New Song Alert!

One of my friends from church sent a new song (new to me anyway) to our Ladies Bible Study group.  Not only is it a very upbeat, catchy tune, the words are so encouraging and something that we all need to remember each and every day.  

Take a listen and remember that our Father has said " “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5b

Thank You Lord for music which brings so many wonderful gifts to us.  We are so blessed by the beauty you have placed in this world.  Songs and art and nature and love....Each a special kindness for Your children.  I pray this song will remind us of Your never ceasing presence in our lives and the fact that we never face anything alone.  Who compares to You!!  A wonderful, loving, giving Father and Savior.  In Jesus Name, amen 

New Light on Familiar Words

So many times we read the same Scripture time and time again.  The words are great.  The meaning floods our hearts, enlightens our minds, reminds us, instructs us, comforts us....But every so often we read a Scripture or listen to a teaching on it, and a new light shines on those old familiar words.  That happened for me this week when I was listening to our Pastor in a small Bible study we have on Thursday mornings. 

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Well loved, often quoted, prayed over, memorized and practiced.  We go through our days with the goal of keeping our minds on Jesus, thinking over His attributes.  We focus on the good things, the heavenly things...true, noble, just, pure....Keep our minds off the negative, thinking of the sinful desires lurking in our flesh, the malicious thoughts when someone hurts us and so on.  We desire to be obedient to these words in Philippians.  

But what if we look at it another way.  To do this we need to go back a few verses.  Now our lessons over the last couple of Thursdays revolved around forgiving others and asking others for forgiveness.  Lets take a look at those verses that come before verse 8.

Philippians 4:2-8 2 I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.  4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!  5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.  6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Apparently a couple of ladies in this group of believers had some kind of disagreement.  Paul asked the other brethren to help them reconcile.  He reminded them that they had all worked together for the Gospel.  

We usually look at the following verses as unrelated, in a sense, to the disagreement between those two ladies.  But what if we put them together?  What if the verses after verse 2 are instructions on how to get past our disagreements?  Remember working together.  Stay joyful.  Remember the Lord is coming (do we really want Him to find us angry with each other?).  Don't worry about what someone did or didn't do.  Pray about it, give it over to God, and thank Him for the gift of your fellow believer (it's hard to stay mad at someone you are praying about and being thankful for).  Then His peace will come.  

And verse 8..this was the one that really stood out to me in a new way: Look at the person you are mad at in the ways listed here.  Look for the good in them.  Think about the things about them that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and worthy of praise.  Apply these verses to how you see those who have hurt you, those you are angry with....let it bring the spirit of forgiveness into your heart.  And let it cause you to ask for forgiveness for your part of the argument.  

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  God's Word is alive!  It grows in us, blossoms into the exact thing we need in the exact moment.  It bears fruit in our hearts.  It shows us where we need to act, how we need to think and pray.  It corrects and admonishes us, strengthens us and lays our hearts bare before the Lord.  It outshines the brightest multi-faceted diamond to light our understanding in new ways leading us to come closer to our Lord and each other.  What a beautiful gift the Word is. 

Is there someone you've been mad at?  What are your thoughts towards that person?  Are you at fault in any way?  Try applying God's Word to your heart and mind regarding this person.  Praying for them, looking for the good, and remembering you former fellowship.  The Lord tells us we are all one body.  I've never had one of my body parts mad at the others. LOL  

Lord, thank You for Your Word to us.  Thank You for letting it bring light and love into our hearts.  I pray that if we are thinking poorly of another believer You will correct us and let us make reconciliation with them.  Let us remember Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.   Let us honor You be living in peace with each other.  And let that peace show to all around us in a glorious witness of You.  In Jesus' Name, amen. 

Worship

I read something today that challenged my thinking.  Our Pastor had given me a little book called "52 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know."  What a neat little book this is.  It's chock full of good information and new understandings (at least to me) that comes from delving in deeper to the meaning behind the words used in the Bible.  Our translations (for me that's English) often lack the color of the original Hebrew in some of the words translated.  

Today's word was AVAD.  This word can be translated in two ways.  One is "worship."  The other is "serve."  Hmmm.  Now that's an interesting concept.  Worship and serve come from the same word.  While not a completely new concept to me, I've never seen it in black and white, so to speak.  I've never seen the why behind the fact of service as worship which I've heard preached before.  For me, the Hebrew word "AVAD" really fleshed out the vague concept that I've heard about.  The book brought up the verse Exodus 34:21.  “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest."   The word used here for work is "AVAD."  Most of the time the word is translated as serve or work.  But ancient Hebrew also tells us the word meant to worship.

So what happens when we combine our work, our everyday stuff, jobs, chores, church service, taking care of others....with worship?  What happens to our attitude when we see all of that stuff as worship?  How would it transform all we do?  I think the answer would be a pretty amazing shift in the way we see and carry out the lofty and the mundane aspects of each day.  From washing dishes to cleaning the church to preaching a sermon or feeding the homeless...each act as worship.  

Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 

This all sounds like a God plan to me.  So many small tasks we do each day without even a thought...but to bring the light and sound, the attitude of worship to each of them...wow.   I'm thinking they would be a lot less tedious and tiresome.  Each would take on a profound importance because with each task we would be honoring God.  

Lord, You amaze me with Your thoughts and wisdom.  I am in awe when You bring these concepts to life for us.  Thank You so much.  Help us to use each moment to worship You.  I dedicate this day to You, worship You in this moment.  Hallelujah!  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.  

Trials, from Mom Part

Last week we looked at the start of Mom's journal entry on trials.  We now move on to part 2.  Here Mom looked again at James 1:2-12, and also Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.

James 1:2-12 2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.  5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.  9 Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. 10 And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. 11 The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.  12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 

Verse 1-Consider it all joy....Rejoice in the blessings that accompany suffering.  Consider-evaluate.  Humanly, trials hurt, but from the Lord's view they help.  Understand what God designed them to do and accomplish.  God wants to use it to test our faith producing endurance and spiritual maturity.  

Do I want to be transformed into the image of Christ?  Yes! Yes! Yes!

I don't want to experience pain but since it's unavoidable in this fallen world, respond to it in a way that produces eternal benefits. 

Verses 5-8 tells us that we can ask God for wisdom through the trials and each moment of our life.  We need wisdom not only to know how to respond to suffering, to be able to see trials from the Lord's viewpoint and understand His purposes in allowing them.  I want to profit from struggles, to come through with joy and victory, knowing the following truths:

1. God is in full control and will not allow it to go beyond His boundaries.

2. God has a specific purpose for my suffering.

3. Submit to God through it.

4. This situation is for my faith to prove genuine and grow stronger.

5. When I endure extreme pressure with unexplainable peace and joy, the Lord demonstrates His sustaining power to a watching world.

6. My difficulties are used by the Father to produce Christ-like character.  

7. God will speak to me through all trials.

8.  The Holy Spirit will enable me to survive but also to come out a conqueror. 

  

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 For everything there is a season,

    a time for every activity under heaven.

2 A time to be born and a time to die.

    A time to plant and a time to harvest.

3 A time to kill and a time to heal.

    A time to tear down and a time to build up.

4 A time to cry and a time to laugh.

    A time to grieve and a time to dance.

5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.

    A time to embrace and a time to turn away.

6 A time to search and a time to quit searching.

    A time to keep and a time to throw away.

7 A time to tear and a time to mend.

    A time to be quiet and a time to speak.

8 A time to love and a time to hate.

    A time for war and a time for peace.

What season am I in?  Whether a time of joy or sorrow, each season should motivate us to seek the Lord and trust Him.

Dear Lord, help me to turn to You not only in sadness, but also in joy.  I know You give me both good times and bad to draw me to You and help me to grow.  May I learn to trust You an all seasons of life.  Amen. 

From me:  Every season needs faith to get me through. 

My Mom was born in the earlier part of the 20th century.  She was a little girl  through the great depression, and had a Father and brothers who were alcoholics. Later in life she married my Dad, struggled to get pregnant and miscarried a few years after she had me. She had some struggles with alcohol herself.   She was only in her early 60s when we lost my Dad.  She then had to watch her daughter plunge into depression and addiction.  Thankfully she also saw that same daughter escape that pit by the power of Jesus Christ.  Her back always had problems, but in the last 10 years of her life she was in constant pain from multiple back problems, but it never slowed her down!  Before she left for heaven (she became a Christian when I was about 16) she had had a difficult surgery for an aneuryem.  She knew suffering, both physical and emotional.  Even though she sometimes faltered in faith, she always came back to belief and trust.  She was an amazing women and I miss her every day.