"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." (Col 3:1-3 )
If I take time out of my day to monitor my thoughts, what is it I am thinking about? Is my mind set on things above? Do I believe God will take care of provision for my physical life and leave that to Him? If I believe that, truly believe that, than my mind will not be preoccupied with taking care of me. I will put myself into His loving Hands and obey the command to set my mind on things above.
There is a lot of discussion lately on the great commission. I hear often that we have been commanded to go and spread the Word and that is true. But Jesus also told us to do a lot of other things - like love your enemies, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, turn the other cheek, love God, love others... In Col 3, we are told to set our mind on things above. It appears to me that none of God's Word can be taken apart with more emphisis on one part than another. It is a whole. It seems if you are doing one part, than you may be doing the whole. If that is the case, setting my mind on things above would place me in the position of doing God's will in all things. Loving God, loving others, spreading His love would be a reflection of where I set my mind. Please, Lord, help me to have a mind set on You.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Never alone
Hebrews 13:5b "because God has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
Not only am I never alone, but my companion is God of this universe. He created all things and everything that is, is because of Him. This tree in front of me, He created. The grass, the sky, the moon, the sun, everything from His hand. Yet, He never leaves my side. I have been fortunate over the years to have family and friends, yet not one of them has always been able to be with me. No one else can possibly know what I think, what I feel at all times - only God who loves me. When I cry out, He hears me. He does not turn and walk away - He hears and comes. He knows every giant I see, every fear that grips me - that is why He reminds me that He is here with me.
He has made so many promises - always ahead the promised land. But those who looked at the seen, spoke of the giants in the land, lost sight of Who was with them on their side. They didn't listen when He told them to not fear. He was there - He knew their fear, yet He reminded them that their Creator would take care of them. No giant is too big for Him.
Today He reminds me through His Word that He knows all and is here with me. Nothing takes Him by surprise. He knit together everyone of us in our mother's wombs. He knows us intimately. He knows every detail of our lives. The "giants" do not scare Him. He is God. And He is with us.
Not only am I never alone, but my companion is God of this universe. He created all things and everything that is, is because of Him. This tree in front of me, He created. The grass, the sky, the moon, the sun, everything from His hand. Yet, He never leaves my side. I have been fortunate over the years to have family and friends, yet not one of them has always been able to be with me. No one else can possibly know what I think, what I feel at all times - only God who loves me. When I cry out, He hears me. He does not turn and walk away - He hears and comes. He knows every giant I see, every fear that grips me - that is why He reminds me that He is here with me.
He has made so many promises - always ahead the promised land. But those who looked at the seen, spoke of the giants in the land, lost sight of Who was with them on their side. They didn't listen when He told them to not fear. He was there - He knew their fear, yet He reminded them that their Creator would take care of them. No giant is too big for Him.
Today He reminds me through His Word that He knows all and is here with me. Nothing takes Him by surprise. He knit together everyone of us in our mother's wombs. He knows us intimately. He knows every detail of our lives. The "giants" do not scare Him. He is God. And He is with us.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
God is good all the time
Psalm 107
BOOK V : Psalms 107-150 1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say this— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe
God is good and His love endures forever. I miss a little church where that refrain was a common greeting - often I was met with a "God is good" to which one replied "all the time." As I read the above scripture, I realized we are told to say (speak out) that God is good - perhaps so we will remember this fact when it is needed most.
The rest of the psalm is one I have related to most of my life. It lists many different situations where God has rescued His children - and a common refrain is repeated, " Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress." I have cried out so many times and He has delivered me. It is definitely not because of me or my "good" behavior (which is most often not there), but because He is God and He is love. He is my Father. I so desperately need Him - all the time. It is not always so apparent to me, yet in those times of distress, I am reminded of the reality that I need Him every second of every day. Thank You, God, that You are there every second. Forgive me for the times that I so arrogantly try to stumble through this life forgetting how much I need You. It is when I don't have the answers that I realize I never really have had them and it is foolish of me to think myself wise without talking to my Father.
Today I remind myself that God is good all the time. I need to be reminded. I need to hear it for those times when satan screams lies. We need to tell of the times that God has delivered us - for ourselves and for one another. It is for His glory that we speak of what a good God He is - full of mercy and grace. It is not because of us that He delivers us - but completely because of who He is. I have done nothing to merit God delivering me. In fact, it is just the opposite. My actions would damn me. Yet God loves me, forgives me, sent His only Son to die for me. I cannot imagine I would do the same for anyone - and God knows that and still He loves me, delivers me, and is there for me every second of every day.
BOOK V : Psalms 107-150 1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say this— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe
God is good and His love endures forever. I miss a little church where that refrain was a common greeting - often I was met with a "God is good" to which one replied "all the time." As I read the above scripture, I realized we are told to say (speak out) that God is good - perhaps so we will remember this fact when it is needed most.
The rest of the psalm is one I have related to most of my life. It lists many different situations where God has rescued His children - and a common refrain is repeated, " Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress." I have cried out so many times and He has delivered me. It is definitely not because of me or my "good" behavior (which is most often not there), but because He is God and He is love. He is my Father. I so desperately need Him - all the time. It is not always so apparent to me, yet in those times of distress, I am reminded of the reality that I need Him every second of every day. Thank You, God, that You are there every second. Forgive me for the times that I so arrogantly try to stumble through this life forgetting how much I need You. It is when I don't have the answers that I realize I never really have had them and it is foolish of me to think myself wise without talking to my Father.
Today I remind myself that God is good all the time. I need to be reminded. I need to hear it for those times when satan screams lies. We need to tell of the times that God has delivered us - for ourselves and for one another. It is for His glory that we speak of what a good God He is - full of mercy and grace. It is not because of us that He delivers us - but completely because of who He is. I have done nothing to merit God delivering me. In fact, it is just the opposite. My actions would damn me. Yet God loves me, forgives me, sent His only Son to die for me. I cannot imagine I would do the same for anyone - and God knows that and still He loves me, delivers me, and is there for me every second of every day.
Friday, January 15, 2010
What kind of God is He?
Matthew 6:33 But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
So security seems in short supply lately. People are losing their homes, their jobs, their retirement funds, their insurance, their families, their health. In one school district, the security of tenure has been taken away from teachers - all are up on the chopping block. Companies are closing their doors and taking away jobs that people have had for thirty years. Many in American are struggling.
Faith becomes an important issue. In whom or what am I trusting? What is it I am seeking after? In Matthew chapter 6 Jesus tells us not to be anxious for our lives - "as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink..as to what you shall put on..." "for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things." We can give our service to money trying to get all that we think we need, or we can give our service to God and allow our Father in heaven to take care of our needs.
If I choose to believe the truth that God is a good Father Who loves me then I do not allow thoughts that lead to worry and anxiety. I seek my King as to how He wants me to serve in His Kingdom on a daily basis. I remember Who He is - King - and it is about His kingdom, and not the illusion of my own kingdom here on earth. He will take care of me - supplying me with food and clothes - just as He did His people in the desert. I need to concentrate daily on being part of His kingdom, seeking His righteousness, and leave the rest to Him.
So security seems in short supply lately. People are losing their homes, their jobs, their retirement funds, their insurance, their families, their health. In one school district, the security of tenure has been taken away from teachers - all are up on the chopping block. Companies are closing their doors and taking away jobs that people have had for thirty years. Many in American are struggling.
Faith becomes an important issue. In whom or what am I trusting? What is it I am seeking after? In Matthew chapter 6 Jesus tells us not to be anxious for our lives - "as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink..as to what you shall put on..." "for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things." We can give our service to money trying to get all that we think we need, or we can give our service to God and allow our Father in heaven to take care of our needs.
If I choose to believe the truth that God is a good Father Who loves me then I do not allow thoughts that lead to worry and anxiety. I seek my King as to how He wants me to serve in His Kingdom on a daily basis. I remember Who He is - King - and it is about His kingdom, and not the illusion of my own kingdom here on earth. He will take care of me - supplying me with food and clothes - just as He did His people in the desert. I need to concentrate daily on being part of His kingdom, seeking His righteousness, and leave the rest to Him.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Thank You, God!
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.
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.
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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