11.21.13 "Arise"

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.  See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.  Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” Isaiah 60:1-3 NIV

As I read this passage this morning, I am struck by how remarkably accurate and relevant the prophet’s statements spoken thousands of years ago, are for us today.  Darkness covers the earth and thick darkness over the peoples.  I won’t rant about the current state of things in our country and world, but it just takes a few short minutes reading or watching the news to realize this darkness over the peoples is real for us now.

I’m comforted by the picture of the Lord's glory rising upon me and appearing over me.  So much that nations will not be able to resist the light and they will come.  And I wonder what this means for me in my little world….Pflugerville….and all of the people I come into contact with in my work.  Everywhere I look, I see hurting people.  I believe God is calling me to be light to them.  To listen, to comfort, to serve.

Last Sunday, we learned that a group of people from our church have joined in efforts to help fellow Austinites in recovering from the recent floods.  Next Sunday, almost 300 of us will work together doing different work projects all over Pflugerville.   I hear stories all the time from my Point of Grace friends about brothers and sisters loving on the lost in an unexpected way.  I think this is what Isaiah means when he says arise, shine, for your light has come… Our Lord has come!  And because He has come, and has called us by name…we can’t help but shine and provide light to those in darkness.

I pray that I could be a light for someone that’s lost today!

Erin

11.19.13 “Will the true you step forward?”

Today’s Reading is Matthew 24:9 - 14 ⁹ “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. ¹⁰ At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, ¹¹ and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. ¹² Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, ¹³ but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

This passage is part of a discussion that Christ is having with the disciples about the end of time.  He’s telling them to stay strong in their faith even though they hear of wars and disasters, but says this is the beginning of birth pains for the end.  This passage then makes the end of time much more personal and paints a very horrible picture of what will happen to them as his followers.  He describes how we will be tested in many ways and that many will turn and sacrifice each other to save themselves.

An example of strength that I believe we can learn from is the armed services.  You hear over the years, stories of men throwing themselves on grenades to save their buddies.  Usually they didn’t even have time to think about it and assess their action, they just reacted out of love.  I believe that’s how we’re called to act.  We should have so much love for our fellow man that we don’t even think about protecting them, we react to protect them out of pure love.  We need to be practicing this each and every day so that we’ll react positively when the opportunity arises.  Even though we may endure pain and suffering we must keep in mind that the ultimate end is not the short life we have on earth, but the everlasting life we’ll have with Christ.

We will be pushed to our limits and at that moment we will see the person we truly are.  Will we be very strong and loving people through all the pain and suffering?  Will we be willing to throw ourselves on the grenade without thinking?

Dave P.

11.18.13 "Authority!"

  Matthew 28:18-20

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

There are three powerful images that strike me as I read the passage for today.  From a human prospective the only way I can understand and process the first part of this passage is by comparing it to a human experience.  Every four years on January 20^th or 21^st if the 20^th happens to fall on a Sunday, the United States officially swears its President into office.   On that date the full power and authority of that office backed by the full force of the United States government is conveyed to an individual citizen.  It is a big deal.  In that moment this individual is given enough power to destroy the world as we know it as the keys to the nations’ vast arsenal of nuclear weapons rest in their hands.   The authority to order into harm’s way other citizens or provide protection to millions of people thousands of miles away is vested in the President.

Comparing this authority to that which JESUS was given by the CREATOR of the universe would be like comparing a black and white movie on a 12 inch screen with the full color IMAX 3D version…there is no comparison.  JESUS is given the authority of ALL MIGHTY GOD and that’s a very big deal.   It is also very good news because we know what HE will do with that authority.  HE will do as HE did the night of HIS betrayal when HE washed the feet of HIS disciples.  HE will do what HE did when HE hung from the cross praying for those that executed HIM.  As pastor said yesterday our JESUS is a BIG JESUS. (Human perspective:  think BigTex at the state fair)  He will love and protect his own and we know this.

In the second part of the passage JESUS gives us our marching orders!  But our mission though wrought with danger is a joyous one.  We get to share this awesome news of a real GOD who sent HIS SON to guarantee us eternity with the entire world.   That is a very, very big deal.

Finally, just when our mission sinks in and we begin to deal with the magnitude and scariness of making disciples of the entire world, we are assured of success.  JESUS tells us not to worry for HE will be with us every step of the way even to the very edge of the eternity HE has promised us.   That is a very, very, very big deal!

HEAVENLY FATHER, thank you so much for the opportunity to serve rather than be served.  Remind us today of our orders to share the good news.  Remind us today when the load is heavy and the mission seems too great that YOU are a BIG GOD and we do not walk alone.  Remind us that we have been commissioned by the ONE who has been given all authority.  In CHRIST'S Name we pray, Amen.

11.16.13 "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:     Mark 12: 29-31

^29-31 Jesus said, “The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.”

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

11.15.13 "God Has Set Things Right"

Romans 3:21-24 (The Message)

^21-24 But in our time something new has been added. What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.

I am always moved to tears when reminded of the “sheer generosity” God has given us.  In this life, we tend to cruise along, making little and big decisions based on our upbringing, experience, the culture around us, etc.   And the scriptures are TRUE, “we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners.” 

I’m in New Orleans this week taking care of my granddaughter, Maddie, who is 2 years old.  I had forgotten how persistent a 2 year old can be when told “No ma’am”!  Just like her J, I need daily (multiple!) reminders that I’m “utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us”.  ”The mess we’re in” can only be fixed “by means of Jesus Christ”. So, when faced with everyday sins (sexual or any other), all of us, no matter what the sin, must replace that urge with the gift of Jesus.  As Pastor pointed out to us on Sunday, we cannot by our own reason (willpower) or strength do anything.  We’re a mess!  But the good news is, we have a God who has given us “a pure gift”!

God our Father, thank you for loving us so much!  Please send your Holy Spirit to remind us we are a mess without you, and that our days need to be filled with the surety that You have given us in Jesus Christ.  Amen.

I would love to hear how you fill your days with the gift of Jesus, to combat sin, in all its forms!

kristi

11.14.13 "Only GOD Can Provide a Way Out!"

Romans 1:18-27 (NIV) ¹⁸ The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, ¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

²¹ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools ²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

²⁴ Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. ²⁵ They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

²⁶ Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. ²⁷ In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

To me, this passage can be summed up to “Left to our own devices, we will always turn to wickedness.” We cannot escape wicked behavior, but we can be forgiven if we repent humbly. We have to WANT God to escape this pattern of idolatry and impurity. Only He can provide a way out.

In this passage Paul is telling us what happens when men turn away from God. “When men lose God, they always lose themselves.” It’s as if God has said, “All right. If you want to turn away from me, I’ll let you go. I won’t try to stop you. But you’ll have to face the consequences of your own actions.” We can push God away to the point where He won’t intervene in our lives. And what a scary place that would be!

This is a difficult passage for us since we all fall victim of this behavior. How does this scripture speak to you?

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for our wickedness and our idols. We want only You and we ask that you remove the barriers we have established between us and You so that we can receive Your forgiveness and be restored in You. Thank You for Your grace and mercy. Amen

Toni

11.13.13 - Hey Plankeye!!

Hey Plankeye!! Please begin with prayer for an open heart, before you read the passage below.

Romans 2:1-4 – You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. ² Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. ³ So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? ⁴ Or do you show contempt for the richesof his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

I feel like every blog post I do starts out with me saying, ‘make sure you read the context…’---so here we go again!!  I would highly recommend reading through Romans 1:18 – 2:16, because it gives tremendous insights into what’s going on!!  Also, whenever ‘therefore’ is in Scripture, we MUST know what’s previously been said.

Ok, so my understanding of this church (the one in Rome) is that it was a mixture Jewish & Gentile (aka…non-Jewish) people that were in the same community.  The Jewish people were raised in the Jewish faith and then converted to being a Christ-follower and were steeped in religious tradition and the ‘law’.  If you were raised in the church and were basically taught the Bible, you can lump yourself into this category.  The church also had Gentile Christians that had no basic religious upbringing, except for the pagan gods they were around.  This was a much different tradition than the Jewish people were brought up in---if you had no religious upbringing and then came to faith, you fit into this category.  Imagine how different the perspectives on what’s right and wrong!!!

Now, both these believers were within the same community of faith and were in the middle of Rome that housed tons of Gentile people that lived totally against OT law and totally against Jesus calling on their lives.  Romans 1 details what these Gentile, non-Christ followers were doing.  Paul says in Romans 1:21 that ‘they knew God’, but didn’t really care and rejected His authority in their lives.  Everyone raise your fingers, point at the sinners, and speak how awful they are!  I mean…we would NEVER do this kind of thing today…or would we??

Paul continues on in Romans 2 and says ‘You…’ this refers to the Jewish Christians, brought up under the Law, that then pointed the judgmental finger at the sinners far from God---again, which we would never do (hopefully you are sensing my sarcasm!!)  Wherever you judge someone else, you have fallen in the same way or same category.  In walking with numerous people and reflecting on my own journey, I think we all tend to have a self-righteous phase.  We feel like everyone should be as awesome as we are, because we truly love Jesus and the people around us don’t love Him as much or have rejected Him completely.  We tend to point out people that struggle in areas we may not and we feel holier than them!!

Read through Luke 7:40-47---Jesus is contrasting the attitude of a self-righteous religious person with a well-known sinner (known in the Biblical sense!!).  Our gratefulness towards God and how we see and treat others displays how much we believe we have been forgiven!  Arrogance, self-righteousness, and judgment show we think we have been forgiven little---Humility, repentance, and love reflect a heart that has been forgiven much.  If we truly grasp the Gospel, we come with repentance (Romans 2:4) and God’s kindness and forgiveness melts our hearts and we realize that we have no place of judgment or authority.  We have all sinned and fallen short of His glory and only humility, dependence, and repentance allow us to receive His grace.

So in a sexually-charged world, where anything goes, we must first begin with ourselves.  Sexually we have all had thoughts, actions, and desires that are deserving of the condemnation that we spew out towards certain groups.  We believe that the homosexual, porn addict, and adulterer are much worse than us, the pristine church-goer.  Brother, you and I need to throw down our fig leaves and realize our own depravity and the length that God went for humanity.  Plus, in 1 Corinthians 5:12-13---Paul says it's not our responsibility to judge those outside the church!!  If we grasp the length, depth, and height of His love, we will have different eyes to see those around us and you know what, that kind of attitude may actually help lead someone to Jesus!

Do you grasp how much God has forgiven you?  Are there certain categories of ‘sin’ that you judge more than others?   Does that make you feel better about yourself?  I would love to hear your journey and how this passage impacted you.

mike

11.12.2013 Sex and God's Word

11.12.2013   “Sex and God’s Word” Let’s pray…Father God, thank You for open, honest, and biblical teaching on the topic of sex.  It’s so often overlooked in our culture as embarrassing to talk about or “cool” to boast about, but physical pleasure is a gift from You and when pursued in accordance with Your will, it is beautiful and honors You.  Please forgive us, Lord, misusing our bodies, damaging our spirits, and dishonoring You.  In Jesus Name, amen!

Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”  But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.  Flee from sexual immorality.  All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.  Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body.  1 Corinthians 6: 16-20

Well, if I ever doubted I was a 21^st Century American who is numb to the sexualization of almost everything, I don’t any longer.  Although it’s everywhere, sex is not a comfortable topic to discuss in church…or write about on a church blog.  Talking about sex belongs, at best, in the bedroom with my husband, and at worst laughing about the latest sexually innuendo-filled joke with friends, and it should be separated by a thick wall from God-talk, right?   The answer to that has to be “no” because God spoke about it plainly and openly in His Word.  If it’s in His Word, it better be in my heart and be coming out of my mouth!

But sex, thanks to Satan and our sin, has become everything from taboo and dirty to something that is celebrated publicly and discussed as a human right.  It seems like sex is the one area where Satan has got almost every person blinded in one way or another:  talk about it is prevalent in everyday conversation, it’s all over television programs and movies, and it’s just not shocking that sex before marriage is so common it’s expected.  Satan has us duped into believing that God isn’t really concerned with what we do with our bodies or that He is ok with sex outside of marriage as long as “we’re in love.”

But God never meant for us to buy into any of those lies; He meant the act of sexual intimacy to be a physical expression of one’s love for their God-given spouse.  We have corrupted it into something unrecognizable, something used for physical release or cheap entertainment.  God, I believe, wants to redeem the truth of Godly sexuality from the mess we’ve created and re-establish it as the gift He meant it to be all along.  As Christians, He is calling us to a higher standard – can you hear it, too?  He is calling us to speak His Word very clearly and not hold back because sex is an off-limits topic in polite society, or to continue to speak about sex as if it’s a game that everyone should play.  I’ll end with the words from The Message, which display God’s heart on the subject of sexuality:

There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, “The two become one.” Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—the kind of sex that can never “become one.” There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for “becoming one” with another. Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.

 Blessings friends, Jennifer

11.11.13 "For This Day"

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

(NIV)

⁹ Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men ¹⁰ nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

(MSG)

^9-11 Don’t you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don’t care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don’t qualify as citizens in God’s kingdom. A number of you know from experience what I’m talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you’ve been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit.

When Pastor first read this passage today in worship, I put a circle in the middle of the verses with the note “ all is sin..we’re all broken”.  Then I underlined the words washed…sanctified …justified…” in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

In looking back to the first part of this chapter, seems the Corinthian church brethren, in a pious and self-sanctimonious moment, were having a problem with accusations…judging one another…to the point of even bring suit against one another…in the Gentile courts of all places.  Then in vs 9, Paul seems to reassure and remind all…that “Unjust people who don’t care about God will not be joining in his kingdom”…and that is where some..if not all of us… “know from experience what I’m talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list.”

If I’m honest with myself…and with my Heavenly Father…I know that in my own pious..self-sanctimonious moments..I’ve been on that list…I have many times categorized others…judged them…berated them…and for what?  Yea, I guess I could use almost any rationalized excuse here…but it would still be just that…an excuse…bore out of my own brokenness….not to mention it would be a pretty lousy example…witness too… the God given Grace…the unmerited favor extended to me.  Father, please forgive me!

Then Paul leads back in with the Gospel!…giving all the credit to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  The End! Right?  Well, I guess we could share a little more about being washed…sanctified…justified…and don’t get me wrong…those things are important…but on this day, I think they’re message…His message to us all…for all His children…should be left intact…

“…for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you’ve been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit.”

To Him Be ALL the Glory!

jim

11.9.13 "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:     Isaiah 53

Who has believed what we’ve been saying? Who has seen the Lord’s saving power? ² His servant grew up like a tender young plant. He grew like a root coming up out of dry ground. He didn’t have any beauty or majesty that made us notice him. There wasn’t anything special about the way he looked that drew us to him. ³ Men looked down on him. They didn’t accept him. He knew all about sorrow and suffering. He was like someone people turn their faces away from. We looked down on him. We didn’t have any respect for him.

⁴ He suffered the things we should have suffered. He took on himself the pain that should have been ours. But we thought God was punishing him. We thought God was wounding him and making him suffer. ⁵ But the servant was pierced because we had sinned. He was crushed because we had done what was evil. He was punished to make us whole again. His wounds have healed us. ⁶ All of us are like sheep. We have wandered away from God. All of us have turned to our own way. And the Lord has placed on his servant the sins of all of us.

⁷ He was beaten down and made to suffer. But he didn’t open his mouth. He was led away like a sheep to be killed. Lambs are silent while their wool is being cut off. In the same way, he didn’t open his mouth. ⁸ He was arrested and sentenced to death. Then he was taken away. He was cut off from this life. He was punished for the sins of my people. Who among those who were living at that time could have understood those things? ⁹ He was given a grave with those who were evil. But his body was buried in the tomb of a rich man. He was killed even though he hadn’t harmed anyone. And he had never lied to anyone.

¹⁰ The Lord says, “It was my plan to crush him and cause him to suffer. I made his life a guilt offering to pay for sin. But he will see all of his children after him. In fact, he will continue to live. My plan will be brought about through him. ¹¹ After he suffers, he will see the light that leads to life. And he will be satisfied. My godly servant will make many people godly because of what he will accomplish. He will be punished for their sins. ¹² So I will give him a place of honor among those who are great. He will be rewarded just like others who win the battle. That is because he was willing to give his life as a sacrifice. He was counted among those who had committed crimes. He took the sins of many people on himself. And he gave his life for those who had done what is wrong.”

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

11.7.13 "Children Go Where You Lead Not Where You Point"

The title of this blog is a quote from my mother.  This was her sage advice with regards to parenting.  I don't remember when she said it and I don't think she repeated it often but when when she did say it - it really stuck.  I think this statement is straight from God's heart with regards to parenting and regards to life and leadership. Listen to our verses for today!  Do you hear and see the same counsel?

John 13 "12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ he asked them. 13 ‘You call me “Teacher” and “Lord”, and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."

Jesus is showing them by example how He wants them to do life.  Two things really pop out at me as I read today.

1) Jesus is a humble servant to the people around Him.  He has His identity so wrapped up in the fact He is the Son of God that He can freely "bend the knee" in service to meet even the most basic needs of others.  He sets the example - He doesn't just dictate the values or mission or vision of His movement.  He actually is for His disciples what they really need - someone to imitate.

2) Jesus clearly says that in order for blessing to come from this life of service we must "do it"!   17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."   I get to actually do the things that Jesus is showing me and that His Spirit in me is forming and shaping in me!  We have a "just do it" God!

Such power is released in these two realities.  I have an example in Jesus of what I am supposed to do and then a promise that I will be blessed as I do them.  No more sitting on the sidelines, the bench, in the huddle - we have been called into the game and have a leader that does not just point but actually leads!

Jesus is already at work in our world preparing good things for us to do, creating opportunities for us to serve.  Let's meet Him on the field, grab a towel, bend a knee and join Him!

delton

Philippians 2:5-11  (NIV)In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

(The Message) Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of Himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of Himself that He had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, He set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, He stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, He lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death – and the worst kind of death at that – a crucifixion. Because of that obedience, God lifted Him high and honored Him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth –even those long ago dead and buried – will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that He is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the father.

Eugene Peterson (author of the Message) writes,   “The Greek word kenosis means ‘pouring out’  or ‘self-emptying.’    I’ve translated it here as ‘set-aside’ (vs 7) referring to Christ’s setting aside of the privileges that were rightfully His.  He is our motivation for emptying ourselves, for setting aside our own rights and privileges.   Jesus Christ was the complete man in whom God completely dwelled.

If any man has ever been tempted to be self-sufficient, it was Jesus.

If any man has ever been tempted to be proud, it was Jesus.

If any man has ever been tempted to use His power or his own self-interest it was Jesus.

How did He safeguard Himself against these temptations?

He poured himself out

He emptied Himself.

Even though He could have held on to His high position of equality with ‘God, which meant superiority over all of humankind, He didn’t do it.  Instead, He gave it all up.  He could have ruled over all, but instead, He became a servant of all.

And we are to pour ourselves out, too.  How?

The same way Jesus did – setting aside the privileges of his own life and living a life that was dedicated to humbly serving others.”

Which circles us back around to the beginning of Philippians 2:

Don’t push your way to the front; Don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

If I try to apply all this in a real way to my real life -- I think I hear God gently saying to me... "Dawn, in your home - and at work - around your family - around your friends -  when you are around strangers - when you are at the park or the store or the mall - and as you go about your daily life in the world - I need you to shine  - I need you to look and act like Jesus -  I am asking you to pour yourself out - to empty yourself out - to become a servant - like Jesus.  I need you to put yourself aside and stop being obsessed with yourself.  Will you pour yourself out for Me?"  -God

How about you - is God  asking you to pour yourself out at work today?  Is He asking you to empty yourself out when you are at home?

What did today's Scripture say to you?

-dawn

11.05.13 "POWER OF PRAYER & HUMILITY"

  Let’s pray:

Lord I come to you humbled that by Your grace I may have a new life.  Please use me as your willing & loving servantl 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.

John 13:2-5

New International Version (NIV)

² The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

Wow, what humility! Jesus knew he had all the power from God the Father & that he was going to be betrayed by Judas.  Yet he “lowers” himself by performing the lowest of tasks normally performed by the servants of washing his disciples disgusting feet.  What an incredible act of servanthood & grace of willingly washing the feet of the ones that would betray him.

But, that is exactly the point.  Jesus knew who he was & that he had all of the power.  He was so confident & humble that he did not have to prove it or justify himself.  That is exactly what ultimate power is-You don’t have to have a gun, have people afraid of you, or be in a position of importance to be powerful!

Here was Jesus so confident & sure of himself that he did not care what others thought.

Boy that is confidence!  I find myself always worrying about what others think!

I have to admit, that I have a hard time being humble or a servant.  I relish attention & praise.  I sometimes grudgingly serve.  I know that I should be doing something so I do it more out of obligation than out of love and compassion.  And how would I ever handle humbly serving people that I don’t like or that are not “loyal” to me?  Yet here is Jesus washing their feet!  I think my pride might get in the way.

Yet that is exactly the point.  Pride is probably one of the greatest sins.  The only way to defeat pride and power is through humility and prayer.  I think a person sometimes has to be broken or humbled to figure out that they are not as good or as important as they thought.

Jesus provides the blueprint.  Real power is through humility & prayer.  So I will continue to pray that I become more humble & a more willing servant.  Through prayer I will gain true power.

How do you feel about this?  Do you have a problem being a humble servant?  I would love to hear from you.

Have a Blessed week,

Jerry

11.04.13 "Power Plays"

  Welcome to the PoG Blog!

Thank you for taking the time to let God speak to you through the words of our scripture verse for the day.  Please pray for God to open your heart and mind to what He has in mind for you for the next few minutes.

Philippians 2:1 – 4

¹ Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

As I think about the times in my life when I have been wrapped up in power plays and struggles, verse 3 of the reading above hits at what I think are the roots of the problem – selfishness and vanity.  Especially selfishness.  When we are looking out for our own self-interests, it seems like it is so easy for us to get wrapped up in trying to “make it happen” or get our way.

God is calling us to completely turn things upside-down and place the needs of others before our own needs.  How are we ever going to pull that off?

I think St. Paul hints at this in verse 1.  As we feel encouragement from being united with Christ we will be motivated and equipped to place the needs of others before our own needs.  As we are filled with the Holy Spirit we will be excited about the opportunities God places before us to live selfless, rather than selfish lives!

What do you think?  What do you feel is at the root of the power plays you get involved in?

May God bless your day,

Mark

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:  Philippians 4: 12-19  (NIRV)

¹² I know what it’s like not to have what I need. I also know what it’s like to have more than I need. I have learned the secret of being content no matter what happens. I am content whether I am well fed or hungry. I am content whether I have more than enough or not enough. ¹³ I can do everything by the power of Christ. He gives me strength.

¹⁴ But it was good of you to share in my troubles. ¹⁵ And you believers at Philippi know what happened when I left Macedonia. Not one church helped me in the matter of giving and receiving. You were the only one that did. That was in the early days when you first heard the good news. ¹⁶ Even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me help when I needed it. You did it again and again.

¹⁷ I’m not looking for a gift. I’m looking for what is best for you. ¹⁸ I have received my full pay, and even more than that. I have everything I need. That’s because Epaphroditus brought me the gifts you sent. They are a sweet-smelling offering. They are a gift that God accepts. He is pleased with it.

¹⁹ My God will meet all your needs. He will meet them in keeping with his wonderful riches that come to you because you belong to Christ Jesus.

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

11.1.13 "Refining and Freedom"

Today’s Scripture is:     Proverbs 30: 7-9  (NIRV)

⁷ “Lord, I ask you for two things.  Don’t refuse me before I die. ⁸ Keep lies far away from me.   Don’t make me either poor or rich, but give me only the bread I need each day. ⁹ If you don’t, I might have too much. Then I might say I don’t know you.   I might say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I might become poor and steal. Then I would bring shame to the name of my God.

I love this scripture…. It puts things in proper perspective for me.  Daily Bread… just give me my Daily Bread, Lord.  To actually have this desire – where I’m not praying for “more” or worrying about having “too little” - could be so freeing!   And I think the lies that are being talked about here are the ones that satan uses to make me think wealth is important, or the lies he uses to distort what wealth, power, money, or prosperity really are.

I feel like I’ve come to understand and know this perspective and “contentment” in a very small way over the last few years.  Many of you who know my husband and I, know that we have been living in a travel trailer for the last 6 years.  Actually it was 6 years yesterday – we moved into it on Halloween night 2007.   We bought land and were going to build a house on it and live in a travel trailer for a year or so until the house was built.  Well, shortly after we moved, Mark lost his job and the whole trajectory of what we had planned, changed.  I could easily write a book about our 6 year journey, but in a nutshell, the first 3 years were full of struggle for me.  My desire for “more” than what we had and how we were living made me unhappy and fearful and even hopeless at times.  It was a huge time of refining for me.  It’s amazing how God worked though…and brought surprising blessings to me during that refining time, which in turn gave me a thankful heart.  For the first time, I saw the richness of health, animals, farm life, nature, friendships, gardens, etc. as more important than what type of home I lived in or how much stuff I had.  I began to appreciate the “freedom” of living without tons of housework, or having to find space for all my stuff, or being free from the feeling of “keeping up” with the neighbors!  Life became much simpler and I found wealth in my relationship with Jesus and my husband… and in the small gifts God gave me that made me feel good – like finding our first egg from our first chicken in the nesting box!  Or picking fresh green beans from our garden, or seeing a rainbow over the farm after a rain storm.  It was crazy how God truly changed my heart and my perspective…and the last 3 years have been a blessing!

I still have a long way to go and I’m still on this journey – learning more every day what the meaning of contentment is…and what God’s perspective is on wealth, accumulation, generosity, and living a contrast life!  I really resonated with these verses today because I feel that over the last 6 years, God has given me an understanding of the importance of Daily Bread without all the other trappings that fight for my attention over Him.  And even though we’ve had some lean times over these 6 years, He’s never not given us what we’ve needed…we’ve never had to beg, borrow, or steal – He’s always provided!   I didn’t willingly move into this journey, but I’ve definitely grown in my walk with Him because of it.  Do I still have things that I want and desire – YES!  But everything belongs to God and the only thing desiring “more” does for me, is bring fear and hopelessness if God isn’t most important.

Thanks for letting me share today – how do these verses touch you today?  I would love to hear!

Denise

10.31.13 - Be afraid, be very afraid!!

Please begin with prayer for an open heart, before you read the passage below. Proverbs 3:3-8 – ³ Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. ⁴ Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. ⁸ This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

This week is the perfect time to be afraid!!  I notice with my 5-year old that Halloween brings up the idea of monsters, scary decorations, costumes, etc..  We (not me!!) subject ourselves to Haunted Houses, Horror films, and gross things leading up to Halloween all to get a scare out of us (or maybe for the cute single girl in the group???).

In thinking of this passage in relation to money, fear is a common thing.  Investment companies play up the concept of fear, when it comes to retirement, savings, and pushing their products on you.  I remember a few years ago, we were looking into life insurance and I remember walking away with the notion that the investment consultant (salesman!!) was totally playing on our fears.  He would say, ‘Well, what would your wife/family/etc. do if something happened to you??  You want to make sure they are well taken care of in case something happens.’  Life insurance can be a really good thing, but honestly, it taps into our fears.

Finances play into our fears, in terms of scarcity as well.  We feel like there is not enough, so we hoard (much different than healthy, Biblical saving) our money/things/possessions and are afraid to be generous.  We have decent intentions of giving to our local congregation (or in another way to further the Kingdom of God), but fear of not having enough cripples us, so we don’t step out in faith.  This moment of fear reveals the god that we fear most!!  We fear our own well-being, not having a comfortable retirement, our kids not having a better life, not traveling the world as empty nesters, not being able to keep up with our neighbors, etc., etc. more than the true God!

This passage calls us to lean not on our own understanding and to have a healthy fear of the Lord!!  We are indoctrinated and discipled by the culture that money is everything and our fear in not having enough drives us to be stingy, or at least stingy towards the Kingdom of God.  We are really generous to the true gods in our life!!  Our own understanding has been shaped by the culture and tells us that we deserve bigger and better things and we should save more so we can be comfortable.  It makes no sense, in the eyes of this culture, to give away 10% or more of our income when it could be spent on our self!!  Verse 6 says, ‘⁶ in all your ways submit to him…’, yet for some reason we exclude our finances from this calling.

Matthew 10:28 says, ‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.’

This passage gives us clear indication of Whom we should truly fear!  This is a healthy, obedient, trusting fear---not an all-consuming, paralyzing fear.  So church, let us not lean on our own understanding and pray that we can kick out all the other gods in our life that claim our hearts affections and dominate our resources.  Let us fear the One that has authority over life, death, and all things and honor Him with our wealth.  If He truly is our only God, then we should do everything to reorganize our financial situation to make sure we are honoring Him as He calls us to!  So be afraid, be very afraid…of the right Thing!

With regard to money, how would you know if you were operating out of fear?  Does ‘god’ or God have the ultimate place in your heart with regard to finances?  How would you know?   I would love to hear your journey and how this passage impacted you.

mike

10.30.13 "Security Issues!"

  Welcome to the PoG Blog!

Lord, we thank you for your Holy Word.  Please speak to us through it and help us to be good listeners.  “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

Luke 12:16 – 21 

¹⁶ And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. ¹⁷ He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

¹⁸ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. ¹⁹ And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

²¹ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

For me, the issue here is security.  Somehow I have it in my mind that the better my financial situation, the more security I have.  The more money in my savings account, the better I can sleep at night.  We talk of “financial security” and “financial independence”.

As was pointed out in the message on Sunday, this is another form of idolatry.  Looking for security from money instead of from God is putting money before God.  That’s idolatry!

God has another plan, a better plan for us.  Proverbs 3:5 encourages us to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart…”.  1 Peter 5:7 reads, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

So the next time you catch yourself worrying about money, think for a moment.  Ask yourself, “Am I putting my hope and trust in money instead of God?”.  If so, you (and I) are sinning by breaking the 1^st Commandent:  “Thou shalt have no other god before me.”  Confess your sin to God, accept His forgiveness, and then move on trusting that God will “give us this day our daily bread”.

Have an awesome day in the Lord!

Mark

10.28.13 "What are heavenly treasures anyway and how do I store them up?"

Matthew 6: 19-21, 24

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and money.

This passage is a bit perplexing for me.  I feel like it’s a bit schizophrenic…with multiple philosophies crossing over top of one another.  Don’t stock up on things of this world…because they’ll get stolen or will wear out…  Ok, that kind of makes sense.  But it doesn't really make me want these things any less…

Instead, stock up on heavenly treasures…because they won’t get stolen and they won’t be eaten by moths.  Well, ok…but what are heavenly treasures?  How do I stock up on them?  And will stocking up on them mean that I won’t get the things of this world that I want?  Do I really have to choose?

And then comes the kicker…No, you can’t chase after everything. But what you do choose to chase…that will define what you care about most. And the truth is, in relation to what you care about most…you’ll despise everything that diverts your attention away.

I guess I really have no idea what “heavenly treasures” are…the Bible talks about crowns and jewels received by heaven’s citizens.  I’m not sure exactly what the exchange rate is.  Also, this is a pretty tough concept to sell to a curious non-believer.  I think that inside of all of us is a desire to “do good things.” But to commit to this level of self-sacrifice is intimidating.  Besides, I work hard and I earned all of this stuff.  Shouldn’t I get to enjoy it?

The truth is, I have no idea what the answer is to that question.  I don’t know if I have too many cable channels or too nice of a house or drive too nice of a car…  But if there is anything that I do know, it’s this:  I have never one time regretted being generous.  In fact, if I look back honestly at my life…I wish I’d been more generous…with my time, with my forgiveness, and with my money.  Maybe that’s what storing up treasures in heaven is…if so, I definitely don’t mind how it makes me feel here on earth.

The final verse above makes an interesting distinction.  The word “serve” in verse 24 is a unique word.  I think that anyone reading this passage would instantly think of their employment and question whether or not where we spend 1/3 of our lives “serving” the wrong master.  However, the word “serve” here implies slavery rather than employment.  I think that it’s an important distinction…and it relates to the amount of control we submit to with our work.  A true slave, in the biblical sense, can’t work for 2 separate masters.  There can only be one, and the slave must give his master exclusive service.  I hope that in my life I’m able to see my employment as an opportunity to honor my true master rather than perpetually flip flopping between loyalty to each.

10.25.13 "The Greatest Commandment"

Lord, guide our thoughts and strengthen our faith that we might love and serve you as you command. Amen.  Mark 12:28-31 (NIV)

 28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Some time ago I was asked, ‘If your home was about to be consumed in a fire, and you could only save one of your earthly possessions, what would you choose?’  That question seems similar to the one that the teacher of the law is asking Jesus about the laws in the Old Testament.

Jesus responds by pointing him to the Shema Yisrael, which is the Hebrew for ‘Listen, Israel’ and shorthand for the declaration found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9 in which Moses writes, ‘The Lord our God, the Lord is one.’  Observant Jews are taught to recite these words every morning when they awake and each evening before the fall asleep.

In the answer Jesus gives, the declaration carries the implication, that we love the Lord with our total being and our neighbor as our selves. I know that on my own that is an impossible request. But I am told in Matthew 19, “with God all things are possible.’  It is only as I fully grasp the love that Jesus has for me and experience the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, that I have the power within me to love the Lord and neighbor as Jesus requires.  I’m not perfect. Yet when I fail, I have God’s promise to forgive me when I am truly sorry and His promise to walk with me when I try again.

Lord, thank you for your love today. Thanks you for opportunities to demonstrate my love for you by sharing that love with those around me. Amen.

John