Your Love is Outrageous!

I got a dog 10 days ago.  I rescued him from the SPCA.  Kodiak is a mixed breed, part Chow and part Rottweiler.  His fur is red, gold and black with a little touch of white at his muzzle.  He is 8 years old and weighs in at 70 pounds.  He has completely and absolutely stolen my heart.  I fell in love with the first picture I saw of him and it only got worse from there.  I truly believe Kody is a gift from God in so many ways.

I was walking Kody Friday night.  I usually walk him several times a day.  Living on a 5 acre parcel of land I could probably just let him roam but we're not totally fenced in and besides, this gives both of us a little exercise.  So Friday night I was walking him in the evening after dinner.  It was dark out but there was almost a full moon.  The moonlight threw lacy shadows on the ground and gave sounds that crystal clear quality they get after dark.  Because it had been raining the frogs were out croaking from the little ponds and creeks that run alongside the road.  It was beautiful and peaceful and my thoughts were running off with me as they usually do. 

God created the heavens and the earth.  It was supposed to be a sanctuary of peace and beauty for us.  I look at the beauty of nature, the trees, flowers and fields, soaring mountains, the flatness of prairies, the endless horizon of the oceans, and I see God's handiwork in all of them.  I know God intended this as good for us.  I also know He knew Adam and Eve would open the door which would allow sin into the world.  Sin would corrupt and destroy the beauty and peace God intended for us. 

Can you imagine walking in the garden alongside God?  I imagine the garden as lush and green, filled with plants and animals.  It didn't rain yet but the earth was watered through a mist that rose from the ground.  Adam and God walked together in the garden.  I like to think Eve joined them.  I also like to imagine them discussing each day's new discoveries (for Adam and Eve) and Adam's choices for naming the animals.  Was Adam's heart full of joy and gratitude?  Did he truly love God?  Did Eve?  I cannot imagine not loving God deeply and completely in that setting but then, we know they disobeyed God.  We know that Eve allowed the serpent to enthrall her, to distort her thinking, to open her heart to the desire to be more like God.  We also know she shared all of that with Adam.  God drove them from the garden as a result.  He also set in motion His awesome plan for our redemption.

The last few weeks we have been studying the book of Ruth during our worship services.  Ruth is the story of a kinsman-redeemer.  It is a love story, not the romantic one that the story has been changed into over the years but a story of deep, sacrificial love: the love and respect Naomi and Ruth have for each other, Boaz's respect for the young woman who treats her mother-in-law so kindly, and his respect for the levirate laws of the day.  It is also the story of Ruth inspiring Boaz to hesed love.  Nowhere in the book of Ruth does it say that there was a romance between Ruth and Boaz, but I sincerely hope there was. 

I find it fascinating that the quote taken from this story that has been used over and over again to illustrate deep romantic love was actually Ruth speaking to her mother-in-law.  I also find it fascinating that Ruth was not actually a Jewess.  Ruth was from Moab.  The people of Moab were excluded from "the assembly of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 23:3-4) and yet King David was a descendant of Ruth.  Jesus, as we all know, descended from David.  I see the story of Ruth as a love story of God's love for all people.  It is the story of Jesus as our kinsman-redeemer.  It is an illustration of hesed love, of loyal, generous, sacrificial, covenantial love.  The same love the Lord has for us.

I saw Kody's picture on the SPCA website prior to my latest mission trip to Mexico.  His picture touched my heart.  But I knew I would be going to Mexico and it wouldn't be fair to leave him with a dog sitter for four days right after he was adopted.  So I waited.  Not long after my return I checked the website again, he was still there!  I drove to the SPCA to adopt him but  I was dismayed to not find him there.  I asked an attendant if he had found a home and she looked up his records for me.  Apparently Kody had been sick and was transferred to a foster home for recovery.   I spoke with the foster care coordinator and she told me Kody would be available for adoption once he had regained his health.   I waited almost 3 weeks for him to complete his recovery.  Then on Wednesday, November 8th, the foster care coordinator called.  I left work early and drove to the SPCA shelter.  I redeemed Kody from the shelter. 

I live in a house with 6 other people but Kody remains loyal to me.  He is grateful to me for rescuing him from the shelter.  He doesn't know all the details of his adoption, he doesn't know how impatient I was, how long I waited for him or even how close I was to giving up.  He only knows that I brought him home with me, that I have been loving him, feeding him, walking him and playing with him every day.  He knows I took him to the vet to ensure he remains healthy.  He knows I love him.  God sent His son, Jesus, to redeem us.  Jesus walked with us, talked with us and taught us.  Jesus showed us how to love and live.  Jesus is the ultimate illustration of hesed love.  As Christians, we choose to love God and Jesus in return.  We express our gratitude and loyalty to Him and Him alone.  We turn from the other gods in our life and cling to the Lord.  We walk in obedience.

This morning has dawned cold and rainy.  We are in day 2 of an expected 6 or 7 day rainstorm.  Kody and I are going to go for a walk.  We are going to sing praises as we walk.  We are going to express our gratitude for our adoptions, his adoption into a warm and loving home and my adoption into God's family.  Kody smiles at me, he smiles and wags his tail.  He is a happy dog.  I want to express my love and gratitude in an equally visible manner.

James 1:22 NRSV

22 But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.

On my desk at work I have a calendar with a daily Bible verse.  It is one of those flip calendars that only refer to the date, not the day of the week making it an "eternal" calendar.  This is today's verse.  I am finding it interesting because Brad has been preaching a series on the Sermon on the Mount and he closed out his series a couple of weeks ago with Matthew 7:15-23:

A Tree and Its Fruit

15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Are you saying, "But what does one verse have to do with the other?"  Even if you're not, let me explain. 

Christians will not be saved merely because they never missed church on Sunday mornings.  Christians will not be saved because they went to church most Sunday mornings.  They can attend and/or lead Bible studies, they can tithe, they can feed the hungry, they can build houses for the homeless, this will not guarantee eternal life with God.  What guarantees eternal life with God is the state of your heart as you walk in obedience to the call He has just for you.  The word is your call to obedience to the Lord.  We must listen, we must open our hearts and our minds to Him.  Without Him we are lost, destined to be thrown in the fire.  What better time than right now to adjust our hearts and our attitudes?   Tomorrow may be too late.  Run, headlong, and fling yourself into His arms.  Nestle in and murmur your love to Him.  Live your life in worship to Him.  Praise Him.  OBEY HIM!

Those of you who know me know that I am not sparing myself from these thoughts.  Those activities I listed above...  studying, tithing, building, feeding, those are all activities I participate in.  But if I do them with the wrong motives I will be joining the goats.  I pray my motives are pure.

The Attributes of God - God is Omnipotent - Unlimited Power

I've been struggling with this post.  I've started and stopped it at least three times already.  It's not writer's block, it's just that there is so much to say and I am finding my words inadequate.

I wrote previously about God's Eternality and His Faithfulness.  These two attributes are very important to me personally.  But this attribute of God, I believe, should be important to every living being on earth.  Even more important should be the way that the Lord wields His unlimited power.  Mark Galli writes that we long for a God of limitless power because we are very aware of our weaknesses.  That isn't a direct quote but still that statement strikes a chord deep within me. 

What do you think of when you hear the word "power?"  Images that come to mind for me are Niagara Falls, the waves crashing on beach in Pescadero, CA, watching the wind turbines as I drive through the Altamont Pass, and the sound of an engine racing down the street.  These are just a few examples.  Now ponder this...  take all that energy and multiply it by a million, kajillion times.  That amount of power is just a drop in the bucket compared to the power that the Lord has available to Him. 

I praise God for His omnipotence.  With His power He created everything.  The earth, the skys, the sun, moon and stars.  He created Niagara Falls and the beach.  He gave us the technology to build those loud, powerful engines.  He gave us the knowledge and learning to harness power, to cure diseases and build monuments to our follies.  His power is in the storms, the wind, the rains and the snow.  But I never forget this:  His power can also be found in a single, unique snowflake, in a butterfly's wings, in the tiny, yet perfect, toes of a newborn baby.  HIs power can be found in the roof over my head, the food on my table and the clothes on my back.  His power can be found in the richest of homes and it can be found curling around His children who live in San Francisco's Tenderloin District.  God's power has no limits and no boundaries.  Where will you see His power today?

I have a BIG God!!!

I just read a comment that says, "If you have a problem don't say, 'I have a problem' say 'I have a big God.'"  Well, I guess I have a BIG God.  And I thank that God every day for my life and all the circumstances in it.  Without the problems in my life I would not have a way to grow in my Christian walk.  I want to grow in my walk so I welcome the problems.  But I also want a break from my problems sometimes.  Understanding God and his attributes is my road to peace.  I'm reading this book that says, "Understanding the attributes of God makes a difference in how we relate to Him."  So as I delve deeper into God's attributes I will have this book, "A Great and Terrible Love, a Spiritual Journey Into the Attributes of God" by Mark Galli at my side.  I will also have my Ryrie Study Bible, my journal and some other reference materials.  I intend to spend these next few weeks on my knees.  What better time to do that than the Christmas season?

Abraham

I went to the Women of Faith conference a few weeks ago.  One of the regular speakers was Sheila Walsh and I purchased a book she wrote called "Beautiful Things Happen When a Woman Trusts God."  Sheila is one of my favorite Christian authors.  I have a few of her books. 

In this book Sheila writes about ten Biblical characters who placed their trust in God.  Today I was reading about Abraham.  Several years ago one of my Bible study lessons was about Abraham.  As I studied him I was impressed by his faith and trust in the Lord.  Most Christians know the stories that make up Abram's life: God's call to the land of Canaan, Abram's time in Egypt with his sister/wife and Pharoh, Sarai and Hagar, the promise and birth of Isaac and the sacrifice of Isaac.  But the part of the story that I didn't know quite as well is the part describing God's Covenant with Abram, found in Genesis 15:

God's Covenant With Abram

1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." 2 But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." 4 Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." 5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. 7 He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it." 8 But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?" 9 So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon." 10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15 You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure." 17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates-- 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites."

In those days a covenant was sealed by the two parties to the covenant passing between the two halves of the sacrifice.  The idea behind this was that whoever broke the covenant would be torn in two just like the sacrifice.  This sacrifice was a bit different.  Abraham gathered and prepared the animals God requested and watched over them, driving away the birds of prey and others who would have feasted upon the bodies of the sacrificial animals.  But then he fell asleep.  God spoke to Abram as he slept, He spoke to him of his descendants and the future.  He spoke to Abram of his descendants' disobedience.  He spoke to him of the Israelites' time in Egypt and the subsequent exodus.  God spoke to Abram of the land his descendants would inherit.  Then, God did something remarkable.  He alone passed through the covenant sacrifice.   This placed the burden and responsibility for the fulfillment of the covenant on God alone, the covenant depends completely and totally upon God for its fulfillment.  God made it a one-sided covenant, dependant upon His grace.  God was telling Abram, and us, that he would rather be torn apart than have the relationship with humanity destroyed. 

I don't know about you, but that is a great comfort to me.  God loves me so much that He does not want our relationship to be damaged.  God has promised to do whatever it takes to preserve our relationship.  Sending His son to be the redeeming sacrifice for our sins is proof of that.  I will be eternally grateful for that sacrifice.

What I want is to fully trust God, to fully rely on Him.  I want to obey Him.  I want to emulate Christ and live the life He asks of me.  Will you take that journey with me?

Rejoice!

Rejoice in the Lord, always,
Again, I say rejoice,
Rejoice in the Lord, always,
Again, I say rejoice,
Rejoice, rejoice, again I say rejoice.
Rejoice, rejoice, again I say rejoice...

(repeat 3 times...)

We used to sing this song in grammar school, we sang it in rounds.  It really was quite beautiful while we were singing it.  I woke up with this song in my head this morning.  I haven't been able to shake it out, not that I really want to.  This song holds fond memories for me.

So what does it mean to rejoice? 



Webster’s dictionary definition: 1) to experience great pleasure or delight : REJOICE, 2) the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : DELIGHT. Hebrew dictionary definition: 8057. simchah, sim-khaw’; from H8056 blithesomeness or glee, (religious or festival):– X exceeding (-ly), gladness, joy (-fulness), mirth, pleasure, rejoice (-ing). (Found 88 times in the Old Testament, in 22 books)


Greek dictionary definition: 5479. chara, khar-ah’; from G5463; cheerfulness, i.e. calm delight:–gladness, X greatly, (X be exceeding) joy (-ful, -fully, -fulness, -ous). (Found 57 times in the New Testament, in 18 books)






Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (hmmm, sounds familiar!)


Proverb 12:20 “Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, But counselors of peace have joy.”

Proverb 21:15 “It is a joy for the just to do justice, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.”


Ecclesiastes 2:26 “For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.”


Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”


1 John 1:4 “And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.”

3 John 1:4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”


Psalm 149:5 “Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds.”


Proverb 23:25 “Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her who bore you rejoice.”


Romans 12:15 “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”

2 Corinthians 7:4 “Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.”


Proverb 5:18 “Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice with the wife of your youth.”


Proverb 24:17 “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;”


Proverb 29:2 “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.”


1 Corinthians 13:6 “(Love) does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;”



1 Thessalonians 5:16 “Rejoice always.”

Rejoice always.  That is a difficult command to follow when your heart is heavy and it seems as if all the joy has been sucked out of your world.  There is only one way to accomplish that: lean heavily upon the Lord.  Depend on Him for your joy.  He will give you the strength to rejoice when your world seems to be falling apart.  He will show you the areas of your life where you have cause for celebration.  He will comfort you when you are sad or in pain.  And of course, remember this last scripture verse: James 1:2-4  "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverence.  Perseverence must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."   God must really be working on me, I must have much to learn.  The trials seem to never end. 

HANDY LITTLE CHART

GOD HAS A POSITIVE ANSWER:
YOU SAY GOD SAYS BIBLE VERSES

You say: 'It's impossible' God says: All things are possible (Luke 18:27)
You say: 'I'm too tired' God says: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28-30)
You say: 'Nobody really loves me' God says: I love you (John 3:1 6 & John 3:34 )
You say: 'I can't go on' God says: My grace is sufficient (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)
You say: 'I can't figure things out' God says: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5- 6)
You say: 'I can't do it' God says: You can do all things (Philippians 4:13)
You say: 'I'm not able' God says: I am able (II Corinthians 9:8)
You say: 'It's not worth it' God says: It will be worth it (Roman 8:28 )
You say: 'I can't forgive myself' God says: I Forgive you (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)
You say: 'I can't manage' God says: I will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19)
You say: 'I'm afraid' God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear (II Timothy 1:7)
You say: 'I'm always worried and frustrated' God says: Cast all your cares on ME (I Peter 5:7)
You say: 'I'm not smart enough' God says: I give you wisdom (I Corinthians 1:30)
You say: 'I feel all alone' God says: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)

God determines who walks into your life....it's up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go.'


Father, God, bless all my friends in whatever it is that you know they may need this day! And may their lives be full of your peace, prosperity and power as they seek to have a closer relationship with you. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

This was my daily Bible verse for Monday, November 22nd.  It has insinuated its way into my brain and taken up residence there.  I have been meditating on two separate parts of this verse: 1) "joy" and its definition in Christ and 2) giving thanks in all circumstances.  My life has been difficult lately and I am struggling with both of these thoughts.  I'd be interested in knowing your thoughts on them. 

His Faithfulness

So in my last post I spoke about a spiritual attack I have been under for the past 6 weeks or so.  I also spoke of my behavior, how I am ashamed of it, that I have been willfully sinning.  I also spoke of how I found myself at the feet of Jesus, begging for His help.  He has been faithful, as I knew He would be.  His grace and mercy are covering me as I struggle with this.  The temptation is still there but He has been walking with me through it and I have not succumbed to it since I asked Him for help.  I know that this is just a battle, not the entire war, but I am so grateful for His faithfulness and for His help.  I post this not to brag but to shout about how the praise and the glory all belong to Jesus!  God is so good!

Matthew 7:13-29

Life by the Spirit

16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. 19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.  

--Galatians 5:16-26

Hmmm, why title my blog with a passage from Matthew and then quote Galatians?  Because I believe they are closely related. 

I have been having an extremely difficult time the past few weeks.  If I sit back and look at it objectively it has been at least 6 weeks.  I have been under spiritual attack.  As a result of that attack I have stumbled and I have fallen.  I have sinned.  I have been struggling with that sin and wrestling with that sin for weeks now.  I knew what I was doing was sin and I did it anyway.  Before, during and after those acts I was consumed by guilt and regretted those acts.  Why did I do them?  Because I am a fallible human being and I was trying to fix a painful problem with my own human effort instead of relying upon God.

There is good news.  I have fallen at Christ's feet and begged Him for not only help with this struggle but also for His forgiveness.  I have asked Him to make my focus one thing and one thing only...  to follow Him.  The Galatians passage was part of my daily reading for yesterday morning, which I missed and made up this morning instead.  The Matthew passage was the passage Pastor Brad spoke on last night.  I needed to hear both of these passages right now.  Jesus has actually been calling me back to Him for most of the time I have been going through this struggle.  He spoke to me while I was down in Mexico.  He spoke to me as I attended the Women of Faith Conference.  He spoke to me as I fellowshipped with my friends after the conference.  He is speaking to me as I read the books I purchased at the conference.  He spoke to me as I worshipped in church yesterday evening.  He is speaking to me now as I write this.  He loves me.  He loves me, a sinner, one who is unworthy of His sacrificial gift.  His grace and mercy cover me.  I am completely undone, the earthly Karen surrenders all.

Okay, here's the passage in Matthew:

The Narrow and Wide Gates

13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

A Tree and Its Fruit

15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

The Wise and Foolish Builders

24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." 28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Please pay particular attention to verses 15-20.  I'll repeat those verses again:  "15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them." 

The Galatians passage is a powerful tool for putting this passage into effect in your life.  As Brad said yesterday evening, there are some among us us who believe they are saved just because they "Prayed the Prayer" but who then went on with their previous lifestyle.  There is no fruit in their lives.  Now, we all know that Christianity is a faith-based not a works-based religion.  But to me, to me personally, Christianity is NOT a "religion" but a way of life.  If I truly believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior then I want to become more like Him.  Don't we try to emulate those in life who we worship?  Don't we pattern our lives after our heroes?  the latest sports star?  the newest Hollywood actor/actress?  the talk show host or other performer?  Then why is it considered wrong to pattern our lives after the one who wants to gift us with eternal life?  Why do we run with the crowd and try to blend in with the masses?  Why don't we stand up for what we believe in and let the lives we live reflect that faith?  It's a rhetorical question, you know the answer.

Don't stop with just verses 15-20.  Read further.  Verses 21-23 say: 21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' 

Is it possible that we today, those of us who attend church every week, those of us who attend Bible studies and who serve at church will miss the narrow gate?  Yes, it is possible.  It is time to examine our hearts and our lives and see what the real fruit of our lives is.  Can we honestly say we are poor in spirit?  Are we truly humble?  Do we  mourn for all the injustices in the world?  Are we peacemakers?  Are we being persecuted because of our faith?  Do we truly love our neighbors?  Do we treat our enemies with love and mercy and compassion?  Are we forgiving?  Where do we store up our treasures, here on earth or in heaven?  Do we keep our promises, to our spouses, to our children, to our friends, our enemies?  Does our righteousness surpass even the righteousness of the Pharisees?  Brad asked us these questions and more yesterday evening.  I am daring to ask these same questions of you now.

I thank God for his gift of grace.  For I know that without His grace I am doomed to eternal separation from Him.

Coming Soon...

I know it's been more than 10 days since I returned from Mexico and I haven't written a word.  Well, that's not strictly true.  I've written on my other 2 blogs, I just haven't written here.  I will, and soon.  I go throughout my day framing thoughts and things to say in my mind.  I need some sort of neural interface like they have on StarTrek.  Until that gets invented, I will just have to sit down and type.  Hopefully this evening.  I have much to share.  Our God is an awesome God.

Sunday Evening

Wow, what a weekend!  God is so good!  I am exhausted but wanted to drop a line and say thank you for all the prayers, they were certainly felt.

"Radio Silence"

Okay, we are only a few miles from the Mexican border so I am close to going radio silence until Sunday morning.  Please pray for my team members and me as we build these homes for Tijuana's homeless.  Please pray for our hands and our hearts, that we are willing to do the Lord's work and follow the paths He is laying before each of us.  As we are going out to bless these ten families we in return will receive blessings from the Lord.  Pray that we are able to humble ourselves and not impose our personal wills and expectations on this experience.  Pray that the Lord will open our minds and our hearts. Pray that this experience will be used as a launching point for new worldwide missionaries. All of this to glorify the name of Jesus!

The Attributes of God - God is Faithful - Part V

Can you tell this topic is close to my heart?

Some definitions of faithful I found around the web somewheres:
Faithful () (4103) (pistos [word study]) from peítho = to persuade - induce one by words to believe, have confidence) is something or someone who is worthy of faith or keeps promises and is applied to God, humans, His Word, etc


Here pistos has its passive meaning = trustworthy or faithful where the basic idea is that of trustworthiness. In this sense pistos describes God, Christ, servants, His Word as faithful, reliable, worthy of belief or trust, dependable. Marvin Vincent adds that pistos used of God describes Him as "True to his own nature and promises; keeping faith with Himself and with man."


Webster says that "Faithful" means firm in adherence to whatever one owes allegiance and implies unswerving adherence to a person or thing or to the oath or promise by which a tie was contracted.


A faithful Creator - Faithfulness is God's attribute of utter dependability, the antithesis of everything fickle and fluctuating in the world around us. In 2 Timothy 2:13(note) Paul says that faithfulness is a corollary of His self-consistency. Because God is faithful, His promises are infallibly reliable (Hebrews 10:23-note).

His promises are infallibly reliable.  His promises are infallibly reliable.  From before we were even created He promised to care for us.  From the very beginning He promised to provide for us.  From the very first sin He promised us it would not be easy.  From that point, the point of our sin, He promised us a redeemer.  He promised to always be in relationship with us.  Okay, I am getting at little ahead of the first 31 verses of Genesis. 

I think it is easier for people outside of the US (and some other industrialized countries) to trust God more fully than those here.  In the US we are spoiled, we are self-sufficient.  We don't need to rely on God as much as people on the "frontera" in Mexico or in the favelas of Sao Paulo do.  I only speak of Mexico and Sao Paulo because I have personally experienced those places.  There are many more places in the world where they fully rely upon God for their day to day living.  I believe it is time for us here in America, among other places, to turn away from our self-sufficiency and turn back to fully relying upon God.  We need to follow His leadings.  We need to trust Him more, because He is faithful. 

I am headed back to Mexico.  We leave in about 2 hours.  This trip we will be building 10 homes.  Just think, on Sunday morning when we head back home there will be 10 families sleeping under a roof that they do not have today.  Jehovah Jirah, my provider.  God is FAITHFUL!  Hallelujah!

The Attributes of God - God is Faithful - Part IV

So you may be asking what does my moving have to do with Genesis 1:1-31?  Good question.  I believe this passage illustrates God's faithfulness because, being the omnipotent and omniscient being He is, He has always known every little detail of our lives.  He has always known just exactly what it is that we we want and need for our time here on earth.  He also has always known what we will need to walk the paths He has laid before each of us.  He knows that He built within each of us a deep desire to love and trust Him.  So, in His faithfulness, when He created the heavens and the earth, He provided us with all we need.  We can count on Him to pay attention to every little detail of our lives.  As we walk through our lives we learn to lean on Him and trust Him for everything because He faithfully provided for us from the very beginning.

God knew from the beginning of time what my needs would be today.  He put a plan in place for me right then.  He put a plan in place for you, too.  With that in mind I know that I can trust Him with EVERY little detail of my life, even the difficult times I am walking through right this moment.  His faithfulness is the foundation for our trust in Him. 

The Attributes of God - God is Faithful - Part III

I misquoted yesterday.  I stated that 1Peter 4:19 says, "God tests our faith so that we may test His Faithfullness."  In reality, what it says is, "So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." NIV  I need to do better due diligence before posting.

I find different translations and interpretations of the Bible fascinating.  For example, 1Peter 4:19 in the New Living version,  "So if you are suffering according to God's will, keep on doing what is right, and trust yourself to the God who made you, for he will never fail you."  I guess if you have several different translations of the Bible you could shop around till you get the verse that says what you want it to.  Take 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 for example.  You could use it to condem all homosexuals or you could use it to condem only practicing homosexuals, depending on your translation.  What would Jesus do?  Jesus did not come to condem or destroy.  He came to save us from our sins.  I want to be like Jesus. 

God is Faithful!  Hallelujah!

The Attributes of God - God is Faithful - Part II

In 1Peter 4:19 it says that "God tests our faith so that we may trust His faithfulness."  I never thought of it in that way before.  But this morning as I awoke in my beautiful new home I was reflecting on God's faithfulness.  This is part of the way His faithfulness has played out in my life:

• My horrific childhood - the physical and emotional abuse only laid a firm foundation of faith in God.
• My travesty of a marriage - the utter shame led me to lean solely upon God for support and validation - my faith grew even stronger.
• My singleness - the reality that God walks beside me every day and He has promised that He will never leave me or forsake me, even when I sometimes wander away from Him - my faith matures on a daily basis.
• My loneliness - God has promised me that He has a plan for my life, waiting for that plan develops perseverance and hope - further growth in my faith.

God's faithfulness is His complete and total dependability.  If He makes a promise to us, we can count on it.  God is 100% reliable 100% of the time.  He does not fail, forget, falter, change or disappoint us, because God is truth.  Not only does God keep His promises, He also keeps His threats.  We pay the consequences we deserve for not taking Him seriously. 

I woke this morning listening to the sound of doves.  Off in the distance dogs are barking, greeting the new day.  I heard my landlady returning form work (she's 83 years old and still works nights at the post office).  There are a couple of ponds behind the house and I hear ducks and other birds in conversation out there.  What a magnificent reminder of God's love and provision for me.  God is faithful!

The Attributes of God - God is Faithful

I can usually write better about something when I have personal experience of what I am writing about.  I have a lot of experience with God's faithfulness.  When God makes a promise to us we can count on Him keeping that promise.  It may not always be the in the manner we want it kept or even in the timing we want it kept but He is faithful and keeps His promises.

I have many examples but I am going to use today.  Until today I have been living with my 25 year old son.  Now, my son is a decent guy.  He has his good points and his bad points, like everyone else.  He also has his really nasty points, and those usually only come out when he's dealing with me.  Not long ago I knew that I would need to move out of my son's apartment.  When I moved in with him the Lord was providing me with a sanctuary from the previous year and a half.  It had been a difficult time for me and I was in need of a place to live where I could rest and recover.  God provided that with my son.  But after a I had recovered from my bad experiences I needed to get out on my own again.  My son and I started to disagree and our relationship was beginning to fray. 

God promised me that He would move me when it was time.  I began looking for a place to rent, I wanted a roommate situation that would not stress me out.  I needed someone I felt I could be compatible with and who would not try to be my controller or parent.  I am challenged when I try to live with other women, they usually try to mother me, even when, maybe even especially when, I am older than them.    I get along well with male roommates but as a Christian woman that can be really tricky.  I also was looking for a quiet place, another type of sanctuary than the one I had with my son.  The search was proving difficult.  It was taking longer than I wanted, much longer. 

Then in May I fell off my bike and broke my wrist.  I stayed with my parents out of town while I was recovering.  But when I had recovered well enough to return to work I came home.  My son had grown used to my being gone (it had been 2 months) and was unhappy I had returned home.  I met a guy, started dating him and thought we were destined to marry.  My office announced that they were changing locations about 8 miles north of its current location.  All very good and valid reasons to move, I just couldn't find the right place.  God had promised me the right place, where was it?

The day my boyfriend and I split up I was out looking at possible places to rent.  I answered an ad whose headline read, "A great place for a new start" and made an appointment to visit it.  Set in a rural area, on 5 acres and down a long driveway I found a gem of a house.  An older lady owns this house and rents out rooms.  God started whispering to me as soon as I started down the driveway.  The beauty of this place soothed my soul.  It is peaceful and quiet.  I am one of 6 people living here, it's a co-ed mix.  I have the master suite so I don't have to share the bathroom and I even have a private entrance.  Pretty much exactly what I was looking for.  But wait, there's more.  The owner is a painter, like me.  The owner is also a Christian.  Sounds perfect, looks perfect, I am going to trust God and say it is perfect for me.  God delivered as promised.

But wait, there's more...  I had scheduled this morning for moving day.  I had friends who were supposed to come by at 10 to help me move the major furniture.  Just prior to ten a couple of my friends called me to tell me they would be late.  Another friend hadn't confirmed whether or not he'd actually be there and my daughter who was helping me had gone AWOL.  I was beginning to wonder if I was moving this morning.  But before 11 o'clock I had 4 helpers and 2 trucks.  We got all the furniture and some of the smaller boxes moved.  All this just ahead of the rain.  Yes, the heavens opened up and it poured yesterday, after all  my furniture had been moved inside.  We got my bed set up and I was good to go.  God came through for me once again.  He is faithful, he keeps His promises. 

I am now sitting and relaxing in my new home.  A home God had promised me.  A home where I do not feel harrassed and picked on.  A home where I can rest and renew in God's arms and then go out into the world and be bold in my faith.  I look forward to my next adventure with Him.

The Attributes of God - God is Eternal - Part II

I can’t remember where I read this definition of being eternal, “the quality of existing endlessly in regards to time without interruption or limitation in the past, present or future.”  That’s God, He just is, He will never not be.  Just think, once we go to spend eternity with Him time will no longer have meaning for us either.  We get to spend eternity with Him.

God is Eternal.  That statement wraps itself around me and holds me in its embrace.  It feels very secure.  God will always be there for me.  He is never going away, never ever ever.  If you know my history you understand how important that is for me.  To say I have abandonment issues is probably an understatement.  God will never leave me or forsake me because He is eternal, and because He said so. 

I believe all of God’s other attributes are built upon and even hinge upon His eternality.  What is Faithfulness without eternity?  What is Omnipresence without eternity?  Omnipotence?  Omniscience?  Patience?   The Lord’s eternality is a strong foundation for not only all of God’s other attributes, but also for us as His children.

Eternality

I have a stack of notes on my desk that discuss God's eternality.  I was putting together a blog for this evening but left the notes on my desk when I left the office tonight.  I had a number of things to do this evening, I paid my first month's rent for my new apartment (I am moving this coming weekend) and then I needed to come home, do laundry and pack.  I need to pack not only for my move but also for my mission trip next week.

God had other plans for me.  He is good with that.

I took the rent check to my new landlord and we ended up talking for a while.  I'm renting the master suite in her house and I'm thinking I am really going to like her.  She is a Christian and she is also a painter.  For those of you who don't know me, I am a watercolor artist.  Anyways, I think God chose a wonderful new home for me.  I believe I will find peace at this new place.

When I got home I started doing laundry and packing.  In the middle of all that my son (who I currently live with) and his girlfriend came home.  We ended up talking about many things, talking about my new living situation and clearing the air about some misunderstandings.  It was a good talk, I'm feeling like I will be leaving on much better terms with my son than I previously thought. 

The point of this?  Once I am finished with God is Eternal I want to talk about God is Faithful.  He sure demonstrated that to me this evening. 

The Attributes of God - God is Eternal

Okay, I will admit, the idea of going through the Bible one or two verses at a time is a daunting one.  There are several Bible scholars who have done just that and I am in awe of the work they have put into it.  But I am nowhere near a Bible scholar.  I just love the Lord and want to get closer to him.  I don’t know all this stuff.  I have several different Bible study tools I use, books and websites I read and discussions in my small group that I use to formulate my thoughts.  I take all that together and come up with this, the thoughts I blog.  The leader of my small group says that I’m very knowledgeable, especially when it comes to the New Testament.  God must be using me to speak to him because I don’t feel very knowledgeable at all.  That’s why I have this thirst to learn. 

Wow!  I wrote a full page of thoughts about Genesis 1:6-31 and then God spoke to me.  I had to delete all that work and start over because He showed me something I never caught before in this passage.  Something I believe I really should have.  But this really starts with the first verse and goes through the end of the chapter.  Well, maybe I did catch a glimmer before.  Let me explain what I mean…

Genesis 1 is the creation story.  From the very first verse God uses this passage to reveal to us His attributes.   I already wrote about some of this.  It looks like it may be time to dig even deeper…


First of all, God is Eternal.  Verse 1 says it all, "In the beginning..."  God was there in the beginning, He existed before anything else.  God created everything, including time.  God told Moses, "I am who I am."  (Exodus 3:14) "I am" expresses His continuous and unchanging presence.  As C H Spurgeon comments, "God was, when nothing else was.  He was God when the earth was not a world but chaos.  If God Himself were of yesterday, He would not be a suitable refuge for mortals.  The eternal existence of God is mentioned here to set forth, by contrast, the brevity of human life."  (from his Treasury of David, commenting on Psalm 90:1-2)


This is important because this removes God from time.  He is not subject to time, as a matter of fact, time dwells within God, God causes time and time has no effect on God.  Therefore, God never changes.  That's another of His attributes, to be explored later.


This makes my brain hurt.  As a human I cannot comprehend eternality.  But because of God's pleasure I get to experience it.  I am so grateful God is eternal, His eternality lays the foundation for several of His other attributes.  Attributes which I depend upon.  Atttributes which I use as building blocks for my faith in Him.