Monday, October 31, 2005

October 31: Discernment of Faith

Have you ever wondered why it is that shortly after you commit your whole life to God that things in your life seem to start going wrong? Well, you aren't alone in feeling like that. This is just what Chambers is addressing in his lesson today. Yet if you determine to stand by faith against the onslaught, you will find that you will be "worth far more to Him now than you were in your days of conscious delight and thrilling testimony." Trust me, those words are ever so true!!

Dear Jesus, please help the children of my heart to put on that spiritual armor that Paul speaks of in Ephesians 6:10-18 (http://bible.gospelcom.net/passage/?search=Ephesians%206:10-18;&version=65;76;77;), and having done all to stand, STAND!! Help them to realize deep in their souls that faith is not belief without proof, but trust without reservations!! Even when all visible evidence seems to say otherwise, help them to cling to the sure knowledge that You are totally trustworthy!! Oh Lord, I can't wait to see what wonderfully strong people that they will become as You forge them in Your refining fires. They will make the Marines seem like wimps!!

Sunday, October 30, 2005

October 30: Faith

"Faith must be tried before the reality of faith is actual." What does that mean? Let me tell you a story....

When Jennifer was three, she developed a terrible pain in the back of her neck. My first thought was a gut-clenching one... meningitis! But then I remembered that she had received the HiB vaccination that was supposed to prevent that, so I chose not to worry, even when she began to throw up violently. There were two problems with my rationalization. The first was that I didn't realize that the vaccination only worked against bacterial meningitis, not viral. Secondly, it was only six weeks since I had delivered Jana, and I didn't realize that post-partum women don't rationalize anything too well.

More than a day had passed before I finally realize that my little girl was desperately sick. When the doctor made that dreaded diagnosis - viral meningitis - I was paralyzed with fear because a little boy the same age had died from this very thing only a month before. As we loaded her into the car to rush her to the hospital, a silent plea shouted repeatedly in my head, "Oh, Jesus! Please don't let her die!!"

Suddenly, that still, small Voice spoke, stilling the panicky clamor. "Do you remember that you gave her to Me before she was born? Do you remember that you asked Me to do whatever it took to make sure that she got to heaven, even if that meant she would have to die while still a child? Give her to Me, now!"

Ice water seemed to flow through my veins as I remembered my promise. Believing that letting her go would mean her certain death, I made the hardest choice of my life. By faith, I let her go and gave her to God. Instantly, a warm peace flooded me, and by the time we reached the hospital I was able to comfort other relatives there, even though I was still convinced that she would die.

Fortunately, God had other plans for her and she recovered. But the mighty lesson of faith still remains. It has never again been as hard to trust Jesus as it was on that day because I now know that, as Chambers says, "to turn head faith into a personal possession is a fight ALWAYS," but that Jesus can ALWAYS be trusted!!

Dear Jesus, I pray that the children of my heart will be prepared to give the most valuable things in their lives over to You when their crisis of faith comes. Although Satan will assail them with fears that shake their cores, give them the strength to step out over the cliff of Faith, trusting that You will be there to catch them when they fall.

Saturday, October 29, 2005

October 29: Substitution

Dear Jesus, please help us to always remember that Your substitution for us comes with a two-fold responsibility: we have to accept your gift of salvation, but equally important, we must accept responsibility for allowing ourselves to be made the righteousness of God in You. We mustn't ever think we can accept You as Savior if we won't accept You as Lord!

Friday, October 28, 2005

October 28: Justification by Faith

Here is a mega-comtemporary version of a scripture passage that goes along with today's lesson:

Ephesians 2 - He Tore Down the Wall

1It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. 2You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. 3We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. 4Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, 5he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! 6Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.
7Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. 8Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! 9We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! 10No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.

The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by
Eugene H. Peterson

Dear Jesus, please get it through our heads once and for all that we can't claim any credit at all for belonging to You and having the privilege of going to heaven one day. Nothing good we have ever done or ever will do contributes to this, it is SOLELY because You took away our sins by Your death on the cross. Help us stop rationalizing away our faults by comparing ourselves with other people who are worse than we are. Lord, once we can fully grasp the immensity of what You did for us, just how great Your sacrifice actually was, perhaps then we will be like Paul, considering everything that was to our profit to be rubbish and dung compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing You, Jesus Christ our Lord!!! Lord, create in us an all-consuming hunger to know Christ, and the power of Your resurrection, and the fellowship of sharing in Your sufferings. Let us remain focused on You, forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, pressing on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in You, Jesus. (Philippians 3:7-14)

Thursday, October 27, 2005

October 27: The Method of Missions

"There is a passion for souls that does not spring from God, but from the desire to make converts to our point of view."

Hmmm....

That is easy to recognize in Muslim extremists, and other religions or cults, but would it be easy to recognize in ourselves? Does my desire to teach others about Jesus come from wanting to somehow prove that what I believe is far superior to anything others believe? God forbid, for there is no power for others or even myself in such motivation.

Dear Jesus, Chambers keeps repeating this theme -- it's all about You, and nothing else, or it's all smoke and mirrors. The Bible speaks of burning up the chaff, getting rid of everything that is useless. I pray that You will do this for all of us, even when the heat of the fire is painful. All the dross and sludge of our lives just slows us down. Make us as pure as fine gold in our relationship with You, so our hearts will sing like the Psalmist:

The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.
More to be desired are these than gold,
More than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey from the honeycomb! Psalm 19:9-10

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

October 26: What Is a Missionary?

Wouldn't this world be a different place if every Christian lived as Chambers describes in today's reading and realized that we are ALL missionaries sent by Jesus. We go to great lengths to make sure that others don't expect too much of us because we are just 'ordinary' Christians, not one of those 'special' missionaries that have 'heard the call.' But, sorry, all of those efforts do not release us from the command of Jesus - "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations." [Remember, that does not say 'foreign' nations. We live in a nation, too!]

Dear Jesus, I pray for the children of my heart to be able to grasp the life-changing fact that "the great dominant note of their life is not the needs of men, [or even their own needs,] but THE COMMAND OF JESUS!!" Let them never overlook or minimize their own personal need for You. Help them to keep this perspective so that the enormous needs of the world will not cause the power of their minds to falter and fail. Yes, I want the world to think they are astute, but only because they are intimately connected to You, the Mind of God, and not because of their own human wisdom at all.

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

October 25: The Enternal (sic) Crush of Things

Does your copy of "My Utmost" have the misspelled word in the title? As I wondered whether "enternal" is suppose to be "eternal" or "internal," I decided this accidentally formed new word might be something perfect for this lesson.

The "crush of things" is the internal battle with eternal significance "to be God's noble man or woman amid a crowd of ignoble things."

Dear Jesus, the children of my heart have such potential to be made extraordinary by Your hand, but only as they give their ordinary gifts and failings to You. Help them to remember that You have chosen them to be a worker in Your plan. Give them the courage and the desire to join You in Your work and "let You have Your way."

Also, Lord, I feel a special urgency to pray for some of these children of my heart. Without knowing any particulars, I feel that they are soon going to be facing a situation which has the possibility of drawing them away from Your plan for their lives. Please let Your voice, so still and quiet, be forceful enough to be heard above the other Siren Songs that try to lead them from Your way.

Monday, October 24, 2005

October 24: The Viewpoint

Today's reading is great, but I really need to focus on the scripture for today. Please find the time to look up this passage, because it is life-changing. Hey, I'll just type it out for you to make it easy:

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 "Thanks be to God, who always leads us in truimphal processoin in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God."

Remember these verses when you meet someone who wants to know more about what makes you tick. If they seem to seek you out like a bee does flowers, it is because you are the fragrance of Christ to them. You have what they need - Jesus - so don't hesitate to share.

Dear Lord, please help the children of my heart to live their lives in such a way that they are always a sweet fragrance to those who need You. Help them also not be offended by those who act as though they are the smell of death, because those people are perishing and need our prayers.

Sunday, October 23, 2005

October 23: Not a Bit of It!

Many years ago, my mouth dropped to my chest as I heard a famous evangelist tearfully exclaim that no one - not even Jesus Christ Himself - had ever been as persecuted as he was. At the time, I was furious that he would dare to make such an accusation when all his trouble was brought about by his own sexual immorality. Now, however, I realize that he probably really believed that because, as Chambers points out, humans tend to be so "prejudiced" toward their own failings. Fortunately for us, God says, "Not a bit of it!!"

Dear Jesus, help us to see our own faults clearly and not justify our actions so that there will be nothing of "the old order left." Help us to let you deliberately wipe out our dramatized versions of why we are helpless in our sin, and learn to rely on You to make us new!

We're Back!

It's good to be back from all our travels for a week or so. Even though I haven't been at a computer that would let me post on here, I have been reading each day's selections. I hope that they have been as meaningful to all of you as to me, and that you all feel more equipped to "be exceptional in the ordinary things." (from the 10/21 reading)

I've got to get ready for church right now, but I'm itching to dive back in after the unpacking...

Sunday, October 16, 2005

October 16: The Key to the Master's Orders

[TRAVEL ALERT -- Jerald and I will be out of town for the next week, so I don't know if I'll have access to a computer, but I'll still be reading and praying with you. Until next time....]

All of you already know that I have become a BIG believer in prayer! Of course I agree with every single point that Chambers makes regarding the absolute importance of staying in prayer. So I guess I was just smugly sailing over today's reading until these words jerked me to a halt:

"Suppose the crisis comes....are you there as a labourer to reap the harvest for Jesus Christ?"

Suddenly, very unpleasant images floated through my mind of the many times when I have been "too busy" to act upon the prompting to provide a service to someone who needs help or comfort. Right now my justification that "I prayed" seems a pretty lame excuse for not making that call, or cooking that dish, or sending that card.

Dear Jesus, it seems that, on our own, we are incapable of maintaining the proper balance of being missionaries fueled by prayer. We have so many driving forces that want to push us around like hurricane winds - ambition, physical desires, peer pressure, jobs, school, selfishness, laziness, sleepiness, and somewhere in there, a desire to serve and please You. We have no hope of maintaining the right direction for our lives or charting a heirarchy of correct priorities without Your guidance. Please teach the children of my heart to hear Your voice, so small and quiet, so that they will know it anywhere.

Saturday, October 15, 2005

October 15: The Key to the Missionary Message

First some definitions:

mis-sion-ar-y n. - 1. A person sent to propagate religion... hence, one who spreads any new system or doctrine. 2. A person sent on a mission; a messenger; an ambassador.

pro-pi-ti-a-tion n. - That which causes one to be favorably disposed, appeased, or conciliated. An offering, action or sacrifice that makes the governing power kindly disposed toward the offender.

Bottom line:

The Bible repeatedly makes it clear that ALL Christians are supposed to be missionaries. In today's reading Chambers makes very clear exactly what the new doctrine is that we are to be spreading.

Although the following messages are true, our primary message is NOT:
-what Jesus has done for me.
-God is love.
-life is so much happier with Jesus.
-God will protect you.
-He can heal you.
-etc., etc.

THE "missionary message" is this:
The sacrifice of Jesus choosing to die on the cross when He had never done anything wrong to deserve death was the action that took away your sin and the sin of the whole world. This was the offering, the ONLY acceptable offering, that causes God (the governing power) to be kindly disposed to us, the sinners.

Nope, this isn't politically correct or an easy feel-good message, but it IS the fresh breath of hope and peace that we all need.

Dear Jesus, please keep us all focused on this message. As a matter of fact, Lord, first of all make sure that we are all immersed in this message! Are there any parts of us remaining that think that we somehow deserve Your gift of salvation? Are we still trying to earn favor with You by what we do? Are we still clinging to closet sins and attempting to "cancel them out" with other good deeds? Bring those dank closets to light by the probing light of Your Spirit!! (I know that I'm squirming right now.) As You streamline the focus of the children of my heart, please make them more spirtually aerodynamic so they can efficiently make a difference in our world!!

Friday, October 14, 2005

October 14: The Key to the Missionary

Chambers writes one simple sentence, four little words, but the meaning is so powerful that it can change your life: "Go simply means live." WOW! Do you have any idea how much pressure that removes from us? Jesus gave us a commandment that seems impossible to accomplish when we first hear it: Go ye therefore and teach all nations. But if go simply means live, then that means He will bring all nations to His children, and the lessons that He has taught us as we live in Him will be passed on to those around us by our normal acts of everyday life. I don't know about you, but I think that is profound!!! And wonderful!!! Dear Jesus, will You PLEASE let this lesson soak in so we can truly understand it? Help us to realize that our main priority needs to be "If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you..." so that we will always take the time to study Your word and spend quality time with You everyday.

Thursday, October 13, 2005

October 13: Individual Discouragement and Personal Enlargement

(For whatever reason, my 'enter' key will not allow me to create new paragraphs right now, so forgive the following run-on paragraph.) I know that some of you children of my heart are going through times of personal discouragement right now. I hope that today's reading will be of great encouragement to you. Can you understand that it is your very giftedness that leads you to such levels of frustration? You have intelligence, vision, and drive, but still you seem to be spinning your wheels. Chambers' powerful words could be directed straight to you: "He [or she] was right in the individual aspect, but he [or she] was not the man [or woman] for the work until he had learned communion with God." Moses must have been especially committed to his own idea of how to use his gifts to change the world, because it took God 40 long years to replace Moses' ambitions and desires with the ones that God wanted him to have. Dear Jesus, today my fervent prayer is that the children of my heart, those that read this blog regularly as well as those who do not, will quickly learn to give up the long-cherished dreams of their ambitions and let you replace them with the vision of what they were born to accomplish. Help them to absorb the difficult lesson that "we have to learn that our individual effort for God is an impertinence; our individuality is to be rendered incandescent by a personal relationship to God." In other words, Lord, help us to realize that although we may be a 500 watt bulb in a sea of people who have only 60 watts, we will never put out any light until we are plugged into Your power source. Any other power will just cause us to short out!!

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

October 12: Getting into God's Stride

"God's Spirit alters the atmosphere of our way of looking at things, and things begin to be possible which never were possible before."

Looking back over my life, I am amazed at the depth of truth that rings in Chamber's declaration. Getting into the stride of God means:
-Obedience, even when it doesn't seem fair.
-Obedience, even when you don't think you have the strength.
-Obedience, even when those around you think you are crazy.
-Obedience, even when it means the death of your dreams.

Did I mention OBEDIENCE???

Just this morning I read this quote from Tim Wilkins: "I wonder if we in the church sometimes underestimate the power of obedience. By being obedient to the slightest detail, the most minuscule biblical principle, God’s power is unleashed in our lives in such a way that tremendous things can take place. Most men and women.... begin by praying “Change me and I will do whatever you want me to do.” And all the time God is saying, “Do what I want you to do and I will change you.” "

Dear Jesus, please let the children of my heart be challenged to try out this principle of faith, to step out in obedience even if it feels like they are walking off a cliff. I already know the power that this can unleash in their lives, but they will never know until they choose to take that "leap of faith." Chambers is the master of understatement when he says that "it is a painful business to get through into the stride of God." Yet never has pain been so worthwhile, for the results are joyous!! May Your ultimate purpose for their lives, the very reason that they were created, be fulfilled to the least detail as they surrender to You!!!

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

October 11: After God's Silence - What?

Silence.... that's tough for someone like me. Yet this is just one of many teachings that seem to be steering me more in that direction, especially during prayer time.

After all, if we were in a conversation with someone who never listened and wouldn't shut up for a second, all of us would be finding reasons to quickly move on. For some time now, I've become increasingly convinced that our prayer time should be at least half listening time. The problem is, I just don't usually do that. Ah, but when I do.... God's wisdom and creativity in communication with His brain-damaged creations is truly amazing.

Ecclesiastes 3:7
New King James Version (NKJV) "A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;"
Isaiah 41:1
New King James Version (NKJV) [ Israel Assured of God’s Help ] “Keep silence before Me, O coastlands, And let the people renew their strength! Let them come near, then let them speak; Let us come near together for judgment."
Habakkuk 2:20
New King James Version (NKJV) “But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”

Dear Jesus, teach us all to listen to You, no matter what skills of concentration that we must teach ourselves. You are the source of all wisdom, all knowledge, all peace, all comfort. Your "ways are higher than our ways, and Your thoughts than our thoughts." Remind us how vital it is to hear Your voice!!

Monday, October 10, 2005

October 10: Whereby Shall I Know?

"All God's revelations are sealed until they are opened to us by obedience."

I keep thinking there must be a way around that! This all or nothing deal is just VERY hard to live day-in and day-out. If I am doing a bunch of things right, surely it won't affect my relationship with Jesus if I slip a little in a few areas, right? WRONG!! The still, small voice of the Holy Spirit, that non-audible nudge, tells me that my actions make my communication with God full of static and my effectiveness like being slowed in rush hour traffic.

Okay, so I'm not very careful with how I take care of my body...I joined a health club, so that counts for something, right? (Oh, going once every ten days doesn't impress you very much, huh?) Yeah, I procrastinate a little, but I'm sure that other people managed to send a card or take some food, don't you think? Ouch! My disorganization has cost me in late fees, and means that I didn't pay my bill when I promised.

Somehow, I must teach myself to quit comparing my actions with other people in the world, and always use Jesus as my standard instead. If my health is bad, I don't feel like ministry. If I procrasinate, then I can't reach out to others at the time of their need. If I'm disorganized, important tasks fail to get down, and I become a disappointment. None of those things bring glory to God.

Dear Jesus, forgive me for downplaying my short-comings. Help me to ask You for strength to do those things that I don't want to do. May the children of my heart find the courage to fight their own battles, whatever they may be. Mostly, help us to see things in Your reality, not the realities of our own making.

Sunday, October 09, 2005

October 8: The Exclusiveness of Christ

Yes, I know that I am a day behind. Oh well, life happens! I just couldn't resist going back to this lesson because it reminds me of the lyrics of one of my favorite songs. As a matter of fact, I want this song sung at my funeral:

COME TO JESUS by Chris Rice

Weak and wounded sinner, lost and left to die,
Raise your head for Love is passing by,
Come to Jesus, Come to Jesus, Come to Jesus...and live!

Now your burden's lifted and carried far away,
And precious blood has washed away the stain,
Sing to Jesus, Sing to Jesus, Sing to Jesus...and live!

Like a newborn baby, don't be afraid to crawl,
Remember when you walk, sometimes you fall,
So fall on Jesus, fall on Jesus, fall on Jesus...and live!

When your way is lonely, and steep and filled with pain,
And if your sky is dark and pours the rain,
Then cry to Jesus, cry to Jesus, cry to Jesus...and live!

And when the love spills over, and music fills sky,
And when you can't contain your joy inside,
Then dance for Jesus, dance for Jesus, dance for Jesus...and live!

Then with your final heartbeat, kiss this world goodbye,
And go in peace and laugh on Glory's side,
And fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus...and live!

Fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus... and live!!

Dear Jesus, I pray that all the children of my heart will cherish being exclusively yours and live in that special cocoon of peace that only You can provide. Teach us all to trust You enough to resist even "the tiniest bit of spiritual impertinence" and quickly go running to You when we hear Your call, "Come unto Me." Give us the wisdom and the strength to"put the axe at the root of the thing which is prevent us from getting through."

Friday, October 07, 2005

October 7: Reconciliation

"Other religions deal with sins; the Bible alone deals with sin."

I'll never forget that day that I was grading papers while substitute teaching when a girl came and sat by my desk. Her eyes bored into me with such intensity as she asked, "Mrs. Jane, a friend of mine had an abortion. Does that mean she will go to hell?"

It didn't take a mind reader to see that this girl was that 'friend,' so I answered her with equal intensity, "You have to understand that NO ONE ever goes to hell because of the bad things they have done, and NO ONE ever goes to heaven because of the good things they have done. People go to hell because they choose to reject Jesus. People only get to go to heaven if they choose to let Jesus take over and become the Boss of their life and let Him change them to be like Him."

She was very startled by that answer, and a variety of emotions flitted across her face. First, was hope and joy, but that was quickly followed by puzzlement, resistance, and finally, hardness. From the conversation that followed, I surmised that her fear of hell was not as great as her fear of being like everyone else around her. She didn't want anyone else telling her what she should do.

Dear Jesus, I pray for all the people that we will meet who are so completely deluded by sin. They are so fatalistic in their attitude that it is hard to reach them. Please give Your supernatural wisdom to the children of my heart as you let them be shining lights in such an ocean of darkness. Please help them to resist the pull of the world that their friends think is so important. Help them always be able to see the TRUTH!!

Thursday, October 06, 2005

October 6: The Bent of Regeneration

Wow! Although I've read this passage several times before, the deep message never sunk in before today...."Redemption means that Jesus Christ can put into any man the hereditary disposition that was in Himself. ....The moral miracle of Redemption is that God can put into me a new disposition whereby I can live a totally new life."

Chew on this for a little bit.

James Dobson, a famous Christian child psychologist, as well as many others, teach that a child's basic disposition is set after nine years of age. Therefore, one who adopts an older child must realize that any means of discipline and instruction will have limited effect unless that child chooses to change and lets Jesus help him.

What Chambers is saying is analogous to adoptive parents being able to take their moral upbringing and values of integrity and being able to just "pour"them into the child like some sort of medicine. Of course there would be many more adoptions if people knew the child could be programed to suddenly possess the values of the new family! Alas, this is simply not possible.

But, praise the Lord, it IS possible to all of humanity through Jesus! What a great thought with which to begin the day!!

Jesus, we already knew You are a miracle worker, but this lesson really visualizes the depth of Your power. May we be willing to let You transform every part of us, too, until Christ be formed in [us].

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

October 5: The Bias of Degeneration

Chambers says:

The disposition of sin =
-my claim to my right to myself
-the disposition of self-realization
-believing that I am my own god

We all tend to instantly deny that teaching, yet the theory is proven every time we are disappointed that God didn't answer a prayer the way we wanted, or feel we can't trust God with some part of our life, or choose to ignore an inner prompting of the Holy Spirit because of fear or disinclination.

Acknowledging the truth about the disposition of sin sets us up to be spiritually jarred by his last paragraph:

"The condemnation is not that I am born with a heredity of sin, but if when I realize Jesus Christ came to deliver me from it, I refuse to let Him do so, from that moment I begin to get the seal of damnation."

Dear Jesus, we thank You for the gift of redemption. Today's reading leaves me wondering just how many kingdoms in my heart that I still claim as my own. Although it is scary, please reveal to us how and where we still claim to have rights. Teach us that You really are absolutely trustworthy, even with those things we hold the most dear. Help us to ponder the last verses of The Moses Song by Ken Medema and apply the profound message to our lives:

(When God asked Moses to throw down his dearest possession, his rod, it became a snake, and then God asked him to pick up the snake. When Moses reluctantly did so, he found that it had became a rod once again. Then God says...)
"Do you know what it means Moses?
Do you know what I'm trying to say, Moses?
The rod of Moses became the rod of GOD!
With the rod of God, you can strike the rock...and the water will come.
With the rod of God, you can strike the waters of the sea.
With the rod of God, you can strike ole Pharoah dead.
With the rod of God, you can set My people free!"

(This part is to us...)
What do you hold in your hand today?
To whom or to what are you bound?
Are you willing to give it to God right now?
Give it up!!!!
Let it go!!!
Throw it down!!!!

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Stacie's Dilemma -- Emerson's Response

Stacie's troubling experience at the retirement home reminds me of the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson. I keep a copy of this quote on my refrigerator to remind me of what is truly important. I wish that the unhappy girl in her group could read this and learn to live by its wisdom:

To laugh often and much
To win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better,
whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch,
or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier
because you have lived.

THIS IS TO HAVE SUCCEEDED.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

October 4: The Vision and the Verity

"Thank God for the sight of all you have never yet been."

Dear children of my heart, it is so easy for me to see what you have "not yet been" but will someday become if you let God pilot your lives! Some of you are right in the midst of enduring "the blows which must come if you are going to be turned into the shape of the vision." Keep trusting Him, because He knows you better than any human being could!

Jesus, please supernaturally strengthen these wonderful people You have made. Give the wisdom beyond their years and the ability to discern what is truly important. Help them resist any temptations that come their way by following the advice of James 4:7-8: "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you." And thank You so much for giving me the privilege of knowing them. They will never know what joy they have brought to my life!!!

Monday, October 03, 2005

October 3: The Sphere of Ministration

Hmmm. What ARE our motivations for wanting Jesus to work through us? Are we like Simon, the former sorcerer, who wanted to pay money to be able to work God's miracles so people would stand in awe of him. (Acts 8:9-24 http://bible.gospelcom.net/passage/?search=Acts%208:9-24;&version=31;) Do we slander God by trying to work for Him without really knowing him?

Dear Jesus, I think that only You, and not even we, ourselves, know the true motivations of our hearts. Please cast the searchlight of your Holy Spirit into the darkest corners of our spirits so we can see where we should confess our selfishness and sinfulness, and allow You to clean us up so we can be as white as snow. Years ago I wrote a little skit for a church camp presentation that included a song that I now lift to You as a prayer:

Well, He looks down, down, down to the bottom of our hearts,
And shines His Spotlight 'til He finds the faulty part.
The Master's occupation
Brings about a transformation,
He can make a totally changed heart.

Sunday, October 02, 2005

October 2: The Sphere of Humiliaton

This lesson talks about the figurative high of a mountain top experience versus the low of being in a valley. Even as a teenager, I often thought that visualization must be flawed, because the valley isn't such a bad place to be!!

Yes, I know that it is exhilerating to be viewing the breath-taking scenery after conquering the arduous climb up the mountain. There one is never more aware of the majesty of God. BUT...it's cold and windy there, and there's nothing much to do, and it's hard and uncomfortable to rest, and nothing grows above the tree line, and the oxygen is thin, and... I think you get the picture.

Yes, I know that it is drudgery to live in the valley with the crowds of all types of people and things blocking your view and polluting your air. BUT...it's where the food grows, and where the birds sing, and where flowers, lakes, and trees artistically abound, and where the families thrive, and where you live and work, and where you have a chance to make a difference!!

Remember, you can't grow on the mountaintop! Perhaps we need to develop a new perspective about the mundane, the humiliating, and the depressing, and see what nourishment we can find there!!

Jesus, please help us to bloom where You plant us, even if our circumstances are not what we had imagined. Teach us to live for Your glory there. Let us allow You to "root the skepticism out of us" so that we will know without a doubt that You can do ANYTHING!!!

Saturday, October 01, 2005

October 1: The Sphere of Exaltation

Chambers bases today's reading on the account of the Mount of Transfiguration where Jesus changed into His spiritual body before Peter, James and John. Let me share a powerful discovery regarding this.

Remember the familiar verse, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Hebrews 13:8. Most Christians think that refers to His spiritual character or diety. It also refers to His amazingly powerful physical attributes! Note the similarity of the following passages:

YESTERDAY - (Before Jesus was born of a virgin) "I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of the finest gold around his waist. His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude...." Daniel 10:4-6.

TODAY - (While Jesus walked on this earth) "There He was transfigured before them. His face shown like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light..." Matthew 17:2.

FOREVER - (After Jesus was resurrected and ascended into heaven) "I [John] turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me...someone 'like a sone of man,' dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead..." Revelation 1:12-17.

Wow!! That sounds like the greatest super-hero ever!!! Does that excite you as much as it does me? If you want to read these passage more fully go to http://bible.gospelcom.net/passage/?search=Daniel%2010:4-9,%2016-19;Matthew%2017:1-8;Revelation%201:9-18;&version=31;

Jesus, thank You for being so powerful that we can always put our trust in You. Remind us that as long as we choose to be on Your side that You, in all that might and power, stand in front of us to protect us from evil. However, if we choose to disobey You, we join a battle against You, and we will have to face the terror of Your blazing eyes and double-edged sword. Please give us the wisdom to always be on Your side!!