Waiting is always hard.......I guess it's because we want things NOW.....but that's not reality. We can wait in silence or wait in anticipation. Waiting in anticipation is so much more fun. :)
6 years ago my family and I all went to Disney world for a trip. My Parents, brother, niece, husband, kids and I all went together.....all 9 of us. We planned for months before we left....the resort, the plane, the meals, the parks we would visit......all that planning got us more excited every time we got together. We all couldn't wait to go and be together and make memories. Well....the day came and we got on that plane and entered the different lands of Disney! We did everything together....all 9 of us. The waiting was hard, but the fun we all had was so worth the wait. All our memories are in a scrap book that keeps coming to me so I can relive the great week.
We are taught as children we need to be patient. This is something some people never master. Patience isn't inherited, but learned. If we aren't put in situations where we need to wait....we would never learn patience. Patience is a result of waiting. We wait for all kinds of things.....
I wait for.....
- my lunch break
- my shift to be over
- church to start Sunday morning
- meetings to be done
- my supper to get finished
- my paycheck
- my kids to visit
- a hot shower after a long day
- opportunities to make new friends
- ways to show love to others
- ways to help people
- Jesus return
Some of these things are in anticipation.....but some may take a while to transpire.
Thinking about all this makes me think of Jesus. He is coming one day to claim His bride (Christians) and take us to be where he is. We are to wait in humble anticipation for this glorious day! Waiting for Him to come for me? That's amazing and I so don't deserve it at all.....but the Bible is clear that he is preparing a place for the people who love Him and choose Him. He will return to take us to His side. This is the biggest and most important event we can wait for! It will be so much better than Disney.....and that place is amazing too.....but there's no comparison when it comes to heaven and spending eternity with our Savior!
John 14:2-3
Jesus says....."in my fathers house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you, I will come back, and take you to be with me that you may be where I am".
Luke 12:40
You must also be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
2 Peter 3:1-18
Verse 12......you ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed it's coming.
Friday, April 29, 2016
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Questions
It's been told to me recently that the more we study about God....the more we realize we don't know and the more questions we have. This is so true......as much as I wish it wasn't.
Just some thoughts and questions I had.
- not all churches recognize the sign gifts as a spiritual gift.....why?
- some believe in infant baptism.....some in dedication of a baby.
- some believe the rapture will happen after the tribulation.
- some feel all Christians need to speak in tongues to be a true Christian
- some feel God will send the wrath down if we don't obey
- some believe there is an "age of accountability" where you aren't held accountable for your sin until a certain age
- some believe Satan isn't real
- some believe God chooses who He will save.....some believe we can choose for ourselves
- some believe we all go to heaven....except for "bad" people. (If I don't steal or murder....I'm good)
- some believe they are better than God and don't need him
- some believe we have to work for our salvation
- some believe once we are saved we can lose our salvation
- some believe we can give our salvation back to God if we don't want it anymore.
- some people don't think forgiveness is necessary
- some churches have more traditions than others
- some people think it's ok to criticize leaders
- some people want Jesus without giving anything up and feel it's not necessary to do so
- some people think it's ok to keep secrets
- some people want things their own way in a church without any regard to God
- some people don't think church membership is necessary
- some people believe Christ isn't coming back anytime soon
.......I could go on and on......
These are some things I've been listening to from people I come in contact with and wondering about. I thank God for the people he puts in my life even if for a short time. I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to go to His Word and find the answers for myself......and if I can't I ask to my favorite people.....and you all know who you are. :)
Just some thoughts and questions I had.
- not all churches recognize the sign gifts as a spiritual gift.....why?
- some believe in infant baptism.....some in dedication of a baby.
- some believe the rapture will happen after the tribulation.
- some feel all Christians need to speak in tongues to be a true Christian
- some feel God will send the wrath down if we don't obey
- some believe there is an "age of accountability" where you aren't held accountable for your sin until a certain age
- some believe Satan isn't real
- some believe God chooses who He will save.....some believe we can choose for ourselves
- some believe we all go to heaven....except for "bad" people. (If I don't steal or murder....I'm good)
- some believe they are better than God and don't need him
- some believe we have to work for our salvation
- some believe once we are saved we can lose our salvation
- some believe we can give our salvation back to God if we don't want it anymore.
- some people don't think forgiveness is necessary
- some churches have more traditions than others
- some people think it's ok to criticize leaders
- some people want Jesus without giving anything up and feel it's not necessary to do so
- some people think it's ok to keep secrets
- some people want things their own way in a church without any regard to God
- some people don't think church membership is necessary
- some people believe Christ isn't coming back anytime soon
.......I could go on and on......
These are some things I've been listening to from people I come in contact with and wondering about. I thank God for the people he puts in my life even if for a short time. I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to go to His Word and find the answers for myself......and if I can't I ask to my favorite people.....and you all know who you are. :)
Friday, April 22, 2016
Life
Yesterday I attended two meetings at work and at church......Thursday night I was at a meeting at church. I don't keep my phone readily available, but at one point decided to check it. I had a message from someone who needed me right at that moment......I was unable to respond the way I wanted to had I not been in the meeting. Had I been available.....I would have done things differently.
I was needed at actually 3 places at once. The church, my home, and the situation I got the message about.......and I got to thinking about it all at 0123 am on Friday morning. I woke from a dead sleep rehashing the day's events and the meetings and messages I received. They only thing I could do at 0123 am is pray.
I shared with a friend today....who is helping hold my prayer life in better accountability....what had happened when I got up. I was asked if I prayed and I said "yes" and then I was asked if I asked for forgiveness. I said "of course" because that's what we always should do first......we always need to be clean to pray to our God. Sin in our heart keeps our God from working in our life they way he needs to. Sin always holds us back.
Anyway......what happens when we are needed at multiple places at once? How do we decide what or who is most important? Well.....that's a good question and one I don't know how to answer right away. I feel it depends on the situation. Life or death situations require no thought to tend to.....but other things do. We grow and learn how to adjust to life with each decision we have to make. Some are hard.....some not. I am finding we should ask our God what His plan is and how can I best be used in that situation to glorify Him.
I ask questions and advice to trusted people in my life. Getting other Christian input on how to deal with things is a way for us to hold each other accountable. It's a way for us to sharpen each other and help us stay on track with out God. I am finding I want to "fix" situations I come in contact with. I want to make it all better for everyone in my life. I want to take their pain away and help them understand God has plans are better than ours. I suppose there isn't anything wrong with having a desire to help people......but fixing it all for them?
What a friend helped me realize today is that I can't fix anything or anyone......and I know this.....only pray and ask God to do what He needs to. His plans are perfect and that includes imperfect people and situations. Fixing it for everyone would be real nice.....but that's not what we as humans have the ability to always do. Our life Ana how we live is ultimately up to our God who knows us and knows what's best for us. I only pray for guidance to make good choices that glorify And build the kingdom.
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
Stepping stone
About 4 years ago, there was talk from a friend about a book called "Not a Fan" by Kyle Idleman. She told me that it was a good book in that it explains the difference in being a fan of Jesus verses a follower of Him. When she first told me about it i thought to myself......"I don't need that....I'm a follower already. What more could I know about any of that".
So....one day I was at Ollies. I try not to go there too often as I tend to want more books then I need. (For those that don't know I have sort of an obsession with books.....and cheap ones are ever better). Anyway I was in Ollies looking around and there it was. One copy of "Not a Fan"......sitting right in front of me......one little lonely copy for $3.99. Thinking back to the conversation my friend and I had and reading the back cover, I realized I may not be on track with God like I thought I was. So I bought it. I took it home and read the whole thing in a short time. This book scared me in that all these years I thought I was a follower but in reality I was nothing more than a fan.
Idleman explains that fans are "enthusiastic admirers"......much like how we get all excited for our favorite sports teams or music groups. We are fans of them because we know all ABOUT them but don't know them. Same is true with Jesus. We can know about him, yet not know him. Some people call themselves Christians, but aren't interested in following Jesus at all. They only want him for the benefits, but don't want to have to change anything about their life. I call this riding the fence and there is no place for fence riders in Jesus' kingdom. Either you are all in or all out. This is where I was.
At the time of reading this book.....my husband and I were youth leaders and taught Sunday school for teens each week. Every week I would prepare two lessons......every month or two we would have fun activities to do with the kids.....but after starting this book and realizing what I was doing was trying to please God by "doing". I wanted to be there for the kids and serve my God, but I can say my heart probably wasn't all in. I was a fan trying to teach the kids how to be followers. A follower of Jesus is all in.....a person that only worships the living God, not money, not other people, not books, not music, not the Internet.....but Jesus alone. I had some work to do.
We ended up doing the Not a Fan study with the youth and as they asked questions I realized my relationship with my God was messed up and needed some work. It wasn't Him that moved.....it was me. They say we get "comfortable" in our relationship with God. Once we accept Him we are so excited to learn and grow.....but over time we take it for granted and we lose our first love. We get comfortable in our faith and become nothing more than a fan. So....after the study was over with the teens, I took a step back and told them all that my relationship with Jesus needed some work. That in order to teach them well, I had to work on my relationship with Him and fix it before I could be a good teacher to them. So I did that. It was hard stepping back, but much needed.
I began to get up early each day and pray and study.....and study some more.....and more. I did an online course in going through the New Testament reading one chapter a day. I would read and make notes and add notes from the study to my own. It was amazing. I couldn't wait to do that everyday and learn. God was changing me......and I knew there was a purpose for all this studying, but I just didn't know what it was, but I kept going. It was a desire I never experienced before. This is amazing to me in how God works. I've never been much of a reader in my life. In fact in school I would do book reports by reading the front cover, the back cover, and a couple pages in the middle. Then I would make up the rest.....hoping that teacher didn't ever read the book I was reporting on. I didn't like reading.....but this is how God works. When He has a plan, it won't be stopped. We can fight Him or just go with it. I've learned that going with it will change your life......for the better, I promise.
I still read.....a lot. I take notes.....a lot.......I ask questions.....a lot.....and from what I've been told, the purpose is for God to get His glory. That's it. All for His glory. All for Him.
I've realized the more we know about our God, we can love Him better. We can then love people better and make more disciples through relationships. It all comes full circle. We just have to stop being a fan and become the follower He needs us to be. I regret not getting things right with my God sooner. I feel I've missed a lot of opportunities to serve Him, but I can't dwell on that. We always have to more forward in truth and love. This book was a life changer for me. It was a stepping stone for a new life in Jesus.
So....one day I was at Ollies. I try not to go there too often as I tend to want more books then I need. (For those that don't know I have sort of an obsession with books.....and cheap ones are ever better). Anyway I was in Ollies looking around and there it was. One copy of "Not a Fan"......sitting right in front of me......one little lonely copy for $3.99. Thinking back to the conversation my friend and I had and reading the back cover, I realized I may not be on track with God like I thought I was. So I bought it. I took it home and read the whole thing in a short time. This book scared me in that all these years I thought I was a follower but in reality I was nothing more than a fan.
Idleman explains that fans are "enthusiastic admirers"......much like how we get all excited for our favorite sports teams or music groups. We are fans of them because we know all ABOUT them but don't know them. Same is true with Jesus. We can know about him, yet not know him. Some people call themselves Christians, but aren't interested in following Jesus at all. They only want him for the benefits, but don't want to have to change anything about their life. I call this riding the fence and there is no place for fence riders in Jesus' kingdom. Either you are all in or all out. This is where I was.
At the time of reading this book.....my husband and I were youth leaders and taught Sunday school for teens each week. Every week I would prepare two lessons......every month or two we would have fun activities to do with the kids.....but after starting this book and realizing what I was doing was trying to please God by "doing". I wanted to be there for the kids and serve my God, but I can say my heart probably wasn't all in. I was a fan trying to teach the kids how to be followers. A follower of Jesus is all in.....a person that only worships the living God, not money, not other people, not books, not music, not the Internet.....but Jesus alone. I had some work to do.
We ended up doing the Not a Fan study with the youth and as they asked questions I realized my relationship with my God was messed up and needed some work. It wasn't Him that moved.....it was me. They say we get "comfortable" in our relationship with God. Once we accept Him we are so excited to learn and grow.....but over time we take it for granted and we lose our first love. We get comfortable in our faith and become nothing more than a fan. So....after the study was over with the teens, I took a step back and told them all that my relationship with Jesus needed some work. That in order to teach them well, I had to work on my relationship with Him and fix it before I could be a good teacher to them. So I did that. It was hard stepping back, but much needed.
I began to get up early each day and pray and study.....and study some more.....and more. I did an online course in going through the New Testament reading one chapter a day. I would read and make notes and add notes from the study to my own. It was amazing. I couldn't wait to do that everyday and learn. God was changing me......and I knew there was a purpose for all this studying, but I just didn't know what it was, but I kept going. It was a desire I never experienced before. This is amazing to me in how God works. I've never been much of a reader in my life. In fact in school I would do book reports by reading the front cover, the back cover, and a couple pages in the middle. Then I would make up the rest.....hoping that teacher didn't ever read the book I was reporting on. I didn't like reading.....but this is how God works. When He has a plan, it won't be stopped. We can fight Him or just go with it. I've learned that going with it will change your life......for the better, I promise.
I still read.....a lot. I take notes.....a lot.......I ask questions.....a lot.....and from what I've been told, the purpose is for God to get His glory. That's it. All for His glory. All for Him.
I've realized the more we know about our God, we can love Him better. We can then love people better and make more disciples through relationships. It all comes full circle. We just have to stop being a fan and become the follower He needs us to be. I regret not getting things right with my God sooner. I feel I've missed a lot of opportunities to serve Him, but I can't dwell on that. We always have to more forward in truth and love. This book was a life changer for me. It was a stepping stone for a new life in Jesus.
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Matthew 21
Matthew 21......
Starts out with Palm Sunday as Jesus got the donkey to ride through the town.
Verse 4 - 5.....is from Isaiah 62:11
Verse 9.....is from psalm 118:26.
The crowds answered that Jesus was a prophet from Nazareth.
Verses 12-17.....Jesus goes to the temple. This temple is a place of worship of the Father. In the courts of the temple is where all this buying and selling was going on. When Jesus got there the money changers were ripping people off. The men were changing money from roman currency and other foreign coins that were not accepted in the temple as offerings. In exchanging the currency to what was accepted, the money changers were charging excessive rates to do the exchange, and pocketing the profits. They were also selling animals for sacrifices that was not proper to sell in this area. Jesus got mad and overturned all the tables.these men were making Gods house a den of robbers instead of a house of prayer. Our God is not all about making a profit by being unfaithful to Him. Jesus was clearly angry in this passage yet still did not sin.
Verse 16 is from psalm 8:2
The parable of the fig tree is telling us that we have to have faith. Other parts of scripture tell us we can have a small faith but we still need to have it. Faith is believing in what you cannot see. And think about this.....what use are we to God if we don't produce fruit?
Verse 23-27......the leaders try to trick Jesus yet again......but Jesus had a quick comeback for them. They want to know what authority He can do His miracles and He asks them what John the Baptist baptism was for. The leaders could not come up with a good answer so they said they didn't know. Jesus wouldn't tell them either.
The parable of the two sons is a story of confession without repentance and submission.
In other words it a story of how we can say we love Jesus and confess it but our heart may never be transformed by repenting of our sin and submitting to Christ. We can be like the first son who rejected his fathers commands but later changed his mind and did followed his commands. The second son lied the whole time. He didn't change or do what his father asked even though he tried to act like he was going to. The first som should represent all of us that have confessed Jesus as Lord of our life......repented of our sins....and submit to His word everyday.
Verse 33-45....the tenants are the leaders and the son is Jesus.....who was condemned to death by the leaders. These leaders were filled with so much greed. They wanted the vineyard so badly by lusting after power, control, and authority in Gods kingdom. They wanted it so bad they were willing to kill for it. Jesus would die for us and them as we know how this parable ends up.
Starts out with Palm Sunday as Jesus got the donkey to ride through the town.
Verse 4 - 5.....is from Isaiah 62:11
Verse 9.....is from psalm 118:26.
The crowds answered that Jesus was a prophet from Nazareth.
Verses 12-17.....Jesus goes to the temple. This temple is a place of worship of the Father. In the courts of the temple is where all this buying and selling was going on. When Jesus got there the money changers were ripping people off. The men were changing money from roman currency and other foreign coins that were not accepted in the temple as offerings. In exchanging the currency to what was accepted, the money changers were charging excessive rates to do the exchange, and pocketing the profits. They were also selling animals for sacrifices that was not proper to sell in this area. Jesus got mad and overturned all the tables.these men were making Gods house a den of robbers instead of a house of prayer. Our God is not all about making a profit by being unfaithful to Him. Jesus was clearly angry in this passage yet still did not sin.
Verse 16 is from psalm 8:2
The parable of the fig tree is telling us that we have to have faith. Other parts of scripture tell us we can have a small faith but we still need to have it. Faith is believing in what you cannot see. And think about this.....what use are we to God if we don't produce fruit?
Verse 23-27......the leaders try to trick Jesus yet again......but Jesus had a quick comeback for them. They want to know what authority He can do His miracles and He asks them what John the Baptist baptism was for. The leaders could not come up with a good answer so they said they didn't know. Jesus wouldn't tell them either.
The parable of the two sons is a story of confession without repentance and submission.
In other words it a story of how we can say we love Jesus and confess it but our heart may never be transformed by repenting of our sin and submitting to Christ. We can be like the first son who rejected his fathers commands but later changed his mind and did followed his commands. The second son lied the whole time. He didn't change or do what his father asked even though he tried to act like he was going to. The first som should represent all of us that have confessed Jesus as Lord of our life......repented of our sins....and submit to His word everyday.
Verse 33-45....the tenants are the leaders and the son is Jesus.....who was condemned to death by the leaders. These leaders were filled with so much greed. They wanted the vineyard so badly by lusting after power, control, and authority in Gods kingdom. They wanted it so bad they were willing to kill for it. Jesus would die for us and them as we know how this parable ends up.
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Asking questions is ok.....
My mind goes in a hundred different dierctions at once. Maybe it's due to years of multitasking? Maybe I secretly have ADD and never knew it? Maybe it's just how God made me.....but, I do know one thing. Once an idea or thought comes to my head i have to write it down or blurt it out.....if I don't, it goes away and it may never return. My brain is small and for me to remember anything is a miracle.
Most of my childhood is wiped away.....why? I don't know, but it upsets my mom when she tries to reminisce about this event or that event when I was young and I have to say..."sorry, don't remember that". I feel bad but what can I do? I'm learning that writing things down is a big help. I've got so many notebooks it's not funny. I have one that I just write random things in to help me remember. My daughter wants me to write down all my childhood memories. I've started this.....but it's taking some time. She only wants them to have good laugh now and then at the dumb things my brother and I did. This makes me laugh too as to why she wants it.....so I'll continue it.
But in the last 3 years I've really been keeping notes and record a lot of things I wouldn't normally have done. I have my EMT notebooks and notes how to do certain things in the ER and on ambulance. I refer to them and add to them as I need to.
My Bible notes are excessive to most people, but it's how I remember and learn......and I add to them all the time. I keep a notebook with me most of the time...."just in case" I need to remember something for later.
I ask a lot of questions. When I first started my job I have now it was all new to me. I asked so much questions im sure the nurses were dreading me coming around them to ask things, but they were gracious and helped me along. If it weren't for their patience with me, I wouldn't be able to do all the things I can do now. I know that and I hope they do too.
Same is true for my study of God and His Word. I ask a ton of questions to my mentor Esther, my pastor, the elders at my church, my church family, friends of the faith who have been reading the word a lot longer than me, and random people I meet that tell me they are Christians. I am always wanting to learn something from someone or by reading. All these people have patience with me as well and I'm so grateful. If they didn't, I'd be lost.
It's amazing to me how God uses people for His glory. It's more amazing to me that he would choose to use me at all. I pray He continues to use me in that the desire to learn more and more about Him never goes away. I will continue to write things down. My goal is not only to help me remember now....but to also to leave a legacy for my kids someday.
Most of my childhood is wiped away.....why? I don't know, but it upsets my mom when she tries to reminisce about this event or that event when I was young and I have to say..."sorry, don't remember that". I feel bad but what can I do? I'm learning that writing things down is a big help. I've got so many notebooks it's not funny. I have one that I just write random things in to help me remember. My daughter wants me to write down all my childhood memories. I've started this.....but it's taking some time. She only wants them to have good laugh now and then at the dumb things my brother and I did. This makes me laugh too as to why she wants it.....so I'll continue it.
But in the last 3 years I've really been keeping notes and record a lot of things I wouldn't normally have done. I have my EMT notebooks and notes how to do certain things in the ER and on ambulance. I refer to them and add to them as I need to.
My Bible notes are excessive to most people, but it's how I remember and learn......and I add to them all the time. I keep a notebook with me most of the time...."just in case" I need to remember something for later.
I ask a lot of questions. When I first started my job I have now it was all new to me. I asked so much questions im sure the nurses were dreading me coming around them to ask things, but they were gracious and helped me along. If it weren't for their patience with me, I wouldn't be able to do all the things I can do now. I know that and I hope they do too.
Same is true for my study of God and His Word. I ask a ton of questions to my mentor Esther, my pastor, the elders at my church, my church family, friends of the faith who have been reading the word a lot longer than me, and random people I meet that tell me they are Christians. I am always wanting to learn something from someone or by reading. All these people have patience with me as well and I'm so grateful. If they didn't, I'd be lost.
It's amazing to me how God uses people for His glory. It's more amazing to me that he would choose to use me at all. I pray He continues to use me in that the desire to learn more and more about Him never goes away. I will continue to write things down. My goal is not only to help me remember now....but to also to leave a legacy for my kids someday.
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Relax
I'm finding that I can't do things like I could 10 years ago.......not that I'm not able, just that I get tired quicker, I guess.
I can't rave enough enough about how much I love my job. People that know me can't figure out my enthusiasm, but it's true. Personally I can't explain it either.......but I know it's true too.
Some days are harder than others. Some days leave me drained and exhausted. Sometimes it's not just the physical tiredness.....it's the mental exhaustion as well. But I've always vowed to leave it at the door when I go home. I still feel tired at home, but don't dwell on the events of the day. In this line of work you can't dwell on the things that happened in a 12 hour shift. If you let it all sit and fester.....oh my....what a time it would be. More exhaustion than I need.
So my days off are spent with more relaxing and spending quiet time with God than I ever did. Maybe it's cause my kids are grown? Maybe it's cause I'm being lazy? Maybe it's just cause this is what God has for me in my day off? Maybe it's ok? Well.....even if it's not ok, I do it anyway. Haha. And I still do other things on my day off......I just don't go....go.....go all day.
I love the quiet.......and my family has always been later sleepers than me so getting up early when they were all in bed was something I looked forward to. Quiet......no tv......no radio.....no noise. I love that these days. It's helps me refuel for the next days of tasks. It helps me stay close to my God. It helps me get back on my focus of why I do what I do.
10 years ago I was working at my school job.....then after I got home I had a million and one things to do. Some days would be church meetings or youth group. Some days I would work another job when I got off or run my kids to practice or a job of their own.....football games......band concerts......sleepovers.....dinners.....family gatherings.....camping......I could go on and on. We all know how busy life can get. My boss at the time would ask me how I did all that stuff and it made her tired just thinking about me and all I did. To be honest I wouldn't have had it any other way back then, but now is a different story. Now......I'm noticing it. Now I don't know if I could do what I used to. I don't have to wonder if I can because right now is right now. Right now I know my limits and my God has plans that far exceed my plans.....so I have to be patient and do what I can.
Be there for someone hurting,....be there when my husband is having a rough day.....be there for my family.....be there for my church......be there when I'm needed to pray or hold someone.......be there to encourage someone........these are things I need to do.
Ephesians 3:20 says......My God is able......
He is able to do abundantly more than we ask or imagine. I see this in my life. I am tired but each new day He gives me strength to go on.....and serve Him. For that I am eternally thankful.
I can't rave enough enough about how much I love my job. People that know me can't figure out my enthusiasm, but it's true. Personally I can't explain it either.......but I know it's true too.
Some days are harder than others. Some days leave me drained and exhausted. Sometimes it's not just the physical tiredness.....it's the mental exhaustion as well. But I've always vowed to leave it at the door when I go home. I still feel tired at home, but don't dwell on the events of the day. In this line of work you can't dwell on the things that happened in a 12 hour shift. If you let it all sit and fester.....oh my....what a time it would be. More exhaustion than I need.
So my days off are spent with more relaxing and spending quiet time with God than I ever did. Maybe it's cause my kids are grown? Maybe it's cause I'm being lazy? Maybe it's just cause this is what God has for me in my day off? Maybe it's ok? Well.....even if it's not ok, I do it anyway. Haha. And I still do other things on my day off......I just don't go....go.....go all day.
I love the quiet.......and my family has always been later sleepers than me so getting up early when they were all in bed was something I looked forward to. Quiet......no tv......no radio.....no noise. I love that these days. It's helps me refuel for the next days of tasks. It helps me stay close to my God. It helps me get back on my focus of why I do what I do.
10 years ago I was working at my school job.....then after I got home I had a million and one things to do. Some days would be church meetings or youth group. Some days I would work another job when I got off or run my kids to practice or a job of their own.....football games......band concerts......sleepovers.....dinners.....family gatherings.....camping......I could go on and on. We all know how busy life can get. My boss at the time would ask me how I did all that stuff and it made her tired just thinking about me and all I did. To be honest I wouldn't have had it any other way back then, but now is a different story. Now......I'm noticing it. Now I don't know if I could do what I used to. I don't have to wonder if I can because right now is right now. Right now I know my limits and my God has plans that far exceed my plans.....so I have to be patient and do what I can.
Be there for someone hurting,....be there when my husband is having a rough day.....be there for my family.....be there for my church......be there when I'm needed to pray or hold someone.......be there to encourage someone........these are things I need to do.
Ephesians 3:20 says......My God is able......
He is able to do abundantly more than we ask or imagine. I see this in my life. I am tired but each new day He gives me strength to go on.....and serve Him. For that I am eternally thankful.
Monday, April 11, 2016
I'm not prepared
It's funny where and what life throws at you. Most of it we aren't prepared for.
Thinking back....I wasn't prepared to be a mom at 20 years old......wasn't prepared to be a wife at 22.......and be a mom again two more times.......or prepared when your kids leave the nest......
I wasn't prepared to leave my parents home and be family in a new home.......wasn't prepared to have loved ones die too soon.......or go to school at 39 years old......most of all I wasnt prepared to be a Christian at 26......
And I could say that most of the blessings in this life are usually the ones we aren't prepared for, like marriage, children, jobs, etc.....but we all know this is just how life works. We understand that some things are bigger than we are and we have to prepare. We understand that not all things in this life can be done without any preparation. Like weddings and funerals. We definitely need to prepare for them.
My daughter got married almost 2 years ago......we planned and shopped and prepared for months. It was a fun time. Wondering what it would have been like with no preparation......the people would have been hungry.....the pastor would have been unprepared to marry them......no flowers....or pictures.....it would have been a mess. But by preparing we got it to be a beautiful day.
When I say I wasn't prepared to be a Christian at 26.....I was referring to the change. The change that came over me at that time was amazing, yet a little scary. I remember right after I was saved, one Sunday morning I turned on TV, and was watching Charles Stanley preach before we left for church. This was new to me I never watched a preacher on TV....let alone before going to church....which I didn't do too much either. I asked my husband what was happening to me....he said...."that's how it works. That's how the Holy Spirit moves in us to help us grow in Christ". I didn't really know what all he was talking about at the time, but my hunger for the word was, and still is, insatiable.
Nothing could have prepared me for this change......one that was foreign to me. But it was an unpreparedness I would do again.
In thinking about being unprepared.....there is one thing we cannot be unprepared for. We have to be prepared for our Savior's return or the day we die.
Matthew 24:36 tells us no one knows the day or the hour of Jesus return.......
verse 42 tells us to keep watch......
and verse 44 tells us that we need to be ready because we don't know when he will come again.
There is no time for waiting in deciding for Jesus. Jesus is waiting for all of us.....he's waiting to bring us to himself......he's waiting for You.....he will never push himself on you. He wants our love and devotion to him alone.
Be prepared so when you meet him you are ready.
Thinking back....I wasn't prepared to be a mom at 20 years old......wasn't prepared to be a wife at 22.......and be a mom again two more times.......or prepared when your kids leave the nest......
I wasn't prepared to leave my parents home and be family in a new home.......wasn't prepared to have loved ones die too soon.......or go to school at 39 years old......most of all I wasnt prepared to be a Christian at 26......
And I could say that most of the blessings in this life are usually the ones we aren't prepared for, like marriage, children, jobs, etc.....but we all know this is just how life works. We understand that some things are bigger than we are and we have to prepare. We understand that not all things in this life can be done without any preparation. Like weddings and funerals. We definitely need to prepare for them.
My daughter got married almost 2 years ago......we planned and shopped and prepared for months. It was a fun time. Wondering what it would have been like with no preparation......the people would have been hungry.....the pastor would have been unprepared to marry them......no flowers....or pictures.....it would have been a mess. But by preparing we got it to be a beautiful day.
When I say I wasn't prepared to be a Christian at 26.....I was referring to the change. The change that came over me at that time was amazing, yet a little scary. I remember right after I was saved, one Sunday morning I turned on TV, and was watching Charles Stanley preach before we left for church. This was new to me I never watched a preacher on TV....let alone before going to church....which I didn't do too much either. I asked my husband what was happening to me....he said...."that's how it works. That's how the Holy Spirit moves in us to help us grow in Christ". I didn't really know what all he was talking about at the time, but my hunger for the word was, and still is, insatiable.
Nothing could have prepared me for this change......one that was foreign to me. But it was an unpreparedness I would do again.
In thinking about being unprepared.....there is one thing we cannot be unprepared for. We have to be prepared for our Savior's return or the day we die.
Matthew 24:36 tells us no one knows the day or the hour of Jesus return.......
verse 42 tells us to keep watch......
and verse 44 tells us that we need to be ready because we don't know when he will come again.
There is no time for waiting in deciding for Jesus. Jesus is waiting for all of us.....he's waiting to bring us to himself......he's waiting for You.....he will never push himself on you. He wants our love and devotion to him alone.
Be prepared so when you meet him you are ready.
Matthew 20
Matthew 20.....
Verse 1-16 - this parable is one many of us can relate to. So here a landowner wants to hire some men to work for him and earn a denarius, which is Roman money worth about a days wages. Well....some gut pus showed up at dawn and some were hired midday and some hired again for an hour. All men agreed to work for the wages discussed. At the end of the day all the workers got the same amount. This was "not fair" according to the ones who worked all day.
I can understand their point and I can't say I wouldn't feel the same......however this story has nothing to do with earning money.......this story has everything to do with salvation.
See.....whether we accept Gods gift of salvation through Jesus early in our life or on our deathbed......we all get the same inheritance. Eternity with Him. He rewards the same to all who accept him no matter when. I am glad our God shows no favoritism.....and is readily available to us at any stage of our life. My regret personally is that I didn't come to Him sooner.
God owes us nothing yet gives us everything in Christ......that's grace. We are sinners yet by His grace we are saved.
Verse 17-19......the third time Jesus predicts His death. Except in this statement he tells us that he will be turned over to the Gentiles. Jews would kill by stoning......Romans did death by crucifixion.
Verse 20-28......the mom of James and John asked Jesus if her sons can sit at his right and left hand in the kingdom. It is noted that she was speaking for them as they told her what to say. Jesus talks to the men and not the mother when he answers. James and john were two of the disciples and apparently became proud in that status.....thinking they had special placement with Him in heaven. Jesus tells them that sitting at his right hand one day is not his decision. The Father has decided that ands up to Him.
All these verses are about pride. We all know people who are proud. Proud of their accomplishments, proud of who they are, proud of what Jesus has done for them.......however here Jesus is telling us there is no room for pride when it comes to Him and the kingdom. When he says whoever is first must be last.....that's humility. Putting others ahead of yourself is humility.......serving others first is humility. Jesus came as a humble servant.......he died to save horrible people.....that's humility. There is no room for arrogance in the kingdom.
Verse 34.....Jesus had compassion on them! Love when we are told of Jesus compassion. Reminds us we need the same for others. Think about this.....all of us are spiritually blind until we cry out to Jesus. He offered sight to ALL who ask for it. We will still continue to have seasons of blindness......but we can ask and get our sight back.....whenever we ask. Thankfully our God doesn't let us get to far.......I am very thankful for that.
Verse 1-16 - this parable is one many of us can relate to. So here a landowner wants to hire some men to work for him and earn a denarius, which is Roman money worth about a days wages. Well....some gut pus showed up at dawn and some were hired midday and some hired again for an hour. All men agreed to work for the wages discussed. At the end of the day all the workers got the same amount. This was "not fair" according to the ones who worked all day.
I can understand their point and I can't say I wouldn't feel the same......however this story has nothing to do with earning money.......this story has everything to do with salvation.
See.....whether we accept Gods gift of salvation through Jesus early in our life or on our deathbed......we all get the same inheritance. Eternity with Him. He rewards the same to all who accept him no matter when. I am glad our God shows no favoritism.....and is readily available to us at any stage of our life. My regret personally is that I didn't come to Him sooner.
God owes us nothing yet gives us everything in Christ......that's grace. We are sinners yet by His grace we are saved.
Verse 17-19......the third time Jesus predicts His death. Except in this statement he tells us that he will be turned over to the Gentiles. Jews would kill by stoning......Romans did death by crucifixion.
Verse 20-28......the mom of James and John asked Jesus if her sons can sit at his right and left hand in the kingdom. It is noted that she was speaking for them as they told her what to say. Jesus talks to the men and not the mother when he answers. James and john were two of the disciples and apparently became proud in that status.....thinking they had special placement with Him in heaven. Jesus tells them that sitting at his right hand one day is not his decision. The Father has decided that ands up to Him.
All these verses are about pride. We all know people who are proud. Proud of their accomplishments, proud of who they are, proud of what Jesus has done for them.......however here Jesus is telling us there is no room for pride when it comes to Him and the kingdom. When he says whoever is first must be last.....that's humility. Putting others ahead of yourself is humility.......serving others first is humility. Jesus came as a humble servant.......he died to save horrible people.....that's humility. There is no room for arrogance in the kingdom.
Verse 34.....Jesus had compassion on them! Love when we are told of Jesus compassion. Reminds us we need the same for others. Think about this.....all of us are spiritually blind until we cry out to Jesus. He offered sight to ALL who ask for it. We will still continue to have seasons of blindness......but we can ask and get our sight back.....whenever we ask. Thankfully our God doesn't let us get to far.......I am very thankful for that.
Saturday, April 9, 2016
People
It's no secret that I love people......I enjoy conversations with people.....meeting new people.......asking questions to people when I don't understand.......getting advice from people......People in general are blessings to me and I learn a lot from the ones I have the privilege of being around. They teach me things and it's usually without them ever knowing they did.
It's funny because most of my young adult life I can say I was shy in talking to people. My husband on the other hand is very people oriented and could talk to strangers like he knew them all his life. Once when we were dating we went to the mall. He stopped to talk to a man and 20 minutes later we walked away. I asked "who was that"? He said " I have no idea we just met". I found this fascinating at the time. I never met anyone so outgoing and able to strike up conversations with complete strangers. I never had to talk much as he could talk to anyone at anytime and I was content just standing next to him as he did. I didn't have that gift to do what he did......at least not back then.
They say over years in a marriage that the couple flip roles......and I'm wondering if that's what happeneded to us. Here we are 21 years later and I talk more than he does now. I have to laugh because he has to tell me not to be long when I drop something off or stay later after a meeting or stay at work later to chat with coworkers. But I do it anyway.......I can't help it. My love for people and being in the midst of them is something I can't explain. He understands.....but still asks me not to be long.....I used to do that to him years ago. He would hang around after work and church for so long I didn't know if he was in an accident or what. And when he said "I'm leaving in a few minutes".....I knew it meant at least 60. It's funny how roles do change.
I'm still in awe of how God uses people and situations to bring about His plan. I'm in more awe as he would choose me at all to be one of his children. I'm in awe that he would allow me the privlede of being with the same man for 20+ years.......allow me to be a mom to my children.....and be a servant in His church. This alone blows my mind. I am not worthy of His love or the people he puts in my path. But that's grace, and I have to extend that grace to others.
It's funny because most of my young adult life I can say I was shy in talking to people. My husband on the other hand is very people oriented and could talk to strangers like he knew them all his life. Once when we were dating we went to the mall. He stopped to talk to a man and 20 minutes later we walked away. I asked "who was that"? He said " I have no idea we just met". I found this fascinating at the time. I never met anyone so outgoing and able to strike up conversations with complete strangers. I never had to talk much as he could talk to anyone at anytime and I was content just standing next to him as he did. I didn't have that gift to do what he did......at least not back then.
They say over years in a marriage that the couple flip roles......and I'm wondering if that's what happeneded to us. Here we are 21 years later and I talk more than he does now. I have to laugh because he has to tell me not to be long when I drop something off or stay later after a meeting or stay at work later to chat with coworkers. But I do it anyway.......I can't help it. My love for people and being in the midst of them is something I can't explain. He understands.....but still asks me not to be long.....I used to do that to him years ago. He would hang around after work and church for so long I didn't know if he was in an accident or what. And when he said "I'm leaving in a few minutes".....I knew it meant at least 60. It's funny how roles do change.
I'm still in awe of how God uses people and situations to bring about His plan. I'm in more awe as he would choose me at all to be one of his children. I'm in awe that he would allow me the privlede of being with the same man for 20+ years.......allow me to be a mom to my children.....and be a servant in His church. This alone blows my mind. I am not worthy of His love or the people he puts in my path. But that's grace, and I have to extend that grace to others.
Matthew 19
Matthew 19.....
Verse 2.....amazing that Jesus has large crowds. This still fascinates me. I can imagine the people following him just to hear him.
The religious leaders were always trying to trick Jesus. They knew the Scriptures and constantly tested Jesus to see his position on things. Here they were questioning divorce. We know today that to stay married for years is an accomplishment. People today divorce for all kinds of reasons. People in the Bible divorced for all kinds of reasons also....but Jesus is telling the leaders here that the only justified reason for divorce is because of adultery. Adultery is not only an offense against the spouse, but also an offense to God. Jesus is telling us that divorce is permissible for this reason, but not necessary. Again.,...God wants restoration to Himslf and to the married couple.
The rich young man......well this story is important. This young guy is asking Jesus what he has to do to get to heaven. Notice he's not asking how to get to know Jesus better or love him or be one of Hid followers. He's only concerned with heaven. And he asks what "good thing" he must do. See this guy had money. He was probably hoping he could give money to some poor people and be ok and get his ticket to heaven, but Jesus had other ideas. He thought he could earn his salvation through works.
The guy was a Jew so he knew the Laws of the Old Testament. He lived by them as we see in verses 18-19.
Verse 21 Jesus tells him to give away all his stuff to the poor and follow him. Now.....this guy had a lot of things and money. I'm sure he'd be willing to part with some of it, but ALL of it was too much to ask, so he hung his head and went away sad.
Jesus tells us it will be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needled than a rich man to get to heaven. Why? It all comes down to a heart issue.....Always a heart issue. Our hearts lead us astray and we put our trust in money and all the wrong things. Jesus wants us to put our trust only in Him.
Verses 29-30 tell us we will be rewarded for following Jesus wholeheartedly. We will be rewarded for choosing Him over anything this life has to offer. All of us have something we need to give up for Jesus. Now does that mean we can't enjoy our possessions or money or vacations? Absolutely not.......He's saying we have to get our heart right with him and the rest falls into place and one day we will be rewarded for our choice.
Verse 2.....amazing that Jesus has large crowds. This still fascinates me. I can imagine the people following him just to hear him.
The religious leaders were always trying to trick Jesus. They knew the Scriptures and constantly tested Jesus to see his position on things. Here they were questioning divorce. We know today that to stay married for years is an accomplishment. People today divorce for all kinds of reasons. People in the Bible divorced for all kinds of reasons also....but Jesus is telling the leaders here that the only justified reason for divorce is because of adultery. Adultery is not only an offense against the spouse, but also an offense to God. Jesus is telling us that divorce is permissible for this reason, but not necessary. Again.,...God wants restoration to Himslf and to the married couple.
The rich young man......well this story is important. This young guy is asking Jesus what he has to do to get to heaven. Notice he's not asking how to get to know Jesus better or love him or be one of Hid followers. He's only concerned with heaven. And he asks what "good thing" he must do. See this guy had money. He was probably hoping he could give money to some poor people and be ok and get his ticket to heaven, but Jesus had other ideas. He thought he could earn his salvation through works.
The guy was a Jew so he knew the Laws of the Old Testament. He lived by them as we see in verses 18-19.
Verse 21 Jesus tells him to give away all his stuff to the poor and follow him. Now.....this guy had a lot of things and money. I'm sure he'd be willing to part with some of it, but ALL of it was too much to ask, so he hung his head and went away sad.
Jesus tells us it will be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needled than a rich man to get to heaven. Why? It all comes down to a heart issue.....Always a heart issue. Our hearts lead us astray and we put our trust in money and all the wrong things. Jesus wants us to put our trust only in Him.
Verses 29-30 tell us we will be rewarded for following Jesus wholeheartedly. We will be rewarded for choosing Him over anything this life has to offer. All of us have something we need to give up for Jesus. Now does that mean we can't enjoy our possessions or money or vacations? Absolutely not.......He's saying we have to get our heart right with him and the rest falls into place and one day we will be rewarded for our choice.
Matthew 18
Matthew 18....
Verse 3.....unless you change and become like little children you won't enter the kingdom of God.....
This verse is telling us that out attitude when coming to accept Jesus should be like a child. The childlike version of faith is simple and helpless and full of humility. We cannot be arrogant when it comes to our faith and Jesus. Jesus here is letting us know that conversion is essential.
Verse 7-9..... This was talked about in chapter 5:29-30. Should we literally cut off our hand or cut out eyes out? No.....we just need to deal with the sin in our lives as harshly as possible. If hands cause you to sin....such as stealing, etc.....do what you have to to stop touching unnecessary things. If your eyes cause you to lust or look at ungodly things......do what you need to to stop that behavior. Only you know what sins run deep in your life, or what sin patterns you have. Jesus died to take all the junk out of our life and minds and hearts. Pray and ask God to help you do what is necessary to overcome and become whole again. He can take all of it away when we ask......thing is.....we have to be willing to give it up.
Verses 10-12 tell us that when we do go astray Jeuss won't stop looking for Us arms waiting for us to return. He will leave the 99 faithful and go after the one lost to return us to the fold. I'm so thankful for this as I am lots of times the one who wanders away.
Verses 15-20 are very important. These verses tell us how to deal with conflict. If someone offends you we are to go directly to the person and tell them. Ok......in reality how many times does this happen? Usually we think it's better to tell everyone but the person who offended us.....which is NoT the right thing to do.
Then if they don't listen we are to take a few people who can be trusted to help in the situation and act as mediators. They can be witnesses and help restore the relationship. Also the people picked to help should be trustworthy enough not to spread rumors about the situations to everyone and their brother.
Then if that doesn't work, tell the body of believers where you attend church. This is a last effort to restore the person to a right relationship with the one offended and the church and more importanly God.
See God wants restoration. He wants us to be in unity and love for His sake. He wants fellowship and harmony among the body as well as with Him. He wants relationships to be fixed and do whatever is necessary to fix them. Period. We can't work and make disciples in the church with fighting and problems in the way. Forgiveness is key.
Verse 19 tells us that when we pray with 2-3 Jesus is with us!! Corporate prayer is where we pray as one body.....and He is there with us.
Read the parable of the unmerciful servant very carefully as it could be easy for us to be like him. How many times do people hurt us? How many times do we not want to keep relationships that are broken? How many times do I need to forgive? Being hurt by others is not fun. But forgiveness is necessary.....again for restoration.
Here Jesus is telling us we need to forgive 490 times.......which is an infinite number. There is no limit to the amount of times we need to forgive someone. Look at it this way......people hurt us all the time. We can choose to forgive like Jesus says and move on.....or hold onto it and in verse 35 tells us if we dont forgive our Father won't forgive us. See God calls us to be a certain way. We can call ourselves a christian, but if we can't forgive....what kind of message are we sending the world? And think about this......no matter how many times someone has offended me....I've offended my God many more times than they have to me. If he forgives me then I need to do the same.
Verse 3.....unless you change and become like little children you won't enter the kingdom of God.....
This verse is telling us that out attitude when coming to accept Jesus should be like a child. The childlike version of faith is simple and helpless and full of humility. We cannot be arrogant when it comes to our faith and Jesus. Jesus here is letting us know that conversion is essential.
Verse 7-9..... This was talked about in chapter 5:29-30. Should we literally cut off our hand or cut out eyes out? No.....we just need to deal with the sin in our lives as harshly as possible. If hands cause you to sin....such as stealing, etc.....do what you have to to stop touching unnecessary things. If your eyes cause you to lust or look at ungodly things......do what you need to to stop that behavior. Only you know what sins run deep in your life, or what sin patterns you have. Jesus died to take all the junk out of our life and minds and hearts. Pray and ask God to help you do what is necessary to overcome and become whole again. He can take all of it away when we ask......thing is.....we have to be willing to give it up.
Verses 10-12 tell us that when we do go astray Jeuss won't stop looking for Us arms waiting for us to return. He will leave the 99 faithful and go after the one lost to return us to the fold. I'm so thankful for this as I am lots of times the one who wanders away.
Verses 15-20 are very important. These verses tell us how to deal with conflict. If someone offends you we are to go directly to the person and tell them. Ok......in reality how many times does this happen? Usually we think it's better to tell everyone but the person who offended us.....which is NoT the right thing to do.
Then if they don't listen we are to take a few people who can be trusted to help in the situation and act as mediators. They can be witnesses and help restore the relationship. Also the people picked to help should be trustworthy enough not to spread rumors about the situations to everyone and their brother.
Then if that doesn't work, tell the body of believers where you attend church. This is a last effort to restore the person to a right relationship with the one offended and the church and more importanly God.
See God wants restoration. He wants us to be in unity and love for His sake. He wants fellowship and harmony among the body as well as with Him. He wants relationships to be fixed and do whatever is necessary to fix them. Period. We can't work and make disciples in the church with fighting and problems in the way. Forgiveness is key.
Verse 19 tells us that when we pray with 2-3 Jesus is with us!! Corporate prayer is where we pray as one body.....and He is there with us.
Read the parable of the unmerciful servant very carefully as it could be easy for us to be like him. How many times do people hurt us? How many times do we not want to keep relationships that are broken? How many times do I need to forgive? Being hurt by others is not fun. But forgiveness is necessary.....again for restoration.
Here Jesus is telling us we need to forgive 490 times.......which is an infinite number. There is no limit to the amount of times we need to forgive someone. Look at it this way......people hurt us all the time. We can choose to forgive like Jesus says and move on.....or hold onto it and in verse 35 tells us if we dont forgive our Father won't forgive us. See God calls us to be a certain way. We can call ourselves a christian, but if we can't forgive....what kind of message are we sending the world? And think about this......no matter how many times someone has offended me....I've offended my God many more times than they have to me. If he forgives me then I need to do the same.
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Fear
I've come to realize that people in general have fears.......fears of all kinds of things, but mostly fear of the unknown. Think about that.
In my line of work people come in scared. Scared of symptoms......scared of the diagnosis.....scared of the doctor......scared of medicines.......scared of the unknown. This fear lots of times creates a bunch of other symptoms and anxiety. This fear drives people to do and say things they don't mean. Being in a ER is scary. Being in a hospital is scary. I remember when I was a kid and we would visit family in the hospital. I really didn't like being there. It was scary and creepy. I remember visiting my grandmother before she died and when we would get to her room, I would never be the first one to walk in. I would go in after my dad. He would usually be first and I would be last. My fear of seeing my grandmother worse than the day before was scary to me and my dad protected me in that if something would have been wrong he would have let us know. The same thing happened when my mother in law was in and out of the hospital. I would always go into her room after my husband, who I would graciously allow to go first. Fear of the unknown.
It's amazing how God uses things in our life to teach us lessons. Now, Working in a hospital....I no longer fear going into a room first.....or get creeped out by any of it. In fact most days I want to be there.....meeting new people and helping them is a blessing to me. It's amazing to me how even in childhood God uses situations to build who you will be as an adult.....without us even knowing.
We don't have to fear the unknown. Fear drives us to stay in our comfort zone. Our comfort zones seem to get more comfortable the more scared we get. I don't want to do this or that......or change this or that.....so I'll just stay here and it'll all be ok. Thing is.....either we can get on board with the changes thrown at us or we can stay comfortable and miss out. Miss out on blessing we might not otherwise get. Miss out on relationships......miss out on helping someone else.....miss out on being a light to a dark world......miss out on a lot.
Change is the only thing in this life that stays the same. Change is inevitable and we don't have to fear any of it. Look at it as an adventure.......and our God is the leader with all the leg work done. He has it all figured out so we don't have to. We can have peace instead of fear.
Isaiah 41:10 says.....Do not fear for I am with you......
And if He is with us we can be free of what scares us.
Monday, April 4, 2016
Matthew 17
Matthew 17......
So....Jesus took a few of the disciples to a high mountain 6 days later. This is the 6 days following Peters confession of who Jesus is in chapter 16 and Jesus transforming himself here in chapter 17.
Jesus was transfigured meaning he changed His appearance so His glory could be shown. We are told his face shown like the sun and his clothes white as snow. I'm trying to imagine Jesus in all this radiant light. It would have been amazing to see Him this way. This is the expression of the word "glory" as it is hard to describe......we have to witness it as these men did. Glory is the never ending beauty and greatness of Gods many perfections.
Can you imagine God speaking in verse 5? Telling the men he was well pleased with His son and he needs to be listened to. You can find the same words in Matthew 3:17 and 2 Peter 1:17. I would have fell over. The verses tell us next the disciples fell facedown and were terrified. But verse 7 Jesus tells them to get up and not be afraid. Jesus could take all the fear away. Jesus instructs them not to tell anyone what they witnessed on the mountain until after his resurrection. This was to keep things in line with Gods perfect timing for his death and resurrection. Telling too much too soon could have altered the plan. (But then again our God has full control even when we don't think He does)
Verse 15.....some seizures were the result of demon possession. This was one of those times a a Jesus got rid of the demon.
Notice in verse 16 the man had asked the disciples to get the demon out, but they acted like they couldn't. Jesus gave them power for is task, but because of their little faith they could not do it.
Verse 22 is the second time Jesus predicts his death.
Now verses 24-27 talks of taxes. Two drachma tax is an annual temple tax required of every male 20 years and older for the upkeep of the temple. This amount of money was equalivant to two days wages. The sons of the priests were exempt from paying the tax at all. Surely if the priests sons didn't have to pay the the Son of God shouldn't have had to pay either, but he did anyway. Jesus told Peter to go fishing. In the mouth of the fish he caught was a four drachma coin. Enough for his tax and Peters. He and the disciples would have been exempt from the tax but Jesus didn't want to offend the religious leaders so they paid.
Verse 15.....some seizures were the result of demon possession. This was one of those times a a Jesus got rid of the demon.
Notice in verse 16 the man had asked the disciples to get the demon out, but they acted like they couldn't. Jesus gave them power for is task, but because of their little faith they could not do it.
Verse 22 is the second time Jesus predicts his death.
Now verses 24-27 talks of taxes. Two drachma tax is an annual temple tax required of every male 20 years and older for the upkeep of the temple. This amount of money was equalivant to two days wages. The sons of the priests were exempt from paying the tax at all. Surely if the priests sons didn't have to pay the the Son of God shouldn't have had to pay either, but he did anyway. Jesus told Peter to go fishing. In the mouth of the fish he caught was a four drachma coin. Enough for his tax and Peters. He and the disciples would have been exempt from the tax but Jesus didn't want to offend the religious leaders so they paid.
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Matthew 16
Matthew16......
Pharisees - part of the Sanhedrin (Jewish council that ruled over various aspects of the Jewish life)
The Pharisees were leaders who kept the Law and traditions. They placed their traditions and teachings above Gods Word.they were know for their self righteousness. Held on to rules and made sure people followed them.
Sadducees - also part of the Sanhedrin but lived by self indulgence. They wanted to please self before pleasing God. Mostly wealthy men. Changed rules to fit their lifestyle. They didn't believe in the resurrection of the dead so they wanted to live it up NOW.
One thing the Pharisees and Sadducees had in common is that they hated Jesus. In verse 1 they want a sign from heaven. Jesus would not give them the satisfaction but reminded them they are only focused on temporary things like the weather.....when eternal Jesus is right in front of them!
Verses 5-12......Jesus is telling disciples to watch for false teaching. We have to be so careful of this today as there are a lot of false teachers and agendas out there. We have to know and study Gods word so we can know if what people tell us is legit or not.
Verse 15 is good. Jesus is asking his disciples who they think he is. They could answer as to what others are saying, but Jesus wanted to know what they thought. These were the men with him day and night. Now.....Jesus already knows what's in their mind and what they will say, but these verses are for us to. We have to answer this as well. When we are asked who we think Jesus is.....what would you say? We need to answer this with our hearts. Not with what the majority says.....but individually with our heart.
My pastor gave a sermon on the verse here about Peter and it was a very good explanation. When Jesus says the Rock, he is not talking about building his church on Peter, but on the confession Peter gave about Jesus being the true Christ, the messiah. The universal church is built on our confession of who we say Jesus is.....just like Peter did. And notice verse 17.....the only reason Peter knew who Jesus was is because God revealed it to him. We get our knowledge of God through Himself revealing it to us through the Holy Spirit.
Verse 21 is the first time Jesus predicts his death.
Verse 24.....deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me.
Well.....this is simply saying if we confess we live Jesus and have accepted him then we need to give up living for ourself and be totally committed to him. This means our life and possessions, desires, passions, dreams, thoughts, now belong to God. It's not about me anymore......all about Him and Hid glory.
Carrying your cross is displaying a lifestyle of total commitment to Jesus.....even commitment unto death.
Verse 27 tells of Jesus coming again and rewarding those who completely followed and loved Him with their heart, mind, and soul. we need to be ready and prepared for this day.
Pharisees - part of the Sanhedrin (Jewish council that ruled over various aspects of the Jewish life)
The Pharisees were leaders who kept the Law and traditions. They placed their traditions and teachings above Gods Word.they were know for their self righteousness. Held on to rules and made sure people followed them.
Sadducees - also part of the Sanhedrin but lived by self indulgence. They wanted to please self before pleasing God. Mostly wealthy men. Changed rules to fit their lifestyle. They didn't believe in the resurrection of the dead so they wanted to live it up NOW.
One thing the Pharisees and Sadducees had in common is that they hated Jesus. In verse 1 they want a sign from heaven. Jesus would not give them the satisfaction but reminded them they are only focused on temporary things like the weather.....when eternal Jesus is right in front of them!
Verses 5-12......Jesus is telling disciples to watch for false teaching. We have to be so careful of this today as there are a lot of false teachers and agendas out there. We have to know and study Gods word so we can know if what people tell us is legit or not.
Verse 15 is good. Jesus is asking his disciples who they think he is. They could answer as to what others are saying, but Jesus wanted to know what they thought. These were the men with him day and night. Now.....Jesus already knows what's in their mind and what they will say, but these verses are for us to. We have to answer this as well. When we are asked who we think Jesus is.....what would you say? We need to answer this with our hearts. Not with what the majority says.....but individually with our heart.
My pastor gave a sermon on the verse here about Peter and it was a very good explanation. When Jesus says the Rock, he is not talking about building his church on Peter, but on the confession Peter gave about Jesus being the true Christ, the messiah. The universal church is built on our confession of who we say Jesus is.....just like Peter did. And notice verse 17.....the only reason Peter knew who Jesus was is because God revealed it to him. We get our knowledge of God through Himself revealing it to us through the Holy Spirit.
Verse 21 is the first time Jesus predicts his death.
Verse 24.....deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me.
Well.....this is simply saying if we confess we live Jesus and have accepted him then we need to give up living for ourself and be totally committed to him. This means our life and possessions, desires, passions, dreams, thoughts, now belong to God. It's not about me anymore......all about Him and Hid glory.
Carrying your cross is displaying a lifestyle of total commitment to Jesus.....even commitment unto death.
Verse 27 tells of Jesus coming again and rewarding those who completely followed and loved Him with their heart, mind, and soul. we need to be ready and prepared for this day.
Friday, April 1, 2016
Pride
When my kids were small I would make a weekly trip to the grocery store. When I say my kids....I have 3 of my own and my niece was with us everyday as I babysat her and she spent a lot of nights with us too. She was and still is our 4th kid. She and my youngest boy are 1 year apart.
Anyway our trips to the grocery store sometimes really weren't that pleasant. But i took them along most times anyway. The two little ones would want that cart that looks like a car and half way through the trip they would fight and one of them would get out and walk. I got to the point where I didn't get that cart anymore. My middle boy never gave a problem but I knew he would rather be home playing than shopping. My oldest girl didn't say anything, but would help me get things we needed. Our trips were long because i was very particular in how I spent our money. My husband worked so hard for what we had. I had lots of coupons and knew in my head what we needed for that week. So it took longer than it should have.
This one time I got to the checkout and was about $20 short......I was so embarrassed. I started asking the cashier to put this and that back for me. A kind stranger in line behind me wanted to pay the difference for me but I wouldn't have it. He kept insisting and I said "no thank you".........my pride got in the way.
Laying in bed this morning this story came to mind. Why.....I don't know, but that's how God does things in my life. One thing I do know is I missed an opportunity for someone to help me. I've always been prideful that way. Asking and accepting help from others is something I'm working on with the Lords help, and I'm doing better, but looking back to that day I regret not letting this stranger help me. God uses all kinds of people in all kinds of ways. He uses people and situations in ways we never thought possible. We Just have to let people help us and let Him work.
Anyway our trips to the grocery store sometimes really weren't that pleasant. But i took them along most times anyway. The two little ones would want that cart that looks like a car and half way through the trip they would fight and one of them would get out and walk. I got to the point where I didn't get that cart anymore. My middle boy never gave a problem but I knew he would rather be home playing than shopping. My oldest girl didn't say anything, but would help me get things we needed. Our trips were long because i was very particular in how I spent our money. My husband worked so hard for what we had. I had lots of coupons and knew in my head what we needed for that week. So it took longer than it should have.
This one time I got to the checkout and was about $20 short......I was so embarrassed. I started asking the cashier to put this and that back for me. A kind stranger in line behind me wanted to pay the difference for me but I wouldn't have it. He kept insisting and I said "no thank you".........my pride got in the way.
Laying in bed this morning this story came to mind. Why.....I don't know, but that's how God does things in my life. One thing I do know is I missed an opportunity for someone to help me. I've always been prideful that way. Asking and accepting help from others is something I'm working on with the Lords help, and I'm doing better, but looking back to that day I regret not letting this stranger help me. God uses all kinds of people in all kinds of ways. He uses people and situations in ways we never thought possible. We Just have to let people help us and let Him work.
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