Rom 6:6-7 "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-because anyone who has died has been freed from sin."
Do we really believe that we have been freed from sin? Freedom from sin once we are saved is definitely a spiritual concept that I have been told since I was basically born. However, I don't know if I have been living as though I believe it. I often have walked in defeat and not really cared because I attributed it to my never ending carnal nature. I know that I will never be like Jesus - so yeah maybe I should clean up my life in the areas in which it's easiest in order to live what appears to be a holy life. but as for all the tough sins...well I have just figured that I have and will always struggle with those. The problem is that I have a higher standard for everyone else who also struggle with what the world might consider "bigger sins". I expect them to over come their sin because they seem so big, and my own I just walk around in defeat. But the fact is, there is no difference in sin. Sin is sin. So why should I be comfortable and complacent. I need to also pursue holiness in all aspects of my life, even those things that seem I can never overcome or conquer. I need to stop making excuses. I need to trust that even though I will continue to sin while on earth, I must never walk in defeat. I must know that I am no longer a slave to sin. Christ conquered sin while on the cross....all sin. I have no excuse. I must repent and turn away, and pursue holiness no matter the cost because I am freed from sin. And no, I can not do it on my own, but only through Christ, who gives me strength.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Thought for the day
I kind of regret that I have not kept up with my blog lately. But I have often found it difficult to express in words what all God has been doing in my life.
My thought for today, is to remind myself that so often the world places emphasis that God can only, and is only glorified through healing. But God is also glorified through suffering. And for healing to take place, suffering must also occur. There are people that I see each and every day, their bodies ravaged with disease, and people who I meet every day who have such devastatingly broken life stories filled with tragedy. I may never understand the whys. And if I chose to, I could focus on the fact that I don't understand the whys. But God is a great God who loves the people whom he has created. He is a just God, but also a merciful God who has a greater plan that we may not understand or see.
Satan is good at the fight, and it may seem at times that he has won a battle but God has already won the war.
My thought for today, is to remind myself that so often the world places emphasis that God can only, and is only glorified through healing. But God is also glorified through suffering. And for healing to take place, suffering must also occur. There are people that I see each and every day, their bodies ravaged with disease, and people who I meet every day who have such devastatingly broken life stories filled with tragedy. I may never understand the whys. And if I chose to, I could focus on the fact that I don't understand the whys. But God is a great God who loves the people whom he has created. He is a just God, but also a merciful God who has a greater plan that we may not understand or see.
Satan is good at the fight, and it may seem at times that he has won a battle but God has already won the war.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
The Rain has Cleared
As my time here at seminary is coming to a close, for some reason I have spent the last several weeks randomly reading journals and blog entries that I have written over the past three and half years. It is so amazing to read and remember all the things the Lord has brought me through, and to see how many of the unanswered questions I struggled with over time have been answered.
On January 13, 2007 I wrote,
“Yesterday I left for Houston a day earlier than planned because I was trying to beat the winter storm that was fastly approaching the metroplex. But an hour out of town I hit some of the worst rain I have ever driven in. It was already dark and hard to see, the wind was blowing really hard, the rain was pouring down so quickly that inches of rain was still on the roads, I was driving as slowly as I could, my windshield wipers were going as fast as they could, and yet I could not see. Then for just a moment in time I felt my SUV hydroplane on top of the water. I then took the first exit off the road which landed me in the middle of nowhere between some factories. I frantically called my parents to see if they could find out if the end of the storm was ahead or if it was raining all across Texas. I will admit I was afraid, yet constantly was praying to just get somewhere I could rest. And in someway I feel like that has been my life lately. It feels as though it's been raining for awhile, and I just want God to tell me that somewhere up ahead close by it's going to clear out and I can rest from it all. But the reality of life is that there will be rain, and sometimes it will feel that we are hydroplaning and have no control, but God is in control. Eventually rain does subside and the sunshine will appear but we have to go through things to learn our dependence upon the Lord and not what is around us, what we see ahead, or our circumstances. It hasn't been necessarily a time of great trial in my life, but yet uncertainty. Times where I can't seem to see the road or what is ahead, and even where I'm at seems shaky. But God is quick to remind me of Psalm 32:8, one of my life verses He gave me as I graduated from college that says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go, I will counsel you and watch over you." So when the time is right, the rain will clear and I will see the road up ahead, until then I just have one choice, to depend on the Lord.”
And now, here I am, the rain has cleared and I am able to see the road ahead. The Lord is faithful. He is a good God, and I am so thankful that I can trust in Him even when the next storm comes.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Fruits of the Spirit, not Spring's Best Effort
John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him he will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing."
Every now and then I seem to have what I call “theme days.” These are days that it seems like everything I am hearing in class or at church, reading in my quiet times or books, and thinking about are all the same thing, and I’m like, “OK God, apparently you are trying to tell me something!” Today was one of those days! It seems that lately I have often felt like a failure. I often feel that I have failed as a Christian as the fruits of the Spirit do not permeate from my personality day in and day out. However, as I have tried time and time again on my own to produce these fruits I have finally realized the obvious. It’s not about trying and trying to be a better Christian So often we address trying and trying to become a Christian – but not so often do I think about how often I try to become a better Christian. But once again, just as becoming a Christian is not something that I can produce, in the same way neither are fruits of the Spirit. Why? Because it’s fruits of the Spirit, not the fruits of Spring’s best effort! Instead of trying to be this amazing Christian, and Godly example, I have been instructed to do something else, which takes the emphasis once again off of me, and on Christ. In John 15:5 Christ so clearly communicates this truth. Christ states, “I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing.” So obviously I have been missing something, even though I have a painting of this verse hanging up in my apartment that I painted!! If I abide in Christ – then He will do all the work, not me. Wow, that seems so much easier, and makes so much more sense! If I abide in him, I will bear fruit. Now the question is….am I abiding in Christ?
Every now and then I seem to have what I call “theme days.” These are days that it seems like everything I am hearing in class or at church, reading in my quiet times or books, and thinking about are all the same thing, and I’m like, “OK God, apparently you are trying to tell me something!” Today was one of those days! It seems that lately I have often felt like a failure. I often feel that I have failed as a Christian as the fruits of the Spirit do not permeate from my personality day in and day out. However, as I have tried time and time again on my own to produce these fruits I have finally realized the obvious. It’s not about trying and trying to be a better Christian So often we address trying and trying to become a Christian – but not so often do I think about how often I try to become a better Christian. But once again, just as becoming a Christian is not something that I can produce, in the same way neither are fruits of the Spirit. Why? Because it’s fruits of the Spirit, not the fruits of Spring’s best effort! Instead of trying to be this amazing Christian, and Godly example, I have been instructed to do something else, which takes the emphasis once again off of me, and on Christ. In John 15:5 Christ so clearly communicates this truth. Christ states, “I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing.” So obviously I have been missing something, even though I have a painting of this verse hanging up in my apartment that I painted!! If I abide in Christ – then He will do all the work, not me. Wow, that seems so much easier, and makes so much more sense! If I abide in him, I will bear fruit. Now the question is….am I abiding in Christ?
Thursday, August 21, 2008
An Intimate Relationship
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; If I make my bed in the depths you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me; your right hand will hold me fast.” Psalm 139:7-10
Last night I was driving home after going to visit a coworker whose husband had passed away and I just felt completely depleted spiritually, a feeling I haven’t felt in a long time, maybe since I was in Bangkok. I had prayed going into it but was not expecting the spiritual battle that had and was occurring. I was utterly physically and spiritually exhausted. Going home to an empty apartment was not something I felt like I could handle. I pulled up to my apartment and saw the sweet couple that lives below me. I hardly ever see them but was able to have a wonderful conversation that was so encouraging. I came inside and noticed one of my friends was online and sent a quick message to ask her to pray for me because of what I was going through, and I got in bed and opened my bible and let the words quench my dry soul. My faith was so weak and I felt so very fragile. I awoke early in the morning to a phone call from that friend I had messaged the night before asking if she could bring me a present. It was the most amazing surprise anyone has ever given me. It was a basket full of bath and body works and other items with a card that had a specific spiritual purpose to each item to encourage me! I cannot explain how much that meant to me. To one, have a friend that would do that for me is beyond belief and beyond what I deserve. But I also knew that it was from the Lord. He had been there right beside me. He provided someone for me to talk to when I got home, as I read His word it spoke to my soul and he reminded me through my friend how amazing He is, and that He was there listening as I cried out to Him. I am so completely humbled by the intimacy of the Lord and how He truly does know and love each and every one of us, even when we are weak, vulnerable and exhausted. Even when we aren’t faithful, even as mere sinful humans – he loves us. My prayer is that we will all be attentive to the Lord as he leads and guides us to be an encouragement to others, because we never know when that someone needs to know that God is listening! And I also pray that I will never forget today – and how the Lord spoke to me, what an awesome God!
Last night I was driving home after going to visit a coworker whose husband had passed away and I just felt completely depleted spiritually, a feeling I haven’t felt in a long time, maybe since I was in Bangkok. I had prayed going into it but was not expecting the spiritual battle that had and was occurring. I was utterly physically and spiritually exhausted. Going home to an empty apartment was not something I felt like I could handle. I pulled up to my apartment and saw the sweet couple that lives below me. I hardly ever see them but was able to have a wonderful conversation that was so encouraging. I came inside and noticed one of my friends was online and sent a quick message to ask her to pray for me because of what I was going through, and I got in bed and opened my bible and let the words quench my dry soul. My faith was so weak and I felt so very fragile. I awoke early in the morning to a phone call from that friend I had messaged the night before asking if she could bring me a present. It was the most amazing surprise anyone has ever given me. It was a basket full of bath and body works and other items with a card that had a specific spiritual purpose to each item to encourage me! I cannot explain how much that meant to me. To one, have a friend that would do that for me is beyond belief and beyond what I deserve. But I also knew that it was from the Lord. He had been there right beside me. He provided someone for me to talk to when I got home, as I read His word it spoke to my soul and he reminded me through my friend how amazing He is, and that He was there listening as I cried out to Him. I am so completely humbled by the intimacy of the Lord and how He truly does know and love each and every one of us, even when we are weak, vulnerable and exhausted. Even when we aren’t faithful, even as mere sinful humans – he loves us. My prayer is that we will all be attentive to the Lord as he leads and guides us to be an encouragement to others, because we never know when that someone needs to know that God is listening! And I also pray that I will never forget today – and how the Lord spoke to me, what an awesome God!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Hopeless or Hope-Filled
Psalm 31:24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.
Shortly after I made the statement - "there's never a dull moment, you never know what can happen," it rang true as we found ourselves resuscitating a patient's wife. A woman in which life just seemed to be too much to handle and overdosed on prescription psychiatric medications in what seems to be an effort to numb the pain and deal with the overwhelming circumstances that had recently come her way. Not only had her husband been recently diagnosed with terminal cancer with no insurance but her son is also facing up to ten years in prison.
A co-worker of mine seemed shaken by the events that took place. This someone is often self-absorbed and could care less about anyone else's problems. However, after this incident and also seeing a woman who has had half of her face removed because of cancer she was abruptly reminded that people have much bigger problems than she. She asked me the question tonight - as she searched within herself - what do you do? How do you deal with life when it is that harsh? I responded that people respond in that way...they take pills, they drink...they do drugs. Why? Because life is sometimes too much to handle...life is difficult....and how can anyone bear it alone? What can fill the void when there is no hope?
People without Christ have no hope. They have no one to turn to. They have no purpose behind the suffering that they endure. They carry the burden alone.
She then asked, "But don't you get mad at God for putting you through all that?" And my answer was yes, you may get mad, yell at God, ask for answers that he doesn't give you, but you still have hope because you know Christ. He will carry your burdens. He will give you a reason for which you suffer.
Those who have no hope run from suffering because it is the stark reminder of their lost state. When all you have is life here on earth - you believe that you deserve heaven while living here. However, when you have heaven to look toward, you realize that while here on earth suffering can be endured.
People around us are hopeless. We are hope-filled.
We must share with those who are hopeless the message of hope that they might one day be hope-filled by experiencing redemption through Jesus Christ.
Life is hard, but God is good.
Shortly after I made the statement - "there's never a dull moment, you never know what can happen," it rang true as we found ourselves resuscitating a patient's wife. A woman in which life just seemed to be too much to handle and overdosed on prescription psychiatric medications in what seems to be an effort to numb the pain and deal with the overwhelming circumstances that had recently come her way. Not only had her husband been recently diagnosed with terminal cancer with no insurance but her son is also facing up to ten years in prison.
A co-worker of mine seemed shaken by the events that took place. This someone is often self-absorbed and could care less about anyone else's problems. However, after this incident and also seeing a woman who has had half of her face removed because of cancer she was abruptly reminded that people have much bigger problems than she. She asked me the question tonight - as she searched within herself - what do you do? How do you deal with life when it is that harsh? I responded that people respond in that way...they take pills, they drink...they do drugs. Why? Because life is sometimes too much to handle...life is difficult....and how can anyone bear it alone? What can fill the void when there is no hope?
People without Christ have no hope. They have no one to turn to. They have no purpose behind the suffering that they endure. They carry the burden alone.
She then asked, "But don't you get mad at God for putting you through all that?" And my answer was yes, you may get mad, yell at God, ask for answers that he doesn't give you, but you still have hope because you know Christ. He will carry your burdens. He will give you a reason for which you suffer.
Those who have no hope run from suffering because it is the stark reminder of their lost state. When all you have is life here on earth - you believe that you deserve heaven while living here. However, when you have heaven to look toward, you realize that while here on earth suffering can be endured.
People around us are hopeless. We are hope-filled.
We must share with those who are hopeless the message of hope that they might one day be hope-filled by experiencing redemption through Jesus Christ.
Life is hard, but God is good.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
The Repeat Queen
Philippians 3:13-14, “Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” HCSB
I am known to be the “Repeat Queen”. Why? Because I love to repeat! I can not just listen to a song that I love just once! I have to listen to it over and over and over again! When I watch a movie that I love, I watch it over and over and over again, even if I’m not sitting at the TV, I just leave it playing while I’m around the apartment. I know it’s crazy, and other than a select few, it typically drives people crazy too! But I still love it!
I have found in life that it is easy to desire the same thing. I often find myself wanting to repeat previous times in my life that seemed so great! We often want to go back to the moment in life when everything seemed so right instead of facing what is going in our lives today. However, in a world that is changing so quickly there is one thing that will never change, time. Time is always moving forward. Our lives are moving forward, and there is no amount of money or success that can change that! We can’t sit down and take our DVR remote and fast forward or rewind or repeat any part of our lives. We only have the moment that is here right now, for right now, because as quickly as it comes, it will quickly go, never to come again.
The song “This Day” written by Lowell Alexander states,
“This day is fragile - soon it will end
And once it has vanished, it will not come again
So let us love with a love pure and strong
Before this day is gone
This day is fleeting when it slips away
Not all our money can buy back this day
So let us pray that we might be a friend
Before this day is gone
This day is frail - it will pass by
So before it’s too late to recapture the time
Let us share love, let us share God
Before this day is gone"
Instead of desiring the past we need to push forward, because as we are striving for what is behind, the present is quickly passing by.
I am known to be the “Repeat Queen”. Why? Because I love to repeat! I can not just listen to a song that I love just once! I have to listen to it over and over and over again! When I watch a movie that I love, I watch it over and over and over again, even if I’m not sitting at the TV, I just leave it playing while I’m around the apartment. I know it’s crazy, and other than a select few, it typically drives people crazy too! But I still love it!
I have found in life that it is easy to desire the same thing. I often find myself wanting to repeat previous times in my life that seemed so great! We often want to go back to the moment in life when everything seemed so right instead of facing what is going in our lives today. However, in a world that is changing so quickly there is one thing that will never change, time. Time is always moving forward. Our lives are moving forward, and there is no amount of money or success that can change that! We can’t sit down and take our DVR remote and fast forward or rewind or repeat any part of our lives. We only have the moment that is here right now, for right now, because as quickly as it comes, it will quickly go, never to come again.
The song “This Day” written by Lowell Alexander states,
“This day is fragile - soon it will end
And once it has vanished, it will not come again
So let us love with a love pure and strong
Before this day is gone
This day is fleeting when it slips away
Not all our money can buy back this day
So let us pray that we might be a friend
Before this day is gone
This day is frail - it will pass by
So before it’s too late to recapture the time
Let us share love, let us share God
Before this day is gone"
Instead of desiring the past we need to push forward, because as we are striving for what is behind, the present is quickly passing by.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Stand Firm in the Faith
As I browsed the news yesterday my heart was broken as I read the headlines. Once again, another Southern Baptist minister was in the headlines for being caught having an inappropriate sexual relationship. It saddens me and yet is also a stark reminder for my own life because no matter who we are, or what position we are in, we are all still vulnerable to sin. Even though as Christians we are forgiven, we will still reap the consequences that not only affect us but also impact others. How do people get that deep in sin? I’m sure that person did not wake up one day and say to themselves, “Today I think that an affair is really tempting,” or someone else say, “Today, I really feel like I’m going to cheat on a test.” It is often the little choices that we make each and everyday of not choosing Christ and doing instead what we want to do. It’s choosing each day to not pursue Christ but to choose our own selfish desires. There is a famous phrase that is so true that states, “Sow a thought, reap and action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a lifestyle. Sow a lifestyle, reap a destiny.” It all starts with a one thought that in the moment may seem harmless.
1 Peter 5:8-11 states, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
The devil is very good at his game. His tactics are perfected. We need to be prepared for his attack. We need to remain trained and equipped and not vulnerable. We need to daily put on the whole armor of God. If we don’t, the consequences will be great. If we don’t, we will be defeated. God has given us what we need but we must be faithful to depend on Him seeking him with all our heart. The devil may be good at his game, but the Lord is the victor.
1 Peter 5:8-11 states, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
The devil is very good at his game. His tactics are perfected. We need to be prepared for his attack. We need to remain trained and equipped and not vulnerable. We need to daily put on the whole armor of God. If we don’t, the consequences will be great. If we don’t, we will be defeated. God has given us what we need but we must be faithful to depend on Him seeking him with all our heart. The devil may be good at his game, but the Lord is the victor.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Not a Balancing Act
A few weeks ago, my family went to Kemah and Galveston just to get away for the day. At Galveston we walked The Strand and came across a juggler. He was not only juggling lit torches but he juggled the lit torches while balancing on a giant ball! Needless to say, I believe that everyone watching was very impressed!
I feel that often I'm trying to live my life like that juggler. I try to juggle everything like work, being healthy, keeping a clean apartment, working on future and present goals, writing, working on homework, keeping up with friends etc. But eventually everything drops, just like that juggler couldn't juggle all night, the show had to end at some time. And not only does the show end, but the juggler is exhausted! As in life, at some point the juggling will have to stop and all it will do is leave us tired and exhausted.
I believe one of the key life verses is found in Matt 6:33 when Christ stated, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." We aren't supposed to juggle, we are instead called to seek first his kingdom and then everything else will fall into place. God must be our priority, that will never end. That's everyday. Just like the first and greatest commandment states, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." Matt 22:37 Life should not be a juggling or balancing act. Life should be focused on Christ and doing his will.
I feel that often I'm trying to live my life like that juggler. I try to juggle everything like work, being healthy, keeping a clean apartment, working on future and present goals, writing, working on homework, keeping up with friends etc. But eventually everything drops, just like that juggler couldn't juggle all night, the show had to end at some time. And not only does the show end, but the juggler is exhausted! As in life, at some point the juggling will have to stop and all it will do is leave us tired and exhausted.
I believe one of the key life verses is found in Matt 6:33 when Christ stated, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." We aren't supposed to juggle, we are instead called to seek first his kingdom and then everything else will fall into place. God must be our priority, that will never end. That's everyday. Just like the first and greatest commandment states, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." Matt 22:37 Life should not be a juggling or balancing act. Life should be focused on Christ and doing his will.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Life - Not always like a box of chocolates...
Psalm 33:4,22 "For the word of the Lord is right and true, He is faithful in all He does...May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You."
In the popular movie, Forrest Gump, the the phrase "Momma always said, life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get" became popular. However, I don't think that life is always like a box of chocolates because no matter what kind of chocolate is in the box, it's never disappointing, because it's chocolate!
However, life is full of disappointment. Like the time I was at work and I got a calzone from the cafeteria. I was so incredibly excited, it looked great on the outside, I was starving and my mouth was watering. But as I took my first bite, I immediately realized something was wrong. Instead of putting pepper into it, someone had put WHOLE peppercorns - over 30 of them to be exact. I was gravely disappointed!! I also remember a time when I was a child and I became a sucker for a mail ad. There were these beautiful shoes for sale that I just knew that I had to have. After I convinced my parents to let me get them, I saved and saved and saved for them. And finally the day came that I had enough money to order them! (Now who really orders shoes from the coupon section of the mail, I don't know, that should have been my first clue!!) When they arrived, I ripped open the box, and low and behold, it was the ugliest and cheapest pair of shoes I had ever seen. I was so disappointed. But embarrassing or not, I still wore them to school even though I could barely keep them on - I guess I was just hoping all the time and money I had put into them would somehow turn magically worth it! But it didn't happen!! (Thank goodness I have never ordered mail order shoes again!)
Life is full of disappointment. The greatest disappointment is when we are disappointed in people. We are disappointed because we have expectations of perfection on people who aren't perfect. Recently, in my own life it seems that I could easily turn away from a lot of things that have disappointed me, give up and never look back. But I know that that is not the answer. Life is hard sometimes, and disappointment can be difficult to handle. We often even disappoint ourselves. The fact is that we are all human, and we all make mistakes because we still, until we reach heaven, have a carnal nature. However, there is an amazing truth that I have been constantly reminded of as I'm reading through the bible. God will never disappoint us. He will never let us down. He is always faithful. He always fulfills his promises, no matter what we do! (That means the good promises and the bad promises such as punishment for sins) What he says, He will do. I'm reminded of a chorus that Steven Curtis Chapman wrote years ago that states, "My Redeemer is faithful and true. Everything He has said He will do, And every morning His mercies are new. My Redeemer is faithful and true." Our redeemer IS faithful and true. He is the only one to place our trust in. He is the only one that we can really depend on! Everything in life will disappoint us eventually - except God! Even when we don't understand how God is working. Even when we don't see his hand in our circumstances and in the circumstances around us, He has not forgotten the promises that He has given us. What an amazing truth!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
A Thirst that Demands Action
In college – one of my nicknames was “guzzler”! Not for reasons most people would think but because I drank so much water!! When I’m thirsty, I’m really thirsty, and there are times that it seems I can never quench my thirst. There have been many times in my life that I was thirsty! This past weekend I was so thirsty! I mean, really thirsty! I left work and was in a mad rush to make it to one of my friend’s wedding showers! But I was so thirsty I thought I was going to go insane! I immediately had to pull off the road at the next fast food restaurant and get something to drink! And thank goodness it was a Sonic – because they have something wonderful called a Route44 drink!! After ordering two drinks, and quickly slurping them both down, I was back on the road and sane once again (or at least as close to it as I get). I was incredibly relieved.
In Psalm 42:1, David wrote some incredible words when he stated, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” As Christians we should naturally have a thirst for God. This thirst can only be quenched by God. My question is though, how often is that thirst so strong that it demands an immediate response? When I was driving I was beginning to feel that I would not survive another mile without something to drink. But how often is my thirst for God so strong that I don’t feel that I can survive another minute without his presence, without reading his word, without plugging into prayer? My prayer for my own life, as well as everyone – is that we will have a thirst for God that is so strong that it demands action, a thirst that demands an immediate response, and a thirst that can only be quenched by Jesus Christ, himself.
Chris Rise has written a song called “Thirsty” and the lyrics are as follows:
In Psalm 42:1, David wrote some incredible words when he stated, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.” As Christians we should naturally have a thirst for God. This thirst can only be quenched by God. My question is though, how often is that thirst so strong that it demands an immediate response? When I was driving I was beginning to feel that I would not survive another mile without something to drink. But how often is my thirst for God so strong that I don’t feel that I can survive another minute without his presence, without reading his word, without plugging into prayer? My prayer for my own life, as well as everyone – is that we will have a thirst for God that is so strong that it demands action, a thirst that demands an immediate response, and a thirst that can only be quenched by Jesus Christ, himself.
Chris Rise has written a song called “Thirsty” and the lyrics are as follows:
"I'm so thirsty, I can feel it
Burning through the furthest corners of my soul
Deep desire, cant describe this
Nameless urge that drives me somewhere
Though I don't know where to go
Seems I've heard about a River from someone who's been
And they tell me once you reach it, oh, you'll never thirst again
So I have to find the River, somehow my life depends on the River
Holy River, I'm so thirsty
Other waters I've been drinkin
Other waters I've been drinkin
But they always leave me empty like before
Satisfaction, all I'm askin
Could I really feel this thirsty if there weren't something more?
And I've heard about a River from someone whos been
And I've heard about a River from someone whos been
And they tell me once you reach it, oh, you'll never thirst again
So I have to find the River, somehow my life depends on the River
Holy River, I'm so thirsty
I'm on the shore now of the wildest River
I'm on the shore now of the wildest River
And I kneel and beg for mercy from the sky
But no one answers, I've gotta take my chances
Cause something deep inside mes cryin"
Oh Lord, give us a hunger and a thirst f
or You that demands action.
Let not another day or minute go by without seeking you,
for only you can satisfy our souls.
You alone.
You alone.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Breaking News
It's breaking news! We all came from one woman, and humans were almost extinct!
It's so nice to find out that science has once again "caught up" with the Bible!
This article was on foxnews.com
Study: Humans Almost Became Extinct 70,000 Years Ago
Thursday, April 24, 2008
WASHINGTON — Human beings may have had a brush with extinction 70,000 years ago, an extensive genetic study suggests.
The human population at that time was reduced to small isolated groups in Africa, apparently because of drought, according to an analysis released Thursday.
The report notes that a separate study by researchers at Stanford University estimated the number of early humans may have shrunk as low as 2,000 before numbers began to expand again in the early Stone Age.
"This study illustrates the extraordinary power of genetics to reveal insights into some of the key events in our species' history," Spencer Wells, National Geographic Society explorer in residence, said in a statement.
"Tiny bands of early humans, forced apart by harsh environmental conditions, coming back from the brink to reunite and populate the world," he added. "Truly an epic drama, written in our DNA."
Wells is director of the Genographic Project, launched in 2005 to study anthropology using genetics. The report was published in the American Journal of Human Genetics.
Previous studies using mitochondrial DNA — which is passed down through mothers — have shown that all modern humans share one female ancestor (out of thousands), the "mitochondrial Eve," who lived in Africa about 200,000 years ago.
The migrations of humans out of Africa to populate the rest of the world appear to have begun about 60,000 years ago, but little has been known about humans between mitochondrial Eve and that dispersal.
The new study looks at the mitochondrial DNA of the Khoi and San people in South Africa, formerly known as Hottentots and Bushmen, who appear to have diverged from other people between 90,000 and 150,000 years ago.
The researchers, led by Doron Behar of Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel and Saharon Rosset of IBM T.J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., and Tel Aviv University, concluded that humans separated into small populations prior to the Stone Age, when they came back together and began to increase in numbers and spread to other areas.
Eastern Africa experienced a series of severe droughts between 135,000 and 90,000 years ago, and the researchers said this climatological shift may have contributed to the population changes, dividing into small, isolated groups which developed independently.
Paleontologist Meave Leakey, a Genographic adviser, commented: "Who would have thought that as recently as 70,000 years ago, extremes of climate had reduced our population to such small numbers that we were on the very edge of extinction?"
Today more than 6.6 billion people inhabit the globe, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The research was funded by the National Geographic Society, IBM, the Waitt Family Foundation, the Seaver Family Foundation, Family Tree DNA and Arizona Research Labs.
Once again - science thinks they are brilliant - that all DNA stems from one woman's DNA(thanks for figuring that out, even though we already knew that - see Genesis 4) - and that humanity was almost extinct (see Genesis 6-9 and the story of Noah) - and what do you know, it probably only took them millions of dollars and years of research to come up with such a novel concept!
It's so nice to find out that science has once again "caught up" with the Bible!
This article was on foxnews.com
Study: Humans Almost Became Extinct 70,000 Years Ago
Thursday, April 24, 2008
WASHINGTON — Human beings may have had a brush with extinction 70,000 years ago, an extensive genetic study suggests.
The human population at that time was reduced to small isolated groups in Africa, apparently because of drought, according to an analysis released Thursday.
The report notes that a separate study by researchers at Stanford University estimated the number of early humans may have shrunk as low as 2,000 before numbers began to expand again in the early Stone Age.
"This study illustrates the extraordinary power of genetics to reveal insights into some of the key events in our species' history," Spencer Wells, National Geographic Society explorer in residence, said in a statement.
"Tiny bands of early humans, forced apart by harsh environmental conditions, coming back from the brink to reunite and populate the world," he added. "Truly an epic drama, written in our DNA."
Wells is director of the Genographic Project, launched in 2005 to study anthropology using genetics. The report was published in the American Journal of Human Genetics.
Previous studies using mitochondrial DNA — which is passed down through mothers — have shown that all modern humans share one female ancestor (out of thousands), the "mitochondrial Eve," who lived in Africa about 200,000 years ago.
The migrations of humans out of Africa to populate the rest of the world appear to have begun about 60,000 years ago, but little has been known about humans between mitochondrial Eve and that dispersal.
The new study looks at the mitochondrial DNA of the Khoi and San people in South Africa, formerly known as Hottentots and Bushmen, who appear to have diverged from other people between 90,000 and 150,000 years ago.
The researchers, led by Doron Behar of Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel and Saharon Rosset of IBM T.J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., and Tel Aviv University, concluded that humans separated into small populations prior to the Stone Age, when they came back together and began to increase in numbers and spread to other areas.
Eastern Africa experienced a series of severe droughts between 135,000 and 90,000 years ago, and the researchers said this climatological shift may have contributed to the population changes, dividing into small, isolated groups which developed independently.
Paleontologist Meave Leakey, a Genographic adviser, commented: "Who would have thought that as recently as 70,000 years ago, extremes of climate had reduced our population to such small numbers that we were on the very edge of extinction?"
Today more than 6.6 billion people inhabit the globe, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The research was funded by the National Geographic Society, IBM, the Waitt Family Foundation, the Seaver Family Foundation, Family Tree DNA and Arizona Research Labs.
Once again - science thinks they are brilliant - that all DNA stems from one woman's DNA(thanks for figuring that out, even though we already knew that - see Genesis 4) - and that humanity was almost extinct (see Genesis 6-9 and the story of Noah) - and what do you know, it probably only took them millions of dollars and years of research to come up with such a novel concept!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Heavy Burdened
Tonight, we had an amazing and intimate worship service. In the awe and wonder of the Lord I couldn’t help but feel my heart breaking and heavy burdened for my lost coworkers. I love the Lord so much, and his amazing awesomeness is overwhelming. My coworkers do not know this amazing God. They face so many difficulties and trials and have no hope or help during these difficult times. They are so close to the truth, but yet so far away and at times it seems the walls that keep them from the truth is impossible to get through, and yet it is for only the Holy Spirit can. In so many ways my coworkers have become a family to me, and it’s so hard to care so much for people and know that they do not have the hope and the love of Jesus Christ. In the scheme of things, every day petty problems always seem so big for some reason in my own life, but in comparison to someone’s eternity there is no greater concern. In James 4:14 it states, “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” Our lives are vapors – how will we use this short amount of time that God has given to be used to share the hope that we have in Christ? Every moment, is one moment less. Every minute is one minute less. May we be good stewards of our “moment”, for it will go as quickly as it has come.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Inspiring Faith
2 Tim 4:7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longer for his appearing."
On a night where the biggest news on ABC is focused around the 2 hour premiere of Dancing with the Stars, and the new season of The Bachelor, there is a young woman who is fighting for her life. I've had the privelage at work to just see a glimpse of her life, and how she has lived, and it inspires me. She has been sick for most of her life, and she has lived a life of suffering not many people go through and yet she has a steadfast faith in the Lord. As she fights for her life, her one desire is to get better so that she can once again teach her sunday school class where the children love her. Even though she has been in intense pain, her sweet countenance has never wavered. Her family has stood by her side day in and day out for not only the past two months during her hospital stay this time, but also during all her years of sickness and difficult times. Though she has been through so much, her faith shines through to all that are around her, piercing the darkness. A divine peace that calms her is evident, and her unfailing trust in the Lord is her encouragement despite the devastating news that the doctors deliver. She will be healed, whether here on earth or in heaven, she is in the Lord's hands. But no matter what, her testimony will live on, her testimony of faith in the One who has never failed her. We are to live also in such a way. Not allowing our faith, and trust in the Lord to waver to and fro depending on life's circumstances for "he will never leave us, nor forsake us." Our goal and passion of living each and every day should be that we will "have fought the good fight... have finished the race, ...have kept the faith." I ask that you please pray for her, that God will heal her quickly, and that her suffering will be over. Please pray for her family, that God will continue to give them the strength to carry on, and that he will give them peace and comfort. And let her testimony of faith encourage each and every one of us to trust in the Lord and to live a life of faith that is inspiring.
On a night where the biggest news on ABC is focused around the 2 hour premiere of Dancing with the Stars, and the new season of The Bachelor, there is a young woman who is fighting for her life. I've had the privelage at work to just see a glimpse of her life, and how she has lived, and it inspires me. She has been sick for most of her life, and she has lived a life of suffering not many people go through and yet she has a steadfast faith in the Lord. As she fights for her life, her one desire is to get better so that she can once again teach her sunday school class where the children love her. Even though she has been in intense pain, her sweet countenance has never wavered. Her family has stood by her side day in and day out for not only the past two months during her hospital stay this time, but also during all her years of sickness and difficult times. Though she has been through so much, her faith shines through to all that are around her, piercing the darkness. A divine peace that calms her is evident, and her unfailing trust in the Lord is her encouragement despite the devastating news that the doctors deliver. She will be healed, whether here on earth or in heaven, she is in the Lord's hands. But no matter what, her testimony will live on, her testimony of faith in the One who has never failed her. We are to live also in such a way. Not allowing our faith, and trust in the Lord to waver to and fro depending on life's circumstances for "he will never leave us, nor forsake us." Our goal and passion of living each and every day should be that we will "have fought the good fight... have finished the race, ...have kept the faith." I ask that you please pray for her, that God will heal her quickly, and that her suffering will be over. Please pray for her family, that God will continue to give them the strength to carry on, and that he will give them peace and comfort. And let her testimony of faith encourage each and every one of us to trust in the Lord and to live a life of faith that is inspiring.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Promise of Peace
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7
I always love this verse, and no matter how many times I hear it, it is still a challenge for me, to not be anxious but to trust in the Lord. For in Proverbs 27:1 it is written “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” And how often are the things that we worry about in regards to what tomorrow may bring? But yet, we do not know what tomorrow may bring, only the Lord does.
But also reading it this time, a part of the verse became more illumined - it is where it is written - "will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" God's peace has a purpose - a purpose to guard our hearts and our minds - not in ourselves - not in our circumstances - but in Christ Jesus! The word “guard” is “as a garrison does a city” (John Wesley’s Explanatary Notes on the Whole Bible) – which was used for protection or to shield a city from harm. What a wonderful promise!
(Italics added for emphasis)
I always love this verse, and no matter how many times I hear it, it is still a challenge for me, to not be anxious but to trust in the Lord. For in Proverbs 27:1 it is written “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” And how often are the things that we worry about in regards to what tomorrow may bring? But yet, we do not know what tomorrow may bring, only the Lord does.
But also reading it this time, a part of the verse became more illumined - it is where it is written - "will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" God's peace has a purpose - a purpose to guard our hearts and our minds - not in ourselves - not in our circumstances - but in Christ Jesus! The word “guard” is “as a garrison does a city” (John Wesley’s Explanatary Notes on the Whole Bible) – which was used for protection or to shield a city from harm. What a wonderful promise!
(Italics added for emphasis)
Monday, February 18, 2008
Obscure Idols
Colossians 3:5 "Therefore, put to death whatever in you is worldly: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire and greed, which is idolatry."
I had a large TV sitting next to a window by my dining table. The funny thing was that when I would mention it, people that had been to my apartment did not remember seeing it. Even though it was large, it blended in because it had been there so long. In the story of David and Michal found in 1 Samuel 19. At this point, Saul has been rejected as king of Israel because of his disobedience to God, and he has become very jealous of David because of his success over the Philistines. To escape another murderous attempt from Saul, Michal, Saul’s daughter and David’s wife lowers David through a window. She then “took the household idol and put it on the bed, placed some goat’s hair on its head and covered with a garment.” (1 Samuel 10:13). My thought on this passage was wow that had to be a big idol if it could have been mistaken for a man! We have no reason to believe that Michal did not worship idols, she was not a righteous woman, but how crazy it is to have such a large piece of wood to worship! My question is though how often do we have idols in our lives; either physical or emotional that are idols that are that big. But too often they are so large that they blend in with the background, just like my TV did. We need to not continue to over look them and let them blend in, but instead expose them, and get rid of them. Jeremiah eloquently describes for us the difference between idols and the one true God in Jeremiah 10. Idols ” cannot speak; they must be carried, because they cannot go by themselves” vs. 5, “But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; a wooden idol is a worthless doctrine Silver is beaten into plates; it is brought from Tarshish, And gold from uphaz, the work of the craftsman, And of the hands of the metal smith. Blue and purple are their clothing; they are all the work of skillful men.” But in regards to the one true God “there is none like You, O Lord (You are great, and your name is great in might), who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For this is your rightful due. For among all the wise men of the nations, And in all their kingdoms, there is none like you.” vs. 6-7 “ But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.” Vs. 10 We should pray that God will expose the idols in our life that are keeping us from him. To expose the idols that might now be obscure and blending in the background because they have been their so long. To expose the idols that are worthless and pointless and foolish, that we might be able to have pure devotion to our Lord. The one true, great and mighty God.
I had a large TV sitting next to a window by my dining table. The funny thing was that when I would mention it, people that had been to my apartment did not remember seeing it. Even though it was large, it blended in because it had been there so long. In the story of David and Michal found in 1 Samuel 19. At this point, Saul has been rejected as king of Israel because of his disobedience to God, and he has become very jealous of David because of his success over the Philistines. To escape another murderous attempt from Saul, Michal, Saul’s daughter and David’s wife lowers David through a window. She then “took the household idol and put it on the bed, placed some goat’s hair on its head and covered with a garment.” (1 Samuel 10:13). My thought on this passage was wow that had to be a big idol if it could have been mistaken for a man! We have no reason to believe that Michal did not worship idols, she was not a righteous woman, but how crazy it is to have such a large piece of wood to worship! My question is though how often do we have idols in our lives; either physical or emotional that are idols that are that big. But too often they are so large that they blend in with the background, just like my TV did. We need to not continue to over look them and let them blend in, but instead expose them, and get rid of them. Jeremiah eloquently describes for us the difference between idols and the one true God in Jeremiah 10. Idols ” cannot speak; they must be carried, because they cannot go by themselves” vs. 5, “But they are altogether dull-hearted and foolish; a wooden idol is a worthless doctrine Silver is beaten into plates; it is brought from Tarshish, And gold from uphaz, the work of the craftsman, And of the hands of the metal smith. Blue and purple are their clothing; they are all the work of skillful men.” But in regards to the one true God “there is none like You, O Lord (You are great, and your name is great in might), who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For this is your rightful due. For among all the wise men of the nations, And in all their kingdoms, there is none like you.” vs. 6-7 “ But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth will tremble, the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.” Vs. 10 We should pray that God will expose the idols in our life that are keeping us from him. To expose the idols that might now be obscure and blending in the background because they have been their so long. To expose the idols that are worthless and pointless and foolish, that we might be able to have pure devotion to our Lord. The one true, great and mighty God.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Rejoicing through Difficulty
Hab 3:17-19
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
This passage is definitely a word picture of a difficult time. We all face difficult times, and trials. And yet how often during trials do we still rejoice in the Lord? Over the past several months I have found myself going through various trials that I never quite suspected. Nothing close to what is described in this passage in Habakkuk. But I had really felt that the Lord wanted me to truly pursue him, without any distraction. Each and every day I make decisions that either glorifies the Father, or they don’t. I make decisions in which I choose to follow Christ, or I choose to disobey. I have no excuses. I know that if I don’t establish God as my priority now, then it will only get harder as time goes on, and my distractions and trials become greater. Just recently I have found myself barely able to move with my whole semester and present situation in a quandary. But through it all, I don’t really know what the Lord’s plan may be, but my prayer is that it will draw me closer to him. Through it all, I realize that no matter what I go through, no matter how big or how small, God is my refuge. And even through it all, he is still protecting me and guiding me. I am so unworthy of the Lord’s amazing graciousness. I am so undeserving but he freely bestows his amazing, and incomprehensible love. Though trials may come, I pray that my faith will as Habakkuk's that “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior, The Sovereign Lord is my strength, he makes my feet like the feet off a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.”
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Trusting with No "If"
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
I often find myself saying, “I will trust the Lord, if....” But it’s in that small two-letter word “if” that completely falsifies the first part of the statement, because if there is an “if” then I’m not really trusting. It is in the “if” that I am leaning on my own understanding and not acknowledging Him. We are to trust in the Lord no matter what. No matter the circumstances, no matter what is going on in our lives. There is no “if” because there is only room for complete and total trust in the Lord. Often times, if I’m completely honest with myself the “if” is completed by “if things go the way I want them to go, or “if the circumstances are what I want them to be, or “if the end result is what I want it to be.” Trust is so hard because we have to once again realize that we are not in control, and we have to relinquish that control that we "think" is ours, over to the Lord. Yet how wonderful it is that the God in whom we are placing our trust in is not only unchanging, but also loves us beyond what we can think or imagine, and his plan is always best. God is God, and I am not. He is God and He knows what is best. He is God, and I will trust in Him.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
I often find myself saying, “I will trust the Lord, if....” But it’s in that small two-letter word “if” that completely falsifies the first part of the statement, because if there is an “if” then I’m not really trusting. It is in the “if” that I am leaning on my own understanding and not acknowledging Him. We are to trust in the Lord no matter what. No matter the circumstances, no matter what is going on in our lives. There is no “if” because there is only room for complete and total trust in the Lord. Often times, if I’m completely honest with myself the “if” is completed by “if things go the way I want them to go, or “if the circumstances are what I want them to be, or “if the end result is what I want it to be.” Trust is so hard because we have to once again realize that we are not in control, and we have to relinquish that control that we "think" is ours, over to the Lord. Yet how wonderful it is that the God in whom we are placing our trust in is not only unchanging, but also loves us beyond what we can think or imagine, and his plan is always best. God is God, and I am not. He is God and He knows what is best. He is God, and I will trust in Him.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Too Often Like Cain
The story of Cain and Able is found in Genesis 4. Cain and Abel of course were the first two sons of Adam and Eve.
Genesis 4:2-16
Genesis 4:2-16
"Abel kept flocks and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden."
There are several things that I find interesting in this passage. First of all, what went wrong? There are many speculations, but just from the text itself it states that Cain, "brought some of the fruits," but yet we see that Abel, "brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock." Abel's was the best of the best, in which we know he gave to the Lord by faith in Hebrews 11:4. Second, Cain did not do what was right to please the Lord, yet the thought of being outside of God's presence was unbearable. That seems kind of contradictory. We can't have it both ways. I know too often in my own life I am not obedient yet I also don't want to face the consequences. Too often I'm just like Cain, wanting to cover up my sin instead of seeking forgiveness and repentence. However, I shall continue to strive to be more like Abel who was obedient from the start and was honored in the hall of faith where it is written, "By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead." For our goal should be to live by faith so that we will be found to be righteous and blameless before Christ Jesus.
Bigger Plans
Isa 55:9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
In Acts 1, the events before Jesus' ascension is once again recorded by Luke. During a recent discussion on this passage, I realized how often we as humans, and most of all myself are just like the disciples were. The disciples have now been with Jesus for somewhere around three years, alongside him in all of his teaching and ministry. And Jesus has now been crucified and has risen again, and in verse 4-5 it reads, " And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to WAIT for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." And yet the disciples then respond not with a "yes, sir," but instead with "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" Now, if it were me, I would probably have to count to ten, take a deep breath, and be like, OK, now what have I told you over and over and over again for the past three years?? I'M NOT GOING TO BE THE KING YOU HAVE EXPECTED, but Jesus instead so graciously responded by saying, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
The disciples, in their finite minds, still did not understand that God's plan was so much bigger than theirs!! All they had to do was WAIT! Just like the disciples I find myself wanting to rush things, or reasking Jesus over and over again about something in my own plan. When all he is saying is to just WAIT, TRUST him, and his plans are so much bigger!! God's ways are so beyond ours and yet so often we think "we" know best!! I am so foolish!!
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