The Bible.......summarized

I heard a sermon that focused on a summation in a few key words of the overall theme of God's Word.......so here goes my adaptation.  Creation- (In the beginning God created);  Love- (we love because God first loved us, boundless love);  The Fall/Sin- (man’s yields to temptation, sin enters);  Israel- (out of love God selects a chosen Nation/People from which a remnant will stand & a Savior will come);  Jesus- (God in the flesh, lowers himself into humanity to lead & save us);  The Cross- (again, out of love, Jesus takes on our sin with the ultimate sacrifice);  Resurrection/Salvation-  (Jesus arises on the third day, conquering death, providing salvation to believers/followers);  Judgment- (God’s final judgment on all; glorious eternal life for the faithful, eternal separation/wrath upon sin/unbelievers);  The Curse is Reversed- (sin/Satan is defeated/destroyed).

The Bible was written over a period of about 1600 years (roughly 1500 BC-100 AD)…….by at least 40 different authors (Kings, fishermen, farmer, doctor, shepherd, tax collector, Prince, tent maker, a military general, a prime minister, a priest, etc) …….in 3 different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek)…….covering pieces of 3 continents (Africa, Asia, Europe)…….and yet it tells 1 uniform story:  Where we came from; Where we are going when we die; and THE WAY God provided for you to choose your eternal destiny.  It does not matter who or where we are; what matters is if we have a faithful relationship with our God.  Blessings in your pursuit.......TO

 

 

Cafeteria Christianity

Hebrews 5:12-6:1 says, In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!  Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.  But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God.                                               This is evidence that we must mature in our faith.  Truth is, seems as though we oftentimes get content in our faith walk and want to pick and choose what we believe to be true obedience to our God.  This is what is referred to as a 'cafeteria Christianity' faith.  Living in a way with the freedom to select from God's word how WE think our walk should be. We must surrender to the WHOLE truth and not partial. This is a dangerous route to take.  It is not about us, God is the source of righteousness and truth.  May we all pray fervently for wisdom and discernment to truly walk in the light of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.....growing and maturing in His love.  Blessings in your pursuit.......TO

                              

Shaken.....but not Broken!

I have felt that abiding peace in the midst of uncertain circumstances. I have relearned the practice of true childlike faith in that I don't know what's coming next, and yet, I’m trying to simply trust. My faith has been shaken but not broken.  I realize more now than ever that sometimes each of us need a shake(not the milk kind-although that sounds pretty good), otherwise complacency can become our dwelling place.  God  uses  trials to make Himself more real and reachable to us than He was before.   A pathway to a new place we could never have reached if things had stayed the way they were!  God uses everything in our lives to draw us closer to Him-even the bad stuff.  Situations we never would choose- trials that shake us, that leave us different than before.   May we never equate the trials/struggles we face with how God feels about us.  He is not indifferent and does hear our prayers.  He deeply loves us----always, and that is our ultimate victory!  In the end we will find Him faithful, we will find Him true, we will see what He has done and marvel at His ability to use everything and waste nothing.   Isaiah 42:16 says, ‘ I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.’   Read Romans 8:28 and Hebrews 12:11 again. As reflected in the poem ‘Footprints’, God does not leave the faithful.   Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Struggling with God's Will?

There have been times I have earnestly prayed for God to show me His will for what He made me to do/be.  I have prayed for the job He wants me in, where geographically he wants me, what congregation to worship with/be involved at, and probably a host of other requests.  I came across an article the one day that has changed my outlook.  While it is perfectly normal to ask and seek answers from our God through prayer, are these petitions reflective of my will or God’s?  1 Thes. 5:16-18 says; "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus".  WOW!  I am guilty of wanting/perhaps demanding direct answers and guidance to specific prayer requests to God.  Yes, we should ask.  But my response should be to be joyful and thankful no matter the circumstance and/or answer and continue to pray and trust.  Prayer is our 24/7 hotline to God.  It keeps us connected to our rock/refuge/comforter.  Giving thanks helps take the focus off the trials and allows more time to enjoy the blessings God has provided.  So, no matter where I work or live, what career or potential spouse we (or our children)choose, and any other important choices-God’s will is to be thankful, prayerful and cultivate joy.  I sometimes fret over making the ‘right’ choice.  Instead, my goal now is to pray for guidance, use all available resources in making decisions, then trusting God, and getting to the understanding that sometimes there are no ‘right or wrong’ choices-but just multiple options.  That means the pressure of making the exact right decision, or else entirely missing God's will, is off.  And that's one thing we can give God thanks for today!  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Total Surrender

Are you ready to ‘give up’?  

All our lives we are usually encouraged by special influential people to persevere, don’t give up-you can do it!  Sound advice for becoming/being your best. It has been stated that Thomas Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb! We sure have benefited from Mr. Edison's resilience and perseverance. Winston Churchill said to 'never, never, never give up'. No doubt, excellent motivation/advise. That said, I want to suggest there is a time to ‘give up’....... in a different manner of speaking.  It is the humbling act of denying ourselves and following Jesus.   In Luke 14:25-35, Jesus addresses the commitment demanded for a life of obedience.  Verse 33 tells us that unless we give up everything, we cannot be a disciple.  Does this really mean we must give up all in order to faithfully follow Jesus.   I don’t believe that necessarily.  It’s more about an attitude of whether ‘we have things’ or ‘things have us’.  Just as Jesus was warning this crowd of followers of the cost for a complete surrender, we must put away/give up those things that distract us.  Prioritizing-beginning with God- is the perplexing and constant battle that can entrap us.  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

One

  One is important to God

 We typically want to see ‘big’ results of our service actions.......and NOW! I want to help lead many to Jesus, perhaps be a super hero in sharing Jesus/The Good News.  While it’s great to set lofty goals, this can lead to getting discouraged, doubt, and narcissistic in my efforts to share Jesus.  Luke 15:1-10, one brings rejoice/joy, one is important to God.  If I should just lead one to know God-much rejoicing will occur in Heaven-just like in the parables that Jesus taught regarding the joy in a master/owner finding the one lost sheep and one coin.  Let’s nurture our relationships with others and plant seeds through our actions to all that are part of our lives.  We as humans may see just one/or a few as insignificant or as 'failing'. However, God rejoices, every ONE is important to our Creator!  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO