At a friend's suggestion, I started noting The Names of God, as I come across them while reading my Bible. Yes, I know that you can go to a Christian bookstore and pick up various Names of God books, but this is different ... it’s a personal practice ... and I promise it will bless your life too:
Get yourself 1) a large 3-ring binder, 2) a ream of lined paper, and 3) a set of alphabetical tabs. Whenever you are reading your Bible, stop to write down God’s Names & Qualities, enter them alphabetically in your binder, along with the verse where you found it.
There is JOY in discovering something “new” about God, a precious moment when The Holy Spirit reveals Truth to your soul about who God is. If you persistently pan for His gold nuggets, and hide them away in your heart, you’ll soon amass a heavenly, recession-proof, treasure within yourself. What could be more exciting than that!
Reflecting on God’s Names & Attributes brings peace to the prospecting soul, especially during times of waiting on Him for answers.
God’s Names speak to His Beauty and His Holiness … from Abba (affectionately, God as 'Daddy') to Zoe (powerfully, God as 'Life-giver'). He is Alpha & Omega, The First & Last (God, The Final Authority)
When I read through a List of God’s Names; then, suddenly my lists, my chores, and my life are put into proper perspective.
I don’t need to worry. He is the Potter, I am the clay ... and how good that is to remember! His Word says that He never slumbers or sleeps. What if God slept in or forget to summon up the sun or lower down the moon?
I am a sound sleeper, but I woke up last night and could not fall back to sleep, so, (rather than counting sheep, I'll leave that to God!) I decided to mentally run through His Names alphabetically. “Q” gives me trouble, (so I skip that one!), but, before long I was at “S” recalling that God is my Savior, Shield, Source, Strong Tower, Shepherd & Sacrificial Lamb. He is sovereign, sufficient, and supplies all my needs. I asked The Lord to help me recall a verse from my bible study that I was trying to memorize, it was about Him singing (which struck me as so amazing!) I did fall asleep right after that; then, this morning I hurried to look up that verse and add SERENADE-ER, to the "S" list of His Names:
The Lord your God is with you, He is Mighty to Save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with his love,
He will rejoice over you with singing! Zephaniah 3:17
Wow, "Elohim, The Most High God," who runs the Universe, also stoops down as "Abba Daddy" to sing over a sleepless daughter and quiet her with his love. Seems too good to be true, but it is TRUE. Next time you can’t sleep imagine Him outside your open window with a guitar singing with the angels. He serenades and all creation sings back its praise. He seeks us and we seek Him, He is our QUEST, hey finally a "Q-word!" and He QUIETS us with His love too!
9/23/08
Take A Real Rest
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me.
Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life.
I’ll show you how to TAKE A REAL REST
Walk with Me and work with Me- WATCH HOW I DO IT!
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me
and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” Mat 11:28-30 The Message
Has anyone made you a better offer than that lately? Anyone ever said, “Hey there busy little bee, I see the frenzied buzz of your life and I’d like to teach you ‘the unforced rhythms of grace.’” Perhaps you're so hurried, its hard to imagine what Jesus is even saying. What does an unforced rhythm of grace look like? How do we live freely and lightly as bills pile up and downtime dwindles?
How? Read the passage again, “Watch how I do it.” That’s what The Savior said. If you take the time to read The Gospels and observe His Ways, you’ll begin to get a clear picture of the real Jesus and He may surprise you.
The humility of Jesus: He PRAYED for the Father's Will, not His own.
The patience of Jesus: He NEVER RUSHED, never cut in line or interrupted.
The kindness of Jesus: He NOTICED PEOPLE, He listened; yet He was God!
Are you heavy-laden? Jesus says "Come to Me" I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Next time you find yourself exhausted, take your bible out into nature with you, or into a bubble bath, or to the library, and just sit and ask Him to speak to you. He longs to teach us how to really live a life of unforced rhythms of grace. Ahhh.
Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life.
I’ll show you how to TAKE A REAL REST
Walk with Me and work with Me- WATCH HOW I DO IT!
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me
and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” Mat 11:28-30 The Message
Has anyone made you a better offer than that lately? Anyone ever said, “Hey there busy little bee, I see the frenzied buzz of your life and I’d like to teach you ‘the unforced rhythms of grace.’” Perhaps you're so hurried, its hard to imagine what Jesus is even saying. What does an unforced rhythm of grace look like? How do we live freely and lightly as bills pile up and downtime dwindles?
How? Read the passage again, “Watch how I do it.” That’s what The Savior said. If you take the time to read The Gospels and observe His Ways, you’ll begin to get a clear picture of the real Jesus and He may surprise you.
The humility of Jesus: He PRAYED for the Father's Will, not His own.
The patience of Jesus: He NEVER RUSHED, never cut in line or interrupted.
The kindness of Jesus: He NOTICED PEOPLE, He listened; yet He was God!
Are you heavy-laden? Jesus says "Come to Me" I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Next time you find yourself exhausted, take your bible out into nature with you, or into a bubble bath, or to the library, and just sit and ask Him to speak to you. He longs to teach us how to really live a life of unforced rhythms of grace. Ahhh.
9/22/08
What's On Your Mind?
Whatever is TRUE, whatever is NOBLE, whatever is RIGHT, whatever is PURE, whatever is LOVELY, whatever is ADMIRABLE -if anything is EXCELLENT or PRAISEWORTHY-think about such things... and the God of Peace will be with you Phil 4:8-9
What do you think about most often throughout the course of a day?
Are your thoughts optimistic or pessimistic? healthy or unhealthy?
God-centered or self-centered?
Your first response is probably that you're not that self-absorbed; perhaps you do pray to God for others and have loving attitudes toward your family and friends. But, if you wrote down every thought, (like those who keep a food diary), you may be in for a shock! There is a lot of junk food that the mind can munch on in a day.
You may discover, as I have, that our default thinking is negative, manipulative and self-driven. Most thoughts do center around "the trinity" of me, myself & I... unless I actively work to stay fixed on The Father, Son & Holy Spirit.
My mind thinks A LOT about my stomach (what's for dinner?); and finances- (how will we pay the mortgage this month?) and wordly success-(will I land that new job or be overlooked?) and sexiness, (do people still find me attractive?), and health-(is this mole cancerous?)... If you will take a moment to allow a few of your favorite thought patterns to come into your mind, you will see that self-centered thinking leads to one road: Worry. Our minds are constantly looking around, comparing how we measure up to our peers; instead of looking UP, staying focused on God's Incomparable Peace.
The choice is ours: worry ourselves to death; or sit still with HIm and find rest in His Word:
Don't worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Take everything before the Lord. Thank Him for all that He has done. If you do this, you'll experience God's Peace, a Peace beyond the understanding of the human mind. Phil 4:6-7 (The Message)
What do you think about most often throughout the course of a day?
Are your thoughts optimistic or pessimistic? healthy or unhealthy?
God-centered or self-centered?
Your first response is probably that you're not that self-absorbed; perhaps you do pray to God for others and have loving attitudes toward your family and friends. But, if you wrote down every thought, (like those who keep a food diary), you may be in for a shock! There is a lot of junk food that the mind can munch on in a day.
You may discover, as I have, that our default thinking is negative, manipulative and self-driven. Most thoughts do center around "the trinity" of me, myself & I... unless I actively work to stay fixed on The Father, Son & Holy Spirit.
My mind thinks A LOT about my stomach (what's for dinner?); and finances- (how will we pay the mortgage this month?) and wordly success-(will I land that new job or be overlooked?) and sexiness, (do people still find me attractive?), and health-(is this mole cancerous?)... If you will take a moment to allow a few of your favorite thought patterns to come into your mind, you will see that self-centered thinking leads to one road: Worry. Our minds are constantly looking around, comparing how we measure up to our peers; instead of looking UP, staying focused on God's Incomparable Peace.
The choice is ours: worry ourselves to death; or sit still with HIm and find rest in His Word:
Don't worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Take everything before the Lord. Thank Him for all that He has done. If you do this, you'll experience God's Peace, a Peace beyond the understanding of the human mind. Phil 4:6-7 (The Message)
9/18/08
Grace + Atttitude ~ Gratitude!
Give thanks in all circumstances! 1 Th 5:18
I got up extra early yesterday. I have been reading Proverbs first thing in the morning, asking God bring His Wisdom to some major life decisions looming ahead of me.
Then, I did what I call “the morning pick-up.” First the kitchen: dishwasher loaded, counters wiped down, refrigerator cleared of uneaten ‘dead soldiers,’ floor swept. Then the family room: Shoes gathered, pillows fluffed up, glass coffee table Windex-ed…you get the idea. The object is to head out to the gym before 8am knowing that at least the downstairs of the house has been left in working order.
Today, I woke up before the alarm clock blared; a cool breeze was blowing the white curtains that I love out into the room. Such a peaceful time, and as I thought about the day ahead I felt so blessed to be alive. I promised God that I would not sin today…then, I walked downstairs.
As I began “the pick-up” I noticed that no one had unloaded the dishwasher from yesterday, so dishes were piled in the sink. An empty backpack sat on the kitchen table, because its contents were strewn on the family room table. Some unpleasant smell emanated from the laundry room and when I opened the washer the scent of moldy jeans, probably fermenting in there for a week, overtook me. I wanted to scream.
With a bad attitude written all over my face I headed to the gym leaving the mess and my un-read Bible behind me. As I walked into the group exercise class the instructor said, “Before we begin today, let’s be grateful that we can be here, that our bodies are functioning, and we can block out time to come to this clean gym and be together.” Wow, convicted!
While driving home I confessed my ugly attitude and asked God for grace for today. As I unloaded the dishwasher I thanked Him for each dish, as I re-ran the washer, I thanked Him for our clothes, my computer has thankfully been upgraded, and my car will take me where I need to go. Thank you Jesus! You do so much for me everyday that I do not deserve, it is my pleasure to serve my family as unto the Lord.
As I looked around the house at family photos and gifts from friends over the years, I was filled with gratitude. We can’t always choose our circumstances, but we can choose how we respond to them, and through the grace of God all things can be put in proper perspective. All things through Christ who strengthens me, who helps me to overlook offenses, fold laundry, pick up dry cleaning and works to complete the good work He has begun in us.
I got up extra early yesterday. I have been reading Proverbs first thing in the morning, asking God bring His Wisdom to some major life decisions looming ahead of me.
Then, I did what I call “the morning pick-up.” First the kitchen: dishwasher loaded, counters wiped down, refrigerator cleared of uneaten ‘dead soldiers,’ floor swept. Then the family room: Shoes gathered, pillows fluffed up, glass coffee table Windex-ed…you get the idea. The object is to head out to the gym before 8am knowing that at least the downstairs of the house has been left in working order.
Today, I woke up before the alarm clock blared; a cool breeze was blowing the white curtains that I love out into the room. Such a peaceful time, and as I thought about the day ahead I felt so blessed to be alive. I promised God that I would not sin today…then, I walked downstairs.
As I began “the pick-up” I noticed that no one had unloaded the dishwasher from yesterday, so dishes were piled in the sink. An empty backpack sat on the kitchen table, because its contents were strewn on the family room table. Some unpleasant smell emanated from the laundry room and when I opened the washer the scent of moldy jeans, probably fermenting in there for a week, overtook me. I wanted to scream.
With a bad attitude written all over my face I headed to the gym leaving the mess and my un-read Bible behind me. As I walked into the group exercise class the instructor said, “Before we begin today, let’s be grateful that we can be here, that our bodies are functioning, and we can block out time to come to this clean gym and be together.” Wow, convicted!
While driving home I confessed my ugly attitude and asked God for grace for today. As I unloaded the dishwasher I thanked Him for each dish, as I re-ran the washer, I thanked Him for our clothes, my computer has thankfully been upgraded, and my car will take me where I need to go. Thank you Jesus! You do so much for me everyday that I do not deserve, it is my pleasure to serve my family as unto the Lord.
As I looked around the house at family photos and gifts from friends over the years, I was filled with gratitude. We can’t always choose our circumstances, but we can choose how we respond to them, and through the grace of God all things can be put in proper perspective. All things through Christ who strengthens me, who helps me to overlook offenses, fold laundry, pick up dry cleaning and works to complete the good work He has begun in us.
9/17/08
Who is GOD? Psalm 91
There are certain passages in the Bible that just soothe the soul. For me, Psalm 91 administers the best anti-anxiety medication on the planet. It brings comfort, assurance and peace in the midst of trials, (if you'll take the time to ingest it several times a day.) It is a place to hurry UP to when trouble comes. It helps us to remember Who Almighty God IS, and who we are ...that's a good place to start when our problems seem overwhelming.
Psalm 91 promises me that I can go to God for protection, He defends me like a good Father would, "The LORD is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."vs. 2
Psalm 91 also tells me that God comforts me and soothes me like a gentle Mother would, "He will cover you with his feathers, and under His Wings you will find refuge" vs 4
Psalm 91 instructs me to go to Him, as His Child, and watch Him work:
"You will observe with your eyes, and see the punishment of the wicked." vs 8. God does it, He works it out for us, and allows us to observe Him.
Sometimes, if He solves our problem quickly, we may miss seeing Him. The crisis passes; we just assume that it all "worked itself out or "blew over." We hurry on to the next thing, forgetting to even send up a prayer of thanks.
Sometimes, if a crisis goes on a L-O-N-G time, we may start to believe that we're not doing enough, not getting enough imput from friends. If we do not wait for God's answer, we rob ourselves of the opportunity to see Him at work. Stop & Think about that for a moment.
The last paragraph of Psalm 91 tells us: 1) what our role is; AND, 2) what God's Role is. Ours job is simply to love Him back, that's it! And, How do show God our love? By hurrying to HIm first & knocking on His Door till we get an answer. Keep asking; but, wait for His Answer before moving.
1) What do I do? What's my part? Just 1 thing: LOVE Him~ Psalm 91 vs 14a
2) Who is God; What does He do? Everything else~ Psalm 91 vs 14b-16:
He RESCUES me, PROTECTS me, ANSWERS me, IS WITH me, DELIVERS me, HONORS me, SATISFIES me, and shows me HIS SALVATION.
It' s not an even exchange; but then, with God it never is! His Word assures us that HE is able to do exceedingly above what we can even think or imagine. We can rely upon the finished work of The Cross, Jesus has already done it all. He just calls us to be still and understand what He did and continues to do for us; our part is simple, He is easy to love.
Psalm 91 promises me that I can go to God for protection, He defends me like a good Father would, "The LORD is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."vs. 2
Psalm 91 also tells me that God comforts me and soothes me like a gentle Mother would, "He will cover you with his feathers, and under His Wings you will find refuge" vs 4
Psalm 91 instructs me to go to Him, as His Child, and watch Him work:
"You will observe with your eyes, and see the punishment of the wicked." vs 8. God does it, He works it out for us, and allows us to observe Him.
Sometimes, if He solves our problem quickly, we may miss seeing Him. The crisis passes; we just assume that it all "worked itself out or "blew over." We hurry on to the next thing, forgetting to even send up a prayer of thanks.
Sometimes, if a crisis goes on a L-O-N-G time, we may start to believe that we're not doing enough, not getting enough imput from friends. If we do not wait for God's answer, we rob ourselves of the opportunity to see Him at work. Stop & Think about that for a moment.
The last paragraph of Psalm 91 tells us: 1) what our role is; AND, 2) what God's Role is. Ours job is simply to love Him back, that's it! And, How do show God our love? By hurrying to HIm first & knocking on His Door till we get an answer. Keep asking; but, wait for His Answer before moving.
1) What do I do? What's my part? Just 1 thing: LOVE Him~ Psalm 91 vs 14a
2) Who is God; What does He do? Everything else~ Psalm 91 vs 14b-16:
He RESCUES me, PROTECTS me, ANSWERS me, IS WITH me, DELIVERS me, HONORS me, SATISFIES me, and shows me HIS SALVATION.
It' s not an even exchange; but then, with God it never is! His Word assures us that HE is able to do exceedingly above what we can even think or imagine. We can rely upon the finished work of The Cross, Jesus has already done it all. He just calls us to be still and understand what He did and continues to do for us; our part is simple, He is easy to love.
9/16/08
Who Am I?
"Remain in Me, and I will remain in you." John 15:4a
OK, so, I am totally new to the blogging-deal. I am not a techie, I don’t even have one of those ear thing-y's yet for talking on my cell phone in the car. Yes, I know its illegal now; it is a small form of rebellion. I’m a hold-out, not ready to become 'a cyborg' yet. It won’t be long before we just implant gadgets, so we can use them to communicate with the world 24/7; without fear of low-battery! I'm thankful to have this window of communication with you; but my preference would be to see you, not text you.
I love having coffee with friends, being eye-ball to eye-ball; asking them about their lives and how God is working in them. I have a degree in Business Communications, from UC Santa Barbara; I am not a Biblical scholar. I am not a published author, or a speaker. As far as I know I have never directly led anyone to give their life to Christ; although I pray that the Lord has used me to plant seeds and that He will continue to do so. My background is sales & marketing, event planning, coordinating volunteers and volunteering myself …. but I really don’t have any huge area of expertise.
I am a wife and a mom; we have a dog, a clean living room and a messy garage, and a list of never-ending home repair projects. I suppose you could say that I am a “typical American woman hitting mid-life” What’s one difference between me and others that I meet?
Here’s a big one: I KNOW the best is yet to come. I was fortunate to discover something about 10 years ago: Jesus was pursuing me. He met me where I was at, at a time in my life when I was just too tired to keep running. He took hold of my heart and, in that moment, I began a pursuit of Him that I pray will never end. Every day when I read His Word, I find that there is still so much to discover. No matter what kind of trials today brings, my hope is grounded in His Unchanging Promises. I belong to Him, the God of the Universe, that's who I am, and Who I choose to be connected to, apart from Him I am nothing.
So, no Bible School degree, what gives me the right to write about Jesus?
Well, I am just a person who loves the Word of God and when I read it; and, sit with it; and, ask The Holy Spirit to bring meaning, I find that I want to live it and write about what God is showing me in the process. My hope in sharing over the Internet is that anyone who comes to this site will be inspired to go to God's Word yourself for answers. Connect up to Jesus before text-ing out to others. Wait for Him, He has a good plan!
If that’s a mission statement, I guess that’s mine.
OK, so, I am totally new to the blogging-deal. I am not a techie, I don’t even have one of those ear thing-y's yet for talking on my cell phone in the car. Yes, I know its illegal now; it is a small form of rebellion. I’m a hold-out, not ready to become 'a cyborg' yet. It won’t be long before we just implant gadgets, so we can use them to communicate with the world 24/7; without fear of low-battery! I'm thankful to have this window of communication with you; but my preference would be to see you, not text you.
I love having coffee with friends, being eye-ball to eye-ball; asking them about their lives and how God is working in them. I have a degree in Business Communications, from UC Santa Barbara; I am not a Biblical scholar. I am not a published author, or a speaker. As far as I know I have never directly led anyone to give their life to Christ; although I pray that the Lord has used me to plant seeds and that He will continue to do so. My background is sales & marketing, event planning, coordinating volunteers and volunteering myself …. but I really don’t have any huge area of expertise.
I am a wife and a mom; we have a dog, a clean living room and a messy garage, and a list of never-ending home repair projects. I suppose you could say that I am a “typical American woman hitting mid-life” What’s one difference between me and others that I meet?
Here’s a big one: I KNOW the best is yet to come. I was fortunate to discover something about 10 years ago: Jesus was pursuing me. He met me where I was at, at a time in my life when I was just too tired to keep running. He took hold of my heart and, in that moment, I began a pursuit of Him that I pray will never end. Every day when I read His Word, I find that there is still so much to discover. No matter what kind of trials today brings, my hope is grounded in His Unchanging Promises. I belong to Him, the God of the Universe, that's who I am, and Who I choose to be connected to, apart from Him I am nothing.
So, no Bible School degree, what gives me the right to write about Jesus?
Well, I am just a person who loves the Word of God and when I read it; and, sit with it; and, ask The Holy Spirit to bring meaning, I find that I want to live it and write about what God is showing me in the process. My hope in sharing over the Internet is that anyone who comes to this site will be inspired to go to God's Word yourself for answers. Connect up to Jesus before text-ing out to others. Wait for Him, He has a good plan!
If that’s a mission statement, I guess that’s mine.
9/13/08
Hurry Up (no huddle) Offenses
"Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation." Luke 22:46b
Since these blogs are focused on learning to 1) Hurry UP to God for answers; then, 2) Wait for Him to call the next moves. . I decided to research the word hurry-up. When I Googled it something interesting surfaced . . ever heard of the “hurry-up/no huddle offense?” Here’s the definition: “A football team operating out of a hurry-up offense hurries back to the line of scrimmage instead of huddling between plays. The huddle is omitted when the clock is winding down, and the team is desperately trying to score.”
I enjoy watching football, but I am no aficionado, so I asked my husband if he thought the hurry-up strategy was a good one. He said, “Sometimes a team sees time running out, so they feel that they have no choice. Obviously there is great benefit to huddling, just to make sure that everyone is on the same page. Sometimes the team does manage to score; but, often, without huddle-communication, chaos ensues.” (actually he said, “without the huddle, all hell breaks loose!”)
So what’s the point? Well, often the stress of daily life causes us to think that there’s no time to pray, so we skip “huddling with God.” Then, we miss His perfect read on our situation. Without God’s direction, the best of players can start running full-out toward the wrong goal post. Without God’s direction, we may sometimes score; but perhaps there was a better way, a simpler way, a way that would have benefited the whole team… but we were in a hurry, took a short-cut, went our own way... sound familiar?
If Jesus has recruited you don’t just stop at the draft, allow The Holy Spirit to develop you and conform you into the very image of Christ, that’s the goal! There is more than a Superbowl Ring at stake here, He holds a place on Heaven’s team for you. The Crown of Eternal Life awaits those who can Hurry ONLY TO HIM & Wait ONLY FOR HIS VOICE as He calls the next play. Pray for His Direction, don't be tempted to go it alone. He is faithful.
Since these blogs are focused on learning to 1) Hurry UP to God for answers; then, 2) Wait for Him to call the next moves. . I decided to research the word hurry-up. When I Googled it something interesting surfaced . . ever heard of the “hurry-up/no huddle offense?” Here’s the definition: “A football team operating out of a hurry-up offense hurries back to the line of scrimmage instead of huddling between plays. The huddle is omitted when the clock is winding down, and the team is desperately trying to score.”
I enjoy watching football, but I am no aficionado, so I asked my husband if he thought the hurry-up strategy was a good one. He said, “Sometimes a team sees time running out, so they feel that they have no choice. Obviously there is great benefit to huddling, just to make sure that everyone is on the same page. Sometimes the team does manage to score; but, often, without huddle-communication, chaos ensues.” (actually he said, “without the huddle, all hell breaks loose!”)
So what’s the point? Well, often the stress of daily life causes us to think that there’s no time to pray, so we skip “huddling with God.” Then, we miss His perfect read on our situation. Without God’s direction, the best of players can start running full-out toward the wrong goal post. Without God’s direction, we may sometimes score; but perhaps there was a better way, a simpler way, a way that would have benefited the whole team… but we were in a hurry, took a short-cut, went our own way... sound familiar?
If Jesus has recruited you don’t just stop at the draft, allow The Holy Spirit to develop you and conform you into the very image of Christ, that’s the goal! There is more than a Superbowl Ring at stake here, He holds a place on Heaven’s team for you. The Crown of Eternal Life awaits those who can Hurry ONLY TO HIM & Wait ONLY FOR HIS VOICE as He calls the next play. Pray for His Direction, don't be tempted to go it alone. He is faithful.
9/12/08
I Am Gentle & Humble in Heart
"For The Lord does not see as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance; BUT, The Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7
The Bible does not give us a description of the face of Jesus. Often we see Him portrayed with blue eyes, flowing blond hair, white as a sheet, skeletal ... how unlikely this is! Think for a moment, His Father is the Most High God, (whom no man has seen); but we know His mother was Middle-Eastern. He, no doubt, had brown eyes, brown hair, darker skin, and since He was a manual laborer, a carpenter, he was probably not wimpy or weak.
In our mind's eye though, we WANT to make him beautiful-looking, if not Brad Pitt, then certainly Omar Sheriff, or that guy with the long, dark, curly hair on the TV Show Lost.
700 years before Jesus came to Earth, the Prophet Isaiah was blessed with God-given visions about the coming Messiah. He saw King Jesus, high, exalted, glorious on His Heavenly Throne (read Isaiah Chapter 6.) Then, later in Isaiah 53:2-3, he describes, how Jesus would be when He condescended to come to Earth and live among us, as a man, a servant:
He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him nothing in his appearance that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised and we esteemed him not.
Vulnerable, ordinary-looking, familiar with suffering, lowly in status, rejected by society....
Obviously, Jesus could have chosen any kind of face He wanted. Perhaps He chose to tell us that its not about appearances at all. How we place stock in the flesh, the look of a person. How we esteem the beautiful, charismatic, the rich & famous, paper-thin women, buffed up men; but Jesus, O how different and wonderful He is! How opposite from the rock-star, drop-dead-handsome prince on a white stallion, that we wanted Him to be.
He showed us where true beauty lies, on the inside, in the soul of a person. He tells us Who He Is, and what He really looks like in Matthew 11:29 Jesus describes Himself: "I am GENTLE AND HUMBLE OF HEART." How altogether lovely is Our God!
Today, ask the Lord to help you to slow down and see beyond the exteriors. Instead ofseeking to be in with the in-crowd, stop for an out-cast. Offer a smile, a kind word, a loaf of bread, it could be the face of Jesus you are looking into.
The Bible does not give us a description of the face of Jesus. Often we see Him portrayed with blue eyes, flowing blond hair, white as a sheet, skeletal ... how unlikely this is! Think for a moment, His Father is the Most High God, (whom no man has seen); but we know His mother was Middle-Eastern. He, no doubt, had brown eyes, brown hair, darker skin, and since He was a manual laborer, a carpenter, he was probably not wimpy or weak.
In our mind's eye though, we WANT to make him beautiful-looking, if not Brad Pitt, then certainly Omar Sheriff, or that guy with the long, dark, curly hair on the TV Show Lost.
700 years before Jesus came to Earth, the Prophet Isaiah was blessed with God-given visions about the coming Messiah. He saw King Jesus, high, exalted, glorious on His Heavenly Throne (read Isaiah Chapter 6.) Then, later in Isaiah 53:2-3, he describes, how Jesus would be when He condescended to come to Earth and live among us, as a man, a servant:
He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him nothing in his appearance that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised and we esteemed him not.
Vulnerable, ordinary-looking, familiar with suffering, lowly in status, rejected by society....
Obviously, Jesus could have chosen any kind of face He wanted. Perhaps He chose to tell us that its not about appearances at all. How we place stock in the flesh, the look of a person. How we esteem the beautiful, charismatic, the rich & famous, paper-thin women, buffed up men; but Jesus, O how different and wonderful He is! How opposite from the rock-star, drop-dead-handsome prince on a white stallion, that we wanted Him to be.
He showed us where true beauty lies, on the inside, in the soul of a person. He tells us Who He Is, and what He really looks like in Matthew 11:29 Jesus describes Himself: "I am GENTLE AND HUMBLE OF HEART." How altogether lovely is Our God!
Today, ask the Lord to help you to slow down and see beyond the exteriors. Instead ofseeking to be in with the in-crowd, stop for an out-cast. Offer a smile, a kind word, a loaf of bread, it could be the face of Jesus you are looking into.
9/11/08
Confidence Properly Placed
“Let us then approach the Throne of Grace, with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
As human beings, God’s beloved in all creation, we have been given the gift of choice...How we will live; Who we will follow; Where we will anchor our confidence? We can choose to put confidence 1) in ourselves 2) in other people or 3) in God. Which one sounds best to you?
I know that I often let myself down; and, sometimes other people let me down; but, God has never let me down. Jesus Christ does nothing but prove Himself Faith-full, time and time again. The experience of knowing Him, discovering more of Him each day in The Word is truly The Great Adventure of this life.
Choose, this day, to put your confidence in Him. It begins by humbly admitting that you don't know it all, but Jesus does!
Andrew Murray defined HUMILITY as "confidence properly placed." Put no stock in your own abilities or the opinions of others, when the very mind of Christ is available to you! As decisions and dilemmas come your way, seek Him & His Way, bring your daily stuff UP TO HIM. This is a learned habit; but you can start now . . then the real challenge begins . . learning to WAIT for His response. The process of waiting can be excruciating, but His Answers are worth the wait, you can be confident of that! "The Lord will be your confidence!" Proverbs 3:26
As human beings, God’s beloved in all creation, we have been given the gift of choice...How we will live; Who we will follow; Where we will anchor our confidence? We can choose to put confidence 1) in ourselves 2) in other people or 3) in God. Which one sounds best to you?
I know that I often let myself down; and, sometimes other people let me down; but, God has never let me down. Jesus Christ does nothing but prove Himself Faith-full, time and time again. The experience of knowing Him, discovering more of Him each day in The Word is truly The Great Adventure of this life.
Choose, this day, to put your confidence in Him. It begins by humbly admitting that you don't know it all, but Jesus does!
Andrew Murray defined HUMILITY as "confidence properly placed." Put no stock in your own abilities or the opinions of others, when the very mind of Christ is available to you! As decisions and dilemmas come your way, seek Him & His Way, bring your daily stuff UP TO HIM. This is a learned habit; but you can start now . . then the real challenge begins . . learning to WAIT for His response. The process of waiting can be excruciating, but His Answers are worth the wait, you can be confident of that! "The Lord will be your confidence!" Proverbs 3:26
9/10/08
Hurry UP & WAIT- What does that mean?
“Hurry UP & WAIT” will be the continuing theme for the blogs you find here.
My ongoing prayer is that you & I will learn to honor God in our daily lives; and actually see Him, alive and active, as we learn to do 2 things really well:
#1 Hurry Up… Hurry to ONE PLACE ONLY, UP to Jesus, The God-man, Our Loving Creator, who is up and over us, in the Throne Room of Heaven at the right hand of The Father.
"I saw the Lord seated on His Throne, high and exalted; the train of His Robe filled The Temple with glory!" Isaiah 6:1b
#2 Then, we WAIT…with confident hope, knowing that He will act on our behalf. The fruit of patience is grown in ONE PLACE ONLY, Down Here, in the valleys of our earthly waiting rooms. Here we learn to release control and let The Lord show us that He is in control of every situation, and He is good.
"Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who WAIT for Him!" Isaiah 30:18
Where does instruction for living like this come from? The basis for each "Hurry UP blog" is God’s Word, The Holy Bible, His Love Letter to us. His Word is timeless and true. It is where we go to find real solutions to every problem we encounter in our modern-day lives.
My ongoing prayer is that you & I will learn to honor God in our daily lives; and actually see Him, alive and active, as we learn to do 2 things really well:
#1 Hurry Up… Hurry to ONE PLACE ONLY, UP to Jesus, The God-man, Our Loving Creator, who is up and over us, in the Throne Room of Heaven at the right hand of The Father.
"I saw the Lord seated on His Throne, high and exalted; the train of His Robe filled The Temple with glory!" Isaiah 6:1b
#2 Then, we WAIT…with confident hope, knowing that He will act on our behalf. The fruit of patience is grown in ONE PLACE ONLY, Down Here, in the valleys of our earthly waiting rooms. Here we learn to release control and let The Lord show us that He is in control of every situation, and He is good.
"Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who WAIT for Him!" Isaiah 30:18
Where does instruction for living like this come from? The basis for each "Hurry UP blog" is God’s Word, The Holy Bible, His Love Letter to us. His Word is timeless and true. It is where we go to find real solutions to every problem we encounter in our modern-day lives.
9/9/08
The Throne before the phone
Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3
What do you do when a crisis hits?
Who do you turn to first for help, direction, and a listening ear?
Perhaps you have heard the expression "Go to The Thone before you go to the phone!"
How hard is that for you to do?
Maybe you have learned to take everything to Jesus first.
As I sit here now in the quiet of my office I truly know that He is Sovereign and He controls all things, so it certainly makes sense to go to God first.
In a true crisis He is often the only one who can turn things around anyway.
It is good to decide now when life is relatively calm that I will go to Him first.
What do you do when a crisis hits?
Who do you turn to first for help, direction, and a listening ear?
Perhaps you have heard the expression "Go to The Thone before you go to the phone!"
How hard is that for you to do?
Maybe you have learned to take everything to Jesus first.
As I sit here now in the quiet of my office I truly know that He is Sovereign and He controls all things, so it certainly makes sense to go to God first.
In a true crisis He is often the only one who can turn things around anyway.
It is good to decide now when life is relatively calm that I will go to Him first.
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