Be a Contender, Not a Pretender June 30, 2008

I have the distinct pleasure to have a guest post-er…someone near and very dear to my heart and life…my dear husband Carl will share what God laid on his heart this past weekend as he spent sometime in the Word…

As he shared his thoughts with me, he mentioned that I should write about what we talked about on my blog…I quickly responded by saying, why don’t you write it?  He gave me a sweet grin and said…alright.

I hope you enjoy his thoughts and His love for God’s Word and God’s people as much as I  do!

Helen

 

Wow, summer is finally here!  It is an exciting time if you are a sports fan.  The Summer Olympics will soon be upon us, many hours of watching on television or reading print or posts, cheering on your favorite athletes in your favorite sporting events.  Are you a fan of track and field, or swimming, or maybe diving?  When I think of the Olympics, I think of how hard, how many hours the athletes had to train in order to get that perfect 10 on the balance beam, or rings – no way I could ever do that.  But I do have one thing in common with these world-class athletes – I can contend!

 

The book of Jude is a small morsel lodged between Third John and Revelations that packs a whole bunch of applicability to our lives today.  When I recently re-read Jude, I couldn’t help but think he was talking about today’s world. He is warning the 21^st century church to beware of those within the body:

“For certain persons who have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked for condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ (v.4). 

He describes these people as part of the church. Those who act and say the right Christian words, attend each Sunday and praise God aloud.  His warning is that these are people who are diluting the word of Christ, who distract us, who bring in thoughts and ways that may be just a little bit off from what the Lord teaches us, or a long way off of what we know about Christ, and if we are not careful, we may get sucked in by their persuasions.  

 

Then I noticed something interesting about what I was reading.  I realized that Jude wasn’t writing about the 21^st Century church, he was writing about what he was seeing as he wrote his letter sometime between the dates A.D. 70 and A.D. 80!  Seems as though the world hasn’t changed much in 2000 years.

 

Jude offers us a remedy to this situation.  In verse 3 he tells us:

“Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints”.

 

Now it’s that word contend that caught my attention given the time of year it is.  As I looked a bit closer at the meaning of contend in verse 3, it is the Greek word diakrino, which is “to separate throughout or wholly” (dia, “asunder,” krino, “ to judge, “ from a root kri, meaning “separation”).  I was disappointed that in this verse, the meaning didn’t belong to the more athletic root of the word athleo, which is to engage in a contest, to engage in public games.  Now, that’s what I’m talking about – the Summer Olympics! 

 

But not all is lost, we can still aggressively contend.  Verse 9 speaks about Michael disputing or contending with the devil, which was strong. He did not argue with him, he simply states, “The Lord Rebuke You.”

 

So Jude is telling us in verse 3 to not associate with these persons – who have crept in, who are in the church, but are not of the church.  Wow, that is a tough one to swallow.  Really though, how can one tell who the “real believers” are?

 

Verses 18 & 19 “In the last time there shall be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.  These are the same ones, who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit”.  Verse 16: “These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts, they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage”.

 

He contrasts this with those who are the true believers.  Do you have these characteristics?  “But you beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life”. (v.20-21)

 

Now remember, this was written over 2000 years ago, not yesterday – but doesn’t it sound like it applies today?  What can we (you and I) do to help this matter?

 

Verses 22-23 give us a command.  “Have mercy on some, who are doubting; save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh”.

 

Which camp are you in today?  Do you know some within your church circle who may fit the example of those who are ungodly?  What are you seeing on television, newspapers or radio – those who say they are Christians, but are living by their own set of rules and standards? 

The only way you can be sure which camp you are in is to live a godly life, to contend for the faith, your faith!  Love those who you care about, that you recognize as falling away – contend for them with all godly love and mercy.  Don’t be fooled by smooth talkers, speaking a language that isn’t from above.  When you find those – separate from them, but – let me add, pray for them – snatch them out of the fire.  Be a contender, not a pretender.

 (All scriptures taken from the New American Standard Study Bible) 

I Feel The Temperature Rising… June 29, 2008

 

Readings in II Kings, II Chronicles, Amos, Hosea, Jonah and Isaiah

Here in Portland, Oregon we have just experienced a 3 day mini-heat wave.  A common feature of Oregon heat waves is that they seem to come out of the blue…without much “warm up” time…one day it is in the 60’s and the next day it is in the 90’s…

I really have a difficult time with hot weather…my body just can’t tolerate the heat and after more than a couple days, I feel swollen and rather faint…I know I am a bit of a wimp…but it feels very similar to being claustrophobic.  Today when I took my seat on our porch and let the cool breeze wash over me…and rejoiced with Caleb when the rain drops started to fall…yes…we did do a spontaneous rain dance…I was reminded that we all have heat waves in our lives…not matter the season.  Heat waves that can come without any advanced notice…actual scorching temperatures or circumstantial ones that leave us exasperated and faint.

Here’s what lingered with me from this past week’s time in the Word:

AMOS: A prophet to Israel…the son of a priest…the first words of this book say that Amos was one of the shepherds of Tekoa…God chose an ordinary man…with an ordinary vocation…to speak extraordinary words to His people…Amos went from tending the sheep to the pressure cooker lifestyle of telling the rebellious people of Israel that they needed to repent and return to the Lord their God.  Can you feel the mercury rising…from the pastures to a sore throat and blistered feet…

“Seek me and live.”  (5:4)

“Seek the LORD and live.” (5:6)

“Seek good, not evil, that you may live then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is.” (5:14)

“Hate evil, love good.” (5:15)

The above words seem so simple….straightforward even…but not so easy to live by…

Naaman:  Naaman was the commander of the army of the king of Aram.  The Word says he was a great man in the sight of his master and held in high regard and he was a valiant soldier however there was a huge BUT…he had leprosy.  A slave girl held the key to his relief…but Naaman was a great man…he was sure that he would need a great cure…how could seven dips in the pool relieve his suffering…

Seek the LORD and live!

Seeking the Lord may mean being asked to do something that seems foolish but can bring healing.

Uzziah king of Judah: Uzziah walked in the way of the Lord but pride got the best of him and once he became powerful he decided that he could perform the role that God had given priests alone and burnt incense at the altar of incense…pride was his downfall and he was afflicted by the Lord with leprosy all the days of his life. 

Seek good, not evil, that you may live, then the LORD God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is. 

Jotham king of Judah: Jotham was the son of King Uzziah…would he live by his father’s example…is it possible to escape the sins of the father…absolutely! 

“He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done, but unlike him he did not enter the temple of the LORD.” (II Chron. 28: 2)

“Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the LORD his God.” (28: 6)

Seek me and live!

Hosea: The second and third verses of Hosea say these words…that give me quite a shudder:

“When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him,
“Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD.  So he married Gomer…” (1:2,3)

What has God asked of you…of me?  What has he said as He has begun to speak in our lives?  I would describe this as a heat wave…but God spoke and Hosea obeyed.  God’s words aren’t what I have been praying for my children as I pray for their future spouses.  Yes, perhaps this book is merely an allegory…perhaps not…regardless…

 Hate evil, love good!

Jonah: The story of Jonah is so familiar even to preschoolers…I really enjoyed reading the book of Jonah this week…he even encountered a heat wave. 

Just like in Hosea and Amos…no time is wasted…God tells Jonah to go to Ninevah and preach against the wickedness that was so prevalent…Jonah runs away and gains passage on a ship…God had other plans for Jonah and sends a great storm which causes all on board to fear for their lives…Jonah realizes the inevitable ship wreck is due to his exodus from God’s calling…when the sailors ask Jonah where he is from and what does he do and what people he is from…I love his answer:

“I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.” (1: 9)

Jonah boldly proclaimed who he was and whose he was…he also made sure that the sailors knew who made the seas on which they traveled…as the sailors had been pleading with their own gods to no avail. 

Man overboard…the sailors are saved and Jonah enters the belly of a great fish which the Lord provided.

Jonah has some time to think about his plight and prays to the Lord and after he utters these words…that fish decides Jonah should depart:

“Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.
But I, with a song of thanksgiving, with sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed, I will make good.
Salvation comes from the LORD.”
(Jonah 2:8]

 Jonah preaches to the Ninevites and they declare a fast and call out to the LORD…and the LORD has compassion and He relents…cause for celebration by Jonah…NO WAY…He is displeased and angry…huh? 
He basically tells God that he was afraid that God would be God and would be gracious, compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love and would relent from sending calamity. 

I have to admit…I think I have been there…maybe not to the extent of this former fish dweller, I mean he wanted to die, he was so angry , but I have gotten my feelings stomped on a time or two…do I want to forgive…easily…quickly…would I like God to give them the big KAPOW…sorry…I have…has God been God to them…YES…has He been God to me…thankfully yes as well.  God asks Jonah if he has any right to be angry…do I? 

Jonah builds a shelter and sits outside of the city in the shade to watch and wait to see what happens to the city.  I wonder if he was waiting to see if the people would slide back into their old ways…so he could point fingers…or maybe that is just what I have been prone to do…ouch!

The Lord provides him with a vine and makes it grow over Jonah to give him shade for his head to ease his discomfort and this vine made Jonah happy.  The next day, God provided a worm to chew the vine so it withered and he also sent a hot wind and lots of sun…a  heat wave in fact…with the vine now history, Jonah’s poor little head was sunburned and he felt faint.  He wanted to die…again God asks Jonah if he has the right to be angry about the vine…Jonah says…I do…I am angry enough to die.  The book of Jonah closes with God telling Jonah that he has been angry about a mere vine that he did nothing to make it grow or even tend to it…but the city of Ninevah has hundreds of thousands of people who can’t tell their right from their left hand…should God not be concerned about that great city?

Don’t you love the heart of God?  God will definitely be nothing less than be God.  The story of Jonah reminds me of Elijah…God’s servants get tired…maybe even a bit moody at times…God deals so gently with them…through the penetrating shade of a vine to a whisper of a gentle breeze…He can ask hard questions but He is fiercely tender…altogether loving.

Today you may find yourself in the midst of a heat wave…it could involve being ordinary for an extraordinary God, following simple instructions that lead to abundant life, putting away pride, walking in your calling, abandoning generational curses, saying yes to an unimaginable request or going where you are sent…

My prayer today is that we will all wipe our sweaty foreheads and say an emphatic YES…because in the midst of it, He just might provide you with a vine that will shade your head or in my case…cool breezes and drops of refreshment from heaven…providing energy enough to dance.

Join us here at Bev’s place every Monday as we read the Word Cover to Cover chronologically…read other recaps that are not quite so wordy…in fact, I give up…it is impossible!  Just imagine all that I left out…now that is something to not ponder long…it could be headache inducing.  

 

 

 

What I’m chewing on…a mouthful of contentment… June 25, 2008

Hooray for summer…

Here’s what I am chewing on…

Blueberries…glorious blueberries!!!  Such juicy goodness and it’s good for the body as well.

 

Still chewing on this…

                           AND

           

 

 

 

 

Enjoying chewing on this…

 Contentment by Lydia Brownback…

I love when it seems like God seems to hammer the same message over and over…If you read the last two weeks of my cover to cover recaps…the themes have been…setting our heart on God…getting rid of those idols in our lives…truly when we desire to set our heart on God alone…we will have no need to find any substitute for God in our lives…the idols will be seen as they truly are…false…and our lives will be filled with contentment…don’t you want that?  I know that I do…

Using this utensil to facilitate chewing…

Wisdom stained in yellow…

**We can be content with our lives exactly as they are today because God has promised he is always with us.  Our problem really isn’t that we need something we don’t have; our problem is that we don’t find God to be enough for us.  Many of us can’t even comprehend how God can meet us in our empty places and satisfy us fully.  We are open to the idea, but we just don’t see how it’s possible.  Sometimes we get a wrong idea about how God satisfies us.  He doesn’t come to us in our own terms, taking the role of surrogate for the things or the relationships we lack.  He comes in place of those things, giving us something even better…We don’t need anything more than what we have right now, today, in order to be content.  The Bible says so; therefore, it must be true.  The choice is ours.

**The primary reason God withholds certain blessings, the lack of which creates big, empty places in our hearts and lives, is so he can fill those empty places with himself.  He cannot fill with the best what is already full with the mediocre.  We will  never experience Christ as best if we set our hearts on what we want God to do for us in the here and now.

**Contentment in the valleys comes when we stop fighting so hard to climb out.

**Good times are designed to come and go, but contentment is designed to be constant for all who are in Christ.

**When we turn life’s little pleasures into remedies for life’s troubles, we are setting up idols in our hearts, which actually push God aside.  When a woman makes a bag of chips a habitual quick fix, according to God she “separates [herself] from me, taking [her] idols into [her] heart.” (Ez. 14:7)

**All idols are governed by the law of diminishing returns.

Another reason I didn’t include chewing on this…

Seeking contentment…just because…this is the day that the Lord has made!

Helen

~~~Find more about Contentment: A godly woman’s adornment here.

P.S.  But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”
I Timothy 6: 6-8

Moral:  I don’t find contentment in my blueberries and chips…they won’t leave this earth with me…but I can find contentment with the Lord because He has provided them for me…that is cause enough to celebrate this day!

No other gods… June 22, 2008

How interesting that I would begin the summer LPM Bible study at this time…the study I am using is called No Other Gods by Kelly Minter…I have only just begun the study but it is having an impact already…just as last week’s reading have continued to resonate with me.  I find myself thinking often of King Solomon, King Asa and also Elijah…pondering what it means to have my heart set on God…continually…always…

This week, I have been increasingly aware of myself…how short I fall…so often.  True, I daily reaffirm that I am a sinner saved by nothing else but grace…however, there are those days or weeks where the reality is at the forefront…and at times it feels unbearable…yet I can’t escape that truth.  Days where I could echo  Isaiah…woe to me…I am ruined…I am a man of unclean lips…or like the tax collector who looks to heaven and says…God have mercy on me, a sinner!

This past week, we worked our way through the rest of I Kings, began II Kings, continued in II Chronicles and Psalm 46, 47, 48, 49, 83 and 91 (some of my favorite psalms). I make no apologies for my redundancy…reading the Word in order has made such a difference in not only my comprehension but has enriched the text…how is it that a passage from the Word, that I have always loved, suddenly intensifies that affection because its context is rightfully in place…

If the books of Kings and Chronicles became part of The Wheel Of Fortune game show…I can imagine that if the category for the bonus round was proper names…the letter “J” would have to be added as one of the most used letters…I have never read about so many “J” men in my life…it was a week to get easily confused.

This week revealed the lives of the following kings of Israel: Ahab, Joram, Jehu and Jehoahaz.  The kings of Judah encountered were: Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Ahaziah and Joash.  I could easily take you through each king that was “horrible”…how vile they were…how they did evil in God’s sight and caused the people to follow after other gods…bottom line they were sinners…just like me.  One of the saddest passages I read was related to Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat…Jehoram was the opposite of his father…after all his misdeeds, this is what is written about Jehoram:

“After all this, the LORD afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels. In the course of time, at the end of the second year, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great pain.  His people made no fire in his honor, as they had for his fathers.  Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.  He passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.”  (II Chronicles 21: 18-20)

For all the sin in Jehoram’s life…his last days must have been physically unbearable and once his life was over…he was without honor or any to be sad that he no longer remained. 

In sharp contrast is Jehoram’s father, Jehoshaphat…

“He walked in the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.” (II Chronicle 20: 32)

When a vast army was coming against him, he resolved to inquire of the Lord and proclaimed a fast for all of Judah and this is what he said:

“O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven?  You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations.  Power and might are in  your hand, and no one can withstand you…For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us.  We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.”
(II Chronicles 20: 6,12)

Over the last few years as I have felt like there has been an army attacking me and my family, I have turned to those words of Jehoshaphat many times…once again is all about setting our hearts and trust in the Lord.

God hears Jehoshaphat’s prayers and through one of his servants, it is proclaimed to Jehoshaphat that the battle is not theirs, but the Lord’s.  They will not have to fight this battle…they just have to take up their positions and stand firm and see the deliverance of the Lord.  This causes King J. and all of Judah and Jerusalem to bow in worship.  Jehoshaphat then appoints men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness, leading the army.  As they were singing and praising, God set up ambushes for the enemy and they were defeated.  The enemy was not only annihilated but there was so much plunder, it took 3 days to collect.  They returned to Jerusalem joyfully for the Lord had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies and He gave them rest on all sides.

These are three of the psalms that were attributed to this time of victory that began with praise and ended in a great victory…Psalm 46, 47, and 48…written by the sons of Korah. 

 Psalm 46 takes on deeper meaning:

 1 God is our refuge and strength,
       an ever-present help in trouble.

 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
       and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

 3 though its waters roar and foam
       and the mountains quake with their surging.
       Selah

 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
       the holy place where the Most High dwells.

 5 God is within her, she will not fall;
       God will help her at break of day.

 6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
       he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

 7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
       the God of Jacob is our fortress.
       Selah

 8 Come and see the works of the LORD,
       the desolations he has brought on the earth.

 9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
       he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
       he burns the shields with fire.

 10 “Be still, and know that I am God;
       I will be exalted among the nations,
       I will be exalted in the earth.”

 11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
       the God of Jacob is our fortress.
       Selah

I love that!!!

Kelly Minter in No Other God writes what prompted her write this study:

I happened to be in 2 Kings, chapter 17, when verse 33 arrested my attention, “They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods.”  Verse 41 further compounded the description, “Even while these people were worshiping the LORD, they were serving their idols.”  God and gods: the people were living split lives, worshiping the One, while serving the others.

She further adds a definition of idols by Ken Sande:

Most of us think of an idol as a statue of wood, stone, or metal worshiped by a pagan people…In biblical terms, it is something other than God that we set our heart on, that motivates us, that masters us and rules us, or that we trust, fear or serve.  An idol can also be referred to as a “false god” or a “functional god”.

The definition above is not new to me yet I am left with the sad reality that I may easily profess that Jesus is my Lord and Savior however I may have many things (even some of which are good) in my life that are functioning as a god…areas where I foolishly think God needs some help. 

It is not my aim to live a life that will be remembered or even honored but I certainly do not wish to be like Jehoram…

I want this to be my aim…the cry of my heart and life:

“FOR THIS GOD IS OUR GOD FOR EVER AND EVER.  HE WILL BE OUR GUIDE EVEN TO THE END.”

Psalm 48: 14

My idea of a relaxing day during the summer is 75 degree weather, an Arnold Palmer (half iced tea, half lemonade) close by and a good book…I definitely will be spending time reading a very good book and I think I may be doing some heavy lifting…dismantling the high places and idols in my life…clearing out the landscape so God can write His Words upon my heart.  I am sure there will be days where I close my eyes and say that I don’t know what to do but my eyes will definitely be on Him!

The year is halfway done and still the best decision of 2008 has been reading the Bible cover to cover chronologically…we are gaining new people weekly that are desirous to read the Word this way…click hereto learn more at Bev’s site…read most posts from other cover to cover readers…get the reading list.  Bev, see what you started…so glad that your heart was set on His!

If you are interested in the No Other God’s bible study click here…you can also find out information about downloading the first session here to see if you are interested.  Let me know if you decide to do some reconstruction with me.

Keep clinging to Him,

Helen

 

 

 

Torrey Pines…simply amazing… June 16, 2008

I changed the design again…what a play off for the U.S. Open Golf Tournament…I can’t believe that Tiger or Rocco have much left after all this golf…it’s sudden death…so I am off to see who wins this battle.

Helen

Cover to Cover…It only takes a single misstep… June 15, 2008

It feels like it has been months since I last posted a cover to cover recap…even though it has only been a few weeks…I  feel out of practice and how do I wrap up a week that was yet another busting at the seams kind of week?

This week, we finished reading Ecclesiastes chapters 7-10, read I Kings 11-19; II Chronicles 9-20; Psalm 73, 88 and 89.

This is what lingered with me this week:

• “King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women…” (I Kings 11: 1)  The Lord had told Solomon that he should not intermarry with any foreign women because they would turn his heart after their gods.  “Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.” (I Kings 11:2)  Solomon had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines…the sheer number seems unfathomable…and that he loved them.  But yet how many things do I daily say that I “love”?  The Word says that these women did indeed turn his heart after their own gods and that he built high places for all the different gods of his women.  1000 women…1000 high places…1000 hearts took away Solomon’s heart from the Lord…but it only would have taken one. The number makes it evident that Solomon was very busy with all his women and it would have been difficult to put God first in his life and affairs.  Where is my heart today?  Is there something the Lord has told me not to be entangled or else my heart will be turned away from His?  I would venture that everytime I choose something other than the Lord as first in my life…it is like intermarrying with something foreign…erecting a high place in my life in which to worship…What in my life have I held fast to in love that God wants me to release?
• Psalm 73 is one of my all time favorite psalms…it is a great antecdote for the above point:

           “Yet I am always with you;
            you hold me by my right hand.

           You guide me with your counsel,
           and afterward you will take me into glory.

           Whom have I in heaven but you?
           And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

          My flesh and my heart may fail,
          but God is the strength of my heart
          and my portion forever.

         Those who are far from you will perish,
         you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
        But as for me, it is good to be near God.
        I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
       I will tell of all your deeds.”

       Psalm 73: 23-28

• Because of Solomon’s disobedience to the Lord, the kingdom was taken from him…because of David, one tribe would remain.  Israel is now a divided kingdom…Israel and Judah…Israel under the leadership of Jeroboam to Nadab to Baasha to Elah to Zimri, Tibni, Omri and Ahab all did evil in God’s eyes.  Judah’s kings included Rehoboam and Abijah and they both did evil in God’s eyes as well and along came Asa…”Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done.” (I Kings 15: 11)  He expelled all the male shrine prostitutes, got rid of all the idols his father had made.  He even deposed the queen mother because she had made a repulsive Asherah pole…he cut the pole down and burned it.  The Word says that although he did not remove the high places his heart was fully committed to the Lord.  The account in II Chronicles says that Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord…he removed the foreign altars and high places, he smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherahpoles, he removed the high places and incense altars in every town in Judah and he commanded Judah to seek the Lord.  The kingdom was at peace under him.  He built up the fortified cities of Judah.  No one was at war with him during those years for the Lord gave him rest.  When we are seeking the Lord…we can be at rest and God will give us peace.
• Read this wonderful prayer of Asa’s:
  “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty.  Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army.  O Lord, you are our God; do not let man prevail against you.”  (II Chron. 14: 11)
  Asa knew where his help came from…the Maker of Heaven and Earth…and the Lord struck down Asa’s enemies.
• The Spirit of the Lord came upon Azariah and he tells Asa:
  “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin.  The Lord is with you when you are with him.  If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you…But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”(II Chron. 15: 2, 7)  When Asa heard these words he took courage.  He removed the destestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured.  He repaired the altar of the Lord in front of the temple.  He assembled people from Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon and they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord withall their heart and soul.  Whoever would not seek the Lord whether small or great, man or woman was put to death.  All Judah rejoiced because they had sworn  wholeheartedly to seek the Lord eagerly..and the Lord gave them rest.
• The Word says that Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life even though he did not remove the high places in Israel.  There was no war UNTIL the 35th year of Asa’s reign.
• It only takes one misstep…in the 36thyear of Asa’s reign, Asa decided to make a treaty with the king of Aram, Ben-Hadad to prevent the king of Israel, Baasha from dominance.  He took silver and gold from the Lord’s temple and his own palace and Ben-Hadad broke his alliance with Baasha.  Hanani, a prophet confronts Asa on his failure to seek the Lord and move in his own ways.
  “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.  You have done a foolish thing and from now on you will be at war.” 
  “II Chron. 16: 9
  Asa is furious with Hanani and throws him in prison…he also begins to brutally oppress some of the people.  Three years later he is afflicted with a disease of his feet and even though the disease is severe, he does not seek the Lord only his doctors…2 years later he is dead. 
• What happened?  How did a man that was so committed to seeking the Lord begin to set his heart against the Lord’s counsel?  It is puzzling to me.  It is also a scary thought and scenario.  Pride is the spark that can ignite a fire in ones life and leave devastation in its path.  Asa had sought the Lord on so many occasions and seen the Lord move and establish victory, peace and rest…had Asa sought the Lord in repentance he many have known more rest than misery in his final days. 
• The week ended with the well known Elijah (I Kings 17-19) living in a time of drought…as he listened to the Lord…the Lord had ravens feed him bread and meat morning and evening… as he listened to the Lord…he aided a weary mother in witnessing a miracle that saved her starving son and herself…and Elijah…all through a bottomless jar of flour and jug of oil…as he listened to the Lord, he summoned up boldness to confront the gods of the day and confound them by showing them the power of the Almighty God…as God consumed a water drenched altar and Elijah killed all the prophets of Baal…and then it began to rain…then he began to run with all his might even beating Ahab’s chariot…he was afraid and he was tired…he prayed that he would die and then he fell asleep.
• When life gets to be too much no matter the victories…wouldn’t it be nice to wake up and find:

1. an angel gently touching you
2. a freshly baked cake
3. a fire
4. a jug of water
5. sleep arriving again
6. the angel touches you a second time and says…this journey is too much for you…

• Once again, he listened to the counsel of the Lord and Elijah was strengthened and traveled for 40 days and nights until he reached Mount Horeb…the mountain of God and he found a cave.  Then the unimaginable happens…I can’t paraphrase it justly…so here it is (I Kings 19: 9b-18):

    And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

  ”He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

  The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”
      Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.  When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
      Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

  He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

  The LORD said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.  Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholahto succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.  Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.”

How I love the tenderness of God…He doesn’t get angry with Elijah for running and hiding…for being fearful or even tired…instead He ministers to him by appearing to Elijah and shows him His glory.

God asks us each that same question…What are you doing here?  So…what are you doing here?  Are you seeking God with wholehearted devotion…when this life is over, will it be obvious that our lives have been fully committed to Christ?  If not, maybe we need to heed what the Lord said to Elijah and “go back the way we came”…return to our first love…Jesus…get things right with the Lord first and then maybe we need to assemble a few faithful ones to walk out this life with us…who can go before us and fight off the attackers…

But first the Lord told Elijah to go and stand on the mountain…in the presence of the Lord…when our perspective is obscured…when we are tired…afraid…despairing…go stand before the Lord…because in His presence we will be changed…and we can start over once again…go right back to walking in His ways…not our own.

This week revealed to me the speed at which a single misstep can occur and the downward spiral that can ensue if we let our actions remain unchecked.  It can be a single action that turns into a repeated pattern thousands of times…it can be one poor judgment and allowing pride to create a barrier to God’s grace and mercy…or finally our steps can become labored and shaky…but in admitting our weaknesses before the Lord, we just might be those that witness His glory…because we listen and hear His voice.

I don’t want to miss His glory…

Help me Father, to order my steps and align my heart with You.  Help me to listen for Your voice and follow You…and only You.

Amen!

 

 

 

Simply Amazing… June 15, 2008

You may have noticed that I have been playing around with my blog design…I am choosing this design for the moment in honor of the round of golf we watched Tiger Woods play yesterday…simply amazing that he came back to take the lead at the U.S. Open…actually that is not so amazing as he has done that countless times…but what made this particular tour de force special was that he was basically playing on one leg…just weeks after knee surgery…

I have had my knee woes this year…it’s getting better everyday and I am finally able to walk my dog again…woo hoo! 

The trees above look a lot like the ones at Torrey  Pines…so I believe today we will be celebrating Father’s Day with lots of food and fellowship and a wee bit of golf as well.

Maybe I will even be able to dust off my clubs and play a round or two this summer…just maybe…

Sheer Randomness…Part Two June 13, 2008

A couple of weeks ago, I was reading my devotional and read the following passages:

“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.”

If you are like me, you have read this passage many times before and it may even remind you of earlier in Acts…Acts 2: 42-47 to be exact:

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

Whenever I have read about the early days of the Christian church…I feel all warm inside.  However, the day I read these scriptures again…I felt warm indeed but I asked myself some questions…questions that if answered honestly, I am not sure I want to face.

• If we as believers lived the way it is stated in Acts…how different would our world and existence be?
• ALL the believers were one in heart and mind…not a few or half but all were of one mind and heart.  Can I even fathom what it would mean to have this type of oneness?  I don’t believe it is a oneness that could be likened to being robotic…it would signify our oneness with the Lord…where our individual differences would not be looked upon as anything other than being made in the image of God…pointing each of us to Him…having one sole purpose of glorifying Christ.  Do I have a difficult time being one in heart and mind with my husband?  My children?  My friends?  Where does this disunity come from?  We saw it in the garden and we see it today…it comes from sin.
• No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.  I can look down the street and can take a mental appraisal and know who has more than me and who has so much less…what if we were all the same?  What if I made it clear that my car or my pantry was available and open for anyone that had need?  What if the same was done for me?  How different our world would be if everyone shared their possessions?
• With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.  How often to I testify about Jesus’ resurrection?  Is it only on Easter?  Do I realize that God will enable me to be bold with great power when it concerns His Son?  Jesus’ resurrection gives us new life…a changed life…we are not the same…a life that should not make a lot of sense as the world defines life.  A life that has been transformed from being an enemy to being a friend…chaos to order…disunity to unity.
•  Much grace was upon them all.  God extends His grace when we are doing His work and walking in His ways. 
• There were no needy persons among them.  Let those words penetrate your mind…there were no needy people…when there is unity, all of our needs are met…financially, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.  Poverty would not be a domestic issue!  There are people in our lives that are needy…in need of resources, in need of love, in need of connection, in need of value, in need of a Savior…when we share what we possess…not just the material things…we allow Christ to fill all the deepest most tender needs of others.

Is it possible to live like the early believers?

What is causing me to inwardly shake my head “no”?  Don’t I believe that with God all things are possible?

This “notion” of living in unity reminds of Psalm 133…it brings out a whole new potency to me:

 “How good and pleasant it is
       when brothers live together in unity!

  It is like precious oil poured on the head,
       running down on the beard,
       running down on Aaron’s beard,
       down upon the collar of his robes.

  It is as if the dew of Hermon
       were falling on Mount Zion.
       For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
       even life forevermore.”

When we as believers live in unity…there will be abundance…an overflow…an outpouring that will soak us and those around us with the blessings of the Lord…don’t you want some of that?  I know that I do!  It can happen…it just has to start with each one of us desiring to live in unity with each other…it might be the beginning of a movement…a movement that began when the Father in His graciousness embarked to reconcile us with Himself through His Son…God is about the business of reconciliation and restoration…so we should be about that business as well!

What we see in Acts 4 comes directly from Acts 2…this is how the believers lives were occupied:

1. Receiving teaching
2. Fellowship
3. Breaking of bread
4. Prayer

It was the outgrowth of these spiritual disciplines in their lives that lead to:

• Being filled with awe
• Wonders and miracles
• Unity (being together and having everything in common)
• Selling their possessions and giving to those in need
• God’s favor
• Daily adding those who had been saved

As I allow my mind to absorb the radical life that the early believers demonstrated, I know that I need to be sure my life is absorbed by the basics first if I desire a life that moves in unity with others.

So…what do you think…is this type of life possible?

Why not invite a few fellow pilgrims over and talk about unity over some yummy breakfast?  Okay, now you know where the random part of this post come from…here’s a recipe that I found at Daisy Cottage…my family loves it and it is so easy…hope you enjoy it too as you spend time fellow shipping with others!

Baked Eggs

8 eggs

1 cup sour cream*

1 cup cheese*

salt and pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon melted butter

Beat eggs well, add sour cream.  Stir in cheese and add salt and pepper.  Pour into a butter 9×9 pie plate.  Drizzle melted butter over the top.

Bake at 325 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until center is firm.  You can slice it like a quiche or by yummy spoonfuls.

*Feel free to decrease the amount of sour cream and/or cheese.

Desiring to walk in unity with you,

Helen

 

 

 

 

Giving praise where praise is due… June 10, 2008

I love stumbling onto “new blogs”…sometimes I don’t even know the blog of origin but nonetheless I am overjoyed by the discovery.

I found Sandy at 4 Reluctant Entertainers a month or so ago, when I was stressing about all the details surrounding Carlen’s graduation open house.  Sandy’s blog is  visually beautiful but beyond the appearance, each post is filled with a passion for connecting with people, food and God. It just makes you want to organize your next dinner party.

I noticed on the sidebar that Sandy invited readers to email her with questions…I decided to be brave and email her with some roadblocks that I was facing in entertaining…she emailed me immediately and asked a few follow up questions and then gave me some great advice…she was so kind to come alongside me and give me courage to be myself.

A couple weeks before the big event…I read this post called Image or Reality…it changed my mindset completely…I realized that I had been spending so much time concentrating on what I “didn’t have” and not being grateful for what I did have…it is so easy to look at a magazine or a catalog and get caught up in comparisons…and feel so inadequate by the stains on your couch or the scratches on the hardwoods that you feel like you will never measure up.  I realized I needed to embrace my home and what makes it truly our home…it made all the difference…truly I don’t want my house to look like a catalog…I want it to breath of life, joy, comfort and the presence of the Lord…

When I looked around at the bulging crowd of people…many that did not know each other but yet they were literally shoulder to shoulder celebrating with us…enjoying the food…saying they were going to leave and not crossing back over the threshold until much much later because they were having fun…they didn’t want to leave…I knew that it didn’t matter if we had a mansion or a shack…decor by Target or Pottery Barn…furniture from IKEA or Ethan Allen…it’s all about opening our home and our life to those you love.

Thank you Sandy for encouraging me…and so many!  Please check out 4 Reluctant Entertainers…you will be glad you did!

Sheer Randomness… June 9, 2008

I have missed blogging…a lot.  However the break was necessary and I am glad that I imposed a hiatus otherwise it would have been one more thing to worry about getting done.

Not having the outlet of blogging has left me with too many tidbits in my brain…so this is a compilation of a few things that are on the top of my brain…yes…random thoughts to the max:

• Graduation for Carlen was wonderful starting with the open house we had the afternoon before the big event filled with friends and family and good food…despite the chilly damp weather it was a truly memorable and precious time.  Graduation was really fun again despite the rainy cold evening…most of my family left the day after graduation but my parents stayed until this past Sunday…that was fun to have them remain after all the busyness.  We ended the week with an end of the  season softball party and that was fun…although I think the introvert in me was kind of done with social stuff…but it was fun to see all the girls honored and how much fun they have together…the majority of them will play together on the summer league team which led to this weekend…six games in two days…let summer begin!
• The middle of April, I sent out a mailing to friends and family to ask if they would write Carlen a page to be included in a blessing book that I wanted to put together for her…I gave people the option of telling her the best advice they had received at her age or the advice they wished they had received, or a prayer for her or anything else they felt led to say to her…I tried to make it as easy as possible for people to return the page…I gave a deadline and also an addressed envelope to return it to me. As with life I was still receiving them up to the last minute…but I must say, it was one of the biggest blessing to receive and to put together.  It was so neat to read these pages all through the days leading up to her graduation…and the cool thing was that EVERYONE had a different piece for Carlen.  When she opened up the book on  the eve of graduation, she looked at two pages and burst into tears.  She later said that she had been so overwhelmed by all the gifts but the book meant the most to her…she couldn’t believe all these special people in her lives would take the time to write her, send pictures, etc.  Maybe I will post one of the pages I wrote to her in the days to come…Oh, and if you look at the post below and click on the picture to enlarge it…you can see some of the photo collage that I made her…such fun to see how she has grown…and also made me realize I have got to organize my pictures soon…
• One of the big lessons God has been trying to teach me this year in particular is that I AM NOT IN CONTROL…Carl, Courtney, Caleb and I were on our way to Carlen’s state quarterfinal softball game…I had remarked to Carl that we were doing so well…we had gotten on the road just 10 minutes after when we had wanted to be driving…we would arrive to the city about 2 hours before game time.  We were 20 miles outside of the destination point when Carl felt that we needed to stop and get some gas…it was the Friday of Memorial day and we didn’t want to chance not being able to find gas in this small town where we were headed…we pulled off and got our gas and when Carl got back into the car…the car would not start…in fact the car started to make this clicking noise and the inside lights began to flash…we were just incredulous.  I will make this a short story…we called our auto club (praise God)…called one of the coaches(praise God we had a cell phone number as Carlen was not answering her phone) and told them the situation and to tell Carlen not to worry that we would be there asap…had a tow truck come out…was driven to a Les Schwab’s tire store…the battery was so low they had to charge it to see if that was the problem…it was…they installed a new battery and we were on our way and as we drove up to the ball field and piled out of the car we were just in time to see our team make the last out…our team had lost 4-2…and we missed Carlen’s last high school game…we all wanted to cry…we hugged Carlen and she said she understood…she climbed into the charter bus with the team and we climbed back into our van and drove in disbelief home…we reminded ourselves of God’s faithfulness to us…we could have gotten to the game and not had the car start…after hours to receive car service…we could go on and on about possible scenarios that God rescued us from…yet it still hurt…once again I was aware that God’s ways are not mine and His thoughts are higher than mine…I can think that I have every base covered and still it may not all work out how I envision…yet I know that God holds my life in His hands…and that’s a very good fact!
• Carl and I had a mini date over that weekend and went to see Prince Caspian…we really enjoyed it…there were a couple differences from the book but it was really good.  I was so reminded of the battles that we all fight each day…and that ultimately He will get the victory…hooray!
• Next week, I hope to resume writing my cover to cover recaps…I have missed the discipline and I must say these past few weeks, my discipline has really been lagging…it made me think about the post I wrote a bit ago called drifting…it is so easy to get off course…but my souls really longs for time with Him…
• This post is long enough…so I will post a few more random thoughts over the next day or so…for now I will leave with this great quote that I wrote in my journal…summer is a great time to take some time to spend time asking the Lord some deep questions about a great subject…YOU!

“The most secret, sacred wish that lies deep down at the bottom of your heart, the wonderful thing that you hardly dare to look at, or to think about~the thing that you would rather die than have anyone else know of, because it seem to be so far beyond anything that you are, or have at the present time, that you fear that would be cruelly ridiculed if the mere thought of it were known~that is just the very thing that God is wishing you to do or be for Him.  And the birth of that marvelous wish in your soul~the dawning of that secret dream~ was the Voice of God…telling you to arise and come up higher because He had need of you.”

****Emmet Fox

This quote was found in one of the devotionals that I use…this one…thanks for all of you that gave me your thoughts on devotionals…it was fun to read.

I have used devotionals over the years…now I would say that I try to be just in His Word on my own more than use a guide…my current reads are Daily Light because it is all scripture and I love it because it has morning and evening passages…and I use the one that I linked above…it is really cool…it’s like a guide to spending a quiet time with the Lord…with a weekly focus of scriptures and quotes and leads you through your prayer time and journalling…I like it a lot…in fact, I gave one to my mom for Mother’s Day and it is neat to know we are reading the same scriptures and yet God will speak to us individually…

I am glad to be back!

Helen