chosen

Galatians 1:15 For it pleased God in His kindness to choose me & call me, even before I was born! What an undeserved mercy!

Here's what my Life Application Bible has to say about this verse...

"Because God was guiding his ministry, Paul wasn't doing anything that God hadn't already planned & given him power to do.

"God knows you intimately as well, & he chose you to be His even before you were born (see Psalm 139).

"He wants you to draw close to Him & fulfill the purpose He has for your life."

My belief continues to be that God dreamed for each of us a BIG life - one that fits us & fits into God's overarching plan for humankind.

All we have to do is surrender to Him, completely, & His will & His dream for our life will find us.

I know, because I'm livin' it!

living, blessing, & favor

Jude 21a Live in such a way that God's love can bless you...

God has made it pretty plain how He expects us to live as His children who are Christ followers.

There's not a whole lot of wiggle room there.

Lots of the time, it seems that our own intentional sinning acts as a block for the blessings He wants to give us.

It's like He can't bless our lives sometimes, or continue His favor, if our hearts & lives are tainted with disobedience & sinning.

This doesn't mean that we have to be sinless for Him to bless us. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the last perfect person around here we ended up killing!

What it does mean I think is that sometimes the extent of His ability to bless & favor us is limited by our own intentional buckets full of sinning.

Anybody got some thoughts on what seems to me to be fuzzy thinking of mine?

...and the rest is history

Exodus 4:10 But Moses pleaded with the LORD, "O Lord, I'm not very good with words. I never have been, and I'm not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled."

  11 Then the LORD asked Moses, "Who makes a person's mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 Now go as I have told you! I will help you speak well, and I will tell you what to say."

  13 But Moses again pleaded, "Lord, please! Send anyone else."

  14 Then the LORD became angry with Moses. "All right," he said. "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he speaks well. And look! He is on his way to meet you now. He will be delighted to see you.15 Talk to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with both of you as you speak, and I will instruct you both in what to do.16 Aaron will be your spokesman to the people. He will be your mouthpiece, and you will stand in the place of God for him, telling him what to say.


Ya know, ya gotta give to Moses - he had guts. He argued with the God of the universes. And in the end, he said please send someone else. That took some guts.

In the end, God basically said shut up and go!

And, in the end, Moses did. And the rest is history.

It's always fascinated me that Moses argued with God - the God who was speaking to him in a VERY audible voice from a burning bush.

Now let's be honest - if God started talked to you in an audible voice from a bush that was burning but not burning up, wouldn't you listen? And wouldn't arguing seem a little bit stupid?!

Like I said, Moses had guts.


But in some ways, aren't we the same way? God leads us in definite ways, bringing together events, people, circumstances, indicators from His Word in the Bible, and any other number of things, to basically show us that He wants us to do something.

And in the end, we tell Him we don't think we can do it.

And in the end, God says the same thing to us that He does to Moses - go do what I've told you to do!

This could be in little things, like be kind to that obnoxious co-worker. Or speak a word about Jesus to that cashier in WalMart. Or build a bridge to that relative that drives you stark raving mad. Or move to Blairsville, GA, buy a house, with no job, not knowing anyone there, & start you life all over.

Yeah, sometimes He finally says shut up & go. And it's just as hard as you imagined it would be, and harder.

It's hard to remember what He assured us at the beginning - I will be with you.

Moses got up & went to Egypt, and the rest is history.

Maybe we should get up & do the same. And the rest WILL be history.

5 words that chage everything

Exodus 3:11 But Moses protested to God, "Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?"
  12a God answered, "I will be with you.

Who am I to....?

Who am I to talk to someone about Jesus?

Who am I to go on the World Race?

Who am I to go to Haiti?

Who am I to go to school after all this time?

Who am I to buy a house, move to Blairsville, w/ no job, not knowing anyone, & start all over?

Who am I to start a church?

Who am I to tell people close to me the secrets in my life that only You know?

Who am I to forgive my father for all he did & didn't do?

Who am I to say no?

Who am I to...?

You fill in the blank.

God told Moses to do something so fantastically incomprehensible that it was on the level of telling him to spread his arms & fly around the mountain.

And when Moses said what we'd all have said, and say every time God tells us to do something fantastically incomprehensible, God said 5 words that changed everything.

"I will be with you"

The God of the universes, who created everything there is, has always been & always will be, whose love permeates everything & everyone, who is capable of anything & is strong enough to be & do everything, said to Moses, and to us...

"I will be with you."

But most of us either believe that we're responsible for making whatever God wants to have happen happen, or we really don't believe He'll be with us.

That doesn't change the fact that He is.

I will be with YOU
I WILL BE with you.
I will be WITH you.

I will be with you.

That changes everything.

life

1 John 5:11 And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God's Son does not have life.

How many of us really live?

And how many of us just limp along, choosing whatever we perceive to be our best guess for our lives?

How many of us are really in an impossible place on this cold, wintery morning?

There's only one place in the infinity of life where there is truly vibrant, straightforward life.

To those of us who are hooked at the hip with Jesus, that last statement may seem ridiculous.

For those of us whose life is so convoluted & messed up, it may seem impossibly, stupidly too simple.

But I've lived long enough to know (the hard way) that life only makes sense when we say yes to Jesus in all our 'ever's - whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however.

It may not be an easy life.

It may not be a life that always makes sense.

But it will be the only real living we'll ever know, or see around us.

stuff I read this a.m.

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 stilled and quieted myself,
  just as a small child is quiet with is mother.
  Yes, like a small child is my soul within me.

(dan note: I don't know if I'm there, yet)

3 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD—
  now and always.


(dan note: interesting I read this on the day after Christmas)
1 John 4:7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

  9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

  11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

  13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. 14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.

  God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

  18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other* because he loved us first.

  20 If someone says, "I love God," but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.

it changed everything

Luke 2:8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.

9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them.
      They were terrified,

10 but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger."

  13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14 "Glory to God in highest heaven,
  and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased."

no matter what

1 John 2:3 And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments.

4 If someone claims, "I know God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.

5 But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him.
      That is how we know we are living in him.

6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.


It's all about obedience.

Somewhere I read once (or was it something someone said?) that Jesus did not pick the disciples because they were wealthy, well-placed socially, strong, wise, or particularly spiritual.

He picked them because He knew (being God) that, in the final analysis, they would obey Him.

Sometimes obeying is hard.

Sometimes obeying makes no sense at all.

Sometimes obeying doesn't seem to be all the productive or mean all that much.

Sometimes obeying doesn't look all that successful, as we look at things finite lens of our comprehension.

But that is what God wants from us - a level of trust that says I will trust You, no matter what.

"no matter what" - those words are in 2 of the 5 scripture passages that I've held on to with a death grip this year.

I now have a deeper appreciation of the concept and level of trust that it takes to say, "no matter what".

Yesterday, Dec 23, was the day last year that God gave me 1 Thessalonians 5:18 as the 1st of 5 passages to hang on to in 2010. It was when the "restlessness" started in my heart that I knew mean change was coming.

Little did I know...

lotsa light, NO darkness

1 John 1:5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.

6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.

7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.


  8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.

9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

Who's the builder?

Psalm 127:1 Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is useless.

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.

What does this have to say to us who now live in the worst recession since the Great Depression?

What does this have to say for those of us who are venturing into a new adventure, a new season, a new life with our Abba Father?

What does this have to say for any of us as we walk the journey with our Lord?

moving forward

Psalm 126:1 When the LORD brought back his exiles to Jerusalem,
  it was like a dream!
2 We were filled with laughter,
  and we sang for joy.
And the other nations said,
  "What amazing things the LORD has done for them."
3 Yes, the LORD has done amazing things for us!
  What joy!

4 Restore our fortunes, LORD,
  as streams renew the desert.
5 Those who plant in tears
  will harvest with shouts of joy.
6 They weep as they go to plant their seed,
  but they sing as they return with the harvest.

read it all

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.

3 The wicked will not rule the land of the godly,
  for then the godly might be tempted to do wrong.

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



2 Peter 1:3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the one who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires.

  5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence,
   and moral excellence with knowledge,
   6 and knowledge with self-control,
   and self-control with patient endurance,
   and patient endurance with godliness,
   7 and godliness with brotherly affection,
   and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

  8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

  10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen.
   Do these things, and you will never fall away.
11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

instructions

1 Peter 5:6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, & in His good time, He will honor you. (dan note: I think I can do the humble yourself thing, but does anyone else besides me have a problem with the "in His time" part?)

7 Give all your cares & worries to God, for He cares about what happens to you. (dan note: did ya catch in that verse the word, "all"? Not "just some we'll give Him to handle," not "the ones we can't handle," - all  And does anyone have a hard time really conceptualizing that the God of the universes cares about the minutia of my life - me, a less than a nanospeck in the cosmos?)

8 Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the devil, your great enemy. (dan note: boy howdy!) He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.

9 Take a firm stand against him, & be strong in your faith. (dan note: like do we have a choice?!)

Remember your Christian brothers & sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. (dan note: so, I'm not the only person in the world going through this? I know, I know - I'm really not the only one going through all this stuff, but I tend to be a little self-absorbed)

10b after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, & strengthen you, & He will place you on a firm foundation

Sometimes, I see all too clearly how fickle, weak, self-absorbed, & untrusting I am.

love

1 Peter 4:8 ...continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

don't worry, don't be afraid

sometimes, all ya got is all ya got

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.


1 Peter 2:6b ...anyone who trusts in Him will never be disappointed.

what if...

1 Peter 1:6 So be glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while.

Yesterday I read Genesis 39, which is the story of how, after being sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph was bought by Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's. Potiphar came to trust Joseph so much that he placed Joseph in charge of everything. It was said that Potiphar didn't worry about anything once he put Joseph in charge.

Of course we know Potiphar's wife tried to seduce Joseph, Joseph refused, she cried rape, & Joseph went to prison.

I noticed that once in prison, Joseph's integrity & ability were such that the head jailer put him in charge of the operations of the prison! And once again, it's indicated that the jailer didn't worry about anything once he put Joseph in charge.

God seemed to whisper to me, "see, no matter where he was or what circumstances he was in, Joseph was who he was in Me. And no matter the situation, he was a person that people trusted in, who made their lives so much easier."

I wonder if I'd been Joseph, would I have been in a "poor me" mode, always depressed about my lot & situation, enslaved & then unjustly imprisoned in Egypt, far away from my prissy & precious life as the favored son of Jacob, or I would have been someone of such quality that Potiphar or the jailer would have trusted with the running of the very thing that enslaved or imprisoned me, to the point where they didn't worry about the day to day running of it.

trust

Psalm 119:30 I have chosen to be faithful,
   I have determined to live by Your laws.
31 I cling to Your decrees.
   Lord, don't let me be put to shame.
32 If You will help me,
   I will run to follow Your commands.

You know my every worry
Calm my raging sea
walk with me through fire
And heal all my disease
I trust in You, I trust in You

I believe You're my healer
I believe You're all I need
I believe You're my portion
I believe You're more than enough for me
Jesus, You're all I need

Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
You hold my world in Your hand

Healer by Kari Job

dependence

Psalm 118:8 it is better to trust the Lord than put confidence in people. It is better to trust the Lord than put confidence in princes. (dan note: whenever I read "princes" I think for us it could mean "don't put our confidence in government officials & politics)

James 4:10 When you bow down before the Lord & admit your dependence on Him, He will lift you up & give you honor.

This may come as a shock, but "God helps those who help themselves" is NOT in the Bible.

Paul said that "His strength is made perfect in my weakness." Who else besides me is holding on to that today? Who else besides me depends on His strength for just about everything?

Who's needs these verses besides me today?

short & sweet, but packed with a punch

Psalm 117:1 Praise the LORD, all you nations.
  Praise him, all you people of the earth.
2 For he loves us with unfailing love;
  the LORD's faithfulness endures forever.

Praise the LORD!


2 verses - the shortest psalm

But it says something that no one else can say...

...our God LOVES us...

   ...eternally...

      ...enduringly...

         ...faithfully.


Thank You, Abba

obeying & complete

James 2:22 (Abraham) was trusting God so much that he was willing to do whatever God told him to do. His faith was made complete by what he did - by his actions.

That's the long & short of it, isn't it? "...he was willing to do whatever God told him to do."

I've heard it said that one of the  major reasons Jesus picked the men he did as His disciples was not because they were wealthy, influential, or wise. he picked them because He knew (being God) that they would obey Him.

He knew that in their heart of hearts, for all the bad & good they were, that in the final analysis, if He said "Go to India," Thomas would go. (He is traditionally said to have been killed by the people there by spearing.)

He knew that after the resurrection & infilling of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost,  all of them would do whatever He said, no matter what.

That "whatever" may mean trying to connect with that person everyone hates at work, or everyone loathes that lives aross the street from your house.

It may mean getting up each morning to read the Bible.

Or lose X amount of pounds.

It may mean go back to school, or leave school.

It may mean do something completely off the chain, something completely outside your comfort zone.

"No matter what" appears in 2 of the 5 scripture passages He's given me for 2010.

He may want you to move to X and be & do something for Him.

Just remember (and remind me of this frequently these days) that God never directs us to do something that we can't do without Him.

But often times, He will lead us to be & do things that WE think we can't do.

For Lynn & I right now, Blairsville is one of those things.

The only thing that keeps us from just throwing our hands up in the airis the constant fact that we believe God led us there - iow, this was all His idea.

And if it's His idea, then He must have some sort of plan.

It may not be fleshed out in a paradigm consistent with "the American Dream."

It may not make any sense.

It may seem impossible.

It may scare us to death.

It may not even be a "success" in the eyes of the world, including everyone close to us.

But if we are servants, that means we, like Abraham, will do "whatever He tells us to do."

So what happened when Abraham did what he was told?

James' epistle says "his faith became complete."

Iow, something in his relationship with the Abba Father & within his own self intrinsically was brought to full fruit. He became something & someone to God that he had never been before.

And we become more of the person our Abba Father dreamed us to be when He created each of us in His mind a gajillion years ago.

endure

James 1:2 whenever trouble comes you way, let it be an opportunity for joy.
3 For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character & ready for anything.

so...

Isaiah 41:9b For I have chosen you
   & will not throw you away.

choose:
1. to select from a number of possibilities; pick by preference

2. to prefer or decide (to do something)

3. to want; desire.

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

afraid:

1. feeling fear; filled with apprehension

2. feeling regret, unhappiness, or the like

3. feeling reluctance, unwillingness, distaste, or the like

with:

1. accompanied by; accompanying

2. in some particular relation to (esp. implying interaction, company, association, conjunction, or connection)

3. characterized by or having

Do not be dismayed,
   for I am your God.

dismayed:

1. to break down the courage of completely, as by sudden danger or trouble; dishearten thoroughly; daunt

2. to surprise in such a manner as to disillusion: She was dismayed to learn of their disloyalty.

3. to alarm; perturb



I will strengthen you.

strengthen:

1. to make stronger; give strength to.

I will help you.

help:

1. to give or provide what is necessary to accomplish a task or satisfy a need; contribute strength or means to; render assistance to; cooperate effectively with; aid; assist

2. to save; rescue; succor

3. to make easier or less difficult; contribute to; facilitate

I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

uphold:

1. to support or defend, as against opposition or criticism

2. to keep up or keep from sinking; support

3. to lift upward; raise

victory:

1. a success or triumph over an enemy in battle or war.

2. an engagement ending in such triumph

3. the ultimate and decisive superiority in any battle or contest

victorious:

1. having achieved a victory; conquering; triumphant

2. of, pertaining to, or characterized by victory.

a strange dichotomy

2 Corinthians 12:1 This boasting will do no good, but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord.

2 I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don't know—only God knows. 3 Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know 4 that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.

  5 That experience is worth boasting about, but I'm not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses. 6 If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won't do it, because I don't want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, 7 even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. 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.

not Club Med

1 Corinthians 12:23b I have worked harder,
   been put in prison more often,
   been whipped times without number,
   and faced death again and again.

24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.

25 Three times I was beaten with rods.
   Once I was stoned.
   Three times I was shipwrecked.
   Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.

26 I have traveled on many long journeys.
   I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers.
   I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles.
   I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas.
   And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.

27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights.
   I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food.
   I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.

  28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.29 Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?

  30 If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. 31 God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying.

32 When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me. 33 I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him.

What can we glean from this?

We here in America think that follow Christ will usher us into the American dream - iow, if we're Christians, we're supposed to have thousands of square feet in our homes, 2 SUV's in the garage, plenty of everything, & a fairly prosperous life - like I said, the American dream.

I'm sorry, but I don't find indicated in the Bible that that will be the case. In fact, it will be the opposite.

It would be easy to say that this was at the beginning of Christianity, in pagan Rome. But look at the lives of saints since then, up to, & including, now in the 21st century. Being a Christ follower does not guarantee a plush lifestyle.

But that is what so many of us think it should be.

And many of us would think, or say, "But God may want us to have plenty of money so we can bless others."

If I hear that many more times, I think I'm gonna spit up

It's just self justification, rationalizing, and / or a cop out.

Remember one thing - there are far more people around you who do not have any connection with God at all.

We know what that means for them when they die.

And remember one other thing - forever is a VERY long time.


So, what are we supposed to do?

Ask Him. And then listen to what He says.

Just be prepared for the answer.

do it

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.


God gave me 4 verses for 2010. I haven't heard from Him if they're supposed to change for 2011. I'll keep you posted.

I knew 2010 was going to be a doozie of a year since he gave me 4 verses.

Little did I know.

I got the 1st one on December 23, 2009. The the 2nd one came on January 18, 2010. The other 2 came on the next day, January 19, 2010.

They're 4 passages I've hung on to as I've passed through incredible change this year.

And I continue to hang on to them like a lifeline to God - every day, literally.

Where would I be if He hadn't given these passages to me?

Train wreck

I NEVER would have made it this far.

So?

I preach & harp & nag & say this next thing so many times that it must be INCREDIBLY irritating, but 1) it's true, & 2) I love you enough to risk your growing tired of hearing it.

Read the Bible every day.

God will speak to you through it.

He will mess with you through it.

He will wreck your life through it.

You'll find Him through it.

You'll find life through it.

The smartest thing I've ever done was to start reading the Bible every morning.

The dumbest thing I ever did was wait until I was 52 1/2 to start doing it.

Do it - start today.

leader/servant

Psalm 110:2a 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.

2 Corinthians 9:8 God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need & plenty left over to share w/ others.

vs 10 For God is the One Who gives seed to the farmer & then read to eat. In the same way, He will give you many opportunities to do good, & He will produce a great harvest of generosity in you.


A really dear friend & sister said something to me yesterday during a chat on Facebook IM that the Lord reminded me of this morning.

In referring to a particular situation in her life, she said something like, "I try to stay positive, say what I see, & do what I can." (or something like that)

God seemed to poke me this morning with that statement of hers.

As Lynn & I walk through this season of our lives, there's a lot going on that seems crazy or a little unexplainable.

Instead of second guessing or trying to interpret it all, maybe I should be more like my sweet friend and "try to stay positive, say what I see, & do what I can".

Because, ultimately, I'm not in charge - God is. This whole Blairsville thing was His idea - do you really think I could have come up with all this?!
   Leave Macon,
   move to Blairsville,
   buy a farmhouse in the country,
   leave everything we've known for 30 years,
   go somewhere where no one knows us,
   start all over at our ages (early 60"s),
   and build a new life

I couldn't have come up with that!

So, He's the leader here - I'm the servant. He's the One who sees the BIG picture - I'm the one who does his part. If I do anything else, I'm usurping His leadership role & stepping out of my servant role.

(I hope this makes sense)

Anyway, & on top of that, He gives me these verses this morning.

I've got some stuff to think about today.

moving forward

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.

strong stuff

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

Hebrews 10:35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens.

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

Hebrews 10:36 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.

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

Pretty strong stuff, huh?

The 1st verse is the one that came off the page this morning.

The next 4 are the verses God gave me at the beginning of 2010 to hold on to during the year.

When He gave me these verses back then, I didn't have a clue what the next year would hold.

Little did I know...

I've held on to various parts of them at various times during the past year.

I'm holding on to each word & phrase these days of being & doing here in Blairsville.

I haven't gotten any new ones yet, so I don't know if these are supposed to spill over into 2011, or what. Last year, these verses didn't pop up until Dec 23, 2009, January 18, & then January 19. So, we'll see what comes along.

I kept the same verses for 2008 & 2009, so keeping these for 2011 would be unusual.

btw, pioneering is hard.

I never could have made it through this year without these verses to remind me of different things along the way.

If I'm to keep them, I'll need them for what's ahead.

Can I go ahead & say something for the gajillioneth time?

Read the Bible everyday.
   Just read sequentially - iow, start reading in 1 of the books & just read 1 chapter a day, one after the other.
   Read a Psalm (me & Billy Graham do ;-).
   Read in the New Testament.
   Read in the Old Testament.
Listen out for what God will say.

But trust me on this - if you do this, God is gonna mess with you.

But life won't be dull anymore.

now

2 Corinthians 6:2c God is ready to help you now.

If you don't think you can go on...

God is ready to help you now.

If you're lost as a golf ball in hall grass...

God is ready to help you now.

If you haven't a clue which way to turn, or what to do...

God is ready to help you now.

If you stil don't know what He wants you to be...

God is ready to help you now.

If you're in "the impossible place"...

God is ready to help you now.

How do I know? I've been livin' in it.

God is ready to help you now.

the plesant land

Psalm 106:24 The people refused to enter the pleasant land, for they wouldn't believe His promise to care for them.

This verse refers to when the Jews refused to enter the promised land the 1st time because they didn't think God would back them up & take care of them as they face the giants who lives there.

So they all wandered in the wilderness of Sinai for 40 years until everyone of them was dead before God allowed them another chance to go into the promised land. Whew!

We think these Jews were crazy for not trusting God to take care of them. But we also know the end of the story - they didn't.

How many times are we just like them? God leads us to be or do something & we just don't think He'll make it happen, so we don't be it or do it.

As Lynn & I begin our next season living near Blairsville, it can be a bit daunting. When people ask me how we're doing, I think the best answer is we're living 1 day at a time, taking things as they come.

This whole Blairsville thing was God's idea. If it's His idea, then He's gotta have a plan. I guess my task is to stay out of the way & not mess things up.

How about you? Are you in the same boat as I am, or the Jews back then? How do you think we should be & live in this situation?

If God is God, & He tells us to be or do something, then it's His business to lead us through it. (I'm preaching this more to me that to you!) We trade in the dream He has for us for the safety of what we're comfortable.

If we're to live the God life, we must trust that "He will care for them" & lead us through it.

one foot in front of the other

2 Corinthians 4:8 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.

how things get done

2 Corinthians 3:5 It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power & success come from God. 6 He is the One Who has enabled us to represent His new covenant.

17 The Lord is Spirit & wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, He gives freedom.

18 All of us have had the veil removed so we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. As the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more & more like Him & reflect His glory even more.

linger over this

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.

lots of reading this morning - sorry

This is some of the stuff I read this morning. It relates to one another, especially in my life right now.

Genesis 22:1 Some time later, God tested Abraham's faith. "Abraham!" God called.
"Yes," he replied. "Here I am."

2 "Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you."

3 The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 "Stay here with the donkey," Abraham told the servants. "The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back."

6 So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac's shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together, 7 Isaac turned to Abraham and said, "Father?"
"Yes, my son?" Abraham replied.
"We have the fire and the wood," the boy said, "but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?"

8 "God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son," Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.

9 When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11 At that moment the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"
"Yes," Abraham replied. "Here I am!"

12 "Don't lay a hand on the boy!" the angel said. "Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son."

13 Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son.14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means "the LORD will provide"). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."


As I read this section this morning, I thought about what Jesus said...

If you cling to your life, you'll lose it. But if you let go of your life for me, you'll find it. (Matthew 6:25)

Iow, if you let go, God can implement the life He dreamed up for you a gajillion years ago when He thought about creating you.


2 Corinthians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.

6 Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. 7 We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

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. 11 And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety.

moving forward

Genesis 21:1 Then the LORD did exactly what He had promised.

2 Sarah became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. 3 And Abraham named their son Isaac. 4 Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded. 5 Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.

6 And Sarah declared, "God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me. 7 Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse a baby? Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!"

Abraham was 100 yrs old when Isaac was born. Sarah was almost as old herself.

My maternal grandmother lived for 108 yrs. Trust me, it's inconceivable that she would survive having a baby at almost 100 yrs old.

But God promised Abraham & Sarah a baby, and a baby is exactly what they got.

Of course, they had to have sex - at their ages - for that baby to be conceived. (uhm, don't got there!) Iow, they had to be proactive in their faith that God would come through in His promise.


How many of us are waiting for a promise from God to be fulfilled?

And how many of us need to keep walking toward that promise? (no, this isn't a situation that undergirds "God helps those who help themselves")

How many of us just need to keep moving in the direction we're going and trust that the thing(s) God has promised will be out there in the future.

I know I need to keep moving in the direction I'm going, even though the devil keeps whispering to me that I shouldn't & keeps pointing out all the "valid" reasons why I shouldn't.

I read Genesis 21, Psalm 101, & 1 Corinthians 16 this morning. That short sentence is what came up off the page. "Then the Lord did exactly what He had promised."

And, ya know, He has in the past.

I guess my only option is to keep moving in the direction I'm going. All other alternatives are unacceptable.

uselessness

1 Corinthians 15:55 be strong & steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Dictionary.com defines useless as "not serving the purpose or any purpose; futile, of no practical good."

It took me 2+ years to be comfortable being a servant.

By 2001, I had been a music minister for 27 years in the United Methodist Church - large & in charge ;-)

When I came on staff at Christ Chapel, I came as the assistant to the Music Minister, who literally happened to be half my age. I wasn't in charge of anything, not even myself. I was there to serve - to help out where I could, & to do the bidding of all.

That was something of a change for me. ;-) LOL

(Btw, anyone who says "all I want is to be a servant of the Lord" has never been one. ;-)

It's hard to be a cog in the wheel when you've been the hub for 27 years - or at least thought you were the hub.

The interesting thing is that I got used to being a servant - kinda liked it.

I don't think people realize that of those almost 10 years I was on paid staff at Christ Chapel, I was leading a ministry for only 3 1/2 of those years - for 6 1/2 years I was serving others.

I know I underlined this verse in my Bible during those first 2 years at Christ Chapel - those were 2 years I spent in the woodshed - God was doing "behavior modifications" on me (read: beating out of me the pride, arrogance, & sense of entitlement I had).

I felt like I didn't matter during those years - and a few times since. ;-)

But during those 2 years, God taught me (the hard way) that everything done for Him has some impact, some useful result, even though we may not see it.

You may be moving about your days, feeling like no one notices & no one cares, & nothing you're doing means anything.

Nope, not true. If we're faithful to Him, & be & do what He bids us to be & do, it's of use - somehow it all fits into the BIG picture of His overarching plan for humankind. We just may not understand how until we get to heaven.

How do I know that? I've lived it - and am living it.

the crux of the matter

Psalm 99:1 The LORD is king!
Let the nations tremble!
He sits on his throne between the cherubim.
Let the whole earth quake!
2 The LORD sits in majesty in Jerusalem,
exalted above all the nations.
3 Let them praise your great and awesome name.
Your name is holy!
4 Mighty King, lover of justice,
you have established fairness.
You have acted with justice
and righteousness throughout Israel.
5 Exalt the LORD our God!
Bow low before his feet, for he is holy!

6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests;
Samuel also called on his name.
They cried to the LORD for help,
and he answered them.
7 He spoke to Israel from the pillar of cloud,
and they followed the laws and decrees he gave them.
8 O LORD our God, you answered them.
You were a forgiving God to them,
but you punished them when they went wrong.

9 Exalt the LORD our God,
and worship at his holy mountain in Jerusalem,
for the LORD our God is holy!

Ya know, I don't have any problem believing God can & will do anything.

I'm not completely sure I have a flawless ability to figure out what He's telling me.

If I know for sure something I'm supposed to be or do is of God, I don't have any problem believing that He'll come through & do unbelievable & unexplainable things.

I'm not sure sometimes if I've figured out what it is He's trying to lead me to be & do.

Anybody else like that?