What's on Your Silver Platter?

I know of someone who has more opportunities than most people, an opportunity to see a dream come true and make an amazing contribution to this world and the spiritual world and this person does not recognize it for what it truly is. It lies before this person on the proverbial silver platter and is ignored for another day, another time or after this hobby or event. Do you know someone like this? Was this or is this you?

As I was lamenting over this person and the decisions being made, I was quickly reminded that I am no different. My Father owns cattle on a thousand hills. He is the King of Kings and He is offering me or waiting to offer me more than I can imagine or even ask for and I set Him aside for another day or another time; after this hobby or event. The Maker of the universe, the One who died for me, the One who rules over everything is doing everything to get my attention, to reach out to me in relationship and who know what else. Why don’t I see this when the opportunity to spend time with Him arises? Why do I choose the “pig pen”(Luke 15:11-32) when all the “riches” I could imagine are lying before me?

Oh how Jesus must shake His head and shed tears over my wasted opportunities and joys. He loves me so much, more than I will ever know this side of heaven. At times I take that love for granted. It will always be there for me so He can wait. Sad, isn’t it?! I have had some pretty incredible times with Christ, intimate sweet times that I truly cherish but somehow forget when faced with doing my Bible Study or spending long periods of time praying. I think in the moment most times not the long term. I think of my desires not the desires of Jesus or even others because the more time I spend with Him the better I am for everyone else. As Jack Nicholson said, “You make me want to be a better man (woman).” When I spend time with Jesus in prayer, meditation and Bible study, I want to be a better woman.

Part of me thinks I need to add some insightful comment on scripture but I’m not thinking of anything right now. I know that I am not the only one who is turning his/her back on all that Jesus has to offer.

• Peace
• Joy
• Security
• Hope
• Love
• Help in our time of need

Rev 21:21 “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.”

Rev 4:2b-5a “there in heaven a throne was set. One was seated on the throne, and the One seated looked like jasper and carnelian stone. A rainbow that looked like an emerald surrounded the throne. Around that throne were 24 thrones, and on the thrones sat 24 elders dressed in white clothes, with gold crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings, and thunder.”

2 Kings 6:15-17 “When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. ‘Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?’ the servant asked. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

This is a glimpse of some the power, majesty and wealth of the One who wishes to be in relationship with each of us. He gave up all of that to DIE for us so that we might be with Him and be in relationship with Him and we often walk away from that. WHY?

Do a word search on one of the words or all of the words listed above. Meditate on the verses above and think on what lies before you and what you will do in response to His invitation to be in relationship with Him. You are not alone nor do you have to live on or in your own power. Jesus has all that you need right now. Lean on Him. Say “yes” to Him. It will be more than you can hope for or imagine. (Eph 3:20)

Lavish love

Ephesians 3:16-19 explains Paul's desire for all of us to understand how wide and long and how high and deep is the love of Christ.

Beth Moore in her Bible study A Woman's Heart God's Dwelling Place(pg 168) shares her Inspired thoughts on this passage that I really wanted to share with you.

"How wide and long and high and deep - with His lavish love Christ embraces us equally in four perfect directions. This verse about the completeness of Christ's love for us might be applied like this: God's love for me extends in every direction. Because I am His child, all that is behind me must be worked toward good, even when I have failed (see Rom. 8:28). In addition, everything ahead of me belongs to God. My future is entirely His, and His love extends through circumstances I have not yet known (see Jer. 29:11). No matter how deep I sink into a pit of despair, His hand can extend that much deeper to lift me out (see Ps. 40:2). No matter what heights this human experience can boast, God's ways are higher. Every day I spend with Him, I am lifted out of insignificance to ascend and take my place in God's high calling in Christ Jesus (see Isaiah 55:9; Phil. 3:14).

God's Word states that this life is only a breath, a disappearing vapor, very brief. And we get only one opportunity to experience Him as mortals relating to an immortal Savior. Will you agree to experience Him in His fullness? Will you revel in your God through the breadth, length, depth, and height of this human experience? Can you say to Him, 'I want to experience every part of You that is possible this side of heaven'? If you can, then you will 'know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God' (Eph. 3:19)."

I hope you have a few minutes to think about this and to begin to grasp how great is the love of Christ Jesus (for each of us)!

Have a blessed day and Thanksgiving weekend!
Renee

I want to be with you

God wanted so badly to be with His people, to be with us. In Exodus, he even gave instructions how to build the Tabernacle that He would dwell in to be amongst His people, to dwell with them. However, He knew that His holiness would kill them if they weren't prepared so He protected them them with the veil. It wasn't until hundreds of years later, when Christ died on the cross as the final blood sacrifice for our sins that the veil was torn (Mark 15:38, Hebrews 10:19-22). Through Christ we now have access to God. Our God did all this so that He might be with us and we with Him! This is how much He loves us! He will do anything to be with us and live amongst us. In Exodus He gave detailed instructions to build His dwelling place. In the New Testament gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) we learn how He gave His life so that we may become His new living temple. 1 Corinthians 3:16 "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you."

God has done everything He could do to be intimately in our lives. Do you have anyone who has gone to such lengths to love you and be with you?! If you can say "yes" to that, you are truly blessed. But if the "yes"' is in reference to a person, sad to say, you cannot be with that person forever but with God it is forever. He has promised to never leave us (Hebrews 13:5). Romans 10:9 says "that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
With this act and belief, you too will have the afor mentioned indwelling of the Spirit of God and become His living temple and begin a truly intimate loving relationship with the Creator God, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. This is the greatest love we can ever know and have. It will last all eternity.

Will you believe? Will you accept His gift of love?

Just say,
"yes."

____________________ (a catchy title lost to me)

Hebrews 2: 17-18 “For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

We may from time to time remember the sacrifice Jesus made for our sins. It is unfathomable that He would give up Heaven to come to earth as a baby to eventually die a horrible death on the cross for our sins knowing how many times we would reject Him, ignore Him and blaspheme Him. Yet He chose to do these things for us to pay the penalty for our sins. That in and of itself is amazing and makes me just shake my head in wonder and awe.

But these verses in Hebrews talk of even more than the sacrifice on the cross. Jesus came to earth because He knew how fickle and untrusting we can be. He wanted to reach out to us in so much love it would take eternity for us to discover it! Jesus is omniscient (knows everything) and that in and of itself can be a bit much to wrap our heads around on a good day but what if we are having a bad day or maybe even a really bad day. A day of our own making or a day that catches us in the circumstances of life. Is His omniscience enough – knowing exactly what has happened and how it makes us feel simply because He knows everything? Does His omniscience bring us comfort? Not always at least I don’t think so when those days hit me.

I have a friend whose parent died this past weekend. She knows and believes in Christ and His character. Does this bring her comfort? I am sure it does. But does it bring her more comfort knowing that the God who saved her and loves her, knows exactly how she is feeling because while living on earth, He too experienced the same thing?* I would think the answer is yes.

Jesus came not just to die for us but to experience life as we do. He knew that in our time of sorrow, trouble, temptation and difficulty we in our human weakness would do better knowing that He understands exactly what we are going through not due to His omniscience but life experience. He loves us that much! He sacrificed and suffered that much to bring us more comfort and love us in a way that we could hang on to in our time of need.

*Did you catch in the gospels that when Christ was ministering to the Israelites and it mentions His family, it doesn't mention Joseph? Also when Jesus is hanging on the cross He takes the time to make sure John takes care of Mary. Why? Because He was the eldest son and he was responsible for caring for Mary when His father died. I know that it never states in the Bible Joseph died but it is inferred in a number of ways.

Mighty To Save

A father's keepsakes

Recently I have been planning out a picture wall of our family members. It has been fun to pick pictures from many years ago and more recent ones. It is so great to reminisce over old memories and good times. I know that when I finally finish that wall many in our family will enjoy the memories it will spark.

Keepsakes bring fond memories, feelings of love, laughter and people both close and far away. Many families treasure their loved ones in this way – through pictures and other mementos. Our heavenly Father is no different. He too has keepsakes, mementos that keep us close to Him until we can physically be close to Him.

Incense is a precious thing to God. He keeps it close to Him in heaven – right before the entrance to the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle that Moses built (Exodus 30:6) and next to His throne (Rev 5:8). It is so precious to Him that it is considered “most holy to the LORD.” (Exodus 30:37) This incense is placed near Him so He can breathe it in and be pleased with its aroma and what it reminds Him of. And what is that memory…

Psalm 141:2, Revelations 5:8 and 8:3 all speak of the incense as the prayers of the saints. Our prayers to God not only are heard but they are collected and stored in a golden bowl and are as incense to the Lord that He breathes in and that brings Him pleasure! Think on this…

God doesn’t just have pictures of us in His mind that He cherishes…

He doesn’t just listen to our prayers…

He saves them…

Savors them…

and breathes them in…

making them a part of Himself!!!

We are that precious to Him!

You are precious to Him!

Don’t ever forget that. Your prayers are not bouncing off the ceiling but being collected by God’s angels and placed in a bowl next to the Throne of God as incense to be breathed in and remembered, cherished.

Your prayers are the keepsakes of the Father.

Valley of Bacca Traveler

Life sucks! Shit happens!

Can you relate? A bit harsh for a site like this you might think but sometimes that’s how you feel. Out of control, powerless, helpless and alone? Life is spinning out of control and just taking you along for the ride. Dizzy yet? Feel like hurlin’? Who’s merry go round is this anyway and

I want off right now?!

Maybe the road you’re on isn’t really a merry go round spinning out of control trying to make you dizzy and really crazy. Maybe just maybe it’s a road that is meant to be straight but gets a little out of whack with the distractions and exhibitions that pull us left and right and around this bend and short cut.

One of the fun memories I have as a kid is going on road trips. My family would go camping and on rainy days we didn’t head for the theatre or restaurant, we’d head on a road trip. No maps, no particular destination, just exploring. We’d find garage sales, interesting places to stop or maybe tourist sites to explore. It was fun…dirt roads, dead ends, farm land, various livestock, little towns with big houses and wrap around porches all strung up with red, white, and blue banners, and maybe little ice cream shops. It was fun.

But let’s say you’re on a specific journey. There is a definite place you want to be or need to be. You have a map, a MapQuest route or maybe a GPS laid out plan and then….CONSTRUCTION…traffic jam…accident…you name it. Something happens that ends up taking you off course. One turn and short cut leads to unfamiliar roads and sometimes newer roads that your GPS doesn’t recognize and you’re lost trying to get back on the right road again. All the fun sites that we passed on our road trips don’t bring you joy and excitement they bring you frustration, misery and very likely anger; anger at the situation and probably at the people in the car with you.

Did you ever realize that there was someone who was in control? Someone who desperately was trying to get your attention and wanting to lead you directly to the place that would bring you the rest, love and joy you’d been secretly or openly looking for? But as you did all the things you had to do or were responsible for and then just felt like doing for the heck of it, you turned off the road that you were meant to be on. Eventually the distraction led to misery, tears and suffering or maybe these things just happened and your detour/distraction kept you from running into the “strength” or help you were meant to have. Maybe just maybe when your conscious or nagging voice tells you to stop or get back on track…maybe just maybe it’s not a buzz kill trying to rob you of your fun but maybe just maybe it’s Someone trying to get you back on the right road to true and everlasting joy, hope and love.

You are not alone…EVER. Jesus Christ is constantly pursuing you and inviting you to be with Him in the best relationship you will ever have.

The valley of misery, tears, and suffering (valley of Baca ) also has oases (strengths) to help you along the way. We can travel from strength to strength as we travel to God and His dwelling place with the help of Jesus along the way. (Psalm 84:5-7)

A rock band – Third Day, recorded a song called the Mountain of God that depicts just what we’ve been discussing. Here are some of the lyrics from that song:

“I thought that I was all alone, broken and afraid; but You are here with me, yeah You are here with me.”

“Even though the journey’s long and I know the road is hard, I must go through the valley to stand before the mountain of God.”

The post just below this one has a YouTube video of the entire song. Listen to it and realize that you’re not alone and the end of your road ends at the Mountain of God…His dwelling place waiting for you; a place of everlasting love, peace, and joy right in the middle of a lifefilled with misery and suffering.

Mountain of God

An Expectant Father

Ephesians 1:3-6

Vs.3 “…who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ…” This is past tense. He has already put forth the order to bless us with every spiritual blessing available in Christ Jesus. Christ said I must leave to prepare a place for you in heaven. The room is ready, the blessings are wrapped, gifts and talents are waiting. Are you ready to receive them? Are you looking? What have you found? Praise Him, thank Him. Are you living a like one who is blessed?

Vs.4 “…for the Father has chosen us before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight…” When God chose to create the world, He knew we would fail Him, hurt Him, and disobey Him. He looked into the future and saw you, saw me and said,
“I want that precious one. I don’t want to miss out on the chance of having this one as My own. This one is too important to Me. I will create the world and send My only Son to die for the sins of this dear one, so that she/he can be holy and blameless and be a part of my kingdom.”

Jesus said,
“This precious child is worth all the pain and suffering I will endure.”
Do you know the Father’s love? Have you received the gift of salvation from the penalty of sin that Christ died to give you? *

Vs.5 “In love, the Father, determined that He wanted to adopt you and me through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will…” Adopting us brings Him pleasure and is in accordance with His will. Each of us is important enough to bring Him pleasure and be in His will. Each of us is a part of God’s plan! We are accepted, loved and pleasing to the King, the Lord Jesus Christ. He wants you to be a part of His will.

Vs.6 “…to the praise of His glorious grace, which He freely gives us in the One he loves.” Our part in His will (as if being in His will wasn’t enough) brings Him praise- just being and choosing Him, brings Him praise. Not what we do, what we have to offer, just choosing Him and being in His will. That is amazing! Think on this for a moment….when was the last time someone appreciated you choosing him or her? When was the last time you were valued for just being and not doing?

God knew before He created the world, which ones would choose Him and follow Him. He has been waiting, like an expectant Father, for the one who would say, “Yes”. He knew your name, who you would be and what you would look like. He waited thousands of years to die for you and than waited almost 2,000 more years to have you in His family. He did this knowing how many times you would fall short. He loved each of you enough to wait anyway and loves you despite your shortcomings. Wow!

He loves you more than you will ever know.


* Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Where do you stand? Where do you live?

Psalm 84:10
“Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”

It’s easy to say that we’d rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God rather than dwell in the house of the wicked but during our day, week, month and year where do we spend more time? Are we filling our time with things from God and for God or evil? Do we really take the time to distinguish what is truly wicked/evil in our lives?

My immediate thought is that anything against God and His desires could be classified as evil. And maybe even that which keeps us from doing what God would want is evil. I know that can be described as extreme or too black and white but think about it. If your sports activities, volunteer time, work, “good” book reading time, “good” TV time, vacationing…keeps you/me from spending time with Jesus in relationship and friendship, it is not for God, therefore, it is against God and ‘evil.’ (Luke 11:23)

Just a thought…

I know in my own life Jesus is causing me to look more carefully at my life. I want true intimacy with Jesus and I pray for this. But I have to look at what in my life is getting in the way of this. I can want something and pray for something for a very long time but what am I willing to do to move towards that intimacy? I also need to pray for the eyes to see through the “good” things and see what is truly getting in the way of the intimacy I desire. There was a phrase I used to use to evaluate decisions and give advice to others I was holding accountable: “Is it a good thing or a God thing?” So many times the “good” things get in the way of what Jesus really wants for us and what we really want from Him and with Him.

I am reminded of a theme verse from a retreat I attended

James 4:8a (NASB) “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…”

Giving joy away

It is always pretty amazing when the communications/worship leader is the one who does the sermon. I often marvel at the way these people in particular can take what they are speaking on and carry the theme of that message all the way until the end leaving us with a complete package of what the message was.

This happened again this morning. Our worship leader did the sermon at our church. We have been going through Philippians and the message this morning was on chapter 4 verses 1-7. I have heard and read many different messages on this popular portion of scripture. I have even written on this portion of scripture. The Holy Spirit never ceases to amaze me at how He can teach us something new from an “old” or familiar portion of scripture, if we keep our minds and hearts open to Him. This morning was no exception. Tom, our speaker/teacher this morning drew something from this passage that I don’t think I’ve heard before. He focused on the relationship and responsibility of the church to help bring resolution to conflicts and unity back to the church by helping two women who were having a conflict in the church of Philippi. He also brought out the Webster’s definition of rejoice that also shed new light unto the passage for me. Rejoice according to Webster means to give joy. To attempt paraphrase a 30min sermon, Tom was telling us that in and through Jesus we can give joy to those in the church to bring unity, resolution of conflict and in his words, power. Our willingness to give joy through word and action is powerful. He weaved the illustration of this power in light. He had a light bulb and then at the end a woman danced in the darkened auditorium with illuminated balls on string. It was a very powerful illustration for me regarding the power of joy as we give it to others.

As Tom was speaking of the light and the power of the light, I couldn’t help but remember 1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another...” We can only give powerful and lasting joy away when we have gotten it from Jesus Himself, the Light of the world. There was one moment when Tom was standing near the light and from my perspective his face was obscured by the brightness of the light. Essentially, Tom disappeared and only the light was visible. Isn’t this what we want in the church? If we are close enough to the Light and interact with others (the church in this sermon) those we are interacting with won’t see us at all just the Light, Jesus.

Hmm….something to meditate on….

Another interesting thing about Tom’s sermon was his challenge to us to not give up on each other. We have the choice to just do nothing, nothing at all. When we choose to do nothing either the person we could have brought power, hope and joy to will die in some way or we will. So we either choose life or we choose death. This weekend my husband and I were on a retreat for our church and Tom and his wife were there as well. Tom may not have realized it but his comment to me about how he has read my blog when it’s posted on our church facebook page, brought life (power) to me. As you know, I have given into the relaxed schedule of the summer and have not posted a blog for some time. His simple comment encouraged me to make the time to sit down again and do what I know God has asked me to do. Thanks, Tom for bringing power into my life by giving away some the joy Jesus has given you!

Cavat: I just learned from Tom that Jeff Smith was the one who helped with the program. Way to go Jeff!

silence vs. speaking out

I have just completed reading the blog for June 15th from National Community Church's read the Bible in a year. The reading for that day was Acts 25-26 when Paul defends himself to Festus and King Agrippa. The writer of the blog note, Maegan Stout, challenged us with the following words.

In Hebrew, the word dabar means both “word” and “deed.” Just like it’s hypocritical not to practice what we preach, deeds without articulating Christ is not the full story. Paul exchanged his defense for an opportunity to share the good news of Christ and therefore did both.

We won’t all be called on to stand before kings and risk our lives, but do we know the gospel is good enough news to share within the spheres He has placed us? That’s part of our voice - through word and deed, we all have a unique and specific way to express the gospel. Are we communicating it?

For me these words are good ones to "chew" on. You know how you read something and it just requires more contemplation. That's where I am with this. For so many years I have just charged into situations and conversations and counted the cost later. I am in sorts a daredevil - looks good, do it, think later. In some ways that has been good, when God led me to do some pretty crazy things but in other ways I have hurt myself or others with this blind rush forward. Consequently, my words have been tempered and more thoughtfully expressed.

Now recently, I have been challenged to ask myself if my more tempered pursuit of life is indeed led by fear - fear of disappointing God and not going in the direction He has for me, fear of what others may think, fear... So along with Maegan's challenge and Paul's example I prayerfully wonder if it's time to just move forward in the direction I know God has laid out for me.

Definitely food for thought. This topic will obviously need to be continued at a different time. If you have time, please pray for me as I pursue this new idea.

Death of True Life – Pure Life

James 1:14-15
“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”

I don’t want death. Jesus died to give life; complete life, whole life, pure life. I don’t want to have any death in me. In my mind this death is like a stench to You. I know that spiritually by believing in Your Son and receiving the cleansing of my sins by His death, I have received spiritual and eternal life, but what does my continued sin look like to You? Can You smell it like rotting flesh? Or does it merely sadden You; deeply sadden You? You know the plans You have for me, plans that do not harm me but prosper me. Yet there are times that I choose sin and even choose to allow it to become fully grown and bring a death unto myself.

This death that I have brought on myself…what form does it take? The only answer that comes to mind is the death of the life and blessings that You intend and want to give to me. Death of times I can participate in Your plans or fully receive the blessing of participating in Your plans. Whatever form the death takes, it is not Your best for me. I want Your best for me. I want to experience You fully and truly, nothing held back.

Forgive me for allowing my desire to birthed into sin and get fully grown leading to a death. Forgive me Lord Jesus for choosing my desire over You, for accepting a hollow shell of fulfillment instead of a fulfillment and blessing from You that would be lasting and precious.

By the power of Your Name and the blood that was shed for me, cleanse me from all unrighteousness and help me to allow You to purify my mind and heart to live the life You desire for me; one that is intimately connected to You. I want all You have for me, Lord. I want the intimate love relationship that brings true and lasting fulfillment and joy; completeness.

Tasting Good

What Do You Taste Like?
Psalm 34:8 “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”

As I continue to read the Bible in a year program LXVI with National Community Church, I found myself in 2 Thessalonians. I was reading chapter 1-3. The blog author for that day, Jason Yost, looks at it with a little different angle.

“I have always understood the mentality that you should work hard for a living and provide for your family and not be lazy. Reading this passage through the lens of your household makes perfect sense, right? But what if you read it through the lens of the church. Yowzer! It puts new meaning to the phrase “if you don’t work you don’t eat.” Have you ever felt this way or ever heard someone say, “I don’t feel like I am getting fed at this church”? My question to you would be how have you invested in that church? Because this is saying if you don’t work first then you do not eat.” http://fromgardentocity.com/blog/post/those-who-are-lazy/

Jason makes a really good point but as I mediated on his thought, I took it one step further. If people are coming to church to “eat” and partake of the Spirit of God and we are the temple of the Spirit of God, these very same people could potentially be getting some of their spiritual food from you and me. Are you still with me? We interact with people while we are there, whether we speak with others or simply walk right past them and ignore them. We greet people or teach in classes or preach from the stage or participate in leading/accompanying the singing during the service or do the Bible reading for that service or collect the offering or help people through the parking lot and hallways. Whether we serve during the service time or come and participate, we interact with the others around us.

While we interact with these people, we are getting/giving some form of spiritual food in the form of love, encouragement, hospitality, generosity, God’s Word, wisdom from the Word, praise/worship of God, serving God and His people, hate, gossip, angry words, resentment, selfishness, etc. The list could go on and on in a positive direction or a negative direction.
• What do you taste like to others when you come to church or when you interact with people on a daily basis?
• Are they walking away with the sweet and moist taste of the Spirit, when they walk away because we have made sure that we asked for the Spirit of God to fill us that morning in prayer and reading or meditating on the Bible?
OR
• Did they walk away with the dry nasty taste of Renee or you, without the filling of the Spirit of God or even any season of Him at all?

Maybe Jesus doesn’t “taste” good to others because WE don’t taste good to them.

religions...spirituality...

Acts 17:16-34
Paul visits Athens while he waits for Silas and Timothy in Berea. While he is there, he walks around the city and marketplace discovering the people. He “reasons with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks in the synagogues, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.”

One of the things he discovers is that the people of Athens are “in every way very religious.” They even have an altar in the marketplace for an unknown god. The poets of Athens even write of us as being God’s offspring. They appear to be open-minded. There are even some men of the Areopagus who consider themselves to be the custodians of teachings that introduce new religions and foreign gods. Paul knew that being religious wasn’t enough and we cannot capture Him in objects to worship. He also explains that in the past God overlooked the idol worship of Gentiles (He didn’t overlook it for the Jews, as seen in many accounts of the Old Testament). No longer will the Gentiles’ worship of idols and other gods be overlooked by God. We are all held accountable for our decisions and there will come a time where we will have to answer to God for our decisions.

Does some of this sound familiar to you? Aren’t we encouraged in this day to be open-minded and tolerant of other religions and spiritual practices? People are even described as being spiritual and this is a positive comment and sometimes a compliment or a way to tolerate your form of worship. This is not what Paul is saying here in Acts. Not all forms of religion/spirituality are acceptable to God. We must examine what we are choosing to practice and how we practice it. We may go to a church that speaks of Christ but is it a form of religion for us, going through the motions or a love relationship with Jesus where we are seeking to know Him more and love Him well?

Don’t get caught up in religion and spirituality and be deceived that it is enough. Jesus doesn’t simply want you to know that He lived here on earth and ascended to heaven, He wants you to know that He came to earth especially for you to make a way for you to follow Him to heaven. He wants YOU to be with Him in heaven. That’s why He died on the cross and rose again. He paid the price for your sin, my sin, so we wouldn’t have to and so we could one day be with Him in heaven. This isn’t religion; it’s discovering who Jesus is and why He loves us so much and how this can make a difference in your life like no other form of religion or spiritual practice can.

Noble in Character

Acts 17:10-15
I love the example of the Bereans! Can you imagine having Jesus describe you as “more noble in character?” The Bereans received the message with eagerness and then examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

These are dedicated and responsible people. Before they cast judgment on Paul/Silas, they listened with eagerness and not jealousy/judgment and then they went to the scriptures to verify their words before they responded.

When presented with a message from the Bible, we must listen with eagerness, ready to receive something new from the Bible. We listen with open and discerning hearts as the message is presented. But this eagerness is not without wisdom. These Bereans didn’t just take Paul at his word. They listened with eagerness and then examined the Scriptures every day (in most towns Paul spoke daily). They tested Paul’s gospel message against the Old Testament and verified that he was speaking truth. Then they decided to believe his message, receive Christ’s gift of salvation and start another church. They took their faith and new belief one step further by protecting Paul and helping him to escape the mob from Thessalonica by escorting him to Athens.

So in review, the Bereans listened to the message with eagerness, tested the message against the scripture, believed in Paul’s gospel message and then in faith stepped out to help Paul in a dangerous situation.
• Listen
• Discern
• Test against Scripture
• Believe
• Move forward in faith

Another take away from this passage is the reminder that people who teach or speak about the Word are not perfect people and they in and of themselves are not to be followed. We prayerfully check scripture and verify that what this person speaks is truth. Then we follow Christ and His Word spoken through a man/woman.

an angry mob

Out of jealousy the Jews of Thessalonica grab “bad characters” and stir up much trouble for Paul and Silas in Thessalonica and eventually Berea, causing them to leave each city. (Acts 17:1-9)

I have witnessed disputes and participated in disputes, some went well and some didn’t. As in everything, we must pray and seek God to examine our hearts before we begin a dispute or accusation. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us our hearts are deceitful about all things. We cannot trust ourselves and our opinions even when we have verses to back up our thoughts and opinions. We must check our motivations before bringing up a discussion or dispute especially one that could easily turn into an accusation. Our anger and unchecked hearts may just be working against what God is trying to accomplish in our lives, churches, places of employment, etc.

There was one time when I was first married that my husband and I stood up with friends and battled it out in a church meeting over a right that we thought we had. We had Biblical ground for the right we were defending. No verses said that we couldn’t do what we wanted to do. The church leaders, however, said that we could not be church leaders if we did this thing. In looking back on those nights, I know that our belief was Biblical but I cannot say that my attitude or the way I presented everything I said was Christ-like. Now it’s been many years since those discussions but it does proof a point. Even when battling legalism we must first seek God and ask Him what He wants us to do. Paul says that when he was on his missionary journeys he was all things to all people so that many would be saved. He knew his freedom in Christ but in no way did he want to make someone stumble in their personal walk with Christ, so if they refrained from doing something, in their presence he refrained and vise versa. (See 1 Corinthians 10:31-33)

The questions I should have asked myself were
• Is this discussion one that Jesus wants me to have?
• Can I say my heart is not filled with hatred and anger right now?
• When I defend my point, would Christ be pleased with me?
• Am I willing to surrender my right to follow Jesus’ plan for my life right now or is my right more important?
• Why is defending this right so important to me at this time?

There are many rights and beliefs that God does want us to battle for and sometimes to the death, as many Christians in foreign lands do today, right now. But before we battle to the proverbial death (in America), we must know that our hearts are right with Jesus, our motivation is pure and acceptable to Him, and we in all ways honor Jesus.

The High Places

I continue to read in 2 Kings and phew!! You really need to be awake to keep track of all of those people whose names begin with Jeho_____. Some are men and some are women, some are from Judah and some are from Israel. It can get a bit confusing keeping families and kingdoms straight. Well I digress.

In reading these kingdom accounts, I keep thinking about the high places. Many times in these descriptions it is said, “…and he did evil in the sight of the Lord.” But every now again you come across a king who “did right in the eyes of the Lord, but…he did not remove the high places.”

The high places…what are they? Well in going through the Bible with National Community Church blog site, I learned that not only are the high places used for the idol worshippers to sacrifice and worship their gods but they also were used by the early kings and prophets of God (Samuel) to sacrifice to the Lord before the temple was built. God commanded that the high places of the idols be destroyed and no sacrifices to or worship of Him be done where idols had been worshipped. Apparently there is still debate as to whether worshipping and sacrificing to God on the high places was “ok” prior to the completion of the Temple, since there was no central location to do this in. Needless to say, they existed for various reasons and became a means to cause the people of God to stumble and fall into idol worship. (Commentary from The NIV Study Bible, Zondervan Publishing House: 1995.)

So how do the high places fit into my life…your life? Obviously we are not having idol worship and sacrifices occurring in our cities and towns. However, are we keeping little stashes of things that get in the way of our time with God and maybe keep us from hearing Him or doing things for Him and His people in the best way we can?

High places give you the impression that they’re not that close, they don’t get visited very often, they’re so far away many people don’t see them or even know about them but they are always there and I know about them, you know about them. The knowledge of them and the frequent or infrequent visits to those high places still affect our relationship with Christ. “How?” you might ask, by keeping us from giving God our whole heart. Several passages in the Old and New Testament say we are to love God with all of our heart, all of our mind, all of our soul and with all our strength.

Are there things in your life that keep you from giving all of yourself and all of your efforts to God? Do you want the commentary on your life to read, “Joe/Joelle did what was right in the eyes of the Lord but did not remove the high places”?

Incomprehensible Mercy

I have not been able to stop thinking about the incredible mercy God shows us when we humble ourselves before Him. Just recently I have been reading in 1 and 2 Kings and hearing of all the kings of Israel and Judah and how most of them did evil in the eyes of the Lord. There was, however, one king who is described as no other king. This is king Ahab. This is how the Bible begins its description of king Ahab in 1 Kings 16:30 “Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him.” Later in the description of Ahab’s reign, he is further described in this way – 1 Kings 21:25-26 “There was never a man like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, urged on by Jezebel his wife. He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.”

In the chapters describing Ahab’s reign we hear of his cowardice as he freely sends his wives, children and silver to the king of Aram instead of fighting the king or asking God for help; his treachery as he hunts down the prophets of God; his whinny and insatiable greed as he pursues the vineyard of a fellow Israelite whom he has killed because he would not surrender his God given land; and his betrayal of God as he worships the idols of the land. This name and this king is always remembered and spoken of in terms of the evil that was done to the people and against God, yet he was shown mercy!

After Ahab whines to Jezebel, one of his wives, about how Naboth refused to give Ahab his vineyard. She contrives a way to have Naboth killed so Ahab can confiscate the lands and have the vineyard he so greatly wants. After the plan is played out and Naboth is killed the prophet Elijah comes to Ahab on the Lord’s behalf and pronounces a terrible judgment on Ahab, Jezebel and his descendents.

“When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly. Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: ‘Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humble himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day’…” 1 Kings 21:27-29

This is amazing to me! Ahab didn’t change his ways but he humbled himself before God and God was merciful.

Humility before God even after we do the most vile thing is accepted by God and honored. His mercy is endless and incomprehensible. Don’t ever forget this! Shame over our sin would lead us to believe that we can never go back to God but here we see that a man described as the most evil of kings could humble himself and receive mercy. It is no different for us. The Bible describes God as the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. The mercy shown Ahab thousands of years ago is also available to us TODAY.

If you have sinned against God, do not get caught up in shame and lies, humble yourself before Him, repent and be restored.

Another good reference is Psalm 51.

Looking beyond yourself

I was reading in 2 Chronicles 25, Daniel 6, and Acts 5-6 discovered an interesting theme. In each passage there was an example of how leaders made decisions that affected those under their authority.

2 Chronicles 25 – King Amaziah, the king of Judah, had gone into battle under the authority of God and God gave Judah the victory. Instead of praising God and giving Him the glory, Amaziah chose to follow the gods of the people he had just defeated. God punished him by allowing Israel to pillage Judah and destroy a portion of their city.

Daniel 6 – speaks of the jealousy of the presidents and satraps towards Daniel. Their deceptions lead to Daniel being thrown into the lions’ den for “crimes against the king”. In the end Daniel was saved by God and the men who were after Daniel were thrown into the lions’ along with their wives and children.

Acts 5 – Speaks of Ananias and Sapphira and how they tried to deceive the Holy Spirit. Here after Ananias is given an opportunity to confess and then is killed by God for his lie, Sapphira is given the same opportunity to redeem herself with confession or even to say she didn’t agree with her husband. However, she too was deceptive and killed. We are shown a grace and mercy we didn’t see in the Old Testament accounts.

Acts 5-6 – Then shows how the obedient lives of the apostles led to blessings, fellowship amongst the followers of Jesus and provision for the widows of the city.

After reading each of these accounts, I was reminded of how important my decisions are! So often when I am consciously deciding to be obedient to God in my actions, I don’t think of my family or those I happen to be in authority over – those at church or work. I am selfishly deciding that I don’t need to be obedient in that area for whatever lame reason I have at the moment. But here we see how others suffered greatly for the choices of their leaders, husbands and fathers! These were my immediate thoughts,

“‘Wake up, Renee, and look beyond yourself! Your choices affect all those around you, not just yourself and not just in the moment!”

I was also encouraged to see Acts, both the mercy shown to Sapphira (she was given the opportunity to tell the truth and not just lumped in with Ananias’ punishment) and the blessings shown to those the apostles were affecting.

Whether we are in leadership, parents or just people living our own lives, we must remember that our choices affect all those around us both in negative ways and positive. We must, in Jesus’ strength and power, live our lives looking beyond ourselves.

the promised land

Recently I have been reading through Joshua and seeing how God helped His people conquer the land He had promised them centuries before. There are many victories in this book and many miracles but there are also glimpses of fear and disobedience. Near the end of the book when much of the battling is over the remaining tribes of Israel cast lots and divide the land.

Joshua 17 speaks of the people of Joseph complaining to the Joshua that they are a large people and need more land. He points out to them that there are hill lands with great forests that can be conquered and cleared that will more than enough for all their number. The people continue to complain and say that the forest is great, the people are strong and powerful and too difficult to conquer. Joshua once again challenges them and says,
“You are a numerous people and have great power. You shall not have one allotment only, 18 but the hill country shall be yours, for though it is a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest borders. For you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong.”

Here are the children of God who have witnessed His incredible faithfulness and provision through the desert and during the many battles in the land of Canaan as they conquered much of the promised land, yet they are doubting and choosing fear instead of taking what God is offering them. There are obstacles in front of them but no more than what they have faced before.

Do you find yourself in a similar situation? You know from past experience that God has been faithful to you or maybe you just have the examples in the Bible and are now faced with your own challenges. You know or hope that there is a blessing on the other side of your forest and terribly strong enemies but fear is great. Will you let fear and obstacles keep you from taking hold of the blessings and promises God has for you? Will you remember He is faithful and will never leave and will give you the strength that is required to get to the promised land? Friend, don't give up before you have started. "We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength." Philippians 4:13.

As I sit here wondering whether this is done and ready for posting, I am thinking that it is not yet done or credible if I don't give you a personal example. But it seems that I have used my story over and over again and do you want to hear it again? Will it really be helpful? There have been many challenges that I have faced over the years, some big and some small, each scary in their own way. In the end I have chosen to face my fears and trust Jesus to get me through because He promised me abundant life and I don't want to miss any of it no matter how great my fear or problem at the time. Most recently, I was faced with going back into the work force after being a stay at home mom for quite some time. In my profession this proved to be even more of a challenge than in others. I had applied in years past and was turned down and honestly wasn't all that sad. I enjoyed being a stay at home mom. But an opportunity was quite literally dropped into my lap as I was applying for another position. This job had been a long dream of mine that was so old I forgot about it - apparently, Christ hadn't. Because I hadn't worked for so long I was terrified! But I wasn't completely without experience, another job I had been doing gave me some experience for this position but I was stil afraid. Also, this job was full time and not the "pick your day" job I wanted and was available (contingent). But after many tears and prayers, I realized that this was exactly the blessing I had been praying for and I needed to trust God and move forward. I have now been working for two and half years and am now part time. I love my job and the people I work with. God has been faithful to me and given me the ability to help people in amazing ways and be a blessing to them. I am very glad I didn't give into fear and miss out on the many blessings Jesus has given me for this choice.

a new year's gift

My posts have been a bit scarce lately. I’m not sure why exactly, but I do know that in part it is because slipping in a blog that I have prepared ahead of time just didn’t seem the right thing to do. And, writing this one was going to take more thought and prayer than I have either chosen to take or make time for in the last two weeks. You see, something has been noodling around in my brain and heart since about February and it’s not quite done yet. I am assuming that it won’t be “done” for quite some time. I’ve wanted to share it with you for awhile, but the timing wasn’t quite right. Hopefully this won’t be too vague, but rather thought provoking for your own life, and maybe even intriguing.

I must start many years ago when I was attending a weekly Bible study. We always started our Bible study season in September and this particular time it was either late December or early January. Our table of ladies was eclectic as far as “season of life”. There was a dear sister at our table that was, shall we say, further along on the journey of life than the rest of us. We all enjoyed and respected her input and prayers at our table, as many of us were very early in our journey.

One morning during our prayer request time this dear lady seemed concerned for her request. I remember wondering what was wrong. She told us she hadn’t gotten her “word” for the year. Apparently she typically had it by now and she was concerned she might be missing what God was trying to convey to her. She asked us to pray that she would discover what the correct word would be for this new year. I couldn’t quite grasp what she was talking about because she spoke as if we all had been looking for this elusive “word of the year” and had already discovered ours, and she was behind, possibly the last to received this precious new years gift.

At that time in my life I was just learning how to temper my tongue and not just blurt out the thoughts and questions that plagued my mind and demanded immediate answers. Therefore, since I was specifically requested to pray for this lady and indeed wanted to help her in this area, I pressed for clarification. So I asked, “Word of the year? What are you talking about?”

She looked as perplexed with my question, as I am sure I was with her request. Then the lights came on as she glanced around the table and realized that I wasn’t the only one confused by her request! She went on to explain that each year she perceived a “word” that she would focus on through prayer and reading of her Bible, that would lead to a refining of her character or spiritual transformation; a project of discovery for her and Jesus together.

This practice was baffling to me. Why hadn’t I heard this before? Does everyone do this? Did God have a word for me that I have been missing? It was a very curious concept for me, but also one that opened the door to a new means of my own spiritual transformation. I don’t remember if I got a word that first year, but I am fairly certain that over the next year or so I did, and I have gotten my own word from God each year since.

I can’t list each word, but I must confess that I can be a VERY slow learner and have had multiple years on the same word. Guess I can be pretty thick headed! I also attribute this multi-year emphasis on the same word as a product of God’s unending grace, mercy and gentleness where I am (and you are) concerned. I often tell God, “let’s just get this over with and rip out the root of this thing”, however, I believe that in His wisdom and love for me He knows that slow digging is better than diving in with a backhoe and ripping out the root. Thank goodness His wisdom prevails over my impulsive nature.

All of this to say, this year I had forgotten about my “word” until about mid-January. At that time I began to pray and ask God if I had a word for the year. I started to pay more attention and wait for its appearance into my mind. You see, with me there is no writing on the wall by a big finger as with a king in the Old Testament. It’s more like a word that kind of sticks out, like bold print when I hear it.

One afternoon I was having lunch with a friend when she began to talk of her word for the year. She was very excited that she had gotten it, like we were talking about a prized present. It must seem weird to some but it really is like a present. It becomes a focus for the year, and, when you don’t get it, it’s like something is missing. So she tells me what her word is for the year (intentionality, or being intentional) and what her thoughts of it have been since the moment she realized it. I pondered her “word”, rolling it around in my head. It was a good word. Was this my word as well? Could we actually have the same word for the year? That would be cool to do the same word together. I’ve never done that. Yes, sorry friends, my thoughts go off on many tangents like this while you’re talking to me, all within a matter of seconds! Well I stopped my mind wandering and began completely focusing on the conversation again, never quite forgetting the great word.

I am not sure how much time had elapsed after that lunch before I really felt God impress on me that, although her word was a good word and may come up another year, the word for me this year is “devotion”. Let me give you the definition of devotion according to dictionary.com.

Devotion: 1.Profound dedication; consecration. 2. Earnest attachment to a cause, person, etc.

Quite the word! Could I say that my devotion to Jesus matches this definition? What would it look like to have it match this definition? Well the answer to the first question is “no”, and to the second, “I don’t know but we’ll see.”

I am assuming that there will be more posts on the word “devotion” in the year to come. It seems that this particular word could potentially be a lifetime word as opposed to just one year.

My question for you is…have you ever wondered if Jesus had a word for you, something to really focus on that would deepen your relationship and knowledge of Him? I know it’s April but it’s never too late. This particular way of discovering Him and His love for me has been amazing, and I am glad my friend inadvertently started many of us on this journey of discovery. Thank you big sis!

What happened with lent?

I'm not sure how many of you decided to take a Lenten fast. I've spoken to a few friends that have but we never seem to talk about how it affects our relationship with Christ. We talk about what we're fasting and how the fast is going but not always the "why" that particular fast or how that fast impacted our relationship with Jesus once the fast is over.

Well, my fast of TV wasn't as successful as I hoped. It really is hard for me to fast TV when TV is one way we spend time together as a family. But it caused me to make more time for doing the things I knew Jesus wanted me to do for Him and for my family. I spent more time writing, blogging, reading the Bible, cleaning the house, shopping for groceries, and other chores that needed attention. Some of you I spoke with admitted that watching TV evaporates time. You sit down for one "deserved" program or moment and before you know it, hours have passed and things are left undone. Even though I wasn't turning off the TV or keeping it off as much as I hoped, it was frequent and it was frequent enough to enjoy the benefit of feeling good about what I had accomplished while it was turned off.

The other benefit was not caring so much that I missed a particular program. You know how many of us have our shows we follow. Well, I missed some and got caught up after Easter (love DVR) but other shows I just didn't care about. I erased the DVR programs and I may or may not watch them again, unless it's with one of the kids. Some of this was just habit; I wanted to keep up with the story line. But it was really no big deal when I missed it over lent so why start again?! One friend quoted some amount of time it takes to break a habit. Most days I’m still choosing to NOT watch TV even though Lent is over. I think it’s a better way to live for me.

Bottom line
• I completed commitments
• Was on time for appointments
• Spent more time reading the Bible and praying
• Wrote and blogged
• Felt better about myself; less guilt/shame
How about you? Did you reflect on your Lenten fast? Did you notice any difference in your life or your relationship with Jesus? Let us know. We’d all like to hear about it.

Transformation again?!

Another study on transformation…do you ever get tired of reading and hearing about transformation again and again?! Well here’s another book about an old topic…The Lazarus Life by Stephen W. Smith.
“Now I know, not again, Renee! Can we just leave this alone already!!”
There are times in my life that I have responded this very same way to Jesus. Sometimes I even respond with
“Didn’t we just do this last year?!”
Ever stop and think that there are so many books, talks, and sermons on transformation, sanctification, breaking free, shedding grave clothes because we aren’t getting the message. What’s the old saying for speakers…Tell them what you want to say…Tell them what you just said…tell them again…or something like that. God has been telling His people for thousands of years how He wants to make a difference in our lives and how He has created a plan to make that difference. We see it in parables, biographies, autobiographies and so on. He had a plan, we ruined it and now He wants to fix it and start the plan again. We do this through transformation, sanctification…We can attempt to avoid it but He loves us and knows that His plans are better than ours and He is persistent and creative, hence all the different titles and venues.

Just to take this caterpillar thing all the way, if you look at the life of a caterpillar, it is born and by instinct begins eating as much as it can in preparation for the cocoon/chrysalis phase of its life. Upon entering this phase the caterpillar hangs out and waits for metamorphosis to be completed. When the great transformation is complete the winged insect with great effort pulls itself out of its self made prison. Then hangs on for an interminable amount of time waiting for its wings to unfold and dry, carefully folding and unfolding wings, antennae, and tongue. (Catch youtube for great videos of various moths/butterflies in this transforming process – very cool!)

As humans we don’t live by instinct alone, but are given the gift of free choice, a freedom we take complete advantage of. We are able to therefore, choose the “food” we “eat”; pouring in words of all kinds from many different resources. Does this food really prepare us for the cocoon that will and does come? Most of us have the choice to pour uplifting, encouraging and life-giving words in the way of books, music and teachings but so often we make a diet of desert and fluff that is not lasting or life-giving. Then we find ourselves in the self made cocoon or prison without the strength and wisdom we need to wait out the transformation and be able to find the way out; leaving us trapped in this prison desperate for a way out and finding none. Then through His persistence and creativity Jesus finds a way to get us the much needed strength, encouragement and wisdom to guide us out of the cocoon that seemed to kill us. Then through the miracle of our everlasting Savior the strange creature that went into the cocoon is transformed into something beautiful and awesome. But we cannot move too quickly or have someone remove us from the cocoon. We must come out by ourselves and do it slowly waiting for the process to be complete. We must do these steps to allow our wings to be ready for flight and to have the strength we need to fly. After the difficulty and waiting is finally done, the caterpillar is gone and an awesome moth or beautiful butterfly is here. Amazing!! The miraculous transformation/metamorphosis is complete and very much worth the effort and wait.

Where are you? What are you feeding yourself? How is the wait going? Do you have the strength and wisdom needed for your escape? Are you trying to rush the completing phase? Do you recognize the person in the mirror or are you being mistaken for Jesus or His version of you? Will you follow Him and His ways on this journey to discover the transformation He has planned?

WHAT AN AMAZING PERSON HE ENVISIONS YOU AND ME TO BE.

Random Thought

I have learned from various Bible studies and teachings that the way to recognize/find/hear Jesus’ voice is:
Through those things created – nature
Through people in our lives
Through His Word – the Bible
Through the quiet voice in your head – a.k.a. “your conscious”
Through circumstances in our lives

I have learned over the years to try to tune into these things so I don’t miss anything Jesus may be trying to tell me. His words and thoughts to me/towards me are very important to me and I don’t want to miss them. However, there is also something I have learned to pay attention to that can be very easy to miss – that random word or thought that pops into your mind or ear that you weren’t expecting or even looking for. You know, the one that seems strange or out of place at first but then just might make some sense to you or could be the answer you’ve been looking for…just maybe. This has happened to me a few times over the years, maybe more but I can’t remember too many. These words just pop into my head or I hear them while listening to someone speak to me or a teaching and they just catch my attention. It reminds me of what a dog does. If you don’t have a dog, remember the scene from Up when the dog is talking to the old man and the boy and all of a sudden he stops mid sentence and cocks his head to the side and hears something? That’s what these random words do they catch me off guard so I tune in. Then I usually have to contemplate them for a while and pray about them to see if Jesus was trying to get my attention about something. These occurrences usually relate to the lesson He has for me that takes a whole year of focus (more on that in future blogs). Sometimes these words aren’t so pretty to look at or come with much work and are easily dismissed; for instance – control, anger, surrender, submission, wrath, etc.

Most recently, the word that got my attention is “wrath”. Pretty ugly word don’t you think. Yeah…I did too. I haven’t really been too excited to explore this one, let me tell you! But… I know that if something like this is a part of my life and hiding in the corners somewhere, I want it flushed out and gone! I don’t want Jesus looking at me and knowing that wrath is lurking in the dark corners of my heart and mind and keeping me from having the abundant life He has for me that He died to give me. So…I am still tuning in so I don’t miss any more information that comes my way from Him.

What does this nasty revelation have to do with hearing Jesus’ voice in your life? Pay attention to those random words/thoughts that come your way, that seem out of place at the moment but just might fit. Pray about them, read books about them, and wait for clarification.

Also, while you are exploring these moments and waiting for clarification, know that Jesus in His mercy is preparing you and your heart for the revelation. The seemingly long time it takes to get the answer from Him maybe the long time that is required for you to be able to look in the dark corners and see the ugliness you didn’t know was there. Mercifully!! Jesus has dealt with me bit by bit on some things because it would have been too hard on me to deal with it all at once. He knows I just want to jump in and get it over with but He also knows this isn’t always the best way for me. Some things have been bigger than I realized and in looking back I was very glad for amount of time it took to deal with it.

Waiting

W – Walking with You – hand in hand
A – Adoring You – not remaining angry for the wait but praising Your name, Your timing and Your plan. Your ways are greater than my ways, Your thoughts higher than my thoughts (Isa 55:8-9). Great are You Lord and worthy to be praised (1Chron. 16:25).
I – Inquiringly – looking for Jesus’ hand, listening for His voice of guidance and love. Don’t miss Him along the way or the opportunity for the wait to be over.
T – Thanksgiving – give Him thanks for who He is. I may not be able to thank Jesus for the wait all the time but He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow! (Heb 13:8) Be thankful for Him as you were prior to the wait. He has not changed.

Journal entry 6/29/09

Tonight I made a fire. The wood had “cured” so long that it was gray and somewhat light. Most likely it was oak. I chose small pieces so it would burn fast. This wood looked like everything had been sucked out of it – color, sap and life. Yet here I lay on the floor of my son’s room looking out the back door watching my fire as it rained.

Prior to the rain, while I sat outside, it was an amazing fire. It kicked off so much heat I had to take off my robe and move my chair back to escape some of the heat. When it started to rain most of the kindling had burned away and the three pieces of wood were maybe half gone. I spread the wood out because they had been piled in a fallen tepee. I put the lid on the pit and lay on the floor looking out the door. The fire continued to burn with pretty good flames. These pieces of wood were extremely weathered and appeared pretty lame for my fire. But it has been way past 30 minutes and the fire continues.

Can we be the same? We have sat around on a pile, scorched by the sun, drained of our presumed life, soaked in the rain, frozen by winter, neglected…yet when Jesus takes us and adds His flame…His light…His Spirit…we burn bright and strong. There is life in us – His life, kindled by His Spirit bringing heat, light, hope and attraction for others.

Even now the flames are finally gone but the embers are not, if I rearranged the wood maybe added some more logs the fire would begin again. Who really knows God’s ways and purposes? I don’t. I do know this…He is faithful and true. He has not forgotten me. I am used by Him and will be used by Him to fulfill His plans/purposes in His time. In Him I can burn bright and long for Him, even after what seems a much too long wait.

Where are you today? Do you feel like you have been left on the pile? Are you W.A.I.Ting or hung up with anger and frustration? Waiting can be very hard but don’t get caught up in anger and frustration and miss the blessings Jesus has for you as you wait.

God's mercy and love

Well, I have been told that blogging is just sharing what's on your mind and here for me what's on my heart. Today I was reading through past journal entries and came across something I wrote after having read in Jeremiah (an Old Testament book).
Just some back story here. Jeremiah, at a young age, is asked by God to be His prophet to Israel and Judah. The people have for years rejected Him, worshipped many idols, sacrificed their children to these idols, killed prophets that have tried to speak the words of God to them. Time and time again the children of God have rejected God and His messges to them. Now it is time for punishment/discipline for the wayward children but before this is doled out on them, God pleads with them to turn away from their sin through Jeremiah.

Journal entry 3/4/10
Jeremiah 3:7 "And I thought (says the Lord), 'After she (Israel) has done all this, she will return to Me...'"
Jeremiah 3: 12-14 "...return faithless Israel...for I am merciful...I am your husband and I have chosen you..."
Jeremiah 4:18 "Your ways and your deeds have brought this upon you. This is your doom and it is bitter; it has reached your very heart."
Jeremiah 5:18 "'But even in those days,' declares the Lord, 'I will not make a full end of you.'"



There is hope here, not rejection! God is hoping that once Israel is done with her sinful ways, she will come to her senses and come back to Him! Amazing! He isn't seeking revenge in this passage or punishment but He is sharing the hope of His heart - that His wayward children would turn back to Him and come "home".
Even as He is describing the impending judgement, after being refused and blatantly disobeyed; God is MERCIFUL! (Jer 5:18)

Notice too, that He is not merciful because anyone (at least not mentioned in this particular part of Jeremiah) prayed for it. He is merciful because this is His character. Some would say "God is ______" (here merciful) because someone prayed this character trait out of Him or changed His wrath/anger into mercy. NO! God is merciful because this is who He is.

The hope I found for myself in these verses is that God has not changed. His mercy is not just for Israel or Judah but for us all. Even as I sin over and over again and ignore Christ and His attempts to seek relationship with me, there is mercy for me! He will not abandon me or stop loving me. And when discipline/judgement comes my way there will still be mercy and love during that time and especially afterwards when I come to my senses. Friends, do you find hope for yourself here? Is there a time in your life when you came face to face with the hope and love of Jesus even when you were rejecting Him?

where to we choose to be?

Sitting at Jesus' feet...is this where I choose to be? It is the desire of my heart but I don't always choose to be still at His feet and listen as Mary of Bethany did. I recently completed Jennifer Kennedy Dean's Secrets Jesus Shared and one of the many things I learned follows.

Rabbis such as Jesus had crowds of people that would come and listen to them speak. Some in this crowd would travel with the rabbi from home to home and even city to city. But the individuals in the large crowd did not commit their lives to the rabbi. They filtered in and out of the crowd following the rabbi as it was suitable or convenient to their lives. There were, however, a smaller number of men that stayed close to the rabbi. These men devoted their lives to their rabbi. They never left him. He became more important than family. He was first. The Talmud taught that if you have to choose between father and rabbi - rabbi is first. The smaller group heard his inner most thoughts and ideas, learned his mannerisms and way of life. They memorized his words. They wanted to be like him, so they remained close to him.
What do I want from my life with Jesus? What do you want? Do we move in and out of our time with Him as it fits our schedules or do we want to be there when He confides His inner thoughts (Psalm 25:14) and reveals the deep and hidden things (Daniel 2:22)? It's all good. The larger group heard Jesus, learned from Him, were healed by Him and some (many even) had lives that were forever changed by His love and the truth He taught but does it compare to the intimacy the twelve had? Is filtering in and out really the best He has for us? Are we settling for something less than what He wants for us?

I want intimacy. When I am seeking the intimacy and making time for Him, I feel complete. When I am drifting in and out, something is missing. Life isn't necessarily bad but fulfillment and satisfaction aren't lasting. This is why I say something is missing. At the end of the day, I'm not entirely pleased with the day. Intimacy with Jesus and a rightness in our relationship brings true and lasting fulfillment and peace.

So friend, where do you want to be, the crowd or the inner circle?

Desperate cries leading to joy

Psalm 28
(go to http://www.biblegateway.com)

• Desperate cry for help
• Making his requests known to God
• Relief/peace
• Praising God
• Joy

Nine verses of prayer in a song to God during a difficult time for David. We are not told what time of life or what the specific circumstances in this psalm are and I’m not sure it’s necessary. This is a short and to the point way to pray to God and find peace and joy in the midst of terrible circumstances.
Notice that there is no resolution of David’s problems in this psalm but there is definitely a connecting with the character of God and who He is and that alone is what brought David the peace, hope and joy he needed in this situation.
We too can find the same thing in the midst of our difficult and sometimes horrible circumstances. We cry out to God believing that He is listening; we lay out our requests or laments out to Him and find relief and peace. From here we can then let our soul sing praise or speak praise to Him who has listened, met us in our time of need and brought relief and peace. Here we find joy in the love that our Lord Jesus has for us, right now, right here in this moment.
I, too, have experienced this same peace and joy in Christ in the moment. I have cried out to Him with shouts and tears at times seeking answers to questions and hope in what seemed like hopeless circumstances or unknown times of resolution of the current difficulties. What I discovered was Jesus was listening, He did care! Sometimes words of comfort from the Bible would come to mind or remembrances of His past help or songs that I had heard and song would filter through my mind or sometimes just a peace/relief would come over me and I too ended with praise and joy that I was heard. The problem had not gone away. The circumstances had not changed in those moments but Jesus heard me and He offered Himself to bring me comfort.
Tell me, have you experienced this same joy and peace and comfort in your times of need? Think back, sometimes we are so focused on what we want to happen that we miss the love that is coming our way. Know and believe that He is listening and He does care.
I would love to hear from you concerning your stories of how Jesus met you!

celebrating with friends

A friend of mine mentioned that I needed to share with everyone again the hope of this blog. There was a time when I was a part of a weekly Bible study and even a small group, along with involvement with a group of women that served in our church. These groups allowed me the opportunity to share with others what the Lord was doing in my life and what I was learning in the Bible or ask questions about what I was learning. It worked both ways. These people also shared things with me. It was amazing to me to share with people in this way; to praise God together, to explore His Word and explore questions together; and then get excited when an answer arrived. For various reasons I no longer have these groups of people to share with.
I miss this exchange and celebration greatly. This is one of the reasons why I have started this blog. I want to celebrate Jesus with YOU! I am blessed and excited if you read this blog and it gives you something to think about or praise God for but I would be doubly blessed if we could celebrate together through your posts.

wrapped in His robe

There was a day not too long ago where I was so weary in my heart and body. My heart was heavy with recent events in my family. I was trying to unload it all on Jesus, like you would vent to a best friend. I just wanted to get it out, but I was too tired and overwhelmed to even talk. I needed rest mentally and physically.
I remembered that Jesus had promised me rest in Psalm 23 and that was exactly what I was seeking. In my mind's eye I had curled up on the floor at the throne of God. I just wanted to lie at His feet. Another passage I had read - Isaiah 6:1 - spoke of God seated on His throne and the train of His robe filled the temple. I wanted to lie at His feet and be wrapped in His robe like a blanket. I sat quietly in my chair resting at His feet.
After some time, in mind's eye, I looked around the throne room and saw wall to wall people lying down as I was, covered in His robe finding comfort at His feet; comfort and rest for our weary souls and bodies. Each of us feeling as if we were right at His feet.
I found rest in those moments and restoration for my soul, now able to face another day. The struggles and problems had not gone away but I was refreshed and renewed to live out the day He had chosen for me.
We serve a great and glorious God! HALLELUJAH!!

lenten fast

I have spoken with some you regarding the lenten fast and what you have decided to sacrifice for God. Some wondered why it hasn't shown up on the blog. I guess now I realize I needed to be into this for a time before I had something to share. I have practiced a lenten fast for at least five years now. It was never a part of my upbringing to fast during lent but as fasting became a part of my worship and relationship with Jesus, it made sense to fast at this time.
I have fasted for lent and I think benefited in some way during that time but I have been wondering if I was missing something in my fasting. I didn't always use the time to spend more time with Jesus in prayer or meditation during a fast. I was more focused on Him and during some fasts have needed Him and His strength greatly to maintain the fast. Could I really say I pressed in more? I wasn't sure. There was one 40 day fast that was specifically prayer related, that definitely had more time spent with Jesus but not my other fasts.
This year I wanted to make the fast more about spending time with Jesus not just for Jesus. I have been able to do this to a degree as my fast was TV. Now just to keep it honest and clear, I haven't given up TV entirely, we spend time as a family watching TV but for myself and my free time, I have been abstaining. This has allowed me to have more time in prayer and in reading the Bible or books relating to my life with Jesus.
I have read two things that have helped me on this fast - Practicing Lent: Cleaning Our Messy House by Ruth Haley Barton and The Lazarus Life by Stephen W. Smith. My life does have mess that needs to be cleaned up and I have to say that TV is part of the mess. So reading that article was timely. But in reading The Lazarus Life today I realized that TV does not bring me life and is therefore too small for me (as quoted from St. John of the Cross The Dark Night of the Soul).
Even now I have to ponder these things...
Please let me know how your fast is going or maybe if you aren't doing the lenten fast what you have learned or what was changed in your life as a result of a fast. Remember we are here to sharpen, love, and encourage each other.

YouTube - Amazing Grace History/"Amazing Grace" By Wintley Phipps

YouTube - Amazing Grace History/"Amazing Grace" By Wintley Phipps

I haven't posted things like this yet, so I hope it works.
A friend of mine sent this to me this morning in my email. I don't want to try to put words to this message...take the nine minutes to listen to this in its entirety. It will bless you greatly!

Watching or Sleeping

As I was reading in Mark 13 the end of the chapter hit me. The chapter covers a discussion with Jesus and His disciples. They have asked Him when a great destruction of the city will occur that Jesus had just mentioned. (Mark 13:2 "Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." )
At the end of His somewhat cryptic answer, Jesus ends with the admonition to be watchful and not be caught sleeping. This is an almost constant topic of concern for me. I am so easily distracted. I am definitely awake physically but spiritually? I have to be conscious of my state of mind and not get caught up in the busyness of life or useless distractions that keep my mind preoccupied and not focusing on Jesus or godly things. I must be watchful of the leadings of the Holy Spirit, so I don't miss an opportunity to be a part of Christ's plan and activities. For me it means not getting caught up in meaningless distractions that prevent me from hearing and following.
It reminds me of the book Hinds' Feet on High Places. The Shepherd had told Much-Afraid that He would come for her and sing an invitation to her as He passed by her cottage. He could not give her the exact time He would come, she just had to be ready and listening so she could go to the High Places they had talked about.
Christ wants me to join Him in what He chooses to invite me to do but I must be ready, watching and listening or I might miss Him when He calls.
Oh Lord help me to be watchful and ready.

iron sharpens iron

I was just finishing my Bible study, Seeking Him and one of the questions that was asked was concerning the testimonies in the study. I couldn't personally relate to each of the testimonies but I was encouraged by each person's willingness to take a good, hard look at his/her heart and make the necessary changes to in life to be obedient to Christ and find peace and joy again.
When the Bible says that iron sharpens iron -Proverbs 27:17, one of things we can take away from this is that living life next to each other brings encouragement and growth in us. I don't have to personally relate to each event or life change in your life to be encouraged in mine. But I am encouraged by your obedience to Jesus and willingness to stand by Him and listen even in difficult times and I can definitely praise and worship along side you when you share an answer to prayer or a discovery in His Word.
That is what this blog is all about. Maybe I am getting excited about a truth that you discovered a long time ago or doesn't touch you yet. If that is the case we can together celebrate who Jesus is and how He does meet us right where we are.
Well little did I know when I got this thought this morning where it would take me. See I started this draft after my Bible study and then made breakfast for my family (waffles and sausage, yum!). Then I started checking the blogs I follow and what do you know, I was encouraged and sharpened. This particular writer was sharing with all of us how his wife has encouraged him through the years and particularly when he started his own business. It was great to hear the testimony of a man about his wife particularly when I know their family. However, that was not what stuck with me. What stuck with me was his willngness to follow God's direction in his life and start his own business. The risk he took in God's timing (he and his wife had prayed for a while about the timing)was difficult and not without its bumps. But six years later this man is blessed by Christ and His faithfulness and the sucess of his business.
This blog I have started is somewhat of a risk for me. I know that it is what Christ has for me now but it's a risk because I know almost nothing about blogging and I have no idea where this is going to take me or if anyone is going to read it. But I know that this is what I am supposed to do and I love to write and share what God is teaching me and greatly enjoy praising and worshipping Him with others. Maybe years from now I too can shout from my "mountain top" how much Jesus has done through this little venture of "Celebrating Truth".
Thanks Meg for posting the story of Tom and Heather!

Where does your hope lie?

As I was reading the Bible and praying one day, a prayer formed on my lips for a family member.
“Lord, help her to hope in You and who You are and not the answers to her prayers.”
You may think that a strange prayer but this person is becoming discouraged because it is taking God too long to answer her prayers. How often have we found ourselves in exactly this same spot? We have a situation that we are trying to lay in Christ’s hands and not worry about but when we don’t find the answer to the prayers we have so faithfully sent His way, we think there is no hope because He is not listening.
Here is my thought and hope for you in your time of need, whether it be now or in the coming future. Find hope in the character of Christ and who He teaches us He is the Bible. This is what is lasting and eternal! Who do you know Jesus Christ to be? Do you know much about Him at all? If you are having trouble with this, read His Word. You will find evidence of the character of Jesus/God in the entire Bible. Even in the tedious lists of the Old Testament we discover that everyone who chooses to serve Him, follow Him, obey Him is important to Him; even the guy who laid a brick on the southwest wall surrounding Jerusalem in Nehemiah or person who happened to be descended from Shem – one of Noah’s sons. We matter to God!
Throughout the Old Testament, we are reminded of God’s past provision. The Israelites took the time to remember the provision of God during some celebrations and in singing psalms to Him in worship. What was the purpose of the history lesson during church? Reminding those in attendance who God is and praising/worshipping/thanking Him for that and in the process finding hope in their current situations. He is all powerful, faithful, loving, comforting… These facts are what bring us hope in our time of need.
Hear me when I say this, pray to Jesus. He does listen. He does care. He does want us to pray to Him and give Him the burdens of our hearts in our times of need. But do not rest your hope on the answers to those specific prayers. We do not know the mind of God or His specific plans for our lives, therefore, we do not know how or when certain prayers will be answered. Lay your burdens down, remember how precious our prayers are to Him and then place you hope in the character of Jesus and what you know of Him. And then read that Bible and discover more about Him so you have more to hope in during your times of need.

blog challenged

Well to my friends, who like myself are somewhat unfamiliar with the blog. I have had several emails telling me that you have read the blog but have not been able to post a comment. One dear friend even became a follower, but still didn't know how to post a comment. After several days of trying to figure it out myself, LOL. Yes it's okay to laugh at me! I have discovered how to post a comment. On the right side of the blog is a section where all my postings are listed. Click on the blog you wish to post on and it will come up on another window where you will find a button on the bottom for posting comments. Consider this your new thing learned for the day!! Together we will figure out the blog world...well maybe. :)
Adendum: yes, you need to sign up to make a post.

Gentle Reminder

Well when I started this blog or even started thinking about this blog, I envisioned praising Him for answers to prayer, verses that touched me or someone I knew in a new way or just getting excited about the goodness of Jesus but there is something else to celebrate. In Hebrews we are reminded or taught that God disciplines those He loves. When we experience the discipline of Jesus, don't get discouraged and angry, be encouraged that He loves us enough to take the time to discipline us. Well, that sounds good but when you are feeling the correction, no matter how gentle, it stings.
This happened to me last night. I was spending some time before bed reading the Bible and praying for a friend. I was asking specifically for verses to pray over her. I was led to a couple of verses (Deut 5:7 and 6:5). When I read these verses I was a bit confused because they had nothing to do with what I knew of her current situation but they definitely gave me a start.
Let me back track a bit. I have struggled sometime with setting priorities. How do I fit time with God into my day of work, family, house maintenance and other responsibilities and just relaxation? I had prayed about that and struggled with that for about a year and a half. Then last summer I started a new study called Seeking Him by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Tim Grisson. Through the course of this study, I reestablished more balance in my life and experienced the talked about revival in my relationship with Jesus. It has been amazing!
Well, I must confess I have been struggling a bit with balance because the study is completed and I have nothing to replace it. Yesterday was a bad day for balance. I did more relaxing than anything else and it was not good. When I read those verses intended I thought for my friend, I knew they were for me. A reminder that I am to have no other gods, except the one true God and that I am to love Him with all my heart, soul and mind. I was not doing that yesterday and have not been loving Him with all of me for at least a week. This stung because I know I was hurting Jesus by ignoring Him and not intentionally spending time with Him.
Some may say, "Well, lighten up,Renee, it's one week or one day!" My response to that is to say, "Thank you, Jesus, for knowing my heart so well!" For me discipline is required and needs to be kept in short account. I don't want to go back to the life, when I didn't feel close to Jesus and I spent very little time with Him. That was an empty time in my life, filled with loneliness for Him and the intimacy we once shared. Those verses last night were a loving reminder to me to keep myself on track and love Him the way I truly want to. It's not much different than my relationship with friends and my husband. I long to spend time with each of them and make an extra effort to be with each of them. When I don't there is something missing in my life because one of them has not been in it for some time or had alone time with me for catching up and renewal of intimacy.
This is what I celebrate this morning, Jesus loves me enough to tell me and you, "I love you and I want to spend time with you. Don't forget Me and put other things ahead of Me. I love you with My whole heart, please return that love with your whole heart."
Thank You Jesus!

What it's all about

Well, here I go, on another adventure with God. Who knew that someone like me would start a blog! I didn't even know what a blog was a year ago!
So why am I doing this? Well...to declare on my new mountain top how great God is! Years ago when I was in a really difficult season of my life, I was seeing Christ's faithfulness and provision on a regular basis. During this time I just wanted to shout from the mountain tops what He was doing in my life and how faithful He was. But there was no mountain in my corner of the world. Instead I would call a girlfriend and we would shout and cry and share with one another the song that touched our hearts or the verses we had read that answered a prayer or how much we appreciated a message at church or a topic in our weekly Bible study.
Due to the season of life I am in and the relatively new job I am in, regular time with friends isn't as available as it once was. So here is my new mountain top, my new place to sometimes shout for joy or quietly and in awe share how Christ revealed Himself in word or song.
I have heard it said, "My prayers are bouncing off the ceiling," or "When will He answer my prayer? Is He even listening?" This breaks my heart! The Bible tells us over and over again that He hears, He listens, and that our prayers are so precious to Him that there is an angel who collects our prayers and places them like incense in a gold bowl right next to His throne!(Psalm141:2,Rev.5:8,8:3-4) I am here to say that He doesn't always give me the answers I am looking for right away or sometimes not at all but He does answer my call and He does reach out to me. I just had to adjust my focus and I found Him.
This is what I want to celebrate and share with you. Specific answers to prayer may take longer to come than we would like but it doesn't mean that He is not hearing us or speaking to us in other ways while we wait for that particular answer. He is full of love for us and promises to be with us in our circumstances right where we are.(Deut. 31:6)
So come with me and celebrate Jesus' love and pursuit of each of us.