12.23.13 "Monday's Christmas Week Blog"

Welcome to the POG Blog! This week will follow the format of the Saturday blog 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 11:1-10

New International Version (NIV)

The Branch From Jesse

11 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— 3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling[a] together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. 9 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.

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

12.21.13 "Saturday's Blog"

Welcome to the POG Blog! This week will follow the format of the Saturday blog 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:   Revelation 5:9-13

Here is the new song they sang.

“You are worthy to take the scroll and break open its seals. You are worthy because you were put to death. With your blood you bought people for God. They come from every tribe, language, people and nation. ¹⁰ You have made them members of a royal family. You have made them priests to serve our God. They will rule on the earth.”

¹¹ Then I looked and heard the voice of millions and millions of angels. They surrounded the throne. They surrounded the living creatures and the elders. ¹² In a loud voice they sang,

“The Lamb, who was put to death, is worthy! He is worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength! He is worthy to receive honor and glory and praise!”

¹³ All creatures in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and on the sea, and all that is in them, were singing. I heard them say,

“May praise and honor for ever and ever be given to the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb! Give them glory and power for ever and ever!”

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

12.20.13 "The REAL Meaning of Christmas"

This is a very odd set of verses to contemplate as we enter deep into the Christmas season! Isaiah 53 "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.

Last Sunday, the message in the first service flowed from the backstories and words of some familiar Christmas carols!  It was when we were contemplating the text of "What Child Is This?" that the correlation with Isaiah 53 was revealed.  In the second verse William Dix pens the words, "Nails, spear shall pierce Him through, the Cross be borne for me, for you;  Hail, Hail the Word made flesh the babe, the son of Mary."

In just a few poetic lines we are brought to the real meaning of Christmas.  The babe would suffer and die for us and we get to worship (hail, hail) Him as truly the Word of God made flesh.   2700 years ago another poet plumed the depths of Gods gift in Jesus with the words, "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."

This is a powerful Christmas gift for me - to me......... and to you!  We get peace and healing!  Do you see it?  Look again at the verse!  That is so what I need for Christmas - peace and healing!  Isaiah also is telling me what I am NOT getting for Christmas!  I not NOT getting the crushing punishment that my "transgressions and iniquities"deserve!  Jesus got that so I don't have to.  What I am NOT getting is as important in my grasp of Christmas as what I am getting!

This is God's promise to me in Jesus!  He is asking me to wholeheartedly believe Him!  In that act of believing faith I do NOT get crushing punishment and do get peace and healing!

All because "the babe the Son of Mary!"

Merry Christmas

delton

12.16.2013 The Word Became Flesh!

John 1:9-14 ⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

This is one of my favorite passages.   It is the essence of our faith.   It is the eye witness account the compelling testimony that GOD is real and that HE appeared on earth in human form.  It very carefully, very simply, and very beautifully outlines the reason for the appearance in a way that can only be explained as remarkably transcending.

Examine the multiple definitions of the word light; illuminating, enlightening, igniting!  The message is an incredible one.   Have you ever flown on a rainy or overcast day?  On the ground everything is dark, gloomy, and miserable.  There are usually some bumps and turbulence as you climb out of the weather but suddenly the aircraft breaks through the cloud deck into a brilliant blue sky and golden sunshine.  It was there all along.   GOD is!  We were not created to live in a broken world filled with misery and pain.  We were made to live in splendor with our CREATOR enjoying HIS love and grace.  In an instant that was fractured and the “disconnect” so deep the truth became hidden like a dark cloud blotting out the sunshine.

John tells us that incredibly, all is not lost and more importantly it is a firsthand account.  We have remarkably been reconnected to our GOD through his SON and for us this should be like discovering we have the winning lottery ticket.  We have a path back to our home, one lovingly prepared especially for us!

There is so much Christmas in this passage.  John describes to us the awesome power of our GOD, power we can’t fully comprehend.   In that power GOD chose to present us with the ultimate gift of sacrifice, mercy, forgiveness and love!

Gracious CREATOR of all things, FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT, slow things down for us this Christmas season and allow us the opportunity to bask in the rays of your awesome light and your gracious gift of life, love, and forgiveness, in CHRIST name we pray. 

Jim L.

12.14.13 "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:    Isaiah 8:21 - 9:2

²¹ Distressed and hungry, they will roam through the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and, looking upward, will curse their king and their God. ²² Then they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.

9 ^[a]Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

² The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.

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

12/13/13 Peace

Lord, guide our thoughts and strengthen our faith as we reflect on this amazing and comforting passage from the gospel of John. Amen. Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

And he will be called . . . Prince of Peace

John 14:25-27 (NIV)

25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

I love this passage!  I love it because the words spoken here by Jesus to His disciples are not only intended for them but also for us today. That makes it very special. The peace that Jesus is leaving and giving is meant for us.

From where does this peace come? It comes from the Holy Spirit who was sent by the Father in the name of Jesus. It comes from the precious indwelling of the Holy Spirit who is active in our lives helping us to comprehend everything Jesus taught and bringing to mind His promises at precisely the moment we need them.  It comes from a loving Savior who wants our hearts to be no longer troubled or our lives filled with fear. That’s real peace!

It is a peace that passes all understanding. It is a peace that only Jesus can bring because He is the Prince of Peace.  It is the very peace that we hunger for during this busy Christmas season and often try to find in people and things.

Advent is a time for reflection as we await the celebration of Christ’s birth. It is a time for thanksgiving because without the birth of Jesus, it is not possible to know the peace that God the Father wants all of us to have.

Lord, thank you for coming into the world. Thanks you for asking the Father to send the Holy Spirit that we might know real peace. Amen.

John

12.12.13 “Will the true you step forward?”

Isaiah 9:6 ⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Revelation 22:12 – 17 ¹² “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

¹⁴ “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. ¹⁵ Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

¹⁶ “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

¹⁷ The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

For years people have sought everlasting life through any means possible.  During early world exploration, explorers like Ponce de Leon have searched for the fountain of youth trying to keep from aging.  Even today people have themselves frozen just waiting for the day when their disease will be cured, then they can be brought back to life and be healed.  Christ says that he will bring the reward when he returns and that reward is everlasting life.  He is the beginning of time and He is the end of time, he is the Everlasting Father.

In order to get the reward, I feel Christ is telling us to purify our spirits when he tells us to wash our robes.  Once we are cleansed we’re ready to receive His spirit to lead us through our lives.  When we allow this transformation to happen we will desire to increase in him and decrease ourselves.  We’ll want to leave our dirt and filth behind, because that is what will keep us from the gift of life.  The desire to love his children and be available to support and love all of his children not just the ones we want to love.

Christ ends this text inviting us to join him.  If we desire everlasting life, then we will come to him.  We will seek him and to be like him in all that we do.  When we thirst for something more we should look to him and not areas that would pull us away from Him.  The amazing part of this whole text is that the gift of life is free and doesn’t cost us at all.  Do you want a free gift?  Are you willing to pay the price to be with our Everlasting Father?

Dave P

Black Friday god...

Please begin with prayer for an open heart, before you read the passages below. Isaiah 9:6 – For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Colossians 1:15-20 – ¹⁵ The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Well, is the Christmas season upon you??  It seemingly starts earlier and earlier each year, but is typically inaugurated when someone is trampled at Wal-Mart trying to get a sweet deal on a flat screen.  The American church seems to have gotten away from the various seasons the early church had.  Each season has meaning behind it and the season we would be in now in the church calendar is Advent.  It means ‘arrival’ and gives us hope and anticipation as we await the birth of the Christ child.  Christmas Eve worship is filled with great hymns, family, and a sweet, seemingly helpless baby pictured in the manger.  Maybe we are missing the full picture of the Christ child though.

Isaiah gives four names for this Christ child in chapter 9 above and one of these is Mighty God.  When was the last time you saw a newborn and thought…that’s one mighty child!!  My guess is never.  Cute, sweet, gentle, peaceful, sleeping, etc. etc. are words you use to describe a newborn and these are probably how we see Jesus at Christmas.  One attribute of God that Isaiah begs us to balance is His might.  We have images from Sunday school of Jesus stroking a lamb or laughing while holding a child, but we cannot miss His might.

Paul in Colossians brings us to see this---‘image of the invisible God’, ‘in Him all things were created’, all things have been created through Him and for Him’, ‘He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together’, head of the body, the church’, He is the beginning and the firstborn among the dead’, ‘supremacy’, ‘making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.’ WOW!!

Maybe if we step back and take that to heart, we will have a different perspective of Christmas and a different attitude and posture towards Jesus.  We typically want to dictate how this God treats us and what’s fair and unfair and are consumed by an attitude of entitlement.  Instead, we bow, as the wise men did and assume a humble posture before our Mighty God.  We have no right to attempt to dictate how this Mighty God should act if He truly created everything and holds everything together.  Yet, this Mighty God, was humble enough to leave His place in Heaven and give His life for me…for you!  Wow!!  There is nothing we can do but fall on our knees and worship Him with our mind, emotions, and will!

So instead of a Black Friday god, where we are the center and He serves us, we worship an Isaiah 9:6, mighty God that has authority over everything!  So as you see the peaceful manger scene this Christmas, try your hardest to be consumed by the humble baby's might!

What’s your image of Jesus?  Does it change during Christmas time?  Does your life reflect the fact that He is a Mighty God or a Black Friday god?  I would love to hear your journey and how this passage impacted you.

mike

12.10.13 Counselor

Good morning to all.  I hope we find His Counsel in all we do this day.  To Him be the Glory! Isaiah 9: 6 (NKJV)

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Matthew 7: 24-29 (NKJV)

²⁴ “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

²⁶ “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

²⁸ And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, ²⁹ for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

In the English dictionary, counselor is primarily defined as “a person who gives counsel; adviser”.  When I looked at several commentaries on how counselor is used in Isaiah they used words such as “counseling in the purposes & plan {of God}”… “for He not only knows the right and proper counsel in every difficulty of body and soul, He also carries out His plans for the benefit of men”…but I think that how Pastor interpreted counselor in this context...hope I got this right…”pours forth choice” really caught my attention, and I’ll tell you why in a moment…

Let’s move on to Matthew, where chapter 7 is ending with the parable about two men and their choice of construction for their houses.

Right away, Jesus gives us counsel…not just ordinary words of advice, or spoken like a polished orator, or as from the scribes…but words spoken with authority..divine counsel.  Words that not only hold truth in them…but are truth.  Words that that ring out in forthrightness and hope…“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock..”

I find it interesting, that Jesus doesn’t make any distinction between the wise man’s house or the foolish man’s house…size, the type of exterior or roof…except for the foundation, and where it is placed.  He doesn’t even distinguish between the impending storms…they just come.  So, how is the construction of our house?...we’ve heard the Word..we say the words and sing the songs recognizing Christ as our foundation..the cornerstone…but how’s our “does them”…what type soil are our lives placed on?..how are we weathering the storms in our lives?...how are we choosing to use His wise counsel in our lives?.and this is where my story picks up…

I don’t know that Jim really “gets it” in regard to Jesus’ counsel.  This is a hard one for me.  You see, to receive counsel, one must be willing to not only listen but to put things into action…to live life on purpose!..to be receptive and willing to change paths…make decisions and choices founded in Him…not just every so often…but on a daily moment by moment basis.  But that would take relinquishing “my” control and the prideful acknowledgement that I seek in “look at what I’ve done”.  As for me, at the core of this, though…it’s all about the relationship…trust, obedience, faith…Jim not holding on so tight…Jim believing in the hope and faith that our ever loving and wise Counselor sends our way…continuously and faithfully…that’s why he came..for us…and in that, Pastors’ words from Sunday ring oh so true…Do not think that we’re in a place where no Counsel will work in this place at this time….Nevertheless, be amazed at Christmastime!

Blessings to you and yours!

jim

12-09-2013 Do Not Be Afraid!

  Do Not Be Afraid

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

Isaiah 9:6  New International Version (NIV)

⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Luke 1:30-35  New International Version (NIV)

³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called^[a] the Son of God.

These scriptures describe so much power!  “Mighty God”, “Everlasting Father”, “Prince of Peace”, “Jesus” (God with us), “Son of the Most High”, “power of the Most High”, “the holy one”, and “Son of God”.  During a time of great strife for the Israelites, Isaiah the prophet was communicating the deliverance of God’s people very clearly, using words that must have been music to their ears.  Although, I imagine they wondered why he talked about a child during this description… How can a child lead a nation?  When?  Soon?  And “Wonderful Counselor” is a title that describes empathy more than power.  Isaiah was asking them to trust that God would take care of them.  And, because we have the luxury of looking back into history, we see that they truly DID have to trust.  God delivered this “child” and “son” in His good time, after hundreds of years of ups and downs.

Luke reports that Mary was given the same message from the angel describing the child she was to carry.  In the midst of a very socially unacceptable situation for her, Mary was told “Do not be afraid”, and those powerful words from Isaiah were used to describe her baby!  Mary voiced her doubt, and was reassured, again, that God is MOST powerful, and able to do anything.  She was now asked to trust God.  Mary was able to witness the Son of God living here on earth, with the knowledge of the promise from God’s angel.  How she must have clung to those promises!  As a mom, I can fall so easily into anxious thoughts about the health and welfare of my children, and need to be reminded over and over again that they have a Jesus, a “God with us” that loves them and protects them.  Why do I worry when the scriptures tell me over and over again of God’s might and love?  Good grief!!  Will I ever learn?!

Father God, I thank you for the scriptures you commissioned as proof of your might and love.  Make me mindful to daily read them as a reminder of your will for me.  When I doubt, and when I fear, remind me of Your power, Your authority, Your counsel and Your peace!  Amen.

kristi

12.06.2013 Ahaz is bad. Hezekiah is good. Be like Hezekiah.

Our Scripture for today is 2 Kings 18: 5-7 Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel.  There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him.  He held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses.  And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook.  He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 

First, a little history:  Hezekiah was Ahaz’s son and reigned in Judah after Ahaz’s death.  Our reading for today tells us Hezekiah was a great guy – he trusted God fiercely and was rewarded for that.  Ahaz, on the other had, was not such a great guy.  He was weak and failed to honor God with his life and reign over Judah.  When Judah was being plotted against by some of the other – stronger – kingdoms in the region, Ahaz was understandably scared.  God said through the prophet Isaiah, in no uncertain terms, that Judah would be safe; the Lord Himself protected it!  But Ahaz refused to trust God and ended up allying with the “bad guys” who were trying to tear Judah apart.

Fast forward to the reign of Hezekiah after Ahaz’s death:  Hezekiah had probably been in the room when Ahaz was deciding whether to trust God or go his own way.  It seems that was instrumental in the way Hezekiah chose to rule Judah.  He remembered Isaiah’s words to Ahaz and understood that following God was the ONLY way to further His kingdom.  He remembered Isaiah saying, “Immanuel!” (Jesus’ name, which means God with us)!  Hezekiah chose to trust God completely and totally – and therefore his reign had a vastly different outcome than his father’s.  “And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook.”  Does that apply to us today?

Of course, we hear all the time that we are to give ourselves totally and completely to God and He will keep us – protect us, lead us, help us, teach us.  Please bear with me in a moment of extremely ugly honesty:  Sometimes, when I’m struggling, what I hear at the end of ‘God will keep you, Jennifer’, is “yada yada yada”.  It can be so hard to believe that God is interested in my situation, especially given that more than likely I’ve created whatever hardship I’m facing - but He is.  How many times has He either straight up bailed me out or even just smoothed the rough edges of a situation to keep my heart from being torn to pieces by it? When I trust Him, He sees to my needs.  Every time.  Somehow, Ahaz missed that lesson.  Thankfully, Hezekiah learned it and put his full faith and trust where it belonged…in the Lord.

What Hezekiah heard, both in his childhood from Isaiah and later in his heart as a memory from then, was “Immanuel! (God with us!)”  What I’ve always heard in that Name is “Immanuel! (God was with them or was gonna be with them later when Jesus got there!)”  But, Immanuel means EXACTLY the same thing today as it did 2700 years ago!!  Jesus didn’t come and go – He came and stayed.  That’s why we can trust Him – radically, out-on-a-limb, people-might-say-I’m-crazy kind of trust – He is here.  With us.  Right now.  He’s calling us to be like Hezekiah and trust Him with everything we are and everything we have.  Who’s in?  What would our lives look like if we trusted Jesus with complete abandon?

Father God, please forgive us for our distrust.  We are broken but You promise to make us whole.  You are the only One we can truly trust!  Your Word promises that You will never forsake us; please help us to live on that promise daily.  Father, Thank You!  We love You!  In Jesus’ Name we pray, amen!  

Blessings Friends, Jennifer

12-05-13 "Which Questions am I Asking?"

Welcome to the PoG Blog! 

Please pray:  Lord God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.  Thank you for another day of life and for the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.  I come to you today to be renewed and restored in you.  As I read your Word and meditate on its meaning for my life, please send your Holy Spirit to guide me and direct my thoughts.  I pray this in Jesus’ holy name.  Amen!

Matthew 6: 31 - 34

³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

It seems to me these are perfect verses for us, sitting in the middle of the first week of Advent.  The pagans (world) are worrying with questions like:

“What will we eat when we have our Christmas celebration?”

“When is the company Christmas party?”

“What Christmas gift should I buy for Uncle  John?  He’s so hard to shop for.”

“How am I going to find time to decorate the house, do my Christmas shopping, and get everything else done before Christmas?”

Jesus is calling us, as his Christ-followers, to a different kind of preparation for Christmas.  He is calling us to be focused on questions like: 

“Lord, what are you trying to say to me through this particular situation?”

“Lord, who do you want me to be praying for?”

“Lord, who are you calling me to serve this Christmas season?”

“Lord, what do you want to reveal to me through the reading of your Holy Word?”

We know in our hearts that if we truly seek God and His kingdom first, He will provide everything we need – time, money, relationships, food, clothing, shelter, etc. – because He knows we need them and He is a good and gracious heavenly Father.  Now may God touch our minds and brains so that we will truly ACT as if what we know in our hearts is really true!

May God bless your Advent journey today,

                                                                                        Mark

12.4.13 "Lean Not...!"

Welcome to the POG Blog! Help me Lord Jesus listen well to you this day and follow your word, will and Spirit obediently! Amen

Proverbs 3  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.

As I read these words what sticks out to me is what I am "not" to do!  That is good for me to know because I am notorious for concerning myself with things that I really should "not" be doing.  Sometimes I am concerned about the wrong things and find myself not being able to prioritize well.  I spend too much time and energy focusing on the wrong things and not leaving bandwidth and energy for the things I really am suppose to be doing - the things that should be a priority for me!

So what is in the "not do" category? I am not to "lean on my own understanding" and I am not to "be wise in my own eyes"!

What is in the "to do" category?  What am I suppose to be concerned with - pour energy into - hold as a high priority? I am supposed to "trust in the Lord with all my heart" and "in all my ways submit to Him" and "fear the Lord and shun evil". That is a good list of "to do's"!  I get to trust, submit, fear and shun!  That is what I am to be concerned with!

But there is more! The verses have a more in them than just what I am to do and not do!  There is another player here that makes it all work - God!

What is God promising "to do"? God is promising to "make my paths straight"!  God is working things out.  This verse is reminding me that I need to let the Lord of history be Lord of my story!  The promise that He is working out the end result is huge.  I get to let go of control and trust!  I get to spend my life trusting, submitting, fearing the Lord and shunning evil.  He is in charge of the paths of my life and their straightness!

For some reason breaking down this verse into my "to do's", "not do's" and His "do's" helps me a lot.  Life maybe isn't all that complicated.  Maybe I was making it that way by concerning myself with stuff that simply wasn't my job.

I feel a bit more free - and a bit more focused!

Enjoy!

delton

12.03.13 "PATIENCE, TRUST AND NOT IN CONTROL-OH MY!"

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.

Isaiah 7:13-14

New International Version (NIV)

¹³ Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, andwill call him Immanuel.

Pastor said yesterday in the notes “God is calling Ahaz and is calling us to see times of great anxiety as times to trust and not take control!”  In today’s text Isaiah asks if “we will try the patience of God also?”

Wow! This is the text that I am supposed to write about?  Anyone that knows me knows that being patient, trusting & not being in control are not part of my personal DNA.  God continues to try to force me to grow and change.  Writing on this passage is more proof that I need to alter my DNA.

I do need to be more patient.  I have a hard time waiting 5 minutes for something that needs to be done.  If it needs to be done, I want to do it right then.  Then here is Isaiah with a prophecy that “the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”  Patience!  They waited 700 years for the prophecy to come true!  Now that’s patience!

Then there is the trust & not in control issue.  Isaiah said to trust the Lord that this will happen.  Trust that a virgin can conceive and give birth to a son?  How does that work?  No one needs to take control and make sure that the virgin becomes pregnant?

I guess if they waited 700 years and trusted that God would take care of the birth and  they did not need to do anything but have faith---  Then surely I can continue to work on being patient and when I am troubled, I can trust in Him and give up control. 

As pastor said yesterday, Isaiah issued his prophecy during a very trying time.  He was about to be overrun by surrounding armies.  Yet in the midst of these trials, God issued a promise through Isaiah that was fulfilled.  Why would we think that our problems today would be any more trying than the ones Ahaz was dealing with?  God only asks us to have patience, trust in him & give up control.  His promise will be fulfilled with us, if we let Him!

I will continue to try to become more patient, more trusting & (hard as it may be) give up control.  I know that I am not in control, but that does not keep me from trying to take control.  How is your journey?  I would love to hear from you about how you deal with patience, trust and control.

Have a Blessed week,

Jerry

12/02/2013 Leaning in to "God With Us"

Matthew 1:18-23 (The Message) 18-19 The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn’t know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.

20-23 While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God’s angel spoke in the dream: “Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate to get married. Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—‘God saves’—because he will save his people from their sins.” This would bring the prophet’s embryonic sermon to full term:

Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for “God is with us”).

Can you imagine?

Joseph is betrothed -- well into the Jewish process of marriage -- to a woman of God. He found out she was pregnant, even though they had never shared a marriage bed. Joseph knew the easiest way to end the marriage (the politically correct thing to do) was to dissolve the marriage process due to the pregnancy. Divorce was certainly appropriate, but as a man of integrity his desire was to divorce Mary as quietly as possible to protect her.

Then God intervened.

He charged Joseph to lean in to the challenge of the pregnancy. To ignore the "correct" thing to do in the eyes of the world and follow the calling that God has placed before him to be the earthly father of the Son of God. Joseph was asked to lean in to the promise that this child will be "God With Us."

Leaning in has become a very popular phrase over the past year or so, especially with working mothers feeling empowered to embrace challenges in their careers. Leaning in has been a very divisive concept and has, at times, started battles of words between career women and stay at home mothers. One side believes that leaning in is necessary to succeed and, even if unpopular or politically incorrect, is still the right thing to do for their careers. The other side believes that women should be primarily mothers first and their careers should be second, no matter the professional cost.

My intent today is not to start a battle on the topic of leaning in, but to give you a brief starting point for my thoughts today as I considered Joseph's challenge as he learned of Mary's pregnancy.

He had to battle against the popular choice of divorce when God stepped in and asked him to lean in to the Promise. Marrying Mary and raising her child was not an easy path for Joseph, by any means, and was probably greatly frowned upon by most of his peers. Joseph probably lost standing socially, professionally, and most likely within his extended family as well. Yet he persevered in leaning in to to God's challenge for him.

What does that mean for us to lean in to Jesus -- to God With Us?

For me, I'm finding it means making decisions to follow paths that lead me away from what is comfortable into things and pathways that are unknown and undefined. It means knowing that I can trust my connection with the Spirit and that God Is With Me even if I screw up as try to discern His will. God Is With Me. God Is With Us. Thank you.

I would love to hear from you about your journey of leaning in to God With Us today. Please share in the comments.

Blessings to you today! Lisa

11.30.13 "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 138

¹ Lord, I will praise you with all my heart. In front of those who think they are gods I will sing praise to you. ² I will bow down facing your holy temple. I will praise your name, because you are loving and faithful. You have honored your name and your word more than anything else. ³ When I called out to you, you answered me. You made me strong and brave.

⁴ Lord, may all of the kings on earth praise you when they hear about what you have promised. ⁵ Lord, may they sing about what you have done, because your glory is great.

⁶ The Lord is in heaven. But he watches over those who are free of pride. He knows those who are proud and stays far away from them. ⁷ Trouble is all around me, but you keep me alive. You reach out your hand to put a stop to the anger of my enemies. With your powerful right hand you save me. ⁸ Lord, you will do everything you have planned for me. Lord, your faithful love continues forever. You have done so much for us. Don’t stop now.

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

11.27.13 "Needing a Good Samaritan"

Luke 10   25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denariiand gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

This is the famous Good Samaritan story!  Today it is speaking into my life a little differently.  Today is the eve of thanksgiving and I am feeling a little like the guy that got taken out by bandits.  I feel a little broken and a little vulnerable.  My heart is in need of mercy.  So I think today I find myself very very thankful that I have received mercy and continue to receive mercy from the goodest of all Good Samaritans.  My Jesus has been merciful to me - and I find myself filled with heartfelt gratitude.

I once heard a definition of mercy as "not getting what we do deserve" and grace as "getting what we don't deserve".  We are going to spend a great deal of time with family over the next several days.  We are in the midst of getting ready - cleaning house - doing the yard!  I won't get done - I never do.  I don't deserve all the joy and life that will be buzzing in the house but I will receive it because my God is merciful to me and I am thankful!

Enjoy your Thanksgiving!  Enjoy it beyond expectation!  Give thanks for your God who has been so Good even to the point of tending to your deepest wounds when you have been thrown into the gutters of life!  He is a Good God - receive His Mercy well!

Thank you Jesus!

delton

11.25.13 "That they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven"

Matthew 5: 14-16 You are the light of the world.  A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on it’s stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

There are a few cool little analogies in this passage.  The “city on a hill,” the “lamp under the bowl”… I love how Jesus can be so concise yet make his point so clearly.

When my wife read this passage she instantly wanted me to talk about the “light” and how if we want more “light” in our lives then we must get closer to the source.  She made some really cool points too….but for whatever reason the last sentence is what I wanted to talk about.

That they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

I remember being about 6 years old and having a Sunday school teacher tell me that as a Christian, my purpose was to glorify God.  I’m sure I acted as though that made perfect sense.  But I probably had no idea what that meant.  In fact, as I think about that phrase now…I think it’s total Christian-ese.  Who talks that way out in the real world?  What exactly does it mean to glorify something?

I’m not sure I understood that question until I started coaching little league.  I remember the feeling I got when those little guys went out and played well.  It wasn’t even so much that they were doing anything for me…but it felt good.

Most of the coaches I played for used fear, intimidation and punishment to get results from players.  But I remember one coach who did it differently.  I remember showing up in college and walking past the field each day on my way to class.  Every day he was out there working.  By the time the season rolled around he’d literally spent hundreds of hours working alone to get the field just right.  All of the players recognized the effort and sacrifice he’d made…and when we were asked to stay late, or work harder…we gladly complied.  I felt immense gratitude for him and I hope that he felt great when we played well.

I guess I say all that because I realize now that those experiences playing baseball help me understand that a big part of glorifying God stems from recognizing what he did for me…long before I was asked to do anything.  And now, when I “live well”…he gets to feel the same way I felt when my players did what I asked.  My good deeds bring that joy.

For me, that’s what it means to glorify my Father in heaven.

Jon

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:    Luke 2:28-32

²⁸ Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God. He said,

²⁹ “Lord, you are the King over all. Now let me, your servant, go in peace. That is what you promised. ³⁰ My eyes have seen your salvation. ³¹     You have prepared it in the sight of all people. ³² It is a light to be given to those who aren’t Jews. It will bring glory to your people Israel.”

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

11/22/13 "Sing a New Song"

Lord, guide our thoughts and strengthen our faith that we might love and serve you with our whole hearts and expand your kingdom. Amen. Psalm 96:1-3 (NIV)

Sing to the Lord a new song;


    sing to the Lord, all the earth.

Sing to the Lord, praise his name;


    proclaim his salvation day after day.

Declare his glory among the nations,


    his marvelous deeds among all peoples

If today’s Christian musicians are looking for a scriptural admonition to write contemporary songs, this is the passage.  For us the command is clear.  We are to join in singing new songs of praise that are fitting to the times in which we live.  Songs that are not foreign to the ears of people we are called to reach in this generation.

God desires that we join the whole creation in lifting our voices in songs of praise.  Through these wonderful new songs we praise His name with words that proclaim His wonderful work of salvation and declare His glory and His marvelous deeds. This message of salvation sung in these wonderful new songs is not only for us it is a message that is to be directed to our friends in Austin and our neighbors throughout the world.

I have come to love the worship at Point of Grace, not only because through it we are rehearsing the great truths of scripture but also because the tunes and forms of the worship are not foreign to the ears of people new to the faith and looking for a contemporary expression of the good news of salvation.  Although I must admit that singing all of the verses of “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” on occasion, is a great boon to this aging Lutheran clergyman with “L” shaper corpuscles.

Lord, thank you for Christian songwriters and worship leaders who help us give expression to Biblical truths in ways that are helpful to a new generation seeking a deeper connection with you. Amen.

John