Awright, so it is Thanksgiving and I blog on thankfulness. Yet for days this thankfulness has been building and building. The words, "from whence I came," have been going through my mind for days. God has brought me so far and delivered me from so much. I am so grateful to Him for all He has done.
This year there has been a release from temporal things that only He could grant me. I am so grateful for the new home He has provided us, and yet I see it so strongly as simply a tool - something He can use. God, as the Master Craftsman, Master Artist, Master Being takes everything and creates. He is not limited by time - He knows the beginning and the end. He loves me. The One Who knows me better than anyone else, knows everything about me, He loves me. My heart fills that One such as Him loves one such as me. And it is not only me that He loves. He loves all. It is beyond mind boggling. All that He has done for me, He will do for anyone. There are no favorites in God's kingdom - each is His favorite. And so, I am thankful. Thankful that He holds my tomorrows, that each day comes from Him, thankful that He doesn't give up on me, thankful for His continual presence in my life. Thankful for His love. There is so much to be thankful to Him for. I could spend eternity and never touch on it all as His mercies are new every morning. Today I am grateful that He has granted me thankfulness and filled my heart with Him.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Shepherds and sheep in modern America?
Zechariah 13:7 prophisized that the Shepherd will be struck that "the sheep may be scattered." Yet a third will call on "My (God's) name and I will answer them; I will say, "They are my people," and they will say, "The Lord is my God."
We see the fullfillment of this prophesy as the Chief Shepherd Jesus hung on a cross, yet He arose and is now seated at the right hand of His Father, where He has been given "as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." He ascended and "He gave gifts to men" that His church will mature "to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ."
God has a plan. We, the church, grow up into the fullness of His Body. To this end, "He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as shepherds and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the works of service, to the building up of the body of Christ."
Jesus came as the Chief Shepherd and it is because of Him that I have the Holy Spirit to guide and comfort me, to teach me, to bring me into the relationship with the Father that I can call Him, "Abba." Yet God also has given brothers and sisters to walk with me. He has given shepherds here on earth that can lead and watch over me as a shepherd does for his sheep. They are those who lay down their lives to serve the body "not lording it over those entrusted to you but being examples to the flock."
God does place in our lives those that can be examples to us of what it looks like to walk out our salvation here on earth. Because they do not walk perfectly as Christ the Chief Shepherd did, does not mean that God has not provided shepherds to help lead us into maturity. I do not know anyone that has walked on water but I have known people over the years that have encouraged and challenged me and assisted in the equipting for "works of service." Because there have been those who have called themselves shepherds and have "lorded it over those entrusted to them" does not mean that God has not provided shepherds. It simple means that they have abused the trust others have put in them. There is one Chief Shepherd but Ephesians makes it clear that there are those who are shepherds here to help us mature. From one who wants to see none "tossed here and there by waves, carrried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming," I thank God for those shepherds willing to lay down their lives to serve those whom God has "entrusted" to them.
We see the fullfillment of this prophesy as the Chief Shepherd Jesus hung on a cross, yet He arose and is now seated at the right hand of His Father, where He has been given "as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." He ascended and "He gave gifts to men" that His church will mature "to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ."
God has a plan. We, the church, grow up into the fullness of His Body. To this end, "He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as shepherds and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the works of service, to the building up of the body of Christ."
Jesus came as the Chief Shepherd and it is because of Him that I have the Holy Spirit to guide and comfort me, to teach me, to bring me into the relationship with the Father that I can call Him, "Abba." Yet God also has given brothers and sisters to walk with me. He has given shepherds here on earth that can lead and watch over me as a shepherd does for his sheep. They are those who lay down their lives to serve the body "not lording it over those entrusted to you but being examples to the flock."
God does place in our lives those that can be examples to us of what it looks like to walk out our salvation here on earth. Because they do not walk perfectly as Christ the Chief Shepherd did, does not mean that God has not provided shepherds to help lead us into maturity. I do not know anyone that has walked on water but I have known people over the years that have encouraged and challenged me and assisted in the equipting for "works of service." Because there have been those who have called themselves shepherds and have "lorded it over those entrusted to them" does not mean that God has not provided shepherds. It simple means that they have abused the trust others have put in them. There is one Chief Shepherd but Ephesians makes it clear that there are those who are shepherds here to help us mature. From one who wants to see none "tossed here and there by waves, carrried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming," I thank God for those shepherds willing to lay down their lives to serve those whom God has "entrusted" to them.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Many things happening
Many things I see lately are very encouraging: God moving "suddenly" in a family to restore a mother/daughter relationship. Praise and worship that lifts up Jesus and as a result, people are drawn to Him. Men seeing the gift that God has given them in their wives. A healing that is miraculous and described by a doctor as "amazing." Churches opening up their door overnight to the homeless. The list goes on and on. Thank You, Lord, for what You are doing and also for letting me see these things.
At the same time, distractions abound which scream for my attention. Snares which threaten my brothers and sisters and lies which seem to entrap them. People caught up in worries and anxious thoughts which cause them to try and provide for themselves. Choices which lead people away from God rather than closer to Him. Bondages that don't have to be there.
Looking at the latter items, I find myself discouraged and/or angry. I am reminded of the verse, "set your mind on things above," as well as "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." My discouragement comes from the misbelief that though I see the negative, I do not know what to do. The truth is, I can turn to God in prayer and cry out in need and dependency. I can praise Him for all the good I see as well as acknowledge Him as the One Who "uses all things for good..." I can allow Him to do whatever He wants through me. That may be intercession where I allow my heart to be broken, confrontation (gasp), or whatever He chooses. These very things can be used to cause me to realize even more deeply the truth of my dependency on Him. I can turn to my Loving Father Who knows all and loves all of His children more than I could ever fathom. These things that are so negative, I can watch God turn into positives and know even deeper what a good, loving, omnipotent God I serve.
At the same time, distractions abound which scream for my attention. Snares which threaten my brothers and sisters and lies which seem to entrap them. People caught up in worries and anxious thoughts which cause them to try and provide for themselves. Choices which lead people away from God rather than closer to Him. Bondages that don't have to be there.
Looking at the latter items, I find myself discouraged and/or angry. I am reminded of the verse, "set your mind on things above," as well as "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." My discouragement comes from the misbelief that though I see the negative, I do not know what to do. The truth is, I can turn to God in prayer and cry out in need and dependency. I can praise Him for all the good I see as well as acknowledge Him as the One Who "uses all things for good..." I can allow Him to do whatever He wants through me. That may be intercession where I allow my heart to be broken, confrontation (gasp), or whatever He chooses. These very things can be used to cause me to realize even more deeply the truth of my dependency on Him. I can turn to my Loving Father Who knows all and loves all of His children more than I could ever fathom. These things that are so negative, I can watch God turn into positives and know even deeper what a good, loving, omnipotent God I serve.
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