Dec 16

Apostles Creed

The Apostles Creed – a statement of faith…   This creed succinctly states a set of beliefs. Do I profess it? Why, yes I do. Do I live like I believe it? hmmm…..

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

Statement number 1 addresses God (even the demons believe that and tremble). The it says ‘the Father almighty’. The parental word gets me every time. God is a perfect Father, perfect giver, perfect protector, who loves me more than I can ever think or imagine. He is love – and He casts out fear. He loves, sustains, strengthens, provides, guides, renews, forgives, …

So – if all the above is true – and I believe that it is, then why is He a part of my life – and not my WHOLE life? Knowing that He wants what is best for me, why do I resist? Why is there ever even a question or a choice to be made between my way and His?

Because I’m human. Because He created me with a brain and a heart. Because He delights in me, and is pleased when I choose Him.

1. Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it,
Mount of Thy redeeming love.

2. Sorrowing I shall be in spirit,
Till released from flesh and sin,
Yet from what I do inherit,
Here Thy praises I’ll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Here by Thy great help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.

3. Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood;
How His kindness yet pursues me
Mortal tongue can never tell,
Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me
I cannot proclaim it well.

4. O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

5. O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.

Dec 12

Being or Doing? Time to ponder???

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  Luke 2:16-19

(Taken from the blog of Scotty Smith – read the complete prayer here http://scottysmith.org/2010/12/10/a-prayer-about-treasuring-pondering-jesus/)

Shepherds ran off to spread the word of your birth, while Mary “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” “Hurrying off” like a shepherd to tell others about you has always been easier for me than sitting still and letting you tell me about yourself. It’s always been easier for me to do “productive” things for you, rather than spend undistracted, unrushed time with you. I confess this as sin, Jesus. This simply isn’t okay, for knowing about you is not the same thing as knowing you. An informed mind is not the same thing as an enflamed heart… by any stretch.

To know you is eternal life, and I do want to know you, Jesus… so much better than I already do. I want to treasure you in my heart and ponder who you are. I want to contemplate your joyful life within the Trinity, from all eternity. I want to marinate in everything you’ve already accomplished through your life, death and resurrection… and everything you’re presently doing as the King of kings and Lord of lords… and everything you will be to us in the new heaven and new earth—the Bridegroom of your beloved Bride.

Jesus, this very Advent season, by the power of the gospel, slow all of us down… settle us afresh… center us on yourself, that each of us might say with awe and adoration, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And being with you, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever (Ps 73:25-26).” So very Amen, we pray, in your peerless and priceless name.

Dec 07

“God sets the lonely in families”

This morning I read a blog post that made me stop and think a bit about those around me who are hurting during this holiday season. She talked about families breaking up, sickness, financial issues, relationship problems, and other areas of our lives that don’t really lend themselves to singing ‘Joy to the World’. She also gave a suicide statistic that was really shocking – there are usually more suicides in December than in the other 11 months of the year! Here is the encouragement she offers from the Psalms.

I read today in Psalm 68. I have read and heard numerous times verse 5; “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows” but today it was verse 6 that was fresh, new and intriguing….”God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.” I read over that again and again. I obviously can’t know exactly what God meant when He inspired the Psalmist to write that, but it does reflect God’s character. He gives us family. It doesn’t say that means a spouse and kids. That means an extended family or maybe a church family. It confirms that he wanted us to experience companionship and that it can come in the form of other people and/or ministries that we pour ourselves into.

I am blessed with a great family – immediate and extended – as well as fabulous friends that are ‘family’ – and an incredible church family that is wonderful! I’m also DEFINITELY an introvert – crowds make me tired and grumpy and unhappy. 🙂 However, it is great to know that I have no reason (and very little opportunity) to be lonely.

For those that are not blessed with people around them – especially with people who know their heart and their hurts – pray for God to bring along ‘family’. It might even be you!

Dec 06

Amazed…


…to overwhelm with surprise or sudden wonder; astonish greatly; to throw out of position, displace; to amaze, to astonish, throw into wonderment; to be amazed, astounded; to be out of one’s mind, besides one’s self, insane

From Biblegateway the word ‘amaze’ is a keyword in 48 Scripture verses in the NIV. Most of them are New Testament references to Jesus during His ministry. The ESV lists 26 references, also mainly from Jesus’ ministry. In these verses the crowd or Pilate or the parents or the disciples were ‘amazed’ – as well they should be…

The word ‘amaze’ in Greek is ‘Existemi’ – it shows power and causes wonder. Jesus was amazing in the signs and miracles He performed, in the way He treated people – friends, relatives, and strangers. People were amazed when He healed someone, when He to calmed the storm, when demons were driven out, when Jesus spoke with unprecedented wisdom… Jesus was amazed in the faith of the Centurion (Matthew 8:5-13)

But there is one seemingly out-of-place definition – ‘to throw out of position, displace’? What does that mean? The Hebrew word ‘tamah’ for ‘be amazed’ is used in Hab 1:5 NIV Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. It is quoted in Acts 13:41 and uses a double imperative for emphasis! A literal translation might be – “Shock yourselves and be shocked!” In modern-day terms,  this would be a “game-changer. It will rock your world.” This prophesy in Habakkuk is a great message that God is in control among the nations. It’s in essence reminding us of God’s omniscience and omnipotence in Isaiah 55:8-9.

Are we amazed today? If so, by what kinds of things? All these Biblical references to ‘amazement’ deal with spiritual issues. Jesus was not amazed at the construction of the Temple or wonderful government systems in place in Rome. What should it mean individually – to ‘be amazed’? Using the Greek word  definition of ‘amazed’, amazement and wonder are reserved for things that are beyond understanding. Amazement is God with all His attributes!

So am I really amazed at someone’s intellect or that a team scores a lot of points or that certain people ever make it anywhere on time? Not really… I may be curious or excited or jealous or proud – but I’m not really “astonished, thrown into wonderment, beside one’s self, displaced’ by it.

Now being amazed by God is another thing:

In the Christmas season, are you amazed by traffic or fabulous parties and decorations or great deals on gifts or the bills piling up or wonderful singing or stockings and trees?

or

will you be amazed by the gift God gave us – a gift only He could give – Himself.

AMAZING!

Dec 03

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

A beautiful Advent carol has been running in my head, so I decided to explore it a bit. Advent is all about the coming of Messiah – first as a baby, then as King. Emmanuel – means ‘God with us’. We are cradled in between – Advent is a reminder that Jesus became a man to redeem us from our sin – and it is a reminder that He will come back in triumph to rightfully rule as King. He is our Joy! Rejoice!!!

O come, O come, Emmanuel is a translation of the Catholic Christian Latin text (“Veni, veni, Emmanuel”) by John Mason Neale in the mid-19th century. It is a metrical version of a collation of various Advent Antiphons (the acrostic O Antiphons), which now serves as a popular Advent and Christmas hymn. Its origins are unclear, it is thought that the antiphons are from at least the 8th Century, but “Veni, veni Emmanuel” may well be 12th Century in origin. The text is based on the biblical prophecy from Isaiah 7:14 that states that God will give Israel a sign that will be called Immanuel (Lit.:God with us). Matthew 1:23 states fulfillment of this prophecy in the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o’er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,
In ancient times did’st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Dec 02

Addictions Anyone?

Here’s the approach I’ve been taking with the Harry Potter books over the past few days – read a book and immediately moving to the next. This is totally unlike the fanatics (AKA crazy fans) who blitzed through the books as soon as they are released, who go to the theater at midnight to see the first showing, etc… When I went to the Library last week and checked out the first four for the Thanksgiving holidays I had no idea that I would be out of the office this far into this week. Apparently I have some sort of upper respiratory infection and I’m miserable and sick and tired. And I actually didn’t read at all on Thanksgiving or the day after due to one small boy named Matt (my nephew) – but that’s another story. The HP saga is engaging and draws in the reader; it seems to cause me to want to know more… I guess you could say it is an addiction, if I allow it to be.

Another recent addition is Angry Birds (it’s a smartphone game – with the time-wasting potential of Facebook’s FarmTown without the buying and selling and repetitious clicking to plant and plow and harvest and chop and … you get the idea…) Today they released the Christmas version – which unlocked a new level for each day of December. In the doctor’s office today I blasted through the first level and then had to resort to playing the old version to distract myself from the waiting room TV showcasing Rachael Ray’s cooking and Dr. Oz talking about bladder control and cholesterol and antioxidants – it was torture! (FYI – beans are better than broccoli, and beets are apparently wonderful for the human body.)

Where was I? oh yes, Angry Birds and Farmtown and the Harry Potter series. They are all addictive – like checking emailing and texting every few minutes, like adjusting your seatbelt multiple times while driving, like putting on lip balm multiple times each day, like unhealthy worrying about family and friends as a habit, like drugs and alcohol and sex and pornography and many other behaviors when can easily identify in others as addictions.

Guess what friends – each of these can be distractions from our primary purpose on Earth – to glorify God. If I’m thinking about a friend or family member more than God, they may be an idol. If I’m more concerned with checking my phone for an email or text than reading God’s word, it’s probably an idol. If I zone out playing Angry Birds, there are surely more positive things I can do with my brain and my time – like praying or talking to the crazy women in the doctor’s office waiting room who was probably really lonely.

If I have an addiction, God breaks those – they are sometimes called ‘strongholds’ in the Bible. This was the main theme of a couple of great Bible studies I did over the past couple of summers – taking control of your thought closet and determining and taking down the idols in your life. II Cor 10:4 says we have His power to DESTROY strongholds in our lives. Read this verse in the ESV and then read it in context in The Message – the imagery is vivid and strong and powerful and active – just like His Word, our sword.

2Cor 10:4 ESV
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

2Cor:10:3-6 The Message
The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.

Nov 30

Sermon – Two Great Tests

Two Great Tests – a sermon by Dr. Timothy J. Keller
Proverbs 3:9-14; 10:16, 25; 24:10-12

“There are two spiritual tests highlighted in these passages: good times and bad times. These circumstances show our sin in general or our idols in particular. We can choose whether to deal with them or deny them, but we will not stay the same.”

wisdom – guidance to choose the right path; observing human nature

The secret of wisdom can be found in common experiences

two tests:
1) prosperity – everything going your way
2) discipline (pain) – nothing working out right

learn and grow from each test!

righteous – those who disadvantage themselves for the community; unselfish

success is the worst possible thing for a selfish person because he doesn’t know how to process it
– points out sin in general
– points out idols in particular

when the consequence of bad behavior is removed = majority of people do bad behavior

Nov 28

Tip: Biblegateway.com & Youversion.com

Are you carrying a Bible with you most of the time? Probably so…it’s your phone. If you have a phone with Internet access, you have a Bible. And it’s possible to have a Bible on the phone even when you’re not near a hotspot.

BibleGateway – keyword search, plenty of versions, and a “just the basics” type attitude; Great for a quick reference look up

YouVersion – search, great reading plans, mobile browser minded, parallel versions, offline reading for some versions, potential for creating your own notes

There are other options, but these are my favorites. I use Biblegateway to quickly look up a verse if I want to paste it in an email or document. Biblegateway is also my choice when I want several versions of one verse. When I’m following a reading plan or doing a bit of digital Bible reading, I choose youversion.

There are a few cons to digital reading – lack of context (it’s hard to skim up and down a page quickly), distractions like email popping up and other ‘noise’ gets in the way of concentration – there’s nothing like losing yourself in a book…

Give them a try! Let me know what you think.

Nov 25

Thanksgiving

GIVE THANKS ALWAYS

“It is literally true, as the thankless say, that they have nothing to be thankful for. He who sits by the fire, thankless for the fire, is just as if he had no fire. Nothing is possessed save in appreciation, of which thankfulness is the indispensable ingredient. But a thankful heart hath a continual feast,” W.J. Cameron.

Eph 5:15-21 ESV
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,making the best use of the time, because the days are evil Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Nov 24

De-stressing Needed?

I’m really looking forward to a few calm days this week! For most people Thanksgiving and Black Friday really wouldn’t qualify, but it works for me!!!

Having a few days without normal routine is always good for me. Days to create and mark tasks off a list – or maybe to do something I don’t normally do (like reading a book for hours at a time!)

How do you relax? and when? and where? and why?

When?
Emulate Jesus and escape In the morning for having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. (Mark 1:35)
If you can’t escape for an hour at daybreak, escape whenever else you are least likely to be disturbed.

Where?
Emulate Jesus and escape To a solitary place. (Mark 1:35)
This solitary place can be your bedroom or bathroom or office or a church or any other place that is physically away from your stressors.

Why?
Emulate Jesus and escape for There He prayed. (Mark 1:35)
Disengage yourself from stressors so that you can engage yourself with God in prayer and you will be at peace in the midst of stress.