Romans 4 - Passage Lookup - The Message - BibleGateway.com: "We call Abraham 'father' not because he got God's attention by living like a saint, but because God made something out of Abraham when he was a nobody. Isn't that what we've always read in Scripture, God saying to Abraham, 'I set you up as father of many peoples'? Abraham was first named 'father' and then became a father because he dared to trust God to do what only God could do: raise the dead to life, with a word make something out of nothing. When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what he saw he couldn't do but on what God said he would do. And so he was made father of a multitude of peoples. God himself said to him, 'You're going to have a big family, Abraham!'
19-25Abraham didn't focus on his own impotence and say, 'It's hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child.' Nor did he survey Sarah's decades of infertility and give up. He didn't tiptoe around God's promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said. That's why it is said, 'Abraham was declared fit before God by trusting God to set him right.' But it's not just Abraham; it's also us! The same thing gets said about us when we embrace and believe the One who brought Jesus to life when the conditions were equally hopeless. The sacrificed Jesus made us fit for God, set us right with God."
Ok, so, you can't copy and paste stuff from Biblegateway anymore, and you have to do it this way. Thus, the entire part of the passage I want was "too big" or something, so I had to cut it down to this. Anyway, not important.
I am very interested in what I have bolded and italicized up there. It speaks very much to FCC. Everybody knows we've got some issues- financial, mixed in with some spiritual. We are in this spiritual leap forward, I believe. What a place to be in when we are financially freaked out.
Jesus has promised to be with us each step of the way. In Jeremiah 29:11, that verse that I keep on the tip of my tongue, God promised the Israelites: "I KNOW the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you, and NOT to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." We hear that, we see it in writing, and we hold it in our heads. But what should we do?
What did Abraham do? He trusted, and he MOVED. Don't get me wrong, it is right to think about our finances and see what we can do to alleviate that issue. However, we cannot stand around this place, stunned. We can't focus on something that God has said HE has control of. The work the Lord has planned for us in advance, it doesn't get put on hold simply because we are having financial issues. We must go on.
So, we need to all make a choice- a crazy choice for some of you, because concentrating on finances when they are in trouble seems like the logical, smart thing to do. But we can't tiptoe around God and what He is doing with us. We can't say, "Hold up, God, let's get this straightened out before we go on to the next thing..." We must go about our business of blessing, and trust God that He will provide what we need. FCC is a strong church- not because our building is pretty and taken care of well. That is a product of our strength. We are strong because the Lord has made us strong, we, the people of this church. Our spirits reach out for God, and His hand is upon us. The more we seek Him, trust Him, and obey what we believe He is asking us to do- we will see Him take care of these struggles. In His way. In His time.
How is your faith? Are you ready to do as God is asking us, and trust that He will provide for us in the way we need Him to? If you believe that- if you dare to trust in our Lord- plunge into His promise! Let us go out and bless! Let us trust that God will put things right- in His way. In His time.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Once more with feeling...
New year, new brain. No, actually that should be new baby, new brain. Needless to say, my noggin is different- sleep deprived, focused on keeping a toddler from smashing goldfish crackers into the carpet, and pondering the mystery of unending laundry.
Somewhere, there is still room for this other stuff. Seeking, searching, asking.
On a lake somewhere in Israel, the Disciples were on a little boat. A storm blew up. Crashing waves, crazy lightning, booming thunder. Not the best place to be. Suddenly, they spy something through the torrential downpour, lit up at every flash of lightning. It was Jesus, walking on the water, all casual and calm.
First response? Well, I know I would have dropped my jaw, though still clinging to the boat in some way. I don't think I would dig my fingernails out of the mast, even if I did see something as amazing as Jesus walking out in the middle of all that chaos, not to even mention the fact that he was ON TOP OF THE WATER, not sinking or anything. Yeah. But still. I wouldn't be amazed to the point of...well, Peter.
Peter hops up and yells out, "Hey! Lord! Let me walk out to you!!" For real? For real. Peter must not see the freezing cold rain drenching his body to the bone, the enormous waves waiting to swallow him up, the wind, the thunder...you know, chaos! He sees Jesus, and in that moment, his trust-o-meter must have skyrocketed. Because he does it! He walks out there with the Lord! On the water!
See, it would be one thing to hop out of the boat during calm waters, with the sun all shining and sea birds twittering and such. I mean, yeah, it would be quite a feat! But during a storm? That is an entirely different, and much more amazing scenario. And it speaks volumes to us, as well.
Our lives are constantly tossed- particularly right now. Losing jobs, dwindling financial security, cars breaking down, medical bills, loved ones faced with cancer. We often find ourselves in the midst of tornadoes. Our first response? Grab something and HOLD ON.
But is that what we are supposed to be doing? Maybe sometimes, but probably not the majority of those times. I think maybe God wants us to let go and move toward Him, even if it seems impossible to move. We see our lives in such a different way than God sees them. In moments where we feel the need to batten down the hatches and curl up in a ball in the corner somewhere to ride out the storm- God might want us to get up, like there's nothin' goin' on, and move toward Him, even if the steps we take in that direction lead us to something that doesn't seem possible.
Many things seem impossible right now. How are we going to afford this? How are we going to grow our congregation? Nothing makes sense! It's turmoil. So, what do we do? Hang on to everything for dear life? What are we holding on to? Old ways, traditions? Or this building? Our ideas that we had once we came to this building? Or maybe it's not that- I don't know.
All I do know is that God doesn't want us to try and save ourselves from whatever it is we think we need saved from. We need to step out in boldness- toward Him. Does that mean something in particular for you? It may mean something entirely different to the person on your left or right. God wants us to react to this turmoil like Peter. I don't know what our next move is, but I do know it must be toward God, regardless of what the weather looks like in that direction.
Somewhere, there is still room for this other stuff. Seeking, searching, asking.
On a lake somewhere in Israel, the Disciples were on a little boat. A storm blew up. Crashing waves, crazy lightning, booming thunder. Not the best place to be. Suddenly, they spy something through the torrential downpour, lit up at every flash of lightning. It was Jesus, walking on the water, all casual and calm.
First response? Well, I know I would have dropped my jaw, though still clinging to the boat in some way. I don't think I would dig my fingernails out of the mast, even if I did see something as amazing as Jesus walking out in the middle of all that chaos, not to even mention the fact that he was ON TOP OF THE WATER, not sinking or anything. Yeah. But still. I wouldn't be amazed to the point of...well, Peter.
Peter hops up and yells out, "Hey! Lord! Let me walk out to you!!" For real? For real. Peter must not see the freezing cold rain drenching his body to the bone, the enormous waves waiting to swallow him up, the wind, the thunder...you know, chaos! He sees Jesus, and in that moment, his trust-o-meter must have skyrocketed. Because he does it! He walks out there with the Lord! On the water!
See, it would be one thing to hop out of the boat during calm waters, with the sun all shining and sea birds twittering and such. I mean, yeah, it would be quite a feat! But during a storm? That is an entirely different, and much more amazing scenario. And it speaks volumes to us, as well.
Our lives are constantly tossed- particularly right now. Losing jobs, dwindling financial security, cars breaking down, medical bills, loved ones faced with cancer. We often find ourselves in the midst of tornadoes. Our first response? Grab something and HOLD ON.
But is that what we are supposed to be doing? Maybe sometimes, but probably not the majority of those times. I think maybe God wants us to let go and move toward Him, even if it seems impossible to move. We see our lives in such a different way than God sees them. In moments where we feel the need to batten down the hatches and curl up in a ball in the corner somewhere to ride out the storm- God might want us to get up, like there's nothin' goin' on, and move toward Him, even if the steps we take in that direction lead us to something that doesn't seem possible.
Many things seem impossible right now. How are we going to afford this? How are we going to grow our congregation? Nothing makes sense! It's turmoil. So, what do we do? Hang on to everything for dear life? What are we holding on to? Old ways, traditions? Or this building? Our ideas that we had once we came to this building? Or maybe it's not that- I don't know.
All I do know is that God doesn't want us to try and save ourselves from whatever it is we think we need saved from. We need to step out in boldness- toward Him. Does that mean something in particular for you? It may mean something entirely different to the person on your left or right. God wants us to react to this turmoil like Peter. I don't know what our next move is, but I do know it must be toward God, regardless of what the weather looks like in that direction.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
About to get real...
"Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not despair, for I am your God." Is. 41:10.
God says those words to the Israelites. He goes on to say that He is their strength- He will lift them up, guide them, protect them.
Hearing pb's message about his fear, this is the verse that instantly came to my head. It is one of very few verses that I actually have memorized, and that I keep on the tip of my tongue at all times. As I look at it now, I can see what the fear is.
Regardless of our relationship with Christ, the truth is, we don't rely on Him in the ways that the Israelites HAD TO rely on Him. We can say this verse to comfort ourselves during a particularly tough time- losing a job, a loved one, after 9/11...that sort of thing. But have we ever thought about those words in the way that God really means them?
We can read the verse where Jesus talks about His Father feeding the birds, clothing them, etc. And how He will surely do even more for us. But seriously. Where does your food come from? Your debit card and the Weis Markets. Where do your clothes come from? The ultra clearance rack at Kohls or maybe you found something fantastic at Goodwill this week. The truth is, in this country, in our current situation- we are really living by our own means, even in this recession.
Sure, we realize that our jobs have come from God, and the fact that we can still survive on unemployement benefits and all that- we praise Him for providing that- for the fact that we aren't destitute. But we still have this idea- this fear that, if all that were gone, no more benefits, empty grocery store shelves, nothing but dust in a pantry that at least had a box of Kraft Mac and Cheese in it all the time...I mean, whoa! Is that possible? We can't fathom that.
When God tells us not to fear, He means it. The other verse I always remember is "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding..." That last part, the not leaning on our own understanding- that is what we have to focus on if we are going to be successful in NOT FEARING because God is our God! I've said again and again...and again- God is getting our attention- demanding it, and He's putting Himself right where He needs to be in our lives- He needs to be EVERYTHING. The core, the focus, the REASON we move, breathe, eat, smile. Love the Lord with ALLLLLL your heart, all your mind, all your strength. Move in that direction.
And here is where we encounter the other fear- the kind I believe pb was talking about. We know who our God is. The Bible is a direct, precise description of Him, His intense love for us, and all the wonder, awe, amazement...whatever- we know it. The fear? We are about to experience Him and just what He is doing with us! There is no going back, there is no stopping Him, there is no time-out. The God we sing to on Sunday, the God we thank for our dinner, the God we speak to when we pray- YOU WILL KNOW HIM, YOU WILL WITNESS HIS GLORY, YOU WILL EXPERIENCE HIS LOVE- in a way that I can't even begin to try to put into words here.
The scary part? Who knows how we will react. Can you imagine being brought to your knees in an instant? Right here? In the middle of a bunch of people? Can you imagine seeing something so absolutely miraculous...you think you are just...watching a movie or something? I hope, I pray that we can react with LOVE. I've said every time I've spoken that we need to be this kind of people, this kind of Body of Christ. THAT is how the Lord will add to our number daily- just like He did in the early church. We obey, we LOVE, we show people EXACTLY who our God is, and He draws them up in His arms, and...can you see that? Don't you want to see that? Be a witness to salvation? Praise God.
It saddens me that for God to get our full attention, many of us will have to be broken and re-forged in fire. That it's going to be a struggle- a struggle in which that first verse I mentioned, Is. 41:10, will echo in our heads, will become a constant voice. Absolute surrender- shudder at that. Shudder. And then rejoice. For we know who our God is. We know our Lord by name. Jesus is KING!!!!
God says those words to the Israelites. He goes on to say that He is their strength- He will lift them up, guide them, protect them.
Hearing pb's message about his fear, this is the verse that instantly came to my head. It is one of very few verses that I actually have memorized, and that I keep on the tip of my tongue at all times. As I look at it now, I can see what the fear is.
Regardless of our relationship with Christ, the truth is, we don't rely on Him in the ways that the Israelites HAD TO rely on Him. We can say this verse to comfort ourselves during a particularly tough time- losing a job, a loved one, after 9/11...that sort of thing. But have we ever thought about those words in the way that God really means them?
We can read the verse where Jesus talks about His Father feeding the birds, clothing them, etc. And how He will surely do even more for us. But seriously. Where does your food come from? Your debit card and the Weis Markets. Where do your clothes come from? The ultra clearance rack at Kohls or maybe you found something fantastic at Goodwill this week. The truth is, in this country, in our current situation- we are really living by our own means, even in this recession.
Sure, we realize that our jobs have come from God, and the fact that we can still survive on unemployement benefits and all that- we praise Him for providing that- for the fact that we aren't destitute. But we still have this idea- this fear that, if all that were gone, no more benefits, empty grocery store shelves, nothing but dust in a pantry that at least had a box of Kraft Mac and Cheese in it all the time...I mean, whoa! Is that possible? We can't fathom that.
When God tells us not to fear, He means it. The other verse I always remember is "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding..." That last part, the not leaning on our own understanding- that is what we have to focus on if we are going to be successful in NOT FEARING because God is our God! I've said again and again...and again- God is getting our attention- demanding it, and He's putting Himself right where He needs to be in our lives- He needs to be EVERYTHING. The core, the focus, the REASON we move, breathe, eat, smile. Love the Lord with ALLLLLL your heart, all your mind, all your strength. Move in that direction.
And here is where we encounter the other fear- the kind I believe pb was talking about. We know who our God is. The Bible is a direct, precise description of Him, His intense love for us, and all the wonder, awe, amazement...whatever- we know it. The fear? We are about to experience Him and just what He is doing with us! There is no going back, there is no stopping Him, there is no time-out. The God we sing to on Sunday, the God we thank for our dinner, the God we speak to when we pray- YOU WILL KNOW HIM, YOU WILL WITNESS HIS GLORY, YOU WILL EXPERIENCE HIS LOVE- in a way that I can't even begin to try to put into words here.
The scary part? Who knows how we will react. Can you imagine being brought to your knees in an instant? Right here? In the middle of a bunch of people? Can you imagine seeing something so absolutely miraculous...you think you are just...watching a movie or something? I hope, I pray that we can react with LOVE. I've said every time I've spoken that we need to be this kind of people, this kind of Body of Christ. THAT is how the Lord will add to our number daily- just like He did in the early church. We obey, we LOVE, we show people EXACTLY who our God is, and He draws them up in His arms, and...can you see that? Don't you want to see that? Be a witness to salvation? Praise God.
It saddens me that for God to get our full attention, many of us will have to be broken and re-forged in fire. That it's going to be a struggle- a struggle in which that first verse I mentioned, Is. 41:10, will echo in our heads, will become a constant voice. Absolute surrender- shudder at that. Shudder. And then rejoice. For we know who our God is. We know our Lord by name. Jesus is KING!!!!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Has anyone seen my tin foil hat? Because I could really use it about now.
http://preventdisease.com/news/09/110209_ibm_internal_doc_reveals_knowledge_pandemic_2006.shtml
Seriously? Why can't I be more skeptical of this stuff? Why does the evidence have to be so gosh-diggity-darn logical and realistic?
All I can conclude is this: We know for a fact that there is a great Evil that wants to destroy us all. While we don't know that this Evil is controlling the government and the greatest powers in the world today, I would wager a great deal that he is. Heck, the only reason I wouldn't conclude that whole-heartedly and with much assuredness, is because I don't want people to think I'm some kind of conspiracy-freak-nutball. So, I guess you could say I do believe it, but that is not my focus. And once again, people are too naive or "intellectual" to actually believe there is a true Evil plotting against them in every possible way, including massive, government, world-wide catastrophe- to create hopelessness and despair, because that is his territory and he can swoop in and take hold. Well, I'm not going to be one of those- I will pay attention to this crap, as whacked-out as it may seem, and I will trust in the Lord- Trust in His provision, His protection, and His promise.
Ready yourselves, we'll sing until the whole world hears.
Seriously? Why can't I be more skeptical of this stuff? Why does the evidence have to be so gosh-diggity-darn logical and realistic?
All I can conclude is this: We know for a fact that there is a great Evil that wants to destroy us all. While we don't know that this Evil is controlling the government and the greatest powers in the world today, I would wager a great deal that he is. Heck, the only reason I wouldn't conclude that whole-heartedly and with much assuredness, is because I don't want people to think I'm some kind of conspiracy-freak-nutball. So, I guess you could say I do believe it, but that is not my focus. And once again, people are too naive or "intellectual" to actually believe there is a true Evil plotting against them in every possible way, including massive, government, world-wide catastrophe- to create hopelessness and despair, because that is his territory and he can swoop in and take hold. Well, I'm not going to be one of those- I will pay attention to this crap, as whacked-out as it may seem, and I will trust in the Lord- Trust in His provision, His protection, and His promise.
Ready yourselves, we'll sing until the whole world hears.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Ron Paul article
I consider Ron Paul to be an extremely wise man, particularly in the area of economics. I will be very surprised if he is wrong on this recession/hyperinflation business. His logic is nearly infallible, really. Regardless of how you feel about his other political positions, how can you argue with his economic reasoning? Seriously, how can you? I would seriously like to hear someone arguing against him and winning.
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/1116/opinions-great-depression-economy-on-my-mind.html
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/1116/opinions-great-depression-economy-on-my-mind.html
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