United we Stand

Ephesians 4:13 (NIV) 
¹³  until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 

The verse preceding this talks about preparing God's people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up. I read the text for today several times before writing; trying to wrap my mind around just what was meant in verse 13.  The message shared at the worship service I attended today was helpful.

Our church is learning how to reach outside our walls, to build relationships with others, to invite people into our lives.  Through these relationships, we begin to care for each other. The goal is to get to the point where our new friends are curious about our faith. When they begin to ask questions, we are preparing how to answer with truth and love.

The key is unity. We need to be united in mind and spirit in order to be able to share our faith. It is important we are comfortable with each other, and that we have a few special friends praying for us as we journey out into the mission field of life.

Some of us will be called to provide food or shelter, meet the physical needs of people who are struggling just to live each day. Some of us will be called to befriend a lost or lonely person – visit a nursing home, a homeless shelter.  And some of us will be called to share our faith.

It is all possible when we are united in Christian love and have a heart to bring others into this community.

Ephesians 4:4-6,13

Give Him Your Wildest Dreams

My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Glory to God in the church!
Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations!
Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!

Ephesians 3:14-21 (MSG)

Some days the wording in the Message Bible is eye-opening and beautifully put. Often when I come across a text in my usual version and I recognize it as one I have read many times, I can't quite hear what God might be saying on this particular day because it is so familiar. To get a fresh take on it I will often go to a different version and study the words.

I was attracted to verse 20 this morning. "God can do anything, you know -- far more than you could ever image or guess or request in your wildest dreams!" Don't those words give you an excitement to get this day started? I am inclined to pray this verse over my entire prayer list and then walk away trusting that God has got this covered.

There is nothing too big on that list - nothing from my wildest dreams - for God to handle. And what seems wild to me is tame to Him. This week, let's ask God to do what He does best. Love and care for us, every one of us!

Ephesians 3:14-21

Tomorrow and so much more

It is helpful to read a variety of author's views on the same topic. We often discover fresh new ways to view the same familiar concepts. It helps us to see there is more than one viewpoint to the same subject. There is more than one interpretation for an identical statement. The way we perceive something has so much to do with where we are in life today, at this very moment.

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (Hebrews 14:16 NIV)

When I read the NIV version above, it is concise and to the point. Don't forget to do good and share with others. Those are words my 'youthful' ears would hear my mother or grandmother voice, as I to go out and play. They are reminding me to remember what I have been taught about playing nice with others.

Make sure you don’t take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship—a different kind of “sacrifice”—that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets. (Hebrews 14:16 MSG)

The Message version tells me more; as I am now an adult and want answers to my question, "Why? What does it matter?" I understand my actions will have consequences, and my attitude will often drive these actions.

Perhaps the piece of advice I hear in this text to make sure we don't take things for granted. There is danger in becoming complacent and too confident that we will have tomorrow to make things right. We aren't promised a tomorrow. But we are promised a Savior who will promise and delivery just that; tomorrow and every other tomorrow, with Him.

Hebrews 14:13-21

Tomorrow and so much more

It is helpful to read a variety of author's views on the same topic. We often discover fresh new ways to view the same familiar concepts. It helps us to see there is more than one viewpoint to the same subject. There is more than one interpretation for an identical statement. The way we perceive something has so much to do with where we are in life today, at this very moment.

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (Hebrews 14:16 NIV)

When I read the NIV version above, it is concise and to the point. Don't forget to do good and share with others. Those are words my 'youthful' ears would hear my mother or grandmother voice, as I to go out and play. They are reminding me to remember what I have been taught about playing nice with others.

Make sure you don’t take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship—a different kind of “sacrifice”—that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets. (Hebrews 14:16 MSG)

The Message version tells me more; as I am now an adult and want answers to my question, "Why? What does it matter?" I understand my actions will have consequences, and my attitude will often drive these actions.

Perhaps the piece of advice I hear in this text to make sure we don't take things for granted. There is danger in becoming complacent and too confident that we will have tomorrow to make things right. We aren't promised a tomorrow. But we are promised a Savior who will promise and delivery just that; tomorrow and every other tomorrow, with Him.

Hebrews 14:13-21

Tomorrow and so much more

It is helpful to read a variety of author's views on the same topic. We often discover fresh new ways to view the same familiar concepts. It helps us to see there is more than one viewpoint to the same subject. There is more than one interpretation for an identical statement. The way we perceive something has so much to do with where we are in life today, at this very moment.

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (Hebrews 14:16 NIV)

When I read the NIV version above, it is concise and to the point. Don't forget to do good and share with others. Those are words my 'youthful' ears would hear my mother or grandmother voice, as I to go out and play. They are reminding me to remember what I have been taught about playing nice with others.

Make sure you don’t take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship—a different kind of “sacrifice”—that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets. (Hebrews 14:16 MSG)

The Message version tells me more; as I am now an adult and want answers to my question, "Why? What does it matter?" I understand my actions will have consequences, and my attitude will often drive these actions.

Perhaps the piece of advice I hear in this text to make sure we don't take things for granted. There is danger in becoming complacent and too confident that we will have tomorrow to make things right. We aren't promised a tomorrow. But we are promised a Savior who will promise and delivery just that; tomorrow and every other tomorrow, with Him.

Hebrews 14:13-21

Shhhhhh,.... Listen.

Acts 16: 6-15

As Paul continued on his journey, he followed the guiding of the Holy Spirit. As I read this, I couldn’t help but think, “Why is it that the messages from the Lord were so clear to Paul, and many of us continue daily, asking God what direction He wants us to take without so much as a nudge?” How awesome would it be to have a crystal clear understanding of what God wants of us!

Acts 16 tells of Paul and his companions being kept by the Holy Spirit from going to the Province of Asia. It also says that the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to enter Bithynia, and that during the night Paul had a vision of a man in Macedonia begging him to come and help them. He was specifically guided as to what he should do, and what he should not do. It was very clear for Paul according to this scripture. If only our purpose and expectations were this obvious.

Perhaps Paul was more still and quiet, waiting for the Lord to speak to him than we are in our busy world. Maybe if we stopped to “Be still and know that He is God,” we would hear his whispers.

 I challenge you to quiet yourself, ruthlessly eliminate hurry, and listen. What harm could come of it? A task might go unfinished for a time, but just think of the eternal gift that could result. Our Lord waits for us to hear Him, but we cannot hear if we do not listen.

Read/Listen to Acts 16: 6-15

Psalm 46

Prayer is Whispering

Shhhhh, when you want to get someone’s attention,…… whisper.

It is amazing how hard others will try to hear what you are saying if you speak in a soft, quiet voice. If it’s being whispered it most certainly must be very secret, very important, or both. Our volume, intonation, pitch, etc. all contribute to the message we are trying to convey. God knows our heart, yet expects us to put our whole self into the messages we send Him. When we are hurting, we need to let him know, if circumstances have us at our wits end, sharing that with the Lord is what he wants us to do. During the times we have much to rejoice and be thankful for, He invites us to turn to Him giving grateful thanks and praise, and perhaps even an “Alleluia!”

Psalm 46:11 “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” He waits for us to clearly understand that He is always here for us and wants us to communicate with Him.

Just as there is a time for every season, so there is a time to shout to the Lord, and a time to send him a quiet whisper. Our God loves it when we sing out in praise and worship as we raise our hands to Him who has delivered us. He also patiently waits for us to…… here is that line again; “Be still, and know that I am God.”

What is most important is what is in our heart. When it’s time to sing out and lift our voice, hands and eyes upward, we are to do so. When the time is right to quietly cry out to God, or whisper our heart’s longings without saying a word aloud, God hears us just the same.

Please listen to “Better than a Hallelujah” by Amy Grant  THIS IS AWESOME! 

Listen to/Read Psalm 46  This is AWESOME TOO! 

Luke 13:18-21

When Jesus walked the earth, he often used parables to teach. Those lessons of life are available to us today, within His word. These parables hold within them important messages for us that are not always easy to understand. The parable of the mustard seed and the yeast is brief. When I read it I see Jesus contemplating just how to verbalize his thoughts. Thinking deeply about his word choice, and making a visual in his head before he begins speaking. “Then Jesus asked, What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches.”

In Mark 4:30-32 the parable of the mustard seed is again mentioned. At the end of it however, Mark writes “With many similar parables, Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.” How awesome would that have been to be one of those who Jesus clarified his parables to! They often hold messages we do not see, because our understanding of God’s kingdom is like a mustard seed, so very small. It has the potential however, to grow into something bigger than we know, larger and richer than our brains can wrap around. Even as devoted Christ followers we are still unable to fathom what is to come….but we still try, and as we do, we grow and sprout branches.

Click here to view entire passage

Joel 2:1-11

I have to admit that I do not remember ever reading the book of Joel before, but I am wondering now why not?  I think too often I live in a dreamland, better known as denial.  There is some tough stuff in this book; some in-your-face reality that is very difficult to swallow.

When I read this text I feel like things are going to get so much worse before they get better. I know they will only get better when Jesus comes.  Reading this book helps me to understand how tough the prophet's job was, how difficult it must have been to have to keep telling people the cold hard truth.  I have lived so much of my life as a people pleaser I would never have been a candidate for prophet.

I am realizing that God is shaping each of His children for this position though; preparing us to be courageous to tell someone like it is, when they really need to hear it.  Someone has to have the courage to tell the world about the locusts; as Joel 2:1 says, "Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand—"

Yes, Joel's message is a stark contrast to the way we prefer to view the world and our place in it, but it is always better to know the truth and let that beacon light the path to tomorrow than to stumble around blindly in the darkness.

Read Joel 2:1-11 text here from Biblegateway.com.