09.27.13 - Personal God...table for 1??

Please begin with prayer for an open heart, before you read the passage below. Isaiah 53:4-7, 10-11 – ⁴ Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. ⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. ⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. ¹⁰ Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes this life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. ¹¹ After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

Please read through 52:13-53:12 to gain a better context.

The reality of pain and suffering is a tremendously challenging issue when it comes to faith and the existence of an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-good, all loving God.  I think one of the biggest issues with the problem of pain, is due to our lack of perspective.  We generally feel like we have been hurt the most or everyone’s out to get us---this leads to comparison and self-pity.  We only tend to compare to those around us that we think have had a gentler ride so far, so that we can justify how ‘unfair’ (really…what’s fair???) we are treated in our upbringing, at work, by our spouse, by our friends, etc.  Now, please don’t think that I am negating the pain in any of our journeys---again, it’s very, very real!  We just need to look outside of ourselves to gain a broader perspective.  There is always going to be someone with an easier road and someone with a much harder road.

With this shift in perspective, we must accurately assess who we think God is.  For years, I perceived him as this mean, stoic, white-bearded, crotchety old dude that for lack of a better illustration, would sit atop the anthill and fry ants with a magnifying glass.  I was guessing that He just loved to zap people and couldn’t wait for us to miss the mark.  If we honestly spend any time in the Scriptures, we see a totally different heart.  If you have children you can relate---children make choices, very dumb choices at times and these choices bring pain upon themselves and others around them and can also begin to sever relationships.  This breaks your heart!  This is the narrative of Scripture---God valued love, freedom, and relationship above the potential of pain when He created humanity.  For there to be the possibility of these tremendous values, there is also the possibility of pain.  Scripture records thousands of years of God’s children following Him, rejecting Him, returning to Him, denying Him, loving Him, hating Him, and on and on it goes.

All of Scripture points to Jesus, period!  Isaiah 52 & 53 includes prophetic words about how humanity would treat this Messiah and it includes tremendous pain.  Christianity is so unique among the world’s major religions in that we have a personal God that enters our pain!  Hebrews 2:17-18 says, ‘¹⁷ For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. ¹⁸ Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.’

God valued the restoration of humanity much more than the pain, suffering, and the temporary separation with His own Son.  When you look at Jesus’ ministry, He never shy’s away from pain, suffering, or brokenness, but He enters directly into it!!  In humility, He gave up His place in Heaven and entered our world, like one of us.  He suffered more than we did, was tempted in ways we can’t imagine, and gave up His life to make a possible way back to God.  Notice I say possible way, because people continually reject Him and the life and forgiveness He offers!

This is the God that I want to follow!  Not some impersonal, distant, unrelatable deity, but Jesus, who gave up everything, so we could have everything.  We don’t get clear explanations as to why we suffer, but we can gain perspective through our suffering and realize the lengths our Savior went through to reach down to us!  It’s very humbling to see what He went through for me…for you…for us.  When I step back, I get the smallest sense of what Job felt like in Job 42.  (Read Job 38-42 for extra credit!!)

In your suffering, do you get caught up in your situation or are you also able to step back and see the whole of humanity?  Do you compare your hurts to those around you?  Why?  Does Jesus’ going through pain give you perspective and hope through your own trials?   I would love to hear your journey and how this passage impacted you.

mike

9.25.13 "Faith is more important"

Today’s Scripture is:  1 Peter 1:6-9      The Message (MSG)

The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole .^6-7 I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.

^8-9 You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don’t see him, yet you trust him—with laughter and singing. Because you kept on believing, you’ll get what you’re looking forward to: total salvation.

As I read this scripture passage, it seems to me that God puts a whole lot of emphasis on our faith OVER suffering.   I know He cares about me…cares about my pain and my suffering…is with me in the midst of it…and will provide what I need to stand thru it….but I believe this scripture is saying that the faith I develop through the pain is what is most important to Him.  Ultimately, if I’m considering the outcome of my suffering…. the only “good” outcome is that I’ve changed or grown through it – or that someone else has changed or grown through it. 

God never said that I would not suffer or have pain while here on earth, so why do I get surprised or angry when I do?  His promise is not to save me from suffering… His promise is to strengthen me and save me from hell so I have a life to look forward to without pain or suffering.  There’s a big difference there.  Because of pain and suffering in my life now, I long for heaven – my true home, where I’ll have a “life healed and whole”.  It’s about perspective for me.   There’s no way I can do this perfectly, but if I can’t avoid pain or suffering, then I might as well be praying for something good to come out of it!

Last night I caught a little bit of “Dancing With the Stars”.  Valerie Harper is a contestant on the show and at the age of 74 is giving competitive dancing a whirl.  What’s so amazing about her isn’t that she’s 74… it’s that she has terminal brain cancer.  There is no cure for the type of cancer she has, but she has decided to live life to the fullest while she’s here.  I have no idea if she’s a Christian – she’s never mentioned it in interviews I’ve seen, but she has an incredible attitude about her illness and her suffering.  As I was watching last night, it showed her practicing with her partner.  As she was dancing around the room, he was sitting on the floor, leaning up against the wall, and crying because he was so moved by her courage and positive attitude. The way she was working through her pain and suffering, mentored and inspired her partner.   I’m not saying that we all have to just suck it up and be positive in the midst of our suffering – that’s not realistic – but as Christians, shouldn’t the hope we have of the life to come (where we won’t suffer any longer),  give hope to others in the midst of our suffering?  That same hope we have can inspire and bring hope to others around us and hope changes people, softens people, and opens people up to conversations about faith and Jesus. 

When I look at my life, I’ve suffered so little compared to others.  I just pray that if a time of great struggle, pain or suffering comes my way, I will consider the purifying of my faith to be my focus and will pray for something good to come out of the pain so there’s redemption in it.   That my faith will be what God has on display as evidence of His victory in my life!  Of course it’s God’s strength and my trust in Him that will enable me to do that!

Thanks for letting me share my thoughts.  What are your thoughts on today’s reading.  What has God shown you through scripture today?  

Denise

9.24.13 "Brand New!"

Revelation 21:1-6 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

⁶ He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life…”

I read somewhere once that while God does not fulfill all of our wishes, God fulfills all of God’s promises. That’s what this passage says to me. The things I think are worth something here are like the wind - here one moment and gone the next. But He has promised a better world for us, one without fear, pain, anger, mourning, evil and death. That’s why I hope for heaven, because this life is not all we get. Jesus is preparing an extravagant future experience for us. A better future than we can ever imagine. I personally cannot wait! I love knowing that Jesus will not fix or repair this old creation but He will re-create everything. Brand new!

It is hard for me to believe that being in such proximity to God will not bring about a lot of tears, but they will be the happy kind, like the kind we get on “this side” hearing a baby laugh or seeing a beautiful bride or  hearing a great joke or getting hugs from loved ones. It’s hard to imagine a place where there will be no tears caused by disappointment or grief or pain or hunger. What a beautiful picture here of God himself wiping those tears away forever.

This passage provides us hope in situations that seem hopeless. It shows us that as a Christian there is no reason to give up—no matter how difficult the situation is. The struggle will end in the victory of Jesus Christ. As Christians, we are the body of Christ and therefore part of his struggle and victory.

And we will finally be able to enjoy the kind of intimate, fatherly relationship He’s desired to have with us all along.

Lord, thank you for re-creating us and offering us a place that is beautiful beyond our wildest dreams. Thank you for Hope and a future with You. And in the meantime, while we’re still on this earth, comfort us in the pain and sorrow we must endure. In Your Name, Amen.

Toni

9.23.2013 "Kingdom Eyes"

Welcome to the PoG Blog!  

Lord, we thank you for the start of another week and another day.  “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it!”  We pray, Heavenly Father, that you would help us to clear our minds of any distractions as we focus on your Holy Word this day.  “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer!”   Amen.

John 9: 1 - 7

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

⁶ After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

This week’s topic in the Explore God sermon series is “Why does God allow pain and suffering?”  I appreciate that the organizers of the Explore God initiative included this topic since it has to be one of the most frequently asked questions among both Christ-followers and those who are far from God.

As we heard at Point of Grace on Sunday, we know that the question defies a simple, pat answer.  The question is huge and so is the answer.  We know God is omnipotent, so it is not a matter of God not being able to prevent pain and suffering.  It is a matter of trying to understand the way God operates, the “mind of Christ”.

We know we will never fully understand God, but in today’s reading Jesus gives us some insight into His ways.  Jesus says in verse 3 that the man was born blind “so that the works of God might be displayed in him”.  Just think of how many millions of people in the last 2,000 years have heard and read the story of this man and the way Jesus miraculously healed him!

Let’s thank God that we get to benefit from the “works of God” He displayed in this man many years ago, even though he must have endured years of pain and suffering.  Lord, help us to look at the pain and suffering around us in a different way, through your kingdom eyes instead of through our limited human eyes!

Mark

9.21.13 "Saturday's Blog"

Welcome to the POG Blog!

Today is Saturday which means YOU get to start the discussion on today’s scripture!   What is it saying to you today?  How does it relate to your life right now?  How does it relate to the message from Sunday?  Enjoy reading, meditating, and sharing your thoughts with others today!

Today’s Scripture is:  Colossians 1: 21-23     (The Message)

^21-23 You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of him, giving him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving himself completely at the Cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God’s side and put your lives together, whole and holy in his presence. You don’t walk away from a gift like that! You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, Paul, am a messenger of this Message.

Share your thoughts!  What is God saying to you today?

No Hide and Seek

 Good Morning!  May God's word richly bless you and keep you - close to Him this day!

Acts 17:24-28  (NIV) The God Who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything,  because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.  God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being.

 (the Message) …so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find Him. He doesn’t play hide-and-seek with us. He’s not remote; He’s near.

What seems to “pop” off the page for me as I read these verses? That God does not play hide-and-seek with us.   That is so reassuring.

There are moments in life...accidents – sicknesses – traumas – crisis – the moment when you open a piece of mail that contains devastating news...

when there is no time to ….. drive over to a church - or call a Pastor - or phone a friend - when there is no human solution ---

those moments in life when the only thing that a human can do is to call upon God.

And the beautiful promise?

He is near.  He is not remote.    He has revealed Himself to us in so many ways so that we could seek after Him and not grope around in the dark – but actually find Him.

No matter how far a person has wandered away from God…. No matter how many times a person has “put off” God… He doesn’t play hide-and-seek.   He’s near.

I witnessed this through my mother-in-law this week after she was bit by a rattlesnake.  For 10 hours she lay in the hospital bed in tremendous pain.  Due to many reasons, they could not give her pain medicines quickly.  The Doctors gave her anti-venom, but had to slowly give pain medicine.  No human being could "fix" the pain.  She could only call upon God in those hours to "save" her.  To give her strength.  Was He remote?  Did He play hide-and-seek with her?  Did she have to recite certain verses and formulas to find Him?  NO!  Because of His tremendous love for her (and us)  He sent His Son - to die for her (us) - and to be raised to life for her (us) - and to conquer not just death - but to remove all the barriers between her (us) and God.  So that at any second, in any circumstance, in sorrow, pain, and times of joy and thankfulness, we can call upon His Name and know that He is near.

This scripture was spoken by Paul in the Book of Acts thousands of years ago.  Yet it is just as true for us today in 2013!

There is a prayer in the margin of my NIV Worship Bible along this section of Acts that I want to share with you today…

“Great, Loving, Merciful God, I praise You for making Yourself known to me. Yet even in Your disclosure – You remain a mystery. You cannot be contained – yet You dwell in my heart. You cannot be restrained – yet You wait for me to follow. You cannot be defined – yet You delight in my words of worship. You are more powerful than all the forces of nature combined – yet You are moved by the prayer of a child. You make all the rules – yet You  love me without condition. You are more than life itself. You are what all of nature is trying to describe. O wonderful, awesome God, though now I see only a shadow of Your glory, I know that one day I will see You face-to-face.”

How do these verses impact  your life today - September 19, 2013? What kind of comfort will you receive today knowing that the God of the Universe is not playing hide-and-seek with You? We would love to hear how God is near to you this day.

-dawn

9.18.13 "In the beginning ..."

John 1:  1-5, 14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not anything that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The first line obviously takes us back to Genesis 1.  But verse 2 seems a bit puzzling.  “He was in the beginning with God.”  I never really understood who “He” referred to.  Different translations word it differently, some in such a way that I don’t even notice the peculiarity of the statement.  Some feel that the “He” referred to Jesus. But I think that John is making the very metaphysical argument that God’s spoken word was an extension of Himself.  His “word” is as divine as his being.  And in the beginning…his word created things into being.

As Descartes would say…almost desperately in an attempt to amplify the significance of man…”I think therefore I am.”  John’s retort is:  God speaks, therefore the world is….and therefore you are.  Not really much competition there.

Kinda cool.  Ok, moving on to something totally different…

It has to be noteworthy that John chose to quote Genesis here.  Literally thousands of years after creation John points us back to that event.  We spend lots of time talking about God’s reign over his kingdom.  We talk about his perfect perspective.  I feel like John is reminding us that God has always been in charge, always been present…and he knows how this story will end.

I had a professor in college make this comparison.  He said that the best way to understand God’s transcendence of time was to envision the events of history as though they were a parade passing by.  We, sit in the first row watching the parade.  Parade floats pass by like the events in our lives.  They are huge and they overwhelm when they’re directly in front of us.  But prior to their arrival and as they leave, they wane in their influence.  God sits in the back row…he can see the entire parade from start to finish.  To him, all of the floats are the same size.  It’s with that perspective that he perceives events and situations.

It’s almost funny how inappropriate my reactions are to certain “parade floats” in my life.  I’m interviewing for a  promotion at work right now.  It’s a really exciting opportunity for me…one that would be a huge step forward in my career and mean more financial security for my family.  It’s all that I can think about sometimes.  If I get it…I’ll be elated…at least for a while.  And if I don’t…I’ll be sad and angry…also for a while.  But right now, it seems so huge.  I’m sure God looks at me with pity…knowing how vulnerable I am to these fleeting events.  Without hesitation I know what decision I think is right.  Hire me!  That’s obviously the best thing, right?

I guess that in my sanest, most objective moment…I’m actually glad that I’m not the one in control.  I’m glad that there’s someone who can see the end of the parade and all the floats from now until the last.  I’m glad that this person is the one deciding what happens to me.  He certainly has all of the right information.

9.17.13 "FALSE gods VERSUS THE 1 TRUE GOD OR DOWNWARD SPIRAL VERSUS ETERNAL LIFE"

  Let’s pray:

Lord I come to you humbled that by Your grace I may have a new life .  Please use me as your vessel to be your Disciple reaching out to all as the light on the hill.  Please clear my mind & spirit as I listen to your words so that my words & actions become a symbol to all that I come into contact with today & in the future until I sit at the right of Jesus.   Amen.

Romans 1:18-23

The Message (MSG)

Ignoring God Leads to a Downward Spiral

^18-23 But God’s angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.

My Small Group is currently studying “Gods at War.”  People today have idols (whether we want to admit it or not).  No we don’t worship golden calves, but we fall victim to other things that consume, or become false gods in our lives.  Pastor mentioned a few weeks ago movies or entertainment.  They provide a diversion & immediate satisfaction, but what happens when the movie is over?  Many times I don’t even remember what the movie or show was about (let alone the name of it).  The Gods at War study focuses on these short term fixes-pleasure, love, money, power, me.

Football (especially in Texas) is a false God.  I wait all week for the big game.  My life is centered around making sure I don’t miss the big game (whether it be in the stands, or in front of the TV).  I have to get the yard mowed, clean the house, do whatever so I can watch the game.  Then the game comes, I cheer for my team & then it is over.   I am happy for a while that my team won, or depressed for a while when my team loses (between UT & Dallas depression has become the more likely emotion.)  But whether I am excited over the win, or upset over the loss, before long I am fine & ready for the next “big game.”

Unfortunately, I can’t say I set my calendar & get excited each day for the real game-Me giving all of my time and passion to the 1 true GOD.  I can rationalize it, all I want, but that doesn’t mean God approves of my justification.  I can see the football game, TV movie, etc.  Just because I can’t see GOD does not mean that I should ignore Him.  The existence of GOD is all around me, it is up to me to acknowledge Him & put as much passion, love & excitement in following Him as I do in following a game, or television show.  As pastor said, those things are instant gratifications.  Following GOD & expressing my faith & love for GOD to all that I come in contact with are lasting & will not be forgotten.

Is there more to life than getting up in the morning, going to work, coming home, eating dinner, watching TV & going to bed so that I will be ready to do it all again tomorrow?  Or as Tom Brady said in the clip 2 weeks ago, is that all there is after 3 Super Bowl Rings?  Is there something more?

I can see the power & love of GOD all around me.  I can shut HIM out with my false gods, or I can “open my eyes” worship HIM & proclaim my faith with the knowledge that no this is not all there is!  This is only a short journey to eternal life with my Father.

Do you fall into the same traps as I do?  Do you allow these false god’s to consume your life?  I would love to hear from you.

Have a Blessed Week,

Jerry

9.16.13 "His Declaration Before Us All….The Gospel in Our Midst"

Happy Monday! Hope you find a few moments just to rest and pray before you begin.  

Psalm 19:1-6 

(NIV)

¹ The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. ² Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. ³ They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. ⁴ Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. ⁵     It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. ⁶ It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.

(The Message)

^1-2 God’s glory is on tour in the skies, God-craft on exhibit across the horizon. Madame Day holds classes every morning, Professor Night lectures each evening.

^3-4 Their words aren’t heard, their voices aren’t recorded, But their silence fills the earth: unspoken truth is spoken everywhere.

^4-5 God makes a huge dome for the sun—a superdome! The morning sun’s a new husband leaping from his honeymoon bed, The daybreaking sun an athlete racing to the tape.

⁶ That’s how God’s Word vaults across the skies from sunrise to sunset, Melting ice, scorching deserts, warming hearts to faith.

Yesterday in church, when Pastor just getting to this scripture (vs 1-4), I had several words really jump out at me…with strength, zeal and passion…I even underlined them:  declare; proclaim; pour forth; reveal.  His Word really spoke to me at this point…but to what end?

As Pastor read these verses and as I was re-reading them in preparation for our blog…I found myself up at the ranch…the same one that Kristi spoke of last week…on Labor Day weekend. Several of us sitting outside watching the sun come up, with nothing more than a cup of coffee…the colors and shapes of the sky…the sounds of everything beginning to stir..even an overly exuberant donkey...but it was all good.  Then we’re off to do a little work…a little hunting or just walking around looking at rocks and things.  The sun is heating up a little, but we’re blessed with a little breeze..a little shade, when needed. Then night fall starts to set in…we get to witness more His handiwork…a new set of colors appear, the wind will often die down…and it’s often seems as if you’re watching the sun go to bed.  Then the stars appear, and in the clearness of the country air, it’s as if you can reach out and touch them!  Oh, what an escape…the worries, the stress…all seem to melt away…almost as if they never existed.  What a blessing from Him...our Creator. And often during these times of soaking it all in, we often say to one another…How can anyone see or experience all this…and not know…There is a God?

So, as I started this blog, me bein’ weak in proper vernacular and understanding, I decided to go to the dictionary….

Declare:

• to make known or state clearly, especially in explicit or formal terms
• to announce officially; proclaim
• to state emphatically
• to manifest; reveal; show

Wow, what strong, convicting, bold, roof-top shouting language that is….and Yes, I have had the experience…the blessing…of my Creator being made known to me..clearly and emphatically!...but wait…is this about me…or is about Him...His will…His purpose?

Martin Luther said that Psalm 19 “is a prophecy of the Gospel as it was intended to go forth into all the world, as wide as the heavens extend, and to be proclaimed and taught both day and night…in all tongues.”

As I was contemplating the Word…my experiences…and Luther’s take on these versus, I was drawn back to Pastors’ insights this morning.  Starting with “The natural world both suggests and indicts.”

You see, I think I get the suggests part…but mostly in the context “me”…my experience with Him…and if there’s anything I’ve learned (but probably don’t pay attention to enough) is that if it’s about me…I’ve probably got a problem…at the very least, my vision is probably skewed.  Now, don’t get me wrong, experiencing His creation…”the firmament” (NKJV – the vault of heaven)…is an awesome thing!  I’m just trying to remove myself…my brokenness…from the picture, so I can see Him and His will for me..what’s HE teaching me…a little clearer…because, I’m feeling a little indicted….but by what?

Well, let’s go back to the statement that my family and I were sharing…as we witnessed His creation…His glory all in motion…” How can anyone see or experience all this…and not know…There is a God?”  Seems innocent enough…a little awestruck…sprinkled with a touch of humility…maybe just a hint of arrogance.  So what gives?

At this point, this is where I was drawn to the other part of Pastors’ message…and thankfully so.  You see, it’s not that there is anything wrong with the statement above in and of itself…it’s my lack of understanding…of heart….seeing through the wrong set of lens that is the problem.  His presence, the unspoken truth, is all around us…yet, there are many children of our Father who do not see or hear!  Therefore, the question “Is There a God?” becomes much more than just any ordinary question…it becomes a cry from the heart of His children that “we must put great value on”!

Folks, I know that there is much more we can go over, but for me, if I don’t get this NOW…that His plan..His is will…is for Jim to get “self” out of  the way, so as to see and hear, to be salt and light…all to His glory…by way of the blood of the Lamb…all else is a moot point.

With that said, I like to end with verses 5-6 from the Message:

The morning sun’s a new husband leaping from his honeymoon bed, The daybreaking sun an athlete racing to the tape.

 That’s how God’s Word vaults across the skies from sunrise to sunset, Melting ice, scorching deserts, warming hearts to faith.

Blessings on your week!

jim

9.14.13 "Saturday's Blog"

Welcome to the POG Blog!

Today is Saturday which means YOU get to start the discussion on today’s scripture!   What is it saying to you today?  How does it relate to your life right now?  How does it relate to the message from Sunday?  Enjoy reading, meditating, and sharing your thoughts with others today!

Today’s Scripture is:  Psalm 139

^1-6 God, investigate my life;     get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you;     even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back;     I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say     before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there,     then up ahead and you’re there, too—     your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful—     I can’t take it all in!

^7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?     to be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you’re there!     If I go underground, you’re there! If I flew on morning’s wings     to the far western horizon, You’d find me in a minute—     you’re already there waiting! Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark!     At night I’m immersed in the light!” It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you;     night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you.

^13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;     you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!     Body and soul, I am marvelously made!     I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out,     you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,     how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;     all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared     before I’d even lived one day.

^17-22 Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful!     God, I’ll never comprehend them! I couldn’t even begin to count them—     any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!     And please, God, do away with wickedness for good! And you murderers—out of here!—     all the men and women who belittle you, God,     infatuated with cheap god-imitations. See how I hate those who hate you, God,     see how I loathe all this godless arrogance; I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred.     Your enemies are my enemies!

^23-24 Investigate my life, O God,     find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me,     get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—     then guide me on the road to eternal life.

Share your thoughts!  What is God saying to you today?

9.13.13 "The Source of LIVING WATER!"

Jeremiah 2:12-13 New International Version (NIV)

¹² Be appalled at this, you heavens, and shudder with great horror,” declares the Lord. ¹³ “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Message Version

“Stand in shock, heavens, at what you see!   Throw up your hands in disbelief—this can’t be!”

GOD’s Decree:

“My people have committed a compound sin:   They've walked out on me, the fountain Of fresh flowing waters, and then dug cisterns- cisterns that leak, cisterns that are no better than sieves.

I have to admit when I read this passage in church on Sunday I was really happy when Pastor pulled out the cups with holes in them to demonstrate what GOD is saying here.   We have the capacity to set and achieve goals that bring satisfaction to us.  But the problem is unless those achievements are connected to the source (the SPRING of living water, the FOUNTAIN of fresh flowing waters) the satisfaction they brought us soon drains away.

The example Pastor used in the clip of football star Tom Brady who had a lifelong goal and dream of becoming a super bowl champion quarterback.   Tom achieved his goal three times over, yet he said, shocking the TV interviewer, is this all there is to it?  There has to be more?  Here is this young man with his dreams fulfilled three times over, the world literally at his feet yet there was still something missing.

There is now a cable TV reality show entitled something like “I won the Lottery”.   It is amazing to see people become rich beyond their wildest dreams, yet in most instances the wealth doesn't solve their problems or bring contentment and happiness.  In fact the opposite is true.

I remember speaking with a group of youth who had just returned from a mission into a very impoverished mountain village in Mexico.  The youth had gone down to help make repairs to a tattered old building that served as the Christian orphanage.   The area had no electricity or running water and the youth brought in food and supplies with them.  When asked what surprised them most their answer was shocking.  They said here were these children living with nothing.  Rags for clothes, no shoes, barely anything to eat, yet they beamed with smiles of joy and genuine happiness in spite of their condition!  They even made gifts for the visitors out of sticks and leaves.  “We thought we were going to teach them about GOD’s love instead GOD used them to teach us.”

Surrendering all of ourselves to GOD is not easy.  Our nature, often to the dismay of our MAKER, wants to carve out a little something that only we control.  No matter how well-conceived and how skillfully executed, apart from the FOUNTAIN it is destined to dry up.   But here is the good news.  JESUS has provided us a direct lifeline to the FOUNTAIN.   The apostle Paul puts it so well in Philippians 4:12-13); “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.   I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Heavenly FATHER, we thank you for giving us the gift of life.  When we are tempted today to focus on the “what” redirect us to the “WHO”.   Link and sync us to the FOUNTAIN that refreshes and brings us back to that place of peace where we have joy and contentment no matter is going on around us.   In the name of JESUS CHRIST we pray, amen.

9.12.2013 Why Worry?

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (NIV, Matthew 6:25, 31-34)

I am a worrier. In fact, I clearly remember one of my first BIG worries -- I was about 8 years old, and I just realized that human life is but a speck in eternity. My parents were ALREADY in their 30s (so old, I thought!), and they were only going to live 50 or 60 more years, at most. At the age of 8, I actually mourned the loss of my parents -- 50 years ahead of time -- and worried that this event was occurring too soon, too fast. (Yes, they are both still alive and well).

I'm also a risk-taker. Or I was. As I've gotten older, I've failed in enough risk opportunities over the years, that my desire to try new things has become filled with intense worry over the possibility of what could go wrong. I can't even see the successes that were achieved in various risks. At different times, worry has affected risks I've taken (or didn't take) personally, professionally, and spiritually. Worry can be all-consuming.

I've seen in my own life how worry can shrink my life down into a small, eensy little box - anything inside my tiny box is safe, and anything outside of it is too risky, or has too many unknowns. I spent many years living safe inside this box, but completely overwrought and sick with worry that something will come up that I haven't thought about and addressed inside my box. In addition, I've  spent time making sure that those around me respond appropriately to my worry - running "fire drills", so to speak, so that I can be sure that responses will be accurate in case a situation that I've worried about occurs.

I can truly say that there have been times that my worries can interfere with my relationship with others and with God, leaving me with the inability to sufficiently trust Him or anyone else.

So what do these verses say to me today?

Because of the ill effects of worry, Jesus is telling me to not to worry about those needs that God promises to supply. Worry can cause: 1) damage to my health 2) cause the object of my worry to consume my thoughts 3) disrupt my productivity 4) negatively affect the way I treat others 5) reduce my ability to trust in God.

Now, I do believe there is a difference between worry and genuine concern -- worry immobilizes us (and creates small boxes), but concern moves us to action. I do think that planning for tomorrow is time well spent; but worrying about tomorrow is time wasted. Sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference. Careful planning is thinking ahead about goals, steps and schedules, and trusting in God's guidance. When done well, planning can help alleviate worry. And I think God acknowledges this in verse 33 -- "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." He will guide our planning if our eyes are on Him. Then our plans will align with His plans.

What do you worry about today? When you take a step back, can you see the damage worry is causing in relationships with others? With God? Be honest with how it affects your productivity and has created a small box for your life. Now, join with me praying throughout today that we are able to let go and hand all of our worries over to God - He knows what we need and we receive all of that and more (what we can't even fathom is needed). We just need to keep our eyes focused on Him. Keep our minds in tune with His saving Grace and His calling on our lives. He will take care of the rest.

Lisa

09.11.13 "Real Life"

Lord, thank you for another day to love and serve you.  Speak to me today through your precious word.  Quiet my mind so that I might clearly hear your voice.  Amen  

Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 (NIV)

10   I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. 11   Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.

I can certainly relate to this poignant observation by Solomon. As our pastor said last Sunday, the book of Ecclesiastes, “resonates with the core of reality.”  I freely admit that I have sought after many things in my life that I believed would bring me joy, pleasure or happiness only to find disappointment and frustration.

God doesn't want it to be that way. He wants me to know my destiny and the purpose for my life. He wants me to fully enjoy where I am today on the way to where I’m headed in the future. Even at my advanced age He is helping me to discover, sometimes gently and sometimes painfully, that life is less about being called to things but to a person. It’s less about ‘the what’ of life and more about ‘the who.’

When Jesus says in John’s gospel, “I have come that they (you) may have life, and have it to the full,” he is not only referring to the salvation that he has won for me on the cross, but on the life he desires for me to live and have today.  I have learned that when my life is focused on Him, He leads me into fruitful and meaningful endeavors. He is faithful in using all the gifts that He has given to me for the benefit of His kingdom and His glory. He walks with me on this awesome journey called life. While the journey can from time to time get a little rugged, I have found it gives my life a unique purpose and meaning.

Lord, help me to focus on you today. Let me know the joy of walking through this life with you. Guide the steps of my journey and fill my life with purpose and meaning. Thank you for your promise to walk with me as I journey through life.  Amen

John

09.10.2013 "Leaning Too Far In"

Please pray for the Spirit's Presence as you begin reading this Scripture: Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. John 15: 4-6 (NIV)

Today’s Scripture is one of those that really gets my attention, especially when I’m in certain seasons of my life. Periodically, I’ll try to “take over” and run my own life separate from God’s Will and direction, which of course is always a minor (sometimes major) disaster. It is in those times, when I think I have life all figured out, I rebel against God’s authority even though I know His way is right and good. It kind of reminds me of watching my nephew in his toddlerhood, trying to reach a cup floating in a full stock tank: What I saw as a little boy leaning too far over the edge, in danger of falling into the water, Ole saw as his independence, saying, “I do it by myself!” Thankfully, Ole’s mom and I were standing there and could grab his booted little foot and pull him out when the inevitable happened.

It’s so much the same with me: I’m leaning too far into my own “independence” and God is standing beside me telling me what I’m choosing is not a good idea. He won’t force me to do as He says, but He won’t leave me either. When I lose my balance and fall face first into the cold water, He grabs me and pulls me out, with me apologizing and asking forgiveness all the while. It’s then when I’m cold, shivering, ashamed that I remember how desperately I need to stay attached to my Father, as the branch to the vine. Independence doesn’t look nearly as seductive when I’m reminded that when I detach myself from my Lord, my life loses purpose. I was put here, in this very spot this very day to glorify God with every breath. When I stop doing that in favor of glorifying Jennifer, life gets very perilous, indeed. I’m safe and have purpose when I remember Who is the Vine and who is the branch; that is exactly how I choose to live today!

Lord, thank You for teaching us that our question isn’t “what is my purpose” but “Who is my purpose”. Without You we are in danger; with You we are safely attached to a Life source! It is only by staying connected to You that we are fully alive and have peace. Thank You, Father! May Your Name be glorified with every breath we breathe. In Jesus Name, Amen!

Blessings, Jennifer

09.09.13 "The Sheep Stealers"

Please find a quiet place to focus on these scriptures for a few minutes, asking for an open mind and heart to hear God’s wisdom for us today.

John 10:7-13

The Message (MSG)

^6-10 Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. “I’ll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.

^11-13 “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He’s only in it for the money. The sheep don’t matter to him.

Growing up, I was blessed with a Grandfather who, in his 50’s, sold his small town business, and bought a ranch – it was a dream of his to be a rancher.  He raised cattle, goats, and until the coyote population got out of control, he also raised sheep.  (I remember hearing that my Grandmother cried when the last truckload of sheep left the ranch.)  Granddaddy spent his days taking care of his stock, being a shepherd, and driving the fences to take care of the land.  He loved it, and I loved riding around with him during visits.  He spent so much time with these animals, that when it came time to gather up the cattle or sheep, he had trained the sheep to follow him with intermittent horn honks. The cattle would follow his truck if he laid his hand on the horn for several seconds at a time.  I always thought that was a cool trick, and didn’t realize until I was older that it took him time (and care and love) to train the animals to do this.  The animals knew his “voice” and would respond.  Thieves that might have crossed his fences to steal the animals would have no idea how to gather up the animals like that – the animals didn’t really matter to them, they were only in it for the money.  The animals had a relationship with Granddaddy – they knew HE was the one that fed them when it was too dry or too cold… he was the one who took care of them and kept them alive.

Those “sheep stealers” remind me of the things in my life that keep me from worship, from daily bible study, from fellowship, from sharing God’s love with other people.  I seem to have quite a few of those “sheep stealers” in my life – entertainment, wrong priorities, busyness, and selfishness.  Like the shepherd in Jesus’ story in John 10, and like the time and energy it took for Granddaddy to develop a relationship with his stock as their shepherd, we need to DAILY spend time and energy with God for our relationship to grow with him.  And, the cool thing is, He says we will be rewarded with a “real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.”

These verses and Granddaddy’s example of a “shepherd” remind me of the blessings that can unfold in my life from having this relationship with God.  He is the one who takes care of us, who sent His Son to die for the forgiveness of our sins, so that during our time on this earth, we can be aware of the abundant blessings in this LIFE.  He is the one who takes care of us, who sent His Son to die on the cross so that we may have eternal LIFE with Him in heaven.

Thank you God, for sending your Son to die on the cross, to forgive my sins, to give me LIFE that I never dreamed of.  Help me to daily seek You to rid my life of the “sheep stealers” that keep me from a close relationship with You. I want to be able to hear your “voice” loud and clear!  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

kristi

9.7.13 "Saturday's Blog"

Welcome to the POG Blog!

Today is Saturday which means YOU get to start the discussion on today’s scripture!   What is it saying to you today?  How does it relate to your life right now?  How does it relate to the message from Sunday?  Enjoy reading, meditating, and sharing your thoughts with others today!

Today’s Scripture is:  Psalm 51 (The Message)

^1-3 Generous in love—God, give grace!     Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record. Scrub away my guilt,     soak out my sins in your laundry. I know how bad I’ve been;     my sins are staring me down.

^4-6 You’re the One I’ve violated, and you’ve seen     it all, seen the full extent of my evil. You have all the facts before you;     whatever you decide about me is fair. I’ve been out of step with you for a long time,     in the wrong since before I was born. What you’re after is truth from the inside out.     Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.

^7-15 Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean,     scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life. Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,     set these once-broken bones to dancing. Don’t look too close for blemishes,     give me a clean bill of health. God, make a fresh start in me,     shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Don’t throw me out with the trash,     or fail to breathe holiness in me. Bring me back from gray exile,     put a fresh wind in my sails! Give me a job teaching rebels your ways     so the lost can find their way home. Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,     and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. Unbutton my lips, dear God;     I’ll let loose with your praise.

^16-17 Going through the motions doesn’t please you,     a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship     when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love     don’t for a moment escape God’s notice.

^18-19 Make Zion the place you delight in,     repair Jerusalem’s broken-down walls. Then you’ll get real worship from us,     acts of worship small and large, Including all the bulls     they can heave onto your altar!

Share your thoughts!  What is God saying to you today?

9.5.13 "Empowered by the Holy Spirit!"

  Welcome to the PoG Blog!

Lord, thank you for blessing me with this opportunity to reflect on your great love for me and on your Holy Word.  Please take away any sort of distraction that would keep me from giving you my full attention these next few minutes.  I ask that you open my heart and my mind to what you have for me today.                                                         Amen!

Romans 12: 9 – 16

⁹ Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.^[a]Do not be conceited.

Today’s reading strikes me as a summary of what the Christian life is all about.  At first, it seems like a pretty overwhelming list of “do this” and “don’t do that”.  Where do we begin?

We need to remember that it is the Holy Spirit who empowers us for holy living.  On our own, we are powerless to do any of what is written in Romans 12.  It is important that we are praying for God to fuel us for holy living.  It might even be helpful for us to pray the words of the scripture:

“Lord, help us to love you and others sincerely.  May we hate all that is evil in your sight and cling to what is good…

I encourage you to pray the words of Romans 12: 9 – 16.  May these words guide and direct our thoughts, words, and deeds today!

Mark

9.4.13 “Don’t be a chameleon”

  Today’s Reading is Romans 12:1 - 2

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

As I read the first verse, I wonder how I might measure up as a living sacrifice in God’s eyes.  If God had a living sacrifice checklist I wonder how I would do, let’s take a look at what that might look like from God’s perspective.

1. Did he spend time with me today?  We did have a good conversation during prayer time.  He did read my word and even did the blog.  I hope God would say this was pleasing to him.
2. Did he love my people?  He missed a couple of opportunities that I put before him to witness to people that were hurting.  He also didn’t offer up exploregod.com to people that could have used it.  I would say he was probably a little disappointed in me.
3. Did he manage my money well today?  He didn’t really overspend on anything extravagant, but he also held onto my money and didn’t give it to that homeless person on the corner that was hungry.  He did tithe from the first of my check and not what was left over after his bills.  God was probably thinking I was being too much of a reservoir with His money and would hope I would do better.

I’m sure there are many other opportunities that God puts before us to be pleasing living sacrifices.  I think it’s important that we try to look at ourselves as honestly as we can from God’s eyes.  If you’re wondering I’m sure your spouse would be willing to help you identify how you’re doing, or maybe ask a friend.

If we’re trying to do things that will help us fit in when we’re dealing with others, we may actually be going against God.  We’re not called to live an easy life or one that turns us into a chameleon that changes depending who we’re hanging out with.  We’re called to live life as God has called us and to be His light showing love and acceptance to all.  If we could always look at ourselves through God lenses, I’m sure we would make a lot of different choices in our lives.  How did you do today as a living sacrifice?

Dave

090313 - What's my role Coach??

Please begin with prayer for an open heart, before you read the passage below. Colossians 3:12-15 – ¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. ¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 

One principle of Scripture interpretation that I have heard is that whenever there is a ‘Therefore’, we must understand the previous thought.  This section is no different and it’s even more imperative that we understand what was said previously.  If not, we basically have a charge to love, be patient, forgive, etc.---without the clarity of conversion from the previous verses, which basically leaves it up to willpower to live this way.  I don’t know about you, but left to my own, this kind of behavior is highly unlikely!

So, spend a few minutes reading from Colossians 2:6-3:15 to gain a context.

To me, Colossians 2:11-15, 20 give us the potential to truly live this way!

I have always been a huge sports fan and I love to see the team dynamics at work, especially when there is synergy.  One of the greatest examples of ‘team’ that I can recall is the run the New England Patriots made a decade ago.  They won 3 Super Bowls in 4 years and truly embodied the idea of team.  The first of these 3 Super Bowls followed the 2001 season and there were very few superstars, or highly marketable players on the roster.  It was before Tom Brady was recognized as one of the best quarterbacks ever and before Bill Belichick was seen as a brilliant head coach.

The one thing that Belichick has learned to do is find the right guy to fit the system and to play their role.  You rarely hear of a Patriot player (until Aaron Hernandez) that gets in trouble, boasts on the field, or puts himself ahead of the team.  These players, regardless of talent level, rarely last on a team coached by Belichick, because they want to be the focus.  Each player on the roster truly buys into the idea that the team is more important than the individual and each player understands their role and attempts to execute that to perfection.  They believe the coach’s plan is better than their own desires.

This is the same way God calls us to approach forgiveness & judgment---we must know our role!  It becomes so easy to attempt to assume the judge role and as Delton illustrated Sunday, build our case of evidence & charges and then attempt to execute judgment on the criminal that has wronged us.  For the Christian, as Colossians 3:3 states, ‘For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.’  This includes giving up control of the judge role and handing it over to the true Judge.  It’s challenging to relinquish this position, because we are afraid that if we don’t bring vengeance, no one will!  We must step by faith and trust that we are incapable of fulfilling this job---we are called to understand our role on the team and bringing judgment is not what our Head Coach wants us to do!  As the Patriots players have demonstrated, we are called to submit to our Head Coach.

Once we can see Col. 3:12-15 in the context of dying to our self and allowing Christ to reign in us through His Spirit, then we can have compassion, kindness, and humility---now we can bear with each other, forgive each other, and love those around us.  Finally, when we truly know who we are in Christ and who He is in the realm of judgment, we can lay down our evidence files and gavels and His peace will rule in our hearts.

Church, our call is to esteem forgiveness, to lift up the body of Christ over ourselves, and to trust the God is the Righteous Judge!

Why is it so hard to give up the role of judge?  How has attempting to be judge worked for you?  Do you see God as faithful in executing judgment?  How can you take steps of faith to live in your role on the team?   I would love to hear your journey and how this passage impacted you.

mike

09.02.2013 "Forgive as I have forgiven you ~ Jesus"

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:29-32

The current sermon series on forgiveness has been especially relevant to me because of some really tough things I have been faced with recently.  Without going into detail, I have been hurt significantly by someone who I don’t ever expect to hear an apology from, and in fact I expect to continue to be hurt by her in the future.  And yet, I know that God wants me to forgive her anyway.

I have known that offering grace under the current circumstances would be totally unexpected.  And it seems totally impossible to me.  I want to hold tightly to all of the evidence of wrongs done to me.  I want justice.  I want the world to know the truth.  And I want her to pay.  Yesterday morning, Pastor talked about how we file this stuff away when someone hurts us.  We build a case against them.  We bring charges, gather evidence, and want to manage and enforce the sentence.  We use enormous amounts of energy making sure that none of the details are overlooked.

But he says “get rid of all bitterness and anger….forgiving each other, just as God forgave me.”  While I want to keep ruminating on all of the things that this person did to hurt me, I wonder if God wants me to spend time thinking about all of the things he has forgiven me for.  All of the hurts that I have caused other people and HIM...all of the ugly things I have done.  Only in this context, does he ask me to turn the “file” over to him.

Yesterday Pastor asked us to say the words, “I forgive you completely.”  That seemed almost scary for me to apply those words to the hurt that I’ve been holding on to.  And it made me realize that I haven’t forgiven her at all. I guess you can’t sort of forgive someone.  You can only do it all the way…or you haven’t really forgiven.  Get rid of ALL bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Takes a lot of trust.  I am glad that my God does this so well, and I pray that I can honor him with the way that I forgive others now and in the future.

Erin