"Oh Lord, how long shall I cry, and you will not hear? Even cry out to you, "Violence!" And you will not save. Why do you show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgement proceeds." (Habakkuk 1:2-4).
These words of the prophet Habakkuk echo his frustration at seeing the wicked men of Judah go unpunished in their evil deeds, rejoicing in the slaughter of other nations. Although it seemed God was far off, and utterly detached, He was bringing judgement on Judah with the coming invasion of the Babylonians. God was working on His time schedule, for He punishes to the third and fourth generation. As the prophet makes his groanings known to the Lord, and God replies to him, the dialogue becomes one of greater awe and appreciation towards the Lord. We too, as we draw nearer to Him, should cast aside all doubts and bear nothing but praise. Habakkuk ends with a statement which echoes much of Job:
"Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flocks be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. " (3:17-18)
Reading this guides my attitude in the right direction, for I will continue to praise God, no matter how I feel or what my circumstances may be. God never told us it would be easy, but the Truth is a heavy burden to bear in this world, when lies are more powerful than anything else. Keep praying for our hearts to stand up in the face of any pressures the world throws at us, just like Habakkuk did!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
The fullness of time
4:39 Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the report of the woman who testified, 87 “He told me everything I ever did.” 4:40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they began asking 88 him to stay with them. 89 He stayed there two days, 4:41 and because of his word many more 90 believed. 4:42 They said to the woman, “No longer do we believe because of your words, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this one 91 really is the Savior of the world.” 92
Today's small group really meant a lot to me. This semester is already much better than last in terms of our connecting with one another and feeling more like a family. Today we broke up into smaller groups and having only three or four people in a group really got everyone to open up far more. Although it should be common knowledge, I see now that bible study questions are a mere stepping stone to get into people's spiritual lives, that the Word will penetrate deep and change their heart, giving glory to God.
Both of the people I met with in my mini-group blew me away when they said their dads would never have gotten saved were it not for their mothers. And of course if their parents hadn't gotten together, they wouldn't even be in our church! One of them even said their dad came from a anti-christian family. The other told me of how their words to their cousin about Christ changed their life years down the road, and they never would have guessed it at the time.
Reading this passage from John 4 goes along with what I was thinking earlier, how so much in life just feels like a coincidence, and yet we take for granted that this is not really the case. Just think, how all the people in the world end up believing in many things or living their lives certain ways, and yet, with all the choices we have out there, we have come to Christ. For those of you who have grown up in the church it may not seem so astounding, but it is amazing that God is not a God of coincidence! Likewise, if we preach the gospel to everyone we meet, or at least show an unashamed love for Christ that we wear on our sleeves, just think of how many lives could be changed, even if we don't see it immediately! We need greater faith to see that God can work on any time schedule, and that it just takes a single seed to grow a massive cedar of Lebanon (and that even a cactus grows in the desert!)!
Today's small group really meant a lot to me. This semester is already much better than last in terms of our connecting with one another and feeling more like a family. Today we broke up into smaller groups and having only three or four people in a group really got everyone to open up far more. Although it should be common knowledge, I see now that bible study questions are a mere stepping stone to get into people's spiritual lives, that the Word will penetrate deep and change their heart, giving glory to God.
Both of the people I met with in my mini-group blew me away when they said their dads would never have gotten saved were it not for their mothers. And of course if their parents hadn't gotten together, they wouldn't even be in our church! One of them even said their dad came from a anti-christian family. The other told me of how their words to their cousin about Christ changed their life years down the road, and they never would have guessed it at the time.
Reading this passage from John 4 goes along with what I was thinking earlier, how so much in life just feels like a coincidence, and yet we take for granted that this is not really the case. Just think, how all the people in the world end up believing in many things or living their lives certain ways, and yet, with all the choices we have out there, we have come to Christ. For those of you who have grown up in the church it may not seem so astounding, but it is amazing that God is not a God of coincidence! Likewise, if we preach the gospel to everyone we meet, or at least show an unashamed love for Christ that we wear on our sleeves, just think of how many lives could be changed, even if we don't see it immediately! We need greater faith to see that God can work on any time schedule, and that it just takes a single seed to grow a massive cedar of Lebanon (and that even a cactus grows in the desert!)!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
In Me ye shall find rest
22:39 Then 103 Jesus 104 went out and made his way, 105 as he customarily did, to the Mount of Olives, 106 and the disciples followed him. 22:40 When he came to the place, 107 he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 108 22:41 He went away from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, 22:42 “Father, if you are willing, take 109 this cup 110 away from me. Yet not my will but yours 111 be done.” 22:43 [Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 22:44 And in his anguish 112 he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.] 113 22:45 When 114 he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping, exhausted 115 from grief. 22:46 So 116 he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation!” 117
I'm very tired today between the lack of sleep and giving plasma on top of it. Whoo, I should probably stop doing that, but I need to be able to tithe and this is the only way I know how, except for getting a job for a mere three months. I was told by one of the nurses long ago at the plasma center that one girl always came in and gave all the money she gave back to God because, he "gives her life" or words to that effect.
Reading this again, I never noticed until know that the disciples were "sleeping, exhausted from grief." I take this to show that our emotions can often work against us, draining us of the power of the Holy Spirit when we need it most. This is something I struggle with constantly, not letting my emotions interfere with my relationship with God. But this is no cause for complaint, everyone has their own stumbling blocks, the trick is break out that chainsaw that is the Word of the living God and do work! Yes, going forward in pursuing God is what He wants, not getting tripped up on our emotions or how tired we may be.
It is also important to see that prayer is what keeps us from falling into sin, for when we are praying constantly we are safeguarding ourselves from the incessant attacks of our enemy. Think of it like mosquito repellent which is always within faith's reach.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
The times and the seasons
Finding time to pray is something we should all be, uh, praying for. Fortunately, the bible does not give us a specific time to do this, but all around the clock! Prayer meeting tonight was awesome, I think we need to keep pushing each other to take it seriously. If we think of it as just a time to chill out and have some quiet time to ourselves, it will be fruitless. But, if we think of it as a workout, something that may feel difficult at first but is nothing but good in the end, then our faith will truly grow. There is a rather painful saying that goes, 'You can tell how popular the pastor is by how many people show up on Sunday, but you can tell how popular Jesus is by how many people show up for prayer meetings.' I would neither agree nor disagree with that. What times does God tell us we should pray?:
Always (Luke 18:1)
Without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17)
In the morning a great while before day (Mark 1:35)
In the night watches (Psalm 63:6)
About the sixth hour (Acts 10:9)
The hour of prayer: the ninth hour (Acts 3:1)
At the eventide (Genesis 24:63)
By night (Psalm 134:1)
At midnight (Psalm 119:62)
Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray (Psalm 55:17)
In case you are wondering, no I don't know these verses off the top of my head, they are from a very old book I keep with me all the time called "Ye shall receive power". I am not ashamed to say that I grow weary throughout the day, and reading bible verses helps me meditate on my purpose. There is always more to pray for, and above all may our hearts see that prayer is never in vain!
Always (Luke 18:1)
Without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17)
In the morning a great while before day (Mark 1:35)
In the night watches (Psalm 63:6)
About the sixth hour (Acts 10:9)
The hour of prayer: the ninth hour (Acts 3:1)
At the eventide (Genesis 24:63)
By night (Psalm 134:1)
At midnight (Psalm 119:62)
Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray (Psalm 55:17)
In case you are wondering, no I don't know these verses off the top of my head, they are from a very old book I keep with me all the time called "Ye shall receive power". I am not ashamed to say that I grow weary throughout the day, and reading bible verses helps me meditate on my purpose. There is always more to pray for, and above all may our hearts see that prayer is never in vain!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Our strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
James 1:13
"Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He himself tempt anyone."
When pastor Thomas spoke about sin not being just 'what we do, but who we do it to', this is a verse that comes to mind. I feel like I play a sort of juggling act with God, trying to balance my understanding of Him as humble and innocent of all wrongdoing, but at the same time beyond a shadow of my comprehending His absolute power. It can be difficult to balance the idea of someone as powerful and at the same time subservient, but that is because this world doesn't work in that way. Very rarely do people in power show meekness and humility, which is why it can be hard for us to imagine.
"But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived my beloved brethren."
We all know that the energy can neither be created or destroyed, but it is entirely different when we think about that concept applied to sin: it always has to come from somewhere, and our thoughts is how it starts. Just like Samson did, we become bold in our thinking, and believe a single thought to be harmless, not realizing the 'slippery slope' we have embarked upon (thanks be to Angeline for explaining the term to me!). The only difference between this and thermodynamics is that sin can, and has been destroyed! Our continued repentance ensures that sin will be as white as snow, by the glory of Christ's mercy. Whenever I feel like sinful thoughts are pressing down on me, or I feel I'm losing my patience, I am staying focused on the image of Christ. This helped me a lot yesterday when I was talking on the phone to a friend of mine. Although he is a great guy I have known since I was a little kid, he could talk your ear down to a nubbin, and it can try my patience I'm sorry to say! But as I concentrated with all my strenght on Him, I became calmer and was even able to bring the conversation toward God, instead of about just things like magic (which he loves, and I share little of the same fondness!). It is my prayer that we all see that focusing on Jesus is something we always have access to, at any time, and can deliver us from the most trying circumstances if we really believe it.
"Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He himself tempt anyone."
When pastor Thomas spoke about sin not being just 'what we do, but who we do it to', this is a verse that comes to mind. I feel like I play a sort of juggling act with God, trying to balance my understanding of Him as humble and innocent of all wrongdoing, but at the same time beyond a shadow of my comprehending His absolute power. It can be difficult to balance the idea of someone as powerful and at the same time subservient, but that is because this world doesn't work in that way. Very rarely do people in power show meekness and humility, which is why it can be hard for us to imagine.
"But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived my beloved brethren."
We all know that the energy can neither be created or destroyed, but it is entirely different when we think about that concept applied to sin: it always has to come from somewhere, and our thoughts is how it starts. Just like Samson did, we become bold in our thinking, and believe a single thought to be harmless, not realizing the 'slippery slope' we have embarked upon (thanks be to Angeline for explaining the term to me!). The only difference between this and thermodynamics is that sin can, and has been destroyed! Our continued repentance ensures that sin will be as white as snow, by the glory of Christ's mercy. Whenever I feel like sinful thoughts are pressing down on me, or I feel I'm losing my patience, I am staying focused on the image of Christ. This helped me a lot yesterday when I was talking on the phone to a friend of mine. Although he is a great guy I have known since I was a little kid, he could talk your ear down to a nubbin, and it can try my patience I'm sorry to say! But as I concentrated with all my strenght on Him, I became calmer and was even able to bring the conversation toward God, instead of about just things like magic (which he loves, and I share little of the same fondness!). It is my prayer that we all see that focusing on Jesus is something we always have access to, at any time, and can deliver us from the most trying circumstances if we really believe it.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Meek, gentle, humble...but not quiet!
I wonder at what point we as Christians got the idea that we are supposed to remain silent...it certainly wasn't from the bible! And yet Christians are hesitant to involve themselves in other's lives, make changes in their neighborhoods, or involve themselves in government. When the founding fathers of this country established the constitution, they didn't want the government to take over the lives of the people, but they never expected the people to stay out of the government! We are way too timid, and I above all am guilty of the offense.
By way of example, imagine you saw a man wandering across the train tracks, and you noticed he seemed to be completely oblivious. Then, you see that a train is coming and still he does not pay attention. People begin yelling, but no one is willing to make a move, apparently not seeing that the man is deaf. Finally, just before the train is about to hit him, you jump across and push him on the ground. As the man gets up, thanking you with tears in his eyes for saving his life, what do you think people would say? "Hey jerk, you got that guy's suit dirty!", or "Ya know, you should have just let 'natural selection' do its work by wiping that guy out!" (ok, maybe the so-called extreme environmentalists or 'humanists' would say that). The point is, we need to see the desperation of life and death that is at stake here. God is pushing us, not to bring us misery, but because He would be deceiving us into thinking walking the Christian life is easy. Just as the point of the military is to break one down in order to be built back up, so must it be to serve in God's army! I pray that the message God used Thomas for this weekend will ring true in our hearts; this is more than an emotion, it is a committment, like the mother of all jobs. Keep praying for one another, this is our church, and we must fight in the name of Jesus every day to make it grow!
By way of example, imagine you saw a man wandering across the train tracks, and you noticed he seemed to be completely oblivious. Then, you see that a train is coming and still he does not pay attention. People begin yelling, but no one is willing to make a move, apparently not seeing that the man is deaf. Finally, just before the train is about to hit him, you jump across and push him on the ground. As the man gets up, thanking you with tears in his eyes for saving his life, what do you think people would say? "Hey jerk, you got that guy's suit dirty!", or "Ya know, you should have just let 'natural selection' do its work by wiping that guy out!" (ok, maybe the so-called extreme environmentalists or 'humanists' would say that). The point is, we need to see the desperation of life and death that is at stake here. God is pushing us, not to bring us misery, but because He would be deceiving us into thinking walking the Christian life is easy. Just as the point of the military is to break one down in order to be built back up, so must it be to serve in God's army! I pray that the message God used Thomas for this weekend will ring true in our hearts; this is more than an emotion, it is a committment, like the mother of all jobs. Keep praying for one another, this is our church, and we must fight in the name of Jesus every day to make it grow!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
A heart of fertility
"Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where thye did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth....When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside." (Matthew 13:3-6;19)
Ever since I was a little kid, I've always been something of a poor listener. I remember reading old report cards, and my teachers would often comment on how disconnected I seemed to be, detached even. I always loved to read, and would do so for hours, but listening? It wasn't something I was remotely good at.
Mike from the praise band mentioned this parable on Saturday. In this portion of the parable, Jesus talks about the Word of God being ripped from the heart of the believer, before it can even be sowed and processed by our heart. That is still something I must be vigilant about, as at times I become so self-absorbed in my own concerns that I forget the absolute authority that is God's Word so it doesn't always penetrate as it should. This is especially so when I am singing praise songs, I need to consciously, with all my strength, push out all other thoughts and focus on God. Make no mistake, God's Word is alive, with a very real heartbeat! It is my prayer that our hearts beat not for ourselves, but for sake of this precious body in Christ, which is so big a treasure that sometimes our eyes cannot even put it in perspective, but settle on the things that are easier for us to visualize. This was such an awesome retreat, God is truly faithful!
Ever since I was a little kid, I've always been something of a poor listener. I remember reading old report cards, and my teachers would often comment on how disconnected I seemed to be, detached even. I always loved to read, and would do so for hours, but listening? It wasn't something I was remotely good at.
Mike from the praise band mentioned this parable on Saturday. In this portion of the parable, Jesus talks about the Word of God being ripped from the heart of the believer, before it can even be sowed and processed by our heart. That is still something I must be vigilant about, as at times I become so self-absorbed in my own concerns that I forget the absolute authority that is God's Word so it doesn't always penetrate as it should. This is especially so when I am singing praise songs, I need to consciously, with all my strength, push out all other thoughts and focus on God. Make no mistake, God's Word is alive, with a very real heartbeat! It is my prayer that our hearts beat not for ourselves, but for sake of this precious body in Christ, which is so big a treasure that sometimes our eyes cannot even put it in perspective, but settle on the things that are easier for us to visualize. This was such an awesome retreat, God is truly faithful!
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