Resting Place

At our Care Group on Tuesday night, one of the ladies led us in worship. She read Isaiah 66:1,2:

"This is what the LORD says:

'Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?' declares the LORD. 'This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.' "

I've heard & read these verses before, they are underlined in my Bible. But I don't think I've really understood these verses before Tuesday night. Before, I always had a picture of God sitting on His throne in heaven with His feet resting on the earth - pretty straight forward, but never gave much thought to the rest of the words. Because of my friend sharing her insight, I now have a different perspective.

I now see the focus being more on: "Where will my resting place be?" The resting place that God is seeking is in our hearts. He is looking for a place to rest, to hang out. It was like the light bulb went on! The resting place is in our HEARTS! Not some place in outerspace but in my heart! Suddenly these verses became personal! So then I asked myself: "What kind of a resting place do I have for Jesus? What is the condition of my heart?" He wants to dwell in someone who is humble and is contrite in spirit and trembles at His word. (Contrite: caused by or showing sincere remorse; filled with a sense of guilt and the desire for atonement; penitent.)

God wants to dwell, live, hang out in our humble & repentant hearts. He wants us to tremble, to be in awe at His word. How many times in a day do I mess up, get mad at the kids, not have a loving attitude toward Jeremy? How many times in a day am I selfish with my sleep time, quiet time, wanting my space, what I want to do...)? How many times does my work or the computer (e-mailing, Facebook, even blogging) take priority over God or my family? What a disgusting resting place I've created for the One who is more important to me than anything! It doesn't sound very restful to me! "Maybe that's why my soul hasn't been at rest lately," she states rhetorically! I know when it's time to clear the clutter of my heart because my heart is unsettled, my soul is not at rest.

God asks us: "Where will my resting place be?" My answer, taking it one moment at a time is: "Here, O Lord, I have prepared a resting place for You. I will wait for You alone."

Resting Place
Heaven is my throne
And earth is my footstool
Where is the house you will build for me?
Whom of you will hear the cry of my heart
Where will my resting place be?

Here oh Lord
Have I prepared for you a home
Long have I desired for you to dwell
Here oh Lord
Have I prepared a resting place
Here oh Lord I wait for you alone
Copyright © 1991 Mercy/Vineyard Publishing. All rights reserved. International copyright secured.

He Had Compassion

I have a few other things I want to blog about and will get to those, hopefully, in the next week or so. But this morning, I wanted to share briefly what I read during my devotions this morning.

I have been reading through Genesis lately, but today I decided to read in Matthew. Our pastor is currently working through Matthew. I've been learning lots & am trying not to ignore the challenges our pastor gives us!

Matthew 9:36

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."

We know from reading through the four gospels that Jesus was constantly bombarded with people. They wanted to be healed, to learn more about His teachings and just simply to be near Him. Jesus had compassion on the crowds of people. He didn't see them as being annoying people invading His space, or as ignorant people. Jesus saw the crowds of people as helpless (physically & spiritually).

Then I asked myself the question: how do I look at people when they're surrounding me, demanding me of my time, etc. Sounds like those "people" are my kids! I tend to get uptight & shoo them away when they are nagging, pestering, invading my space. When I get hungry, tired or busy, I like to have my space (both physically & mentally). It frustrates me when I have to repeatedly tend to my kids (usually for the same things over & over & over...) & all I want to do is be in my own little world.

That's when verse 36 really made sense to me - Jesus had compassion on the crowds of people because they were like a sheep without a shepherd. Surely I could try to have compassion on my kids when they crowd around me and when they continuously crowd my thoughts.

Lord, help me to have compassion on my kids & to not shoo them away. And help me to have compassion on others you bring across my path, to see them with Your eyes - to see them as helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Amen.

Treasure

It's been quite some time since I've shared my thoughts about what I'm learning from God, but today I feel compelled to share.

I've been processing some things lately (and still am to be honest), but I think I've been getting somewhere with the processing. Yesterday's sermon certainly helped. Our pastor is working through Matthew right now and spoke on Matthew 6:19-21 yesterday.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where our treasure is, there your heart will be also" Matthew 6:19-21.

These verses really struck a chord in my heart. There are some areas in my life where I realized I am not focussing on the eternal treasure like I should. Thankfully, God is patient and gracious. I know that as I wrestle through these areas and allow God to refocus my attention towards Him that He will not let me down. I am confident that God, who has begun a good work in me, will continue to work in me until the day of completion, the day of Jesus' return (Philippians 1:6).

Learning

These past couple of weeks I have been seriously contemplating taking a big step in order to increase the amount of income I bring in. Monday evening I attended a meeting so I could get a feel for things before I make a commitment.

I really want to do this venture. Jeremy has concerns but is willing for me to give it a trial run to see how things go. Everything has been falling into place. I even filled out an Application/Agreement form.

I hadn't faxed it in yet to make it official. Somewhere in my heart, quite near the surface to be exact, was this uneasiness. I had asked God what He thought about me taking on this new venture but quickly ended my prayer, not really waiting for an answer. Because I am so excited about this I was scared that God would say "NO". Of course, in not waiting for His answer I also missed out on hearing if His answer was "YES". To me, on paper this looked like a no-brainer, but I knew I still didn't have an answer from God. And one of the things I've learned these past several months is that just because something looks good on paper doesn't mean it's the best thing.

I was going to fax off my application a couple of days ago, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Something else I've learned over these past several months is that the time I spend with God on a daily basis (at least I really try to make it daily) is very precious to me; the time I spend reading the Bible seems to be closely connected with whether my spirit is at peace or not.

Tuesday afternoon I saw my Bible sitting next to our laptop. I knew I needed to spend time reading God's words - even if it is just about the Israelites and how they have turned away from God yet again. Funny how this scenario is repeated over and over again, but I keep learning from them! So, I took a lawn chair, my Bible and journal out to the back yard (in the shade - the shade is my friend) and sat down to see what God had to say to me.

I must pause here for a moment and say how thankful I am that during the time I was reading my Bible the kids were quite well-behaved. I still had to get up to take care of things here and there (and was slightly distracted by a mom desperately trying to raise her child - see Tuesday's post), but overall, my kids weren't squabbling or misbehaving! That in itself is a small miracle!

Anyways, I continued reading where I had left off - Amos 5 (click here to read the chapter). At times I quite enjoy reading the books from the Old Testament, but sometimes I just want to quit and move onto the New Testament. But for the time being, I am sticking with the Israelites. I started reading chapter 5 and came across this verse, "This is what the LORD says to the house of Israel: 'Seek me and live;...'" (verse 4). That seemed to speak to me. Here I am wondering if I should start this new financial endeavor and the words that speak to me are "Seek me and live". Hmmm. What does this mean in my situation? Is God trying to tell me something through this?

Then I read verses 21 - 23:

"I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps."

Now I don't claim in any way to know deep theological truths, especially from the Old Testament. The things that stood out to me may be completely out of context, so I can only hope that I am not misguiding anyone with what I learned the other day. When I read Amos 5:21-23, those verses made me stop and think. God is speaking to the Israelites. They have been making sacrifices to Him along with all the pagan rituals they have adopted. God is saying to His chosen people that He cares more about their heart attitude than He does about their religious rituals. The Isrealites were offering sacrifices to Him, as He had taught them so many years before, but they meant nothing to God because of their heart. They weren't focused solely on Him, forsaking all the other religions, worshiping only the one true God; they were doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that. God hates this kind of behavior. God really is a jealous God. He created us to worship HIM, not other things or people.

The rest of chapter 5 (verses 25-27) is God reminding the Israelites about the 40 years they spent wandering in the desert and how they brought sacrifices and offerings to Him but they also worshiped other idols made by their own hands, therefore not honoring the LORD.

My heart was beginning to feel more at peace about this endeavor but I wanted to take some more time to hear from God. So yesterday I read chapter 6 (click here to read the chapter). The chapter starts out very strong: "Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come!" That's pretty strong!

I realize this post is getting lengthy so I'll summarize the rest of what I learned yesterday morning. God lists the disobedient things the Israelites are doing (v. 3-6) and tells them what will happen to them (v. 7). The rest of the chapter the LORD says that they are rejoicing over nothing; they had empty praises. Also, the Israelites were praising themselves for defeating a strong city, but in reality, whenever they defeated an enemy, it was God that made it possible (v. 12,13).

So what did I learn from all this? Check back tomorrow to find out!

Check it out!

I had the priviledge the other day of "meeting" another blogger when she commented on my blog. Her name is Nancy Douglas from Olive Leaf Ministries.

I've just taken some more time to peruse her blog (Olive Leaf Ministries Blog) and listened to her first video devotional. It was really good so I thought I'd share it with you.

Yielding To God's Will (Psalm 37:4)




The other thing I want to mention is that the Olive Leaf Ministries blog is having a giveaway! Donna says she can't spill the beans quite yet as to what the prizes will be, but says that the more entries they get, the more they will give away! Sounds good to me!

Here is how it works:

Now here's the best part. The more entries we receive, the more we give away. I love givin and gettin so I'm gonna delight in watching it all transpire. I just wish everyone could be a winner.

So here's what you can do to increase everyone's odds. Begin telling your blogging buddies now about Olive Leaf Ministries' upcoming giveaway. Send this link to your friends or announce it in your won blog entry. Many of you have been kind enough to add my link to your blog page (thank you dear girls) so pointing the way will be easiest for you.

Now, who says you can't get something for nothing?

Stay tuned girls! I'll give you another bean very soon, but only when I am allowed. Don't want to get fired.

I hope you'll check out Donna's blog and be encouraged. And I'm excited to see what will transpire with the contest!

Thankful Thursday

It's Thursday again, which in the blogging world means it's Thankful Thursday. I've been having a difficult time finding things to be thankful for that I can't or don't quickly dismiss with negativity. But after spending some time with God things are getting better.

I finished the book of Hosea today! I get excited when I finish reading a book of the bible. It's a sense of accomplishment; something I struggle with - accomplishing things!

Anyway! I over the past several months, I have been reading through some Old Testament books. I find that the more I read these books, the more I gain a better understanding of the relationship between God and Israel, which in turn gives me a better understanding of my relationship with God. So many times the Israelites complained and God supplied their needs; they wanted idols like the surrounding nations so they built them; they wanted kings and princes like the other nations so God gave them their desires:

"Where is your king, that he may save you? Where are your rulers in all your towns, of whom you said, 'Give me a king and princes'? So in my anger I gave you a king, and in my wrath I took him away" Hosea 13:10,11.

I looked back at all the times I've been selfish, complained, and stomped my foot at God. I thought back over the years about how I struggled to feel close to God. I would have times of closeness (often during the height of a trial), but after the trial subsided, I would grow distant from God again. Then I would feel guilty about not maintaining my relationship with Christ. It really is a terrible roller coaster ride. Thankfully, last fall I really grasped the understanding that God isn't standing there ready to punish me for all my shortcomings and disobedience. That doesn't mean there aren't consequences for our actions (or lack thereof). But what I realized this past fall is that God is simply waiting for me with open arms, wanting me to see His love for me.

If you don't know, the the first three chapters of Hosea are a beautiful illustration of how God instructs the prophet Hosea to take back his adulterous wife, over and over again. God uses this relationship to parallel His relationship with Israel. Chapters 4 through 13 describe God's warning, judgement and punishment for Israel because of their disobedience, with the exception of chapter 11. Tucked nicely amongst all the "doom and gloom" chapter 11 describes God's never-ending love for Israel.

"How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel?...My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor devastate Ephraim again. For I am God, and not man - the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath" Hosea 11:8,9.

The book ends with chapter 14, a chapter about repentance bringing a blessing to the God's chosen people.

"Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to him: 'Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips'" Hosea 14:2.

Then there is God's response to their repentance:

"I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, my anger has turned away from them" Hosea 14:4.

This is the verse that really struck me this morning. I love that part: "and love them freely". Freely; without reservation; without traces of bitterness, resentment or anger. Love them FREELY! That is how God loves me (and you!)! Despite all the times I fail Him, He loves me with a pure love - no bitterness, resentment or attitude; FREELY! No matter what I've done or will do in the future, God loves me. Yes, I still need to deal with the consequences of my actions, and no, this doesn't mean that my life will be easy. But it means that God loves me despite my shortcomings. There is a freedom in that for me.

So, today I am thankful for God's free love for me! I'd love to hear what are you thankful for. Just leave a comment and let's praise God together! To share in Thankful Thursday, visit Iris at Sting My Heart.

Thankful Thursday

Earlier this week I was thinking ahead to today and wondering what I would write about for Thankful Thursday. At the time I was struggling to find things to be thankful for. By yesterday I was anxiously awaiting today so I could share.

This past week or so has been particularly hard for me. We had a church meeting last night to determine the direction our church will go. It has been eight months of praying, seeking God, devouring His Word, processing with friends and family and surrendering our desires into God's hands.

Last night the decision was made final. Our church has decided to merge with another church in town. From the beginning Jeremy & I have not been at peace with this direction. Throughout our processing and seeking Him, we believe that God is calling us in a different direction. We don't know where that direction will take us but we have a peace (that goes beyond our understanding) that we are on the path marked for us. We love our church family so much. It hurts to say good-bye to them, but when God tells you to do something, it is better to do it than to disobey, even if it hurts.

Now for what I'm thankful for! Today, I am giving thanks to God for:

• His incredible love and patience (the processing times aren't very easy)
• The Bible, which is living and active
• My friends who have cried with me during this process
• My church family who, although they are being called in on a different path, have respected our stand and still love us

Throughout these past eight months I have been encouraged by a number of different verses, some of which I've shared on my blog. Lately, the verses that have given me the strength to carry forward are:

"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" (Proverbs 3:5,6).

"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 our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6,7).

Check out other thankful hearts at "Sting My Heart".

Thankful Thursday

Read other thanksgivings at Sting My Heart, hosted by Iris.

I am thankful for my identity, as a Christian, in Jesus Christ. I am thankful that because I am a child of God, I can stand firm against Satan and his armies.

Who I Am In Christ

I am accepted...
John 1:12
I am God's child.
John 15:15
As a disciple, I am a friend of Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1
I have been justified.
1 Corinthians 6:17
I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
I have been bought with a price and I belong to God.
1 Corinthians 12:27
I am a member of Christ's body.
Ephesians 1:3-8
I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child.
Colossians 1:13-14
I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.
Colossians 2:9-10
I am complete in Christ.
Hebrews 4:14-16
I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ.

I am secure...
Romans 8:1-2
I am free from condemnation.
Romans 8:28
I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances.
Romans 8:31-39
I am free from any condemnation brought against me and I cannot be separated from the love of God.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
I have been established, anointed and sealed by God.
Colossians 3:1-4
I am hidden with Christ in God.
Philippians 1:6
I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me.
Philippians 3:20
I am a citizen of heaven.
2 Timothy 1:7
I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.
1 John 5:18
I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me.

I am significant...
John 15:5
I am a branch of Jesus Christ, the true vine, and a channel of His life.
John 15:16
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit.
1 Corinthians 3:16
I am God's temple.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
I am a minister of reconciliation for God.
Ephesians 2:6
I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm.
Ephesians 2:10
I am God's workmanship.
Ephesians 3:12
I may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

"The more you reaffirm who you are in Christ, the more your behavior will begin to reflect your true identity!"

(From Victory Over the Darkness , by Dr. Neil Anderson)
Copyright © 2006 Freedom in Christ

All Rights Reserved

Check it out!

I read these two blogs this morning and was encouraged and challenged by both of them. I thought I would share them with you. Feel free to check out these wonderful ladies' blogs:

Susan from Penless thoughts: Susan has a two-part post called "Authentic and Vulnerable". For Part 1, click here; for Part 2, click here.

Heather from Mumblings of a Mommy Monk: Heather has a post called "Pessimism" (click here to read it). She works through Philippians 4:8 and looks in detail. I was challenged to relate this to my parenting. It's longer than most posts but definately worth reading!

Thankful Thursday

Many thanks to Iris for hosting Thankful Thursday.

I am thankful for:

• having to kill only one ant inside the house so far this morning; maybe the liquid ant poison is actually working!
• my husband who challenges and encourages me
• my two children who think I'm the best Mom in the whole world
• friends who understand
• God's Word coming more & more alive in my life
• unexpected cancellations that make the day a little less hectic

"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."
Proverbs 3:5,6

What are you thankful for today?

The Power of Jesus Christ!

As I've already mentioned in the previous two posts, we attended church with our friends Barton & Heather where Barton is the pastor.

Jeremy and I were blessed to be able to hear Barton preach the Word of God this morning. It has been quite some time since we've heard preaching like this. I said to Heather afterwards that for me it was like I knew that I was thirsty for hearing Jesus Christ preached but didn't realize how thirsty I was until I heard the sermon this morning.

Over the past number of months, God has been reviving in Jeremy and I a thirst and hunger for a deeper knowledge of Jesus Christ. It has been an exciting journey. There have definately been struggles along the way but seeing the passion inside me grow stronger makes it easier to accept the bumps and potholes of life. Besides, we learn so much from the hard times.

God is good and God is gracious. He doesn't want to teach us from just hardships, He wants to also teach us from exciting times too. This morning was one of those times.

Our friend, Barton, began a new 8-week series this morning on Ephesians 6:10-18. My first thought was how will he preach on eight verses in an eight-week time frame? But after listening to him this morning, I think the question is answered; he takes each verse and really digs deep.

I thought I would share the notes I took this morning with you. Hopefully they make sense and aren't too choppy. Also, any emphasis with the Bible verses has been added by me.

"(10)Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. (11)Put on the whole armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. (12)For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (13)Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (14)Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, (15)and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. (16)In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (17)Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (18)And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:10-18).

This passage can be broken down into three parts:

1. The Admonition (v. 10-11)
2. The Adversary (v. 12)
3. The Armor (v. 14-18)

In order to first determine that there even is an adversary, Barton switched the parts around and spoke first on the adversary rather than the admonition.

There is an enemy that is always ready to attack us in our every day lives (in our marriages, through gossip, with our spiritual walk, in our ministry, at work...). But we can withstand the enemy. This is a winnable war!

We need to know who the the adversary is because the war he wages is fierce and subtle. Our adversary isn't just other people who irritate us, slander us, etc. They play a minor part, but our true adversary is the devil and his army of evil beings. When Jesus explained to His disciples that He had to suffer, die and then raise again on the third day, Peter began to rebuke Jesus by saying, "Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!" (Matthew 16:22). Peter was the one actually speaking the words but it was Satan that was giving the words/thoughts to Peter. Jesus responded by saying, "Out of my sight, Satan!..." (v. 23). Jesus knew that Satan was behind Peter's words, trying to stop God's plan, that's why Jesus didn't respond by saying "Out of my sight, Peter". Everyone is responsible for their own words and actions but we need to recognize that Satan is working "behind the scenes".

Next we need to know the characteristics of our adversary so we can recognize him and withstand him. So often we try to fight the enemy with flip flop sandals on! We are not properly equipped to attack the enemy or defend ourselves.

1. Satan is powerful (v.12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."). God is all-powerful and all-knowing; Satan is limited. He can only do what God allows him to do, Satan is like a dog on a chain. Yes, Satan is powerful, but he is limited.
2. Satan is wicked (v. 12 "...the powers of this dark world...the spiritual forces of evil").
3. Satan is cunning (v. 11 "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.") It took only three questions to get Eve to sin and he didn't even have to ask Adam any questions, he just went through Eve.

Because Satan is so cunning, wicked and powerful, we need to know the power we have in Jesus Christ. It is only in knowing and using the power we have through Jesus Christ that we can defeat Satan.

We need to know the objective of our Adversary. Why does Satan want to be so evil? John paints a picture for us through his vision in Revelations 12. A woman (v.1)(Mary, the mother of Jesus) is about to give birth. An enormous red dragon (12:3) (Satan) stands in front of the woman so that he might devour the child (Jesus) the moment it is born (v.4). The woman gave birth to a son and he was instantly taken up to God and to his throne (v.5). "And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down..." to the earth(v. 7-9). Chapter twelve finishes up with verse 17, "Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring - those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus." The devil cannot fulfill his plan and destroy Jesus. He has certainly tried (Matthew 4:1-11, Satan tried to tempt Jesus after Jesus had fasted for 40 days and nights in the desert). Satan cannot win because Jesus has already won the war, so Satan is going after Jesus' followers. Satan's objective is to harm Jesus by harming Jesus' people.

We need to know how to conquer our adversary. Christians fight from a position of victory because Jesus has won the decisive battle against Satan.

"When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross" Colossians 2:13-15.

When Jesus died on the cross and rose again, He "made a public spectacle"(v.15) of the adversaries and triumphed over them! The only way to conquer Satan is with scripture. When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, He defeated Satan by quoting scripture. The only way we can be ready for battle at all times is to memorize scripture. Earlier this year I began memorizing verses and for various reasons (all of which seem rather empty now) I stopped. I would like to start memorizing verses again because I know how much it helped me last time. Today's sermon was an excellent reminder that we are facing a spiritual battle every day - the only way to win those battles is by the power of Jesus Christ and God's Words.

Barton ended by asking the question, "whose side are you on?" There are only two sides: Jesus' and Satan's. You can only be on one side. It's up to you to choose.

The church service ended this morning by singing the old, but powerful hymn, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God". (Click here for the words and music.)

He CHOSE To Suffer

This morning for my devotions I read chapter eight of the book "Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ" by John Piper. The chapter is called, "The Incomparable Sufferings ~ The Anguish of Jesus Christ". Click here to read the book on-line.

Author - John Piper

The content itself wasn't anything new for me, but it's the way it is written, the graphic reminder of just how much Christ suffered for us at his death that spoke to me.

Here are some of the points I gleaned from my time this morning:

• Jesus did not deserve to suffer, yet He suffered the most ever in history or the future
• Jesus was mocked, tortured and humiliated relentlessly, yet He did not take revenge; rather He remained silent and did not defend Himself (Luke 23:9) so as to fulfill Scriptures (Matthew 26:56)
• Jesus' friends betrayed and abandoned Him (Luke 22:48; Matthew 26:75)
• Jesus could have refused the suffering and crucifixion but he was obedient to His Father and CHOSE this path (Philippians 2:8).

It was God's will that Jesus suffer so intensely, "to crush him" (Isaiah 53:10). But Jesus accepted all of it to fulfill the Scriptures.

"Not only was it suffering by design, but also by obedience. Jesus embraced the pain. He chose it - "obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Philippians 2:8). ~ Piper, p.70

Jesus CHOSE to die, even this hideous, humiliating death. Jesus knew that if He disobeyed and refused to go through the pain that all the people ever to live (including us) wouldn't / couldn't be free from our sins. He was obedient - even to the point of death!

"No one takes (my life) from me, but I lay it down of my own accord" (John 10:18).

Piper goes on to say that two purposes were accomplished in the suffering of Christ (p. 71):

1. The suffering of Jesus brought us to God who is fullness of joy and pleasure forevermore. "Christ...suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18).
2. In the very hour of death the Father and the Son were glorified. "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him" (John 13:31).

Piper concludes by saying, "Our joy in savoring God and his glory in saving us are one. That is the glory of Christ's incomparable sufferings" (p.71).

Knowing that Jesus CHOSE to suffer, was humiliated, taunted, mocked, ridiculed, endured excruciating physical pain as well as the pain of betrayal and abandonment; knowing that He went through all of that because He chose to...it makes me ever so grateful. He KNOWS how I feel when I am hurting, feel alone, have physical pain. He CARES about my pain. Today I am pondering about the depth of what this means to me.

Grace Like a Deer

Earlier this week, a friend shared some verses from Habakkuk on her blog. I love the passage these verses are in so I thought I'd share my thoughts on it with you!

I had the opportunity to study the book of Habakkuk a number of years back when I was at Capernwray Harbour Bible School & Conference Centre (of Torchbearers International). At the time I wasn't too interested in studying this book, but as I delved into the study I quickly changed my attitude. It has since then become probably my most favorite book of the Bible.

If I was to summarize the book of Habakkuk in one short sentence, it would be "God's faithfulness never changes". How amazing is that?!

The book starts out with the prophet Habakkuk complaining to the LORD (1:2). "How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen?..." (Thank You, Lord, that even when it feels You are not listening, You ARE.) And the LORD answers the prophet by saying (1:5,6), "Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people...".

The prophet complains again (1:13), "Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?..." (Thank You, Lord, that even though at times it feels like the hard times will never end, You know when they will end.) And again, the LORD answers Habakkuk (2:2,3), "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets...For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. ...". The LORD finishes up with some "Woe to him...'s".

Then comes chapter 3, my favorite chapter! Habakkuk responds to the LORD by saying (3:2), "LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. ...". (I stand in awe of You, Jesus, because of Your mercy, grace and love for me!)

Then Habakkuk finishes up with the following verses. Every time I read these verses (16-19) it's as if there is a symphony in my head, playing softly at first, then with each statement, the music becomes louder, stronger, more celebratory, holding out and waiting for the final resounding note.

These verses are so exciting!

Habakkuk 3:16-19

"I heard and my heart pounded,
my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
and my legs trembled.
Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity
to come on the nation invading us.
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."

Did you hear it? The symphony?! Isn't it amazing?! Even though everything around me is in utter disarray, the crops have failed, the sheep and cattle are gone, "yet I will rejoice in the Lord"!

Shortly before I attending Capernwray, I was driving alone along a winding road. On one side of the road was a forest and on the other side was a steep rockface mountainside. As I was peacefully driving, a sudden thought broke my silence. "What if there is a deer ahead?"

Immediately I heeded the warning in my head and slowed down, becoming more aware of my surroundings. As I rounded the next corner, there in front of me was a deer, standing in the middle of the road! Because I had that "thought" and had listened to it, I was able to slow down enough before the deer pranced away up the mountainside.

A couple things struck me. First, WOW! God had warned me of a danger ahead! Thank you, Jesus!

Second, the way the deer turned and pranced up the mountainside was amazing. It was so graceful. With only a bound or two the deer was off the road and with another couple prances, it was out of sight. If I was to climb that mountainside I would be scared, slow-moving, grasping for the next place to cling on to. But this deer, without thought bounced, 1 - 2 - 3, and was gone! Such grace, such strength, and without hesitation.

"The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights."

Thank You, Jesus, for life experiences that help me better understand Your words in the Bible. Thank You that You are my strength and that I can depend on You, even when it feels everything around me is crumbling. Thank You for making my feet like those of a deer, enabling me to go on the difficult heights with grace.

Joy???

I don't have joy in my life right now.

That is the conclusion I came to today. Jeremy and I are in the midst of some potentially major changes in our church. The processing within the leadership has been going on for close to four months now. We are tired of the processing, yet at the same time know that it is a very important step in the decision making.

Because I am on our church board, I have had a number of extra meetings to attend over the past few months. Each of these meetings brings with it a big weight of consideration, prayer, seeking God and discernement. That can get tiring after awhile!

Today as I sat down to do my devotions, I opened up a book I started reading awhile back, "Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ" by John Piper. I picked up where I had left off and wouldn't you know it, the chapter is called "The Indestructible Joy"! How fitting! To be honest though, when I started reading the chapter, I had to re-read several sections over and over again because my mind just wasn't connecting - until I got to a verse that Piper quoted:

John 15:11
"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."

Suddenly, my wandering thoughts came to a hault. "Joy. I don't have joy in my life right now." I am almost at the point where I just don't care anymore. I know that apathy is NOT from God, so that means it's from Satan. Suddenly I am wanting to run as far away from apathy as fast as I can.

How can a person have joy in the midst of struggles?

Philippians 4:4
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"

Philippians 3:13b,14
"But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6,7
"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."

I am seeking God for His joy.

The Messy Garage

I read a short devotional awhile back over at Faith Lifts (a group blog at 5 Minutes for Mom website). They have short devotionals that are often very impacting. This devotion was no exception. The devotional, written by Melissa, is called "The Messy Garage" (click on the highlited title to read the original post).

Melissa shared about the spiritual dry spell that she had been going through. Then she shares two things she has learned:

1. I experience times like this periodically in my walk with the Lord. They do not, however, define my walk with Him.


2. The more discouraged I allow myself to become, the longer I will stay in this state of distracted and dry prayer time.

I really like point number one; dry times happen but they do not define my walk with Him. Until last fall, I didn't believe that. I would think (or at least feel) that if I wasn't doing daily devotions then I must not be a "very good Christian". I would be overwhelmed with guilt which would shame me into not spending time with God. I figured, "How could I come to God when I have such a long list of things I need to ask forgiveness for. I have such a long list, I don't even know where to begin!..."

But somewhere along the way, I came to the realization that Satan was the one making me feel guilty, not Jesus; that God was waiting, aching for me to come to Him. God didn't expect me to come and ramble off my long list, He just wanted me to come! And when I did just come before him, hand my list over to Him and say, "I'm sorry! Please forgive me", then He took me from there. He forgave me for my long list of wrongdoings. And when there was something more specific that I needed forgiveness for, He showed me and we worked on it together.

"He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy." (Titus 3:5)

Since then, when I come to Jesus, I don't have guilt and shame; but rather an excitement of hearing from Him. I still have plenty of things to ask for forgiveness, but now I approach the throne of God with confidence! It's so exciting!

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)

I hope and pray that you also know that you can come to Jesus without guilt or shame. You can hand Him your list of things, ask for forgiveness and know that He will forgive you. He loves you SO much! Feel free to leave a comment sharing about where you are in your journey with Jesus!

Obedience Renews

Tonight at church (we rent from another church so we meet Saturday nights), our youth pastor gave the message. He spoke on II Peter 1:3-11. I had some of this passage already underlined in my Bible but not all of it. As our youth pastor was working through the passage, I couldn't believe that I didn't have the entire passage highlighted. It is so good!

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your caling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

God gives us "everything we need for life and godliness...". Our youth pastor created a picture for us. Imagine that you were planning a backpacking trip. Imagine that God gives you a backpack and tells you that everything you will need for your trip is in that backpack. You have a couple choices. You can ignore the backpack, not look inside or use what's been given to you; or you can accept it and use the necessary items for your trip.

"For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." Next our youth pastor explained that "'Everything is permissable' - but not everything is beneficial. 'Everything is permissible' - but not everything is constructive" (I Corinthians 10:23). There are a lot of things out there that are good and fun, but not everything is beneficial for us. Our youth pastor asked us the question: "What can you give up in order to "make every effort" to increase Christ-like qualities in your life?"

One of the examples he gave was that in order to prepare for his sermon this week he had to spend large amounts of time studying and researching. He admitted that in a normal week he spends quite a bit of time playing games on the computer. This past week, he had to be more disciplined and constructive with his time in order to prepare for the sermon. Most everyone has a busy life (work, school, caring for the home, sports...) but at some point we need to "make every effort" to increase Christ in our life. Perhaps something has "to give", be let go.

I got to thinking. I often spend large amounts of time on the computer reading and being encouraged by blogs. I feel like I've made some good blog friends over the past few months and, almost daily, have been encouraged by these women seeking to know God more and to bring Him glory in their everyday lives. Yet, while keeping up with my blog friends has been a source of encouragement to me, I feel God is nudging me (okay, poking me) to spend more time with Him than with my blog friends. I don't feel God is asking me to give up blogging all together, just to make Him my first priority.

Along that thought, a point that was made tonight really struck me: "What I don't choose to be deliberate with takes control in my life and leads to sin." If I don't take control of the time I spend blogging, it will end up becoming a source of sin in my life rather than a source of encouragement or an avenue for me to encourage others.

Our youth pastor finished off by challenging and encouraging us:
What needs to be added to your faith?
We can ask God, "What do You desire for there to be more of in my life?"

Obedience renews! I liked that point. Obedience renews. It's so true! There is such a sense of release and freedom when we know that we are obeying God.

These past couple weeks have been more of a slump for me, spiritually. The change in routine made it more difficult for me to do my devotions. While we were away, I did have opportunities to spend time with God but for whatever reason I chose to put it off. Something I'm still trying to work at.

Obedience renews! Time for some renewal, time for me to listen to God and to obey Him! How about you? "What can you give up in order to "make every effort" to increase Christ-like qualities in your life?"

Quenchable Thirst

I have recently been reminded of the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. It has been some time since I've read through them. My parents' church has been working through the beatitudes lately. For some reason the things my Mom has shared with me just haven't been connecting with me.

This past weekend, we had my parent's pastor stay the night at our place. It was a time of encouragement, challenging us and, as he always does with people, he pointed us closer to Jesus.

The beatitudes came up in our conversation. This time, one of them connected with me!

Matthew 5:6
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled."

That is what I have been experiencing lately. My emptiness, my thirst, my feeling like I might explode inside - it has been (and is continuing to be) filled.

I am really noticing too that a daily "refueling" is necessary. On the days when I don't read my Bible, journal, pray, when I don't spend time with God, I begin to feel empty again. A couple years ago, I would get to this point, feel incredible guilt about not connecting with God and would talk myself out of spending time with Him (my confession list will be too long, where would I start?...). Such lies! Satan is so subtle.

But no more! Somewhere in my heart the door has been closed on those lies. They aren't welcome anymore. I know that if I have a period of time in between dates with God, it's okay. He is waiting for me with open arms. And all those times before when I thought I couldn't go back to God, His open arms were waiting for me.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled." Oh that is such a wonderful promise, such comfort and encouragement to carry on!

Do You Know...?

It's 9:48pm. I've been up and down numerous times telling the kids to "go to sleep!".

I turned off a tired little girl's lamp...it was turned back on. Again and again.

I tucked a very tired boy into bed only to do it again and again.

Each time the consequence getting a little firmer.

He's hungry, but the kitchen is closed. "Have a drink of water from your cup", I tell him and go to tend to his sister, again.

Okay, maybe now I can continue relaxing.

I hear tears from both bedrooms. Great! Both of them are crying and I'm "on duty" by myself (Daddy is out with a good pastor-friend from out of town). Practically, I choose to care for the older one first - he has a full day of school in the morning and doesn't have all his energy back from being sick.

I go to see what's wrong. He confesses between sobs that he got out of bed to get his cup (from the other side of his dresser). I assure him that it's okay because I told him to get a drink and he got right back into bed after getting his cup. More sobs! I comfort him. I realize his cup is empty and ask him if he would like me to fill it up for him. He nods and manages to choke out, "I thought you were going to be mad at me!" Oh my! My whole demeaner softens even more. "Sweetie, I'm sorry that you thought I'd get mad at you for getting out of bed to get your cup. Please forgive me?" He nods "yes" between the sniffles. My son can be so quick to forgive. I fill up his cup, give it to him saying, "I love you! Have your drink then it's time for sleep, okay?" As he drinks the cold water he gives me a "thumbs-up"! What a sweetheart! I then wait for him to lie down so I can stroke his face. His eyes fight sleep. After a few moments, he surrenders to a peaceful sleep.

Off to tend to my daughter who is still crying (actually now she's upgraded to screaming). I sit on her bed, briefly discuss her consequences, give her a "Hello Kitty" kleenex (a little treat from today's outing) and encourage her to lie down. She has downgraded to sniffles. "Mommy, will you snuggle with me?" "Yes dear. You know Mommy loves you, right? Even when you don't obey? Even when you don't obey again and again?" "Yes." "Good girl!" Whispered, "I love you, sweetie." After a few moments, she surrenders to a peaceful sleep.




I head straight to the computer to blog about this! Why waste a good opportunity to blog?!

As I was working at calming my children down, hearing about how my son feared that I would be angry with him for getting out of bed and knowing that my daughter knows that I love her even when she disobeys, over and over again,...my thoughts went to God. They don't always in these situations, but this time they did.

How many times do we (okay, I'll personalize it - I) disobey God? Do I know that He still loves me and forgives me? I do, that's why I can go to Him, still sobbing and sniffling, ask Him to snuggle with me and feel His strong, gentle arms stroking my face. With each stroke, my pain and anguish is washed away only to be replaced with peace. Then I can be at rest.

This imagery is very timely. These past few weeks have been difficult for myself and Jeremy. There has been a lot of happenings in our church. Each very difficult. Just when we felt like things were beginning to settle, something else would come up.

This past week has been especially difficult, but in a different way. It has been a long time since I have felt unsure of who to turn to for help. It seems we find ourselves in the middle of a conflict but we don't know exactly who we are at conflict with. My natural tendancy is to talk to a friend when I need encouragement. This week it feels that the only one I feel safe to go to is God. Which in reality, that's who we're supposed to go to in the first place!

"Leanne, you know that I love you?"
"Yes, God, I do."
"Leanne, you know that I forgive you?"
"Yes, Jesus, I do."
"Leanne, you know that you can rest in my arms?"
"Yes, Comforter, I do."

Matthew 11:28

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

One Step at a Time

Where do I start?!

I have so much to write about. I think I'll have to share it in more than one post. This past week has been a very difficult one. I will post about that another time (maybe tomorrow). For right now, I want to share about my weekend (Friday night till Saturday afternoon).

Over the past few months I have been hearing about a lady named Beth Moore with Living Proof Ministries. I didn't know anything about her but I was reading about her on different blogs - "I've just come from my Beth Moore bible study", Beth Moore this and Beth Moore that. When I saw an announcement in our church bulletin saying that this Beth Moore lady was coming to Vancouver for a conference, I thought I'd do a little Google search on her. It was then that I learned that she has an international ministry. She began by creating bible studies for her church and it has spread from there.

Deep inside me something stirred. I just knew that I should go to this conference. I don't usually make spontaneous decisions like that. I didn't really know all that much about this lady. I didn't even know if she was "out there" in her beliefs or if she really was spiritually on track.

I chose to listen to that stirring in me, sent out an e-mail to the other ladies in our church and waited to see if anyone else wanted to go. I didn't really want to go by myself, besides the more ladies that came, the cheaper the hotel cost would be! I'm all for trying to cut costs.

Two other ladies responded so we registered for the conference and booked our hotel. I still wasn't sure if I would have to spend my time at the conference trying to decipher truth from lies, but at the same time I was at peace with going.

Christy & Luciana

From the moment the 2008 Living Proof Live conference started, I was completely at peace. I was able to immediately enter into worship with the worship team. The entire conference was absolutely amazing, focused on Christ - not Beth and the worship team. From the very beginning of the conference, and throughout it, Beth and the worship leader, Travis Cottrell , said that they are hear to serve us. They were not doing these conferences for their glory, rather for God to receive the glory. This was demonstrated over and over again. The strongest way this was portrayed was at the very end of the conference. Beth had finished speaking and the worship team began leading us in some final songs. They began the last song. They began with full instruments, then stopped playing them so we were all singing a cappela. The lights faded, the worship team stopped singing so it was just us women singing praises to God and then quietly, the worship team left the stage. No big hype about praising them for the amazing job they did, no seeking glory for themselves. Just leaving us women to worship God. I was so impressed by that.

Before each conference, Beth prays and asks God what He would like her to share with the ladies in that particular city. Rather than having a polished presentation that she repeats at every city, she speaks specifically what God impresses on her heart. For this past weekend, Beth spoke on Hebrews 4:12-16,

12) "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing sould and spirit, joint and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (13) Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sigh. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (14) Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. (15) For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. (16)Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

I've read these verses before - they are highlighted and underlined in my bible. But having Beth take us through and dig deeper into the meaning of each verse...it is so different from just reading it. She also had us memorize verse 12. Memorizing scripture is so important. Much of what Beth said I already knew, but hearing it in different ways, hearing it again gives more impact to the verses. I have nine pages of notes in my journal!

The biggest impact for me this weekend was the absolute, all-consuming urge to study the bible more. I know that the Word of God is powerful, sharper than any double-edged sword. I have had an inner yearning for the past number of months to dig deeper in to the bible, but this weekend, having Beth lead us through these verses has strengthened my desire to learn more. It is so exciting to read the bible and see how it can change a person's life. The words in the bible aren't just words on paper, they are living and active. They can heal a person's hurt, they can encourage and uplift, they can bring a person to their knees in repentance. I want to share the excitement of God's Word.

I don't know if this weekend was another step in God's preparation for leading me (and Jeremy) into further ministry or if it's just for the purpose of strengthening my personal relationship with Christ. Whatever the reason, I want to be available.

If you have never attended a Beth Moore conference before, even if you have, I highly recommend you attend one of her upcoming conferences. Check out her website for locations (the rest are in the USA). If you live in the vacinity, make it a priority to attend. You won't be disappointed. You will be challenged and refreshed!

This video is of the conference this past weekend - actual footage! Many thanks to Travis Cottrell for putting the Html code on his blog!

My heart is heavy today

I'm seeking God for encouragement

Medley

(Give/Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus/With Or Without You/Your Love Oh Lord)

by Third Day

You said all that follow You may find

Comfort and pain, blessings in hard times

Were I to leave, where else would I go?

The words of life and of truth you hold

All I want is love

I confess to this

I will take it, Lord

All You have to give

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of Earth

Will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace

And you give yourself away

And you give yourself away

And you give

And you give

And you give yourself away

All I want is love

And I confess to this

I will take it, Lord

All You have to give

All You have to give

All You have

All You have to give

Your love, oh Lord

Reaches to the heavens

Your faithfulness stretches to the sky

And Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains

Your justice flows like the ocean's tides

And I will lift my voice

To worship You, my King

I will find my strength

In the shadow of Your wings

Your love, oh Lord

Reaches to the heavens

Your faithfulness stretches to the sky

"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

"In repentance and rest is your salvation,

in quietness and trust is your strength."

Isaiah 30:15

Thank you for your encouragement today, Jesus!