MEDITATION MONDAY: Jesus is OUR HOPE!

So, you are a "mom"?!?!!?  Maybe you came by motherhood in a different way than giving birth to these children.  Maybe, not!  But, just maybe this motherhood gig is a little more challenging than you envisioned.  I am praying, to God, for you today, the prayer out of Ephesians 1:

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know THE HOPE to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, ¹⁹ and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms..."

Join me today in fixing our eyes on Jesus...

Jesus is OUR HOPE!

Oh, the J.O.Y.!   

HOW BEAUTIFUL... MEDITATION MONDAY...

2 Corinthians 4:6-8

^"For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair..."

.
Yesterday, I saw men stand before our congregation being appointed as elders.  Their wives stood with them.

Yesterday, I heard these men say that they were flawed individuals who stood before us by the grace of God.

Yesterday, I was once again reminded that God shines through jars of clay ("cracked pots") to illuminate the darkness for His glory.

Yesterday, I heard story after story of God's love in the lives of these two men and their wives.

HOW BEAUTIFUL IS THE BODY OF CHRIST!

Love J esus

Love O thers

Love Y ourself

~Oh, the JOY~

THE BLESSING... MEDITATION MONDAY...

Last Friday, our church family showed the movie COURAGEOUS at our building.  Many there were convicted of our great need to lead lives of COURAGE.  Yesterday morning, Dan's sermon challenged the men of our congregation to help "stop the pandemic" in our nation - 24 million children in our nation are fatherless.  Of course, in many homes, the children are still "fatherless" even though the father is still physically present.

The book of Joshua and it's words enCOURAGE all of us to:  BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS!  If you have not seen this movie, I would enCOURAGE you to do so:

It takes great COURAGE to walk the walk of Jesus Christ.  Steve and I are teaching a parenting class entitled, HOW GOD DOES FAMILY!  Each week we take a principle from scripture and expound on it.  This week the principle is:  GOD BLESSES!

We discussed that we have a choice each day to be:  A BLESSING OR A CURSE.  Yes, the choice is ours. 

There are many ways to BLESS our family.  One of those ways we've been talking about on this blog.  Love your family enough to be patient and...

• kind... What a BLESSING kind words can be!
• keep no record of wrongs... Instead, spend your time keeping of record of what's right about your child/spouse.

Yet, what do words of BLESSING look like?  We want to point out not just what a person does, but encourage "who he/she is".  I modeled how I have done that with Steve and our children:

• Steve, Jesus is THE COUNSELOR and WISDOM... I see Jesus in you, in those ways!
• J, Jesus is THE LION / LAMB and HEALER... I see Jesus in you, in those ways.
• J, Jesus is THE ROCK and IMMANUEL... I see Jesus in you, in those ways.
• C, Jesus is THE CREATOR and WORD... I see Jesus in you, in those ways.
• C, Jesus is THE FOUNTAIN and GOOD SHEPHERD... I see Jesus in you, in those ways.

How about giving a BLESSING to each other as we see in each other parts of the fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT?

• The JOY of the Holy Spirit flows out of you to BLESS others.
• The Holy Spirit loves through you in a great way.
• Your life exudes the Holy Spirit's PEACE that passes understanding.
• Your FAITH is so enCOURAGING to me, as I watch you being led by the Holy Spirit.

Let God mold you today into a woman of COURAGE who BLESSES others with her tongue.

Yesterday, our congregation prayed for Japan.  Here are our brothers and sisters gathering after the tsunami, last year, in Mito, Japan.  What A BLESSING they have been to so many this past year.

 COURAGE!  BLESSING!

~OH, THE JOY~

LOVING GOD... LOVING EACH OTHER... MEDITATION MONDAY...

It's Friday morning and I'm just writing the Monday blog post? 

Well, yes and no!

You, see, we've spent the first two months of the year talking about "loving Jesus" and "loving Yourself".  I posted our theme song, for the week, on Sunday.  That song alone makes for some great meditation.  Then again, there is one more word that we heard in Steve's Sunday sermon:  SURRENDER.  He took us to Matthew 5 and reminded us again that "THE BLESSED LIFE" begins with SURRENDER. 

MEDITATION:  What does SURRENDER have to do with loving Jesus? Others? Yourself?

~Oh, the JOY~

HERE WITH ME... MONDAY MEDITATION...

Loving Yourself the way Jesus loves you, means you must spend lots of time with Jesus!

Love J esus!

Love O thers!

Love Y ourself!

This month, we're talking more about loving Yourself.

I was challenged by Steves's sermon, yesterday, as he looked at the life of David and his relationship with God.  Steve made some implications for our own lives. 

There were times when David was:


5)  A Non-Believer – Read 2 Samuel 12:1-15

• Satan was after David’s relationship with the LORD! What if Nathan hadn’t come?

4)  A Pretender – Read 2 Samuel 11:14-25

• David had a hardened heart! How could adultery & murder be no problem to him?

3)  A Coaster – Read 2 Samuel 11:1-5

• It was the spring of the year and David should have been – WHERE? Why wasn’t he?

2)  A  Survivor – Read Psalm 42 and/or Psalm 31

• There were times in David’s life he was barely hanging on! Can you relate? Explain.

1)  A Pursuer – Read Psalm 119:62,72,82,92,97,102,112

 
 
Steve asked for each of us to circle the one that applies to each one of us.  Try this:  with the idea of  "more of self" being the highest -  #5 NON-BELIEVER and "more of Jesus" is the lowest -  #1 PURSUER. 
Go ahead... which one?
 

• #5 - NON-BELIEVER?

• #4 - PRETENDER?

• #3 - COASTER?

• #2 - SURVIVOR?

• #1 - PURSUER?

Steve encouraged us to love ourselves enough to love the LORD in such a way that we PURSUE HIM!!!!

We've definitely talked about the importance of this during the month of February, on this blog.  What did Steve suggest?  He shared what our teens had been challenged to do when they went to Winterfest last week, in Tennessee.  This is certainly worth meditating on:

Am I spiritually disciplined in pursuing God?  Is it time to work on spiritual disciplines in my life?  Richard Foster's book divides them up into 12 disciplines, in this way:

• THE INWARD DISCIPLINES
• Meditation
• Prayer
• Fasting
• Study
• THE OUTWARD DISCIPLINES
• Simplicity
• Solitude
• Submission
• Service
• THE CORPORATE DISCIPLINES
• Confession
• Worship
• Guidance
• Celebration

On this blog, we've looked at Christ's Be-Attitudes in Matthew 5.  He divides them this way:

• IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD 
• Blessed are the poor in spirit...
• Blessed are those who mourn...
• Blessed are the meek...
• IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND OTHERS
• Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...
• Blessed are the merciful...
• Blessed are the pure in heart...
• IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WORLD
• Blessed are the peacemakers...
• Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness...
• Blessed are those who rejoice in persecution for righteousness...

Oh, the JOY of loving Yourself enough to PURSUE JESUS!  It takes time, but the transformation is worth it!

~Oh, the JOY!~

HE'S STILL WORKING ON ME... MEDITATION MONDAY....

Love  J esus
Love  O thers

Love  Y ourself

This month, I am focusing on the Y in the acronym JOY.  I am convinced that I cannot truly love myself without the J - the love of Jesus.  To love myself, with all the flaws and imperfections that are me, is to allow myself to be loved by J esus and to allow Him to work on me, in me, and through me. 

There are several scriptures that sustain me... that renew me... that make me "feel" loved...  They connect so beautifully with the two greatest commandments that are currently our theme verses.  Here are two of my favorites:

MATTHEW 5:
¹ Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

He said:
³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

 

 

 

Salt and Light

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.


QUESTION:  What makes me salt and light to the world?

ANSWER:  When the kingdom of heaven permeates every fiber of my being as in the BE-ATTITUDES of Jesus Christ - that He describes above. 

 When that begins to happen, then I can understand these verses more clearly:

1 CORINTHIANS 4:

⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us... 

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart... 

~OH, THE JOY!~

SO LONG SELF... MEDITATION MONDAY...

We've journeyed, on this blog, so far this year from Jesus' love to how we see ourselves in view of His love for us.  Yesterday morning, as I sang with my church family, the songs spoke to me in the same way as this blog has been doing. 

First, we sang FAITHFUL LOVE:  "Faithful love flowing down from a thorn covered crown...".  Wow!  I love that song, but most of all I love my LORD who is the one with the FAITHFUL LOVE.

Next song?  I AM MINE NO MORE:  "I am mine no more!  I am mine no more!  I've been washed with blood.  I am mine no more! ...Jesus is my LORD!  Jesus is my LORD! And He rules my life!  Jesus is my LORD!"

The final songs summed up a powerful service:  DO YOU KNOW MY JESUS?  and MY JESUS KNOWS JUST WHAT I NEED.

During communion, Derek reminded us how Jesus kept silent before His accusers.  Then, when it was time for the sermon, the LORD spoke powerfully through Steve.  A few of the gold nuggets connected so beautifully with what we've been talking about on this blog:

1. BASILEIA:  This is the Greek word for "kingdom".  It refers to the REIGN and RULE of God.  "The Kingdom" is much more than a place!  It is about the reign and rule of God in everything, including our lives.  It is a state of BE-ing.  Aha!  The BE-attitudes!  Isn't the first BE-attitude, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the KINGDOM of heaven."  The LORD wants to reign and rule in me!
2. THE BATTLE:  God vs. satan!  God vs. evil! Spirit vs. flesh! It's a battle of "love".  Steve took us to 3rd John and the story of two men.  One man was known as "the first to love."  The second man "loved to be first."  Which one was poor in spirit?

I couldn't help but think of the lives of Peter, James, and John:  opinionated, impulsive, judgmental... wanting to be first.  It was a journey of many encounters with Jesus that moved them from those who "loved to be first" to men who were "the first to love" because they had given up control of their lives for the reign and rule of the LORD.

~Oh, the JOY!~

CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST... MEDITATION MONDAY...

Each year, I try to spend time focusing on Christ's sermon on the mount.  His sermon is a call to discipleship for His followers.  His sermon is the way to THE BLESSED LIFE.  His sermon begins with crucifixion!

• Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
• Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
• Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

I've learned a lot by reading a book written by E. Stanley Jones in the early 1900's - CHRIST OF THE MOUNT.  Here are some concepts I am meditating on today as I considered the life and will of our LORD:

• PAGE 56:  "Self renunciation is far deeper than world renunciation, for one may give up the world and not give up (her)self.  I have seen many a sadhu who was poor in material things, but not poor in spirit, for if you crossed (her), (s)he would flash back in anger.  No (wo)man is free until (s)he is..."

• PAGE 57a:  "...free at the center.  When (s)he lets go there, (s)he is free indeed.  When the self is renounced, then one stands utterly disillusioned, apart asking for nothing.  (S)he anticipates the sorrows, the buffetings, the slights, the separations, the disappointments of life... it is life's supreme strategic retreat.  You can then say to life:  "What can you do to me?  I want nothing!"  You can say to death:  "What can you do to me?  I have already died!"  Then is a (wo)man truly free...   Asking for nothing, if anything comes to (her), it is all sheer gain.  Then life becomes one constant surprise."

• PAGE 57b:  "The gospel begins at the cross, so that a (wo)man chooses to be utterly  vulnerable - (s)he wounds (her)self to death.  Then, (s)he is impervious to wounds. You cannot defeat a (wo)man who has already accepted defeat; you cannot break brokenness.  You cannot kill a (wo)man who has chosen to die - (s)he is now deathless."

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

~Oh, the JOY!~

LOVE THE LORD: MEDITATION MONDAY AND GRATITUESDAY

(includes MEDITATION MONDAY)

This year, on this blog, our theme is J.O.Y.  This month, we looked at   "J" is for Jesus and His amazing agape / sacrificial love.  I am so grateful for His love and that He modeled it so clearly.

In February, on this blog, I'll focus on the "Y" of J.O.Y.   Out of gratitude to Jesus, love Yourself like Jesus does!   

Each year, I personally spend time in Christ's "Sermon on the Mount" - Matthew 5-7. It's hard to get past chapter 5 because of all the things Jesus shares about how the goal of a christian is to become like Him. 

 The last verse of chapter 5 is mind boggling, "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. "

The word "perfect" in that verse translates to be like our word "mature". Want to be mature? The finished product? Like Jesus? Then, You and I need to be all those things that Jesus said before this summary verse.



We'll talk about it more tomorrow.  Today, with gratitude, let's  meditate on this: 

Do you love Yourself enough to mature to be like Jesus?  Let's prayerfully focus on "growing up in Him" for the month of February!

Love Jesus!

Love Yourself!

~Oh, the J.O.Y.~

  

I LOVE THE LORD... MEDITATION MONDAY...

As I consider how much Jesus loves me, I must consider my love for Him.  Life is so hard!  It's easy to raise a fist to God and say, "Why?"  or  "You betrayed me!"  The TRUTH is that He does know the answer to "WHY?" and He does not betray. 

Our God sees the little details of life, but He also sees the big picture.  Our God is LOVE and He asks the same of us.  When God came down and "dwelt among us" (John 1), He was the walking talking embodiment of LOVE.  He asks me to be the same!  In fact, He said it in the Old Testament and He said it in the New Testament:

•   Deuteronomy 6:4-6   ^"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.⁵ L ove the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts."
• Matthew 22:36-38  ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. "

What is this LOVE?  1 Corinthians 13 tells us:

"Love is patient,
love is kind.
love does not envy,
love does not boast,
love is not proud.

⁵ Love does not dishonor others,
love is not self-seeking,
love is not easily angered,
love keeps no record of wrongs.

⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

⁷ Love always protects,
Love always trusts,
Love always hopes,
Love always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails.
But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a (wo)man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. "

I love You, LORD!

~Oh, the JOY~

TAKEN BY LOVE... MEDITATION MONDAY

You've read this on this blog multiple times: 

"When a mustard bottle gets squeezed mustard comes out.

When a ketchup bottle gets squeezed, ketchup comes out.

When a christian gets squeezed, Jesus Christ should come out."

Why is it then, that when things don't go as planned, when the stresses of the day become overwhelming, or when we just don't "FEEL" like it... our squeeze ends up  pushing out "garbage/sewage"?

Yesterday, in his sermon entitled DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY, my hubby repeated this statement several times: 

"When I am weak, then I am strong...

I don't want to get in the way of the Divine!" 

We read through the following scriptures: 

• 2 Corinthians 11:22-29
• Ephesians 6:10-12
• 1 Peter 2:18-3:16

He used all the above to get us to thinking / meditating on:

1. It's not about me!  It's about Christ living in and through me!
2. There is a battle going on!
3. I was called for a purpose.

 THE PURPOSE?  For the love of Christ to live in you/me (in spite of the battle) as we:

• LOVE J ESUS
• LOVE O THERS
• LOVE Y OURSELF

__________________

~Oh, the J.O.Y.~

THE KING IS COMING... MEDITATION MONDAY...

Welcome to our new theme and a new year of transforming!  I have pondered and prayed about our new theme.  There are many things to consider when we are talking about eternal life for you, your family, and those who you come in contact with.  I'm planning on blogging in a similar, yet new fashion this year.  Join me in a year of J.O.Y.

I am a teacher at heart:  teacher for children, teacher for future teachers, teacher for women/moms... Maybe you remember singing this kids song in Bible class, Vacation Bible School, or church camp:  "

"J.O.Y.!  J.O.Y.! 

Happy as can be! 

Jesus first! 

Yourself last! 

And Others in between!"

This connects us to  "The Greatest Commandment".  I'd like to spend  this year exploring J.O.Y. in terms of the acrostic:

J is for Jesus
O is for Others
Y is for Yourself

You can see the "plan" for the year over on the right sidebar.

Let's begin with considering this timeline of verses from scripture:

Genesis 1:
²⁶ "Then GOD said, 'Let US make mankind in OUR image, in OUR likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'”

John 1:
¹ In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with GOD, and the WORD was GOD.
² He was with GOD in the beginning.
³ Through HIM all things were made; without HIM nothing was made that has been made.
⁴ In HIM was LIFE, and that LIFE was the LIGHT of all mankind.
⁵ The LIGHT shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
⁶ There was a man sent from GOD whose name was John.
⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that LIGHT, so that through him all might believe.
⁸ He himself was not the LIGHT; he came only as a witness to the LIGHT.
⁹ The TRUE LIGHT that gives LIGHT to everyone was coming into the world.
¹⁰ HE was in the world, and though the world was made through HIM, the world did not recognize HIM.
¹¹ HE came to that which was HIS own, but HIS own did not receive HIM.
¹² Yet to all who did receive HIM, to those who believed in HIS name, HE gave the right to become children of GOD— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of GOD.
¹⁴ The WORD became flesh and made HIS dwelling among us. We have seen HIS glory, the glory of the one and only SON, who came from the FATHER, full of GRACE and TRUTH.


John 3:
 ¹⁶ "For GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS one and only SON, that whoever believes in HIM shall not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE."

 

1 John 3:

¹ See what great love the FATHER has lavished on us, that we should be called children of GOD! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know HIM.
² Dear friends, now we are children of GOD, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when CHRIST appears, we shall be like HIM, for we shall see HIM as HE is...

¹⁶ This is how we know what LOVE is: JESUS CHRIST laid down HIS life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the LOVE of GOD be in that person?
¹⁸ Dear children, let us not LOVE with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

1 John 4:
⁷ Dear friends, let us LOVE one another, for LOVE comes from GOD. Everyone who LOVEs has been born of GOD and knows GOD.
⁸ Whoever does not LOVE does not know GOD, because GOD IS LOVE.
⁹ This is how GOD showed HIS LOVE among us: HE sent HIS one and only SON into the world that we might live through HIM.
¹⁰ This is LOVE: not that we loved GOD, but that HE LOVEd us and sent HIS SON as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
¹¹ Dear friends, since GOD so LOVEd us, we also ought to LOVE one another.
¹² No one has ever seen GOD; but if we LOVE one another, GOD lives in us and HIS LOVE is made complete in us.
¹³ This is how we know that we live in HIM and HE in us: HE has given us of HIS SPIRIT.
¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the FATHER has sent HIS SON to be the SAVIOR of the world. ¹⁵ If anyone acknowledges that JESUS is the SON OF GOD, GOD lives in them and they in GOD.
¹⁶ And so we know and rely on the LOVE GOD has for us. GOD is LOVE. Whoever lives in LOVE lives in GOD, and GOD in them.
¹⁷ This is how LOVE is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like JESUS.
¹⁸ There is no fear in LOVE. But perfect LOVE drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in LOVE.
¹⁹ We LOVE because HE first loved us.
²⁰ Whoever claims to LOVE GOD yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not LOVE their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot LOVE God, whom they have not seen.
²¹ And HE has given us this command: Anyone who LOVES GOD must also LOVE their brother and sister.

Revelation 22:
¹² “Look, I am coming soon! MY reward is with ME, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.
¹³ I am the ALPHA and the OMEGA, the FIRST and the LAST, the BEGINNING and the END.
¹⁴ “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of LIFE and may go through the gates into the city.
¹⁵ Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
¹⁶ “I, JESUS, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the ROOT and the OFFSPRING OF DAVID, and the BRIGHT MORNING STAR.”

J is for Jesus!


Faith is Jesus!
I place my Faith in Jesus!


Hope is Jesus!
I place my Hope in Jesus!

Love is Jesus!
I choose to Love Jesus!

~OH, THE JOY!~

I AM BLESSED... GOD SHOWS UP...

MEDITATION MONDAY

Praise to God for a Living Hope!!!!!!!!

Yesterday, "God showed up" in a more accentuated way than usual in our Sunday morning service. My husband preached a sermon entitled, "I ALMOST QUIT!"

On this christian journey, there are things that often get in the way of victorious christian living and our ability to see the blessings we have all around us. God always shows up, yet the Devil would like nothing more that for us to not realize that and become...

• Discouraged



• Despaired



• Distressed



• Disillusioned



• Distracted

to the point that we quit.

Steve's wonderful words of encouragement with a reading of 1 Peter 1:3-9:

3 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In His great mercy He has given us new birth

into a living hope

through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4 and into an inheritance that can

never perish, spoil or fade.

This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,

5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power

until the coming of the salvation

that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 In all this you greatly rejoice,

though now for a little while

you may have had to suffer grief

in all kinds of trials.

7 These have come so that

the proven genuineness of your faith—

of greater worth than gold,

which perishes even though refined by fire—

may result in praise, glory and honor

when Jesus Christ is revealed.

8 Though you have not seen Him,

you love Him;

and even though you do not see Him now,

you believe in Him and are filled with

an inexpressible and glorious joy,

9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith,

the salvation of your souls."

~BLESSED~

NOTE: You can join others in listening to Steve's sermon(s) online here.

MY SAVIOR MY GOD... HE MINISTERS TO ME THROUGH MUSIC...

MEDITATION MONDAY

• Some hours in our lives are tougher than others.


• Some days in our lives are rougher than others.


• Some weeks in our lives seem like they will never end.


• Some years in our lives, it is hard to put one foot in front of the other.

One of those years, in the past decade, found my hours, days, and weeks full of crying out to the LORD. Challenges with family, work, friends, and church literally took my breath away. I would get in my car to head for work and turn on christian radio, "Spirit 95". Invariably, the song that was #1 for 24 weeks that year would be playing: MY SAVIOR MY GOD, sung by Aaron Shust. I would sing along... be ministered to... and then, another song from the top 10 would play. It was amazing how God used those songs to sustain me:


1. MY SAVIOR MY GOD - Aaron Shust
2. HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD - Christ Tomlin
3. THIS MAN - Jeremy Camp
4. PRAISE YOU IN THIS STORM - Casting Crowns
5. I AM - Mark Schultz
6. CRY OUT TO JESUS - Third Day
7. MOUNTAIN OF GOD - Third Day
8. WELCOME HOME - Brian Litrell
9. SO LONG SELF - Mercy Me
10. BREATHE INTO ME - Red

This weekend, as I battled tendonitis in my leg, I sat a lot (with my leg propped up)and listened to christian music:

• via this blog


• on my Ipod


• on my cell phone


• on my DVR

As I leave the house today, my CD is already set for music of BLESSING.

NOTE: The words to MY SAVIOR MY GOD are on yesterday's post. I am moving some of these top 10 songs of 2006 up to the top of my playlist.

~BLESSED~

FOREVER... GIVING THANKS FOR JESUS...

MEDITATION MONDAY

It's been a BLESSED and reflective Thanksgiving. As I contemplated our new theme song for this week, I wanted it to reflect my desire for the "spirit of Thanksgiving" to continue FOREVER! It does! When the Holy Spirit of God is present, praise and thanksgiving permeate the place!!!

Yesterday, we ended our "quarter" in our Sunday women's Bible class. Our review focus was on FAITH...

F ix my eyes on Jesus!

A ssured of who I am in Christ!

I don't wanna', but I'm a gonna!

T hrow off everything that hinders!

H oly Spirit led!

What followed was a worship service and sermon with 2 very strong messages that are the bookends of our FAITH acrostic.

• 
  
  Fix your eyes on Jesus is the first and primary thing: GET TO KNOW JESUS CHRIST!
  
  


• 
  
  Holy Spirit led! Take the first step and begin the journey!

We were challenged get rid of STINKIN' THINKIN' and let this be our focus!

FIX MY EYES ON JESUS via

the "ABC's in 3's"of JESUS:

• A dvocate, Alpha and Omega, Almighty



• B lessed, Bright and Morning Star, Bread of Life



• C reator, Counselor, Comfort



• D eliverer, Divine, Door



• E ternal Life, Emmanuel, Everlasting
  

• F aithful Friend, Forgiver, Faithfulness



• G od, Goodness, Gentleness



• H oly One, High Priest, Hope of Glory



• I Am, Immanuel, Incarnate God



• J oy, Judge of the Living and the Dead, Jehovah



• K ing of kings, Keeper of my soul, Kindness
  

• L ove, Light of the world, Lion and Lamb



• M essiah, Mediator, Master



• N ame above all names, Nazarene, Never-ending



• O nly Begotten Son, Omnipresent, Offspring of David



• P rince of peace, Peace, Patience



• Q uieter of the winds and waves, Qualified, Qualifier



• R esurrection and the Life, Redeemer, Righteousness



• S avior of the world, Servant, Self Control



• T ruth, Teacher, True Vine



• U nfailing love, Unspeakable gift, Unchanging



• V ictor, Victory, Valiant Warrior



• W ay, Word, Wisdom



• eX act representation of God, eXalted, eXample



• Y ahweh, Yahweh, Yahweh



• Z ion's glory, Zion stander, Zion's choice stone
  

Holy Spirit Led... The HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD...

• ...indwells





• ... blesses





• ... helps





• ... gives life





• ... comforts





• ... leads





• ... empowers





• ... bears witness





• ... bears fruit





• ... gifts





• ... convicts





• ... moves and inspires





• ... seals and pledges





• ... fills





• ... intercedes





• ... fellowships





• ... teaches





• ... rejoices





• ... abides





• ... transforms...

~BLESSED~

GIVE THANKS... THROUGH YOUR GIVING...

MEDITATION MONDAY

Yesterday, my church family joined together in our "Pack the Pulpit Sunday". People brought their love offerings of food into the building. The children brought the gifts on up to the pulpit area. Tomorrow, I will share more pictures. In the meantime, consider what "judging" has or does not have to do with "giving" as you read these verses from LUKE 6:

37 “Do not judge,

and you will not be judged.

Do not condemn,

and you will not be condemned.

Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

38 Give, and it will be given to you.

A good measure, pressed down,

shaken together and running over,

will be poured into your lap.

For with the measure you use,

it will be measured to you.”

THAT'S WHAT FAITH CAN DO... BE STRETCHED...

MEDITATION MONDAY

Today, I want us to consider FAITH as it relates to RUBBERBANDS. I recently read something about rubberbands that gave me some thoughts to ponder:

"The main thing to remember when discussing rubber bands
is entropy. Generally speaking, entropy is chaos, or a lack of order.

Entropy is best defined in the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states that a system will naturally move from a state of order to a state of disorder. This is best illustrated in a rubber band. While not being stretched out, the polymers (molecules that make up the rubber) are tangled up in a random mess, all of them haphazardly lying atop the others. When a rubber band is stretched, though, these molecules lengthen out and become ordered in a single direction. However,
the natural urge is to return to the state of entropy, so as soon as the rubber band is released, it will snap back to its original form and back to a state of entropy."

My question for us to ponder:

Is it the continual STRETCHING of our circumstances that gives us the opportunity to order our FAITH focus in the direction that God wants it to go?

On Friday, we lived through 11-11-11. We honored our God. We honored Veteran's.
On Sunday, churches across the USA joined in "Orphan Sunday". Our prayer and giving focus was for children who are living without one or more parents.

There are things that STRETCH and grow FAITH more than others. Separated from family and friends while in harm's way is certainly FAITH STRETCHING! Living without the comfort , protection, and guidance of a parent is a mind boggling STRETCH OF FAITH.

Add to Veteran's and Orphans our dear Widows and Widowers! All alone from years spent with his or her Beloved, FAITH IS STRETCHED on a daily basis.

For these people, the holidays can be an extremely difficult time. As you count your BLESSINGS in the next few weeks, please consider how to pray for, love, give to, and serve these special people. STRETCH YOUR PRAYER LIFE! STRETCH YOUR LOVE! STRETCH YOUR GIVING! STRETCH YOUR SERVICE!

James 1:26-27

"Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. "

Luke 6:38

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

~BLESSED~

THAT'S WHAT FAITH CAN DO... JESUS BRINGS UNITY OUT OF DIVERSITY...

MEDITATION MONDAY

I love my church family! An amazingly diverse group of people have come together because of their faith in and love for LORD JESUS CHRIST. We worship Him, we fellowship with each other, we work through our differences, and we are learning and maturing in how to be Spirit-led. We are more than community... we are the family of God - The Pitman Road church of Christ!

Yesterday, via cardboard testimonies, some of this body of believers shared why they loved our church family. Here are some of the words they wrote on cardboard. Join me in meditating on these words of gratitude today:

1. God fearing, Spirit-led leaders!

2. Love! Love! Love! 100%

3. Gospel is preached through many lives!

4. Faith, Hope, Love shown always!

5. Our Diversity!

6. Our service projects! World mission!

7. All of the Bible classes!

8. Everyone is willing to help!

9. Godly shepherds and wives!

10. Family feeling!

11. Seeing the Bible lived in people's lives!

12. Good preachers!

13. We care for the needy!

14. Accappela singing!

15. Young people in our Life Groups!

16. Many men share from pulpit!

17. Clarity!

18. Self sacrificing elders and ministers!

19. We go outside our comfort zones to share!

20. Bible studies are awesome!

21. How they make me feel like family!

22. Visible relationships!

23. Spiritual family manifested!

24. Imperfect and caring people, yet we fit together!

25. Leaders move beyond tradition!

26. Accept different worship styles!

27. The love and hearts of people!

28. 27 years of never giving up!

29. The truth is preached and taught!

30. A Bible believing church!

31. Life Groups

32. We never stop caring!

33. We exemplify that we are family through Christ!

34. Not judgmental!

35. Show the real meaning of love!

36. Songs we sing!

37. We meet 3 times weekly!

38. Youth Groups!

39. Singing!

40. Sense of Community!

41. Prayerful practices!

42. Spirit led!

43. The people!

44. Family atmosphere!

45. It's big! It's fun! Toys! (1st grader)

46. Heavy investment in our young people!

47. I was saved here - Great Commission emphasis!

48. Many people participate!

49. Life Group Fellowships!

50. Non-judgmental, accepting members!

51. Prayerful leaders, members!

52. Men gather consistently to pray!

53. Generosity!

54. Give and give and give!

55. Forgive me of my sins!

56. We bring our friends to church to bring them to Jesus!

57. We don't talk about diversity, we display diversity!

58. Godly shepherds!

~BLESSED~

VOICE OF TRUTH... PERSEVERE... ENDURE...

MEDITATION MONDAY

~PERSEVERANCE~

~ENDURANCE~

James 1:12


Blessed is a (wo)man

who PERSEVERES under trial;

for once she has been approved,

she will receive the crown of life

which the Lord has promised

to those who love Him.

Hebrews 12:2-3 2

“Let us fix our eyes on JESUS,

the Author and Perfector

of our FAITH,

who for the joy set before Him

ENDURED the cross,

scorning its shame…

sat down at the right hand

of the throne of GOD.

CONSIDER Him

who ENDURED such opposition

from sinful men,

so that you will not grow weary

and lose heart.”

Hebrews 11:1

“Now FAITH is being sure

of what we hope for

and certain of what we do not see.”

Hebrews 11:3-40

“By FAITH,

we understand that

the universe was formed

at GOD's command…

And without FAITH,

it is impossible to please GOD,

because anyone who comes to Him

must believe that He exists

and that He rewards those

who earnestly seek Him…

By FAITH,

men conquered kingdoms...

administered justice...

gained what was promised ...

shut the mouths of lions...

quenched flames…

escaped the sword…

weakness turned to strength…

became powerful in battle…

Hebrews 12:1

“Therefore,

since we are surrounded
by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that hinders,

the sin that so easily entangles,
and let us run with PERSEVERANCE
the race marked out for us.”

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

The truth is that

ENDURANCE AND PERSEVERANCE

work best when alongside

Faithful Friends!

~BLESSED~