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Monday, February 22, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Pursue and Take Hold
1 Timothy 6:11-12
11 But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.
Philippians 3:12
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
What am I holding onto? What am I pursuing? I want to pursue eternal life, for that is the reason the Christ Jesus took hold of me!
11 But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.
Philippians 3:12
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
What am I holding onto? What am I pursuing? I want to pursue eternal life, for that is the reason the Christ Jesus took hold of me!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Faith and Change
James 2:26
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
Matthew 14:22-33
22Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24but the boat by this time was a long wayb from the land,c beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”28And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind,d he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
And God says to me, "Step out of the boat."
So last week, a decision was made. Interestingly, it was something I knew was going to happen, but wasn't sure of the outcome. But, the Lord spoke to my husband, and had been preparing me for it. He prepared me, by reading about Sarah, Abraham's wife. When Abraham was called to leave his family and the land that he had known, Sarah followed. She was submissive and faithful to her husband. I must be submissive and faithful to my husband, as we look for a place to settle.
Genesis 12:1 & 4a
1The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.
4So Abram left, as the Lord had told him;
There have been so many changes lately...
Careers - I am now a domestic engineer, and a teacher to my children.
Homes - The apartment that we have called home for 2 years now, is no longer our home, but a new one has not been found yet.
Even small things - dogs, hair, clothes, schedules, chores
And now we are facing change again. But I want to stay in my boat. I think it is safer here, even with the waves crashing over me. I want to hold on to people, to things, to familiarity.
He says, "Come."
What good is my faith if I stay in the boat? If I stay, I have put my faith in man made things and not in The One Who Saves, Jesus. So, with my flesh still trying to cling, I reach out for the edge, I reach out to the unknown, but I know that it is Jesus who will catch me.
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
Matthew 14:22-33
22Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24but the boat by this time was a long wayb from the land,c beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”28And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind,d he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
And God says to me, "Step out of the boat."
So last week, a decision was made. Interestingly, it was something I knew was going to happen, but wasn't sure of the outcome. But, the Lord spoke to my husband, and had been preparing me for it. He prepared me, by reading about Sarah, Abraham's wife. When Abraham was called to leave his family and the land that he had known, Sarah followed. She was submissive and faithful to her husband. I must be submissive and faithful to my husband, as we look for a place to settle.
Genesis 12:1 & 4a
1The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.
4So Abram left, as the Lord had told him;
There have been so many changes lately...
Careers - I am now a domestic engineer, and a teacher to my children.
Homes - The apartment that we have called home for 2 years now, is no longer our home, but a new one has not been found yet.
Even small things - dogs, hair, clothes, schedules, chores
And now we are facing change again. But I want to stay in my boat. I think it is safer here, even with the waves crashing over me. I want to hold on to people, to things, to familiarity.
He says, "Come."
What good is my faith if I stay in the boat? If I stay, I have put my faith in man made things and not in The One Who Saves, Jesus. So, with my flesh still trying to cling, I reach out for the edge, I reach out to the unknown, but I know that it is Jesus who will catch me.
Friday, February 05, 2010
Love Much and Show Mercy - Give Someone a blanket
Luke 7:47-48
"For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." Then he said to her, "Your sins have been forgiven."
James 2:13
For judgement is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. mercy triumphs over judgement.
When wronged or hurt is is so easy to cast judgement. God showed me the other day that I am to love much. Because of the forgiveness I have been shown, my attitude should be to share that.
I should love much, not just God, but everyone - Love your neighbor as yourself (Not sure who your neighbor is?) - Luke 10:25-37.
How do I show this love? Readh 1 Cor 13 - Love takes no account of wrongs suffered. Talk about hard. The hardest part of forgiving is forgetting. I've heard it said (and maybe even from my own mouth), "I can forgive, but I will never forget!"
Showing mercy and forgiving is difficult, espescially when the pain is deep. But haven't I been forgiven of my many sins? And how deep is the pain I have caused my Heavenly Father? But His love is deeper and wider - Philippians 1:9-11. I must have full knowledge and understanding of His love, I desperately need it!
The more I understand this love, the more I want to share it. Like sharing a blanket with my family, or giving a blanket to someone in need, or wrapping up a precious baby for protection.
What good is a blanket that never gets used or shared?
"For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." Then he said to her, "Your sins have been forgiven."
James 2:13
For judgement is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. mercy triumphs over judgement.
When wronged or hurt is is so easy to cast judgement. God showed me the other day that I am to love much. Because of the forgiveness I have been shown, my attitude should be to share that.
I should love much, not just God, but everyone - Love your neighbor as yourself (Not sure who your neighbor is?) - Luke 10:25-37.
How do I show this love? Readh 1 Cor 13 - Love takes no account of wrongs suffered. Talk about hard. The hardest part of forgiving is forgetting. I've heard it said (and maybe even from my own mouth), "I can forgive, but I will never forget!"
Showing mercy and forgiving is difficult, espescially when the pain is deep. But haven't I been forgiven of my many sins? And how deep is the pain I have caused my Heavenly Father? But His love is deeper and wider - Philippians 1:9-11. I must have full knowledge and understanding of His love, I desperately need it!
The more I understand this love, the more I want to share it. Like sharing a blanket with my family, or giving a blanket to someone in need, or wrapping up a precious baby for protection.
What good is a blanket that never gets used or shared?
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Knowledge and Depth of Insight
Philippians 1:9-11
9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Intresting that having a knowledge of love enables you to discern what is best. Hmm, something to chew on for today!
9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Intresting that having a knowledge of love enables you to discern what is best. Hmm, something to chew on for today!
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
How Precious Are the Thoughts of God
Psalms 139:17
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
How often do we stop and consider what God thinks?
Lord, what do You think about my day today? I want your thoughts to be precious to me!
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
How often do we stop and consider what God thinks?
Lord, what do You think about my day today? I want your thoughts to be precious to me!
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