gonna mean anything, it's up to Him.
Which makes it quite an adventure.
The people the psalmist is talking about is the children of Israel. The pleasant land was the Promised Land of Canaan.
The Israelites wouldn't go into Canaan b/c they didn't think God would keep His promise to take care of them, deliver their enemies to them, & give them victory.
These are the people who saw 7 plagues afflict the Egyptians, so as to convince Pharoah to let them go. These are the people who walked across the Red Sea on dry land & then saw Pharoah's army swallowed up by the same sea. This is the people who had a pillar of smoke leading them thru the desert, shading them, & a pillar of fire at night, lighting up their camp.
We can shake our heads all we want, but we're just like the Israelites. I know in my life, over & over again, God comes thru, but I still worry & wonder if He'll come thru again, when the situation & needs are different. Do you ever do that?
Bottom line, we're just stupid - willful & stupid. How many times does God have to do what He says & promises for us to trust Him?
2 Corinthians 12:7b So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.
8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.9 Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.10 That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
We feel like we have to be strong, large & in charge, capable, sufficent - iow, able to get the job done.
It's interesting that the longer I live, the one thing God wants me to be is obedient. As Pastor John says, if something scares us & is not something we can pull off on our own, then it's usually what God wants us to be or do.
Why does He do that? If we could do it with our own strength & abilities, we would. If God keeps us in a place where we feel not quite able to pull it off, then we'll depend on Him, & He'll get the glory, not us. (If we get the glory, we'll get even more prideful than we are!)
That's where I am with downtown. I feel so out of my depth. I think God's a little crazy wanting me to be the catalyst for this ministry. We all know I certainly don't possess whatever it is to pull this off.
Even though God started talking in earnest to me about downtown about a year & a half ago, es[ecially in the past 6 months, I've said, "I don't know" more than I have in the rest of my life put together. I'm just walking thru this season, being & doing what I think is supposed to be & be done. I'm totally depending on God for His favor, wisdom, & ideas.
It's a funny place for me. For most of my so-called adult life as a music minister, before I did anything, I knew what was to be done, how to do it, who would do it, when to do it, & how it would all look in the end.
Now I just take one day at a time, with the direction He gives me.
It's a different place for me to live. But I like it. He's in charge, not me. He's the one providing the ideas, direction, & the wisdom & strength to pull them off. And He's the one coming up with the favor needed to actuate it all, not me.
God's able to do His deal b/c I'm not always trying to butt in with who I am & what I can do. I'm way out of depth here. If this ting downtown is gonna mean anything, it's up to Him.
Which makes it quite an adventure.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
bustin' out
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!
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.
Sometimes, ya just gotta bust out in praise...
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!
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.
Sometimes, ya just gotta bust out in praise...
Friday, May 22, 2009
moving forward
2 Corinthians 8:11
Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. (New Living Translation)
Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it... (New Internation Version)
The best thing you can do right now is to finish what you started last year and not let those good intentions grow stale. Your heart's been in the right place all along. You've got what it takes to finish it up, so go to it. (The Message)
So now finish doing it, that your [enthusiastic] readiness in desiring it may be equalled by your completion of it... (Amplified Bible)
But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. (New American Standard Bible)
Is this verse for anyone besides me today? Let me know if it is?
I have a date beside this verse. It was during a very, very tough time in my life. I wasn't really sure about a lot of things. But God let me know very quietly that all I had to do was just finish the task He'd given me w/ as much dignity as I could.
I think for once in my life, I did just that. It wasn't easy, it was fun, but I simply walked through that difficult time, kept my mouth shut as much as possible (a miracle in itself), & finished what I thought God would have me be & do.
Now, there is another being & doing He has for me. And thru this verse, I feel like He's telling me to (as Pastor John would say) "keep walking forward, until God tells you differently."
Maybe you're like me right now - moving in a direction that's outside our box. Remember, "God is both out ahead of us, preparing the way, & following behind us, mopping up from the consequences of our obedience." (Psalm 139:5 danny's paraphrased Bible)
Some much of life seems to be simply moving forward. Being & doing what God sems to be leading us to be & do, no matter how crazy it may seem.
For all or any of you that God is speaking to thru this verse, I say this: let's finish what He's given us to be & do. We can do it. The Power (the Holy Spirit) that raised Jesus from the dead, & created the universes, lives in us.
Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. (New Living Translation)
Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it... (New Internation Version)
The best thing you can do right now is to finish what you started last year and not let those good intentions grow stale. Your heart's been in the right place all along. You've got what it takes to finish it up, so go to it. (The Message)
So now finish doing it, that your [enthusiastic] readiness in desiring it may be equalled by your completion of it... (Amplified Bible)
But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. (New American Standard Bible)
Is this verse for anyone besides me today? Let me know if it is?
I have a date beside this verse. It was during a very, very tough time in my life. I wasn't really sure about a lot of things. But God let me know very quietly that all I had to do was just finish the task He'd given me w/ as much dignity as I could.
I think for once in my life, I did just that. It wasn't easy, it was fun, but I simply walked through that difficult time, kept my mouth shut as much as possible (a miracle in itself), & finished what I thought God would have me be & do.
Now, there is another being & doing He has for me. And thru this verse, I feel like He's telling me to (as Pastor John would say) "keep walking forward, until God tells you differently."
Maybe you're like me right now - moving in a direction that's outside our box. Remember, "God is both out ahead of us, preparing the way, & following behind us, mopping up from the consequences of our obedience." (Psalm 139:5 danny's paraphrased Bible)
Some much of life seems to be simply moving forward. Being & doing what God sems to be leading us to be & do, no matter how crazy it may seem.
For all or any of you that God is speaking to thru this verse, I say this: let's finish what He's given us to be & do. We can do it. The Power (the Holy Spirit) that raised Jesus from the dead, & created the universes, lives in us.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
challenges
A call to the pure life...
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.
4 I will reject perverse ideas
and stay away from every evil.
6 I will search for faithful people
to be my companions.
2 Corinthians 7:1 ...dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.
And then in vs 6a...
"God, who encourages those who are discouraged..."
God always encourages His weak & willful children along in the adventure He has chosen for them.
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.
4 I will reject perverse ideas
and stay away from every evil.
6 I will search for faithful people
to be my companions.
2 Corinthians 7:1 ...dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.
And then in vs 6a...
"God, who encourages those who are discouraged..."
God always encourages His weak & willful children along in the adventure He has chosen for them.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
God's timing
God is really something...
This morning, as I'm doing my normal stuff to begin the day, there's this whispering going on in the back of my mind.
The substance of this whispering is that I'm not going to do well at something in which I'm presently involved.
That kind of whispering can run me crazy.
I know it's the devil.
So, I'm kinda worrying about the situation, kinda thinking about how I'm not all that sure I can do what is presented to me to be & do.
You know how your mind can start to slowly spin with an insecure or negative thought?
Well, I'm doing my regular Bible reading (I read New Living Translation, 1st version). Deuteronomy 1 (kinda dry), Psalm 100 (boffo!), & then I start to read 1 Corinthians 6...
Sometime in the past few years, when I'd read this verse before, I've underlined something in the second half of the verse...
"God is ready to help you right now."
Now, what are the odds that I would be reading that today, when I'm me sitting here, gettin' wrapped around the axle about my ability to be & do (or NOT able to be & do) what God wants me to be & do?
Like I said, God is really something...
This morning, as I'm doing my normal stuff to begin the day, there's this whispering going on in the back of my mind.
The substance of this whispering is that I'm not going to do well at something in which I'm presently involved.
That kind of whispering can run me crazy.
I know it's the devil.
So, I'm kinda worrying about the situation, kinda thinking about how I'm not all that sure I can do what is presented to me to be & do.
You know how your mind can start to slowly spin with an insecure or negative thought?
Well, I'm doing my regular Bible reading (I read New Living Translation, 1st version). Deuteronomy 1 (kinda dry), Psalm 100 (boffo!), & then I start to read 1 Corinthians 6...
Sometime in the past few years, when I'd read this verse before, I've underlined something in the second half of the verse...
"God is ready to help you right now."
Now, what are the odds that I would be reading that today, when I'm me sitting here, gettin' wrapped around the axle about my ability to be & do (or NOT able to be & do) what God wants me to be & do?
Like I said, God is really something...
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
foundational stuff
2 Corinthians 5: 14 ...Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life.
15 He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. (dan note: so much for the obsessive focus on the "American Dream" or a life filled with stuff - if we live for Him, then that means we do what He says - which could mean living in the USA in tghe lap of luxury but not being touched by it, or it may mean living in a tree in Borneo) Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!
17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. (dan note: don't forget that Paul knew what he was talking about; he had persecuted, imprisoned, & killed a lot of Christ followers before the Damascus Road encunter with Jesus) The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (dan note: some much for the attitude, "I can be a Christian & still live like I always have. Besides, I don't know about you, but I needed & need a new life. The one outside the control & influence of God isn't all that wonderful!!!))
18 And all of this is a gift from God, (dan note: "a gift" - not something we earn - how many of us are trying to earn God's love &/or earn our way into His good graces & into heaven?!) who brought us back to Himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him.
19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.
20 So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. (dan note: as ambassadors, we represent Him - & He's doing His work through us) We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God! " (dan note: "we speak for Christ"? WOW!)
21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
15 He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. (dan note: so much for the obsessive focus on the "American Dream" or a life filled with stuff - if we live for Him, then that means we do what He says - which could mean living in the USA in tghe lap of luxury but not being touched by it, or it may mean living in a tree in Borneo) Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
16 So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!
17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. (dan note: don't forget that Paul knew what he was talking about; he had persecuted, imprisoned, & killed a lot of Christ followers before the Damascus Road encunter with Jesus) The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (dan note: some much for the attitude, "I can be a Christian & still live like I always have. Besides, I don't know about you, but I needed & need a new life. The one outside the control & influence of God isn't all that wonderful!!!))
18 And all of this is a gift from God, (dan note: "a gift" - not something we earn - how many of us are trying to earn God's love &/or earn our way into His good graces & into heaven?!) who brought us back to Himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him.
19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.
20 So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. (dan note: as ambassadors, we represent Him - & He's doing His work through us) We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God! " (dan note: "we speak for Christ"? WOW!)
21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
Monday, May 18, 2009
moving forward
2 Corinthians 4: 6 For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.
13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, "I believed in God, so I spoke." 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God's grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.
16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
Sometimes, like Pastor John says, ya just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other, moving forward.
If you've never heard Israel Houston's "Moving Forward," you haven't lived - find it online & listen to it.
That's where I live right now.
7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.
13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, "I believed in God, so I spoke." 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God's grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.
16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
Sometimes, like Pastor John says, ya just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other, moving forward.
If you've never heard Israel Houston's "Moving Forward," you haven't lived - find it online & listen to it.
That's where I live right now.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
freedom
2 Corinthians 3:17b Now, the Lord is a Spirit, & where the Spirit of the Lord is, He gives freedom.
A simple little sentence with a powerful punch.
How many of us know someone who isn't free? How many of us aren't free?
What imprisons us?
Addictions
Abuse - from others, from ourselves
Thoughts
Expectations
Fears
Worries (another form of fear?)
Anger (or rage?)
Sorrow
Indifference
Laziness
Ignorance
Oppression
And what does Paul says is endemic to our lives if we allow the Lord into them?
Freedom
Why do we let ourselves be imprisoned by these puny things when the Lord, by His very nature, is the Source of freedom?
There is nothing that binds us that He can't free us from. I've experienced / experience that unbinding, that freeing Spirit in some areas from which I NEVER thought I'd find freedom.
Let's realize the freedom that is ours, & live in it. If the Lord promises freedom, then let's give Him access to those things that imprison us & let Him set us free.
A simple little sentence with a powerful punch.
How many of us know someone who isn't free? How many of us aren't free?
What imprisons us?
Addictions
Abuse - from others, from ourselves
Thoughts
Expectations
Fears
Worries (another form of fear?)
Anger (or rage?)
Sorrow
Indifference
Laziness
Ignorance
Oppression
And what does Paul says is endemic to our lives if we allow the Lord into them?
Freedom
Why do we let ourselves be imprisoned by these puny things when the Lord, by His very nature, is the Source of freedom?
There is nothing that binds us that He can't free us from. I've experienced / experience that unbinding, that freeing Spirit in some areas from which I NEVER thought I'd find freedom.
Let's realize the freedom that is ours, & live in it. If the Lord promises freedom, then let's give Him access to those things that imprison us & let Him set us free.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
God is watching
2 Corinthians 2: 14 But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ's triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. 15 Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. 16 To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. (dan note: no wonder some downtown people react the way they do toward me!) But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? (dan note: I sure feel that sometimes - where does a guy start w/ the enormity of the need?)
17 You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ's authority, knowing that God is watching us. (no pressure there! God is watching me!)
I wish I could just walk the streets of downtown Macon, talking to people.
I think I will...
wanna join me?
17 You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ's authority, knowing that God is watching us. (no pressure there! God is watching me!)
I wish I could just walk the streets of downtown Macon, talking to people.
I think I will...
wanna join me?
Friday, May 15, 2009
relying
2 Corinthians 1: 8 We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters,* about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it.9 In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.10 And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.
VS 21 It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us,22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.
Ya know, Paul's life as a Christ follower was no Club Med existence. I often wonder if we didn't have our luxurious lives (compared to the other 96% of the world), or SUV's, or Ipod's & PS2's, or our latte's & Smoothie's, just how committed we'd be to this Jesus we all profess to love & follow. I wonder if we got beat up a couple of times for just being a following of Jesus if we'd be in such an all-fired hurry to fling our arms up in worship & sway back & forth.
Paul points out that their troubles made them rely completely on God for their everything. For decades, as a music minister, I relied on my abilities to "do" life & ministry. It was a VERY difficult life. In the past 8 years, I've made the switch to relying more & more completely on God for the whole enchilada. Life's a whole lot more simple - BIG understatement.
We all have a default setting to rely on ourselves, b/c it basically comes down to trust. Very few people in any of our lives are truly trustworthy. Most of our parents aren't. So it's "normal" for it to spill over into our relationship with God.
Today, let's all look at where we rely on ourselves, & how we can let our lives & situations go, & rely on God to handle it.
Just a thought...
I love you
VS 21 It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us,22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.
Ya know, Paul's life as a Christ follower was no Club Med existence. I often wonder if we didn't have our luxurious lives (compared to the other 96% of the world), or SUV's, or Ipod's & PS2's, or our latte's & Smoothie's, just how committed we'd be to this Jesus we all profess to love & follow. I wonder if we got beat up a couple of times for just being a following of Jesus if we'd be in such an all-fired hurry to fling our arms up in worship & sway back & forth.
Paul points out that their troubles made them rely completely on God for their everything. For decades, as a music minister, I relied on my abilities to "do" life & ministry. It was a VERY difficult life. In the past 8 years, I've made the switch to relying more & more completely on God for the whole enchilada. Life's a whole lot more simple - BIG understatement.
We all have a default setting to rely on ourselves, b/c it basically comes down to trust. Very few people in any of our lives are truly trustworthy. Most of our parents aren't. So it's "normal" for it to spill over into our relationship with God.
Today, let's all look at where we rely on ourselves, & how we can let our lives & situations go, & rely on God to handle it.
Just a thought...
I love you
Thursday, May 14, 2009
day by day
Here's what Paul told the Corinthian church to be about as they waited for Paul to come see them...
1 Corinthians 16:13 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.14 And do everything with love.
Be on guard - be careful, or watchful
Stand firm in the faith - remain focused on the things you're come to believe about Jesus & His provision for us
Be courageous - have some backbone, face your fears, face your giants
Be strong - don't be weak, live in the strength that is freely & constantly channeled from God thru His Holy Spirit into you
...do everything with love - here's the kicker: we gotta love people; that's how folks with distinguish us from everyone else in the world: by the quality of our love (which God channels through us)
My Life Application Bible suggests that we, in postmodern America, need to live like the Corinthians, as we anticipate the Lord's return.
1 Corinthians 16:13 Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.14 And do everything with love.
Be on guard - be careful, or watchful
Stand firm in the faith - remain focused on the things you're come to believe about Jesus & His provision for us
Be courageous - have some backbone, face your fears, face your giants
Be strong - don't be weak, live in the strength that is freely & constantly channeled from God thru His Holy Spirit into you
...do everything with love - here's the kicker: we gotta love people; that's how folks with distinguish us from everyone else in the world: by the quality of our love (which God channels through us)
My Life Application Bible suggests that we, in postmodern America, need to live like the Corinthians, as we anticipate the Lord's return.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
for what is ahead
Psalm 92:1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praises to the Most High.
2 It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning,
your faithfulness in the evening,
3 accompanied by the ten-stringed harp
and the melody of the lyre.
4 You thrill me, LORD, with all you have done for me!
I sing for joy because of what you have done.
5 O LORD, what great works you do!
And how deep are your thoughts.
6 Only a simpleton would not know,
and only a fool would not understand this:
7 Though the wicked sprout like weeds
and evildoers flourish,
they will be destroyed forever.
8 But you, O LORD, will be exalted forever.
9 Your enemies, LORD, will surely perish;
all evildoers will be scattered.
10 But you have made me as strong as a wild ox.
You have anointed me with the finest oil.
11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
my ears have heard the defeat of my wicked opponents.
12 But the godly will flourish like palm trees
and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.
13 For they are transplanted to the LORD's own house.
They flourish in the courts of our God.
14 Even in old age they will still produce fruit;
they will remain vital and green.
15 They will declare, "The LORD is just!
He is my rock!
There is no evil in him!"
As we mature & age, one of the deepest fears is to not be useful. We realize that our time left is not as long as the years we've already lived.
I'm living the truth of these words. These last 8 years have been the most fruitful, filled with generational ripple effects of the things God has had me be & do.
Vs 4 becomes more & more true as we mature & age.
to sing praises to the Most High.
2 It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning,
your faithfulness in the evening,
3 accompanied by the ten-stringed harp
and the melody of the lyre.
4 You thrill me, LORD, with all you have done for me!
I sing for joy because of what you have done.
5 O LORD, what great works you do!
And how deep are your thoughts.
6 Only a simpleton would not know,
and only a fool would not understand this:
7 Though the wicked sprout like weeds
and evildoers flourish,
they will be destroyed forever.
8 But you, O LORD, will be exalted forever.
9 Your enemies, LORD, will surely perish;
all evildoers will be scattered.
10 But you have made me as strong as a wild ox.
You have anointed me with the finest oil.
11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
my ears have heard the defeat of my wicked opponents.
12 But the godly will flourish like palm trees
and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon.
13 For they are transplanted to the LORD's own house.
They flourish in the courts of our God.
14 Even in old age they will still produce fruit;
they will remain vital and green.
15 They will declare, "The LORD is just!
He is my rock!
There is no evil in him!"
As we mature & age, one of the deepest fears is to not be useful. We realize that our time left is not as long as the years we've already lived.
I'm living the truth of these words. These last 8 years have been the most fruitful, filled with generational ripple effects of the things God has had me be & do.
Vs 4 becomes more & more true as we mature & age.
Monday, May 11, 2009
if I don't love people
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.
If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
If I can play the drums better than anyone I know, but don't love others, what does it matter?
If I have the most successful ministry around, but don't really love people, am I really all that successful?
If I can pump iron till my eyeballs fall out, am cut & ripped at a ridiculous level, & don't love the people God's placed in my life, does an exquisite 8-pack mean all that much?
If I have a great car, a great apartment, & a circle of glittering friends, & don't love those friends - or anyone for that matter, what does my life really mean?
If I spend my time talking to people about Jesus, Calvinism, Pentecostalism, or the Bible, & basically don't care about THEM as individuals, what's it all about?
If I can...
swing dance better than anyone...
put together a magnificent event...
drive a car faster than anyone I know...
take that car apart & put it back together better than anyone...
play ultimate frizbee with greater abandon than anyone...
sing better than all I know...
do magical things with a computer...
be funnier than anyone I know...
& don't love people like Jesus lov them, does any of that stuff mentioned really matter?
What does matter in my tawdry, prissy, puny little life, if in the final analysis, I don't love people - ain't I just spinning my wheels?
If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.
If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
If I can play the drums better than anyone I know, but don't love others, what does it matter?
If I have the most successful ministry around, but don't really love people, am I really all that successful?
If I can pump iron till my eyeballs fall out, am cut & ripped at a ridiculous level, & don't love the people God's placed in my life, does an exquisite 8-pack mean all that much?
If I have a great car, a great apartment, & a circle of glittering friends, & don't love those friends - or anyone for that matter, what does my life really mean?
If I spend my time talking to people about Jesus, Calvinism, Pentecostalism, or the Bible, & basically don't care about THEM as individuals, what's it all about?
If I can...
swing dance better than anyone...
put together a magnificent event...
drive a car faster than anyone I know...
take that car apart & put it back together better than anyone...
play ultimate frizbee with greater abandon than anyone...
sing better than all I know...
do magical things with a computer...
be funnier than anyone I know...
& don't love people like Jesus lov them, does any of that stuff mentioned really matter?
What does matter in my tawdry, prissy, puny little life, if in the final analysis, I don't love people - ain't I just spinning my wheels?
Sunday, May 10, 2009
so man people, so little time
Psalm 90:12
Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
so that we may grow in wisdom. NLT
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom. NIV
Oh! Teach us to live well!
Teach us to live wisely and well! The Message
So teach us to number our days, that we may get us a heart of wisdom. Amplified
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. KJV
In the last few months, I've been so aware of how short my life is, & how short the time left for me is.
And I think about how many people need to hear about the freedom they can find in Jesus.
So many people, so little time...
“The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields." Luke 10:2
Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
so that we may grow in wisdom. NLT
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom. NIV
Oh! Teach us to live well!
Teach us to live wisely and well! The Message
So teach us to number our days, that we may get us a heart of wisdom. Amplified
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. KJV
In the last few months, I've been so aware of how short my life is, & how short the time left for me is.
And I think about how many people need to hear about the freedom they can find in Jesus.
So many people, so little time...
“The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask Him to send more workers into His fields." Luke 10:2
Saturday, May 9, 2009
men & women
1 Corinthians 11:10-12 Don't, by the way, read too much into the differences here between men and women. Neither man nor woman can go it alone or claim priority. Man was created first, as a beautiful shining reflection of God—that is true. But the head on a woman's body clearly outshines in beauty the head of her "head," her husband. The first woman came from man, true—but ever since then, every man comes from a woman! And since virtually everything comes from God anyway, let's quit going through these "who's first" routines.
Friday, May 8, 2009
temptation & sin
1 Corinthians 10:13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure
Well, I guess that pokes some big holes in the sin thing for us.
Iow...
None of us is so special that we experience a more difficult temptation than other.
God's never gonna let us be tempted beyond what we can handle.
And in each temptation, He'll provide a way for us to not yield to it.
So, I guess we don't have any excuses for sinning, then...
Well, I guess that pokes some big holes in the sin thing for us.
Iow...
None of us is so special that we experience a more difficult temptation than other.
God's never gonna let us be tempted beyond what we can handle.
And in each temptation, He'll provide a way for us to not yield to it.
So, I guess we don't have any excuses for sinning, then...
Thursday, May 7, 2009
all things
1 Corinthians 9: 19 Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. 20 When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. 21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law,* I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.
22 When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. 23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.
In the King James version of the Bible, in vs 23, Paul says, "I am all things to all people."
Hmmmmmmmmm...
So, I guess we meet people where they are, no matter what sin they're in? Iow, we hang out with all kinds of people, even though some folks may think "birds of a feather flack together?"
;-)
Just a thought...
24 Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
Iow, being a couch potato is out?
22 When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. 23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.
In the King James version of the Bible, in vs 23, Paul says, "I am all things to all people."
Hmmmmmmmmm...
So, I guess we meet people where they are, no matter what sin they're in? Iow, we hang out with all kinds of people, even though some folks may think "birds of a feather flack together?"
;-)
Just a thought...
24 Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
Iow, being a couch potato is out?
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
a sign
Psalm 86: 17 Send me a sign of Your favor
Ya know, sometimes ya just need some sort of indicator that what you're doing is what you're supposed to be doing.
Ya know what I mean?
It's not like you're asking for some spectacular miracle - just something small - something that would say, "Yeah, I (as in God) know what you're up to, & you're right where you need to be in this situation."
Nothing stupendous - it could be just something small that only me & God would know was a signal from Him; a signal that just said, "You're fine."
Ya know, sometimes ya just need some sort of indicator that what you're doing is what you're supposed to be doing.
Ya know what I mean?
It's not like you're asking for some spectacular miracle - just something small - something that would say, "Yeah, I (as in God) know what you're up to, & you're right where you need to be in this situation."
Nothing stupendous - it could be just something small that only me & God would know was a signal from Him; a signal that just said, "You're fine."
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
sex
1 Corinthians 6:
9-11Don't you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don't care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don't qualify as citizens in God's kingdom. A number of you know from experience what I'm talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you've been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit.
9-11Don't you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don't care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don't qualify as citizens in God's kingdom. A number of you know from experience what I'm talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you've been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit.
12Just because something is technically legal doesn't mean that it's spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I'd be a slave to my whims.
13You know the old saying, "First you eat to live, and then you live to eat"? Well, it may be true that the body is only a temporary thing, but that's no excuse for stuffing your body with food, or indulging it with sex. Since the Master honors you with a body, honor him with your body!
14-15God honored the Master's body by raising it from the grave. He'll treat yours with the same resurrection power. Until that time, remember that your bodies are created with the same dignity as the Master's body. You wouldn't take the Master's body off to a whorehouse, would you? I should hope not.
16-20There's more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, "The two become one." Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—the kind of sex that can never "become one." There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for "becoming one" with another. Or didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.
Monday, May 4, 2009
a few verses
Sometimes I just get the impression I should share some of the scriptures I've read that morning. Here are the 2 sections I feel impressed to share this morning that I read just now.
Don't know who this is for...
Psalm 84:11b No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who right.
1 Corinthians 6: 12 You say, "I am allowed to do anything"—but not everything is good for you. And even though "I am allowed to do anything," I must not become a slave to anything. 13 You say, "Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food." (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can't say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. 14 And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.
15 Don't you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! 16 And don't you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, "The two are united into one." 17 But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
18 Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. 19 Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
Don't know who this is for...
Psalm 84:11b No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who right.
1 Corinthians 6: 12 You say, "I am allowed to do anything"—but not everything is good for you. And even though "I am allowed to do anything," I must not become a slave to anything. 13 You say, "Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food." (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can't say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. 14 And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.
15 Don't you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! 16 And don't you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, "The two are united into one." 17 But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
18 Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. 19 Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
some scriptures to hang on to
Some scriptures from the dan waits translation / paraphrase / commentary Bible... ;-D
Don't cling to your life. If we hold on to our life with a tight fist, we'll lose the life we could have had. But if we let go of our life & trust God with it, He'll have the freedom to give us the life He dreamed for us eons ago. (This is from Matthew 10)
Don't worry about your life. That's the long & short of it - don't worry about it. God's got it, He's in control. Trust Him with our life - He knows what He's doin'. (This is from Matthew 6 - Aaron Barth helped me see the truth of this.)
God is out there in the future preparing the way for us & for what He wants us to be & do. And what's more, He's mopping up behind us, taking care of the consequences of our obedience. (Psalm 139:5)
Sink your roots deep into Him. The stakes are too high. The Life He's dreamed for us takes more too much strength & courage. We're not strong enough to do this on our own strength. We got to sink out roots into Him, getting nourishment & stability from Him. (Colossians 2:7)
Don't cling to your life. If we hold on to our life with a tight fist, we'll lose the life we could have had. But if we let go of our life & trust God with it, He'll have the freedom to give us the life He dreamed for us eons ago. (This is from Matthew 10)
Don't worry about your life. That's the long & short of it - don't worry about it. God's got it, He's in control. Trust Him with our life - He knows what He's doin'. (This is from Matthew 6 - Aaron Barth helped me see the truth of this.)
God is out there in the future preparing the way for us & for what He wants us to be & do. And what's more, He's mopping up behind us, taking care of the consequences of our obedience. (Psalm 139:5)
Sink your roots deep into Him. The stakes are too high. The Life He's dreamed for us takes more too much strength & courage. We're not strong enough to do this on our own strength. We got to sink out roots into Him, getting nourishment & stability from Him. (Colossians 2:7)
Saturday, May 2, 2009
talk vs action
1 Corinthians 4:20 For the Kingdom of God is not just fancy talk; it is living by God's power.
Here's what my Life Application Bible says about this verse...
"Some people talk a lot about faith, but that's all it is - talk. They may know all the right words to say, but their lives don't eflect God's power.
"Paul says that the Kingdom of God is to be lived, not just discussed. There is a big difference between knowing the right words & living them out.
"Don't be content to have the right answers about Christ. Let your life show that God's power is really working in you."
Do you ever feel like we do an awful lot of talking, but very little action?
Do you ever feel like we know a lot about God, but we don't know God?
We spend a lot of time reading about Him, discussing Him & his attributes, but do we really know Him? Do we know the Person, & personality, of the God of the universes who misses a constant intimate contact with each & every one of us?
In John 10:10, Jesus said, "I am come that you might have life, & have it more abundantly."
Abundantly...
And where does this abundance come from?
God Himself & the Power He emits just because of who He is.
Our daughter, Casey, once say, "We were meant to experience life, but instead, we just get it done."
Iow, we talk a lot about living, but we seldom do it.
Why?
Because we seldom abandon ourselves to the One who can really make us live.
I don't know about you, but I don't want to be known for my fancy talk. I want people to remember me as someone who really lived.
A life lived like that can not only be thrilling & exhilerating to live, but will have an incredible ripple effect on those around us.
And it's the life God dreamed for all of us when He dreamed us all up.
Here's what my Life Application Bible says about this verse...
"Some people talk a lot about faith, but that's all it is - talk. They may know all the right words to say, but their lives don't eflect God's power.
"Paul says that the Kingdom of God is to be lived, not just discussed. There is a big difference between knowing the right words & living them out.
"Don't be content to have the right answers about Christ. Let your life show that God's power is really working in you."
Do you ever feel like we do an awful lot of talking, but very little action?
Do you ever feel like we know a lot about God, but we don't know God?
We spend a lot of time reading about Him, discussing Him & his attributes, but do we really know Him? Do we know the Person, & personality, of the God of the universes who misses a constant intimate contact with each & every one of us?
In John 10:10, Jesus said, "I am come that you might have life, & have it more abundantly."
Abundantly...
And where does this abundance come from?
God Himself & the Power He emits just because of who He is.
Our daughter, Casey, once say, "We were meant to experience life, but instead, we just get it done."
Iow, we talk a lot about living, but we seldom do it.
Why?
Because we seldom abandon ourselves to the One who can really make us live.
I don't know about you, but I don't want to be known for my fancy talk. I want people to remember me as someone who really lived.
A life lived like that can not only be thrilling & exhilerating to live, but will have an incredible ripple effect on those around us.
And it's the life God dreamed for all of us when He dreamed us all up.
Friday, May 1, 2009
who REALLY does what
1 Corinthians 3:6 My (Paul speaking about himself) job was to plant the seed in your hearts, & Appollos watered it, but it was God, not we, who made it grow. 7 The ones who do the planting or watering aren't importanrt, but God is important because He is the One who makes it grow. 8 The one who plants & the one who waters works as a team with the same purpose. Yet they will be rewarded individually, according to their own hard work. 9 We work together as partners who belong to God.
Sometimes we forget that it's all about God's favor. We think we're the ones making things happen.
Nope...
It's all about God's favor.
We can be brilliant, be a great speaker, a terrific band, a great facility, gobs of help, lgihts, cameras, sound equipment, & a dog & pony show, & still now have anyone show up.
But if God's favor is with us, we can start a church in a pitiful second floor of an office park & God will turn it into 1 church in 5 1/2 locations.
Just a thought...
I'm your friend ;-)
I love ya
Sometimes we forget that it's all about God's favor. We think we're the ones making things happen.
Nope...
It's all about God's favor.
We can be brilliant, be a great speaker, a terrific band, a great facility, gobs of help, lgihts, cameras, sound equipment, & a dog & pony show, & still now have anyone show up.
But if God's favor is with us, we can start a church in a pitiful second floor of an office park & God will turn it into 1 church in 5 1/2 locations.
Just a thought...
I'm your friend ;-)
I love ya
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