Reading for Today: Luke 10:38-42; John 11, 12:2
Read about Martha, Mary & Lazarus this morning. Feel drawn to Martha when I become so overwhelmed by the tasks at hand and I forget to pray and just focus on God. I want to be more like Mary who stopped everything when Jesus came into the room and she worshipped at His feet. We can all do this simply by readjusting our focus to Jesus instead of the "things/tasks of this world".
I also realized that when Jesus raised Lazarus fromt he dead, death is symbolized in the wrappings that bound Lazarus. When he came out of the tomb and Jesus said to free him from his wrappings, it was the physical manifestations of Jesus freeing Lazarus from the grip of death as He does all of us when we accept Him as Lord and Savior.
If you have yet to come to come to Christ, may this season be your guiding light to the Child who came form heaven to earth to show the Way, from the earth to the cross our debt to pay, from the grave to the sky, Lord we lift Your name on high. May Christ be in your Christmas this year.
<div style="padding: 3px; width: 400px; text-align: center;"><object width="400" height="334"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2cx5YmS7GXQ?fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2cx5YmS7GXQ?fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="334"></embed></object></div><a href="http://www.lyricsty.com">Lyrics</a> | <a href="http://www.lyricsty.com/petra-lyrics.html">Petra lyrics</a> - <a href="http://www.lyricsty.com/petra-lord-i-lift-your-name-on-high-lyrics.html">Lord, I Lift Your Name On High lyrics</a>
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
Saturday, December 8, 2012
December?
Read something this morning that I just had to share.
| Luke 2: 1 - 20 | |
"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you." --Psalm 73:25 A word from the Word: Read Luke 2:1-20 "While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." -- Luke 2:6-7 Food for Thought: December? December. What rolls through your mind as you think about December? As we ponder the month of December, we come face to face with a holiday that has much more to do with commercialism than with the holiday that bears his name; Christmas, the birth of Jesus. Every once in a while out in about while we shop for loved ones, we may see a nativity scene or some Christmas cards with the birth narrative depicted. It’s a well attested belief, that Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th, and there is no mention in Scripture of God’s people celebrating what we know as Christmas, let alone celebrating the birth of Jesus in the same way we do. But for many, because Christmas bears the name of Christ, many will celebrate in some fashion or another the birth of Mary’s son, Jesus. This time of year, we remember the coming to earth of the Holy One. God trading heavenly garments for garments made of flesh. You would think, that with the arrival of Divinity, that there would have been some sort of royal welcome. The kings of earth rolling out the red carpet for the King of Kings. But this is not the case. Instead of red carpet, and a parade, we are immersed into meager beginnings for this coming King. A manger, full of animals, and stench is where our Savior is born. There were no rooms available for Joseph, and the pregnant Mary that rode along to Bethlehem. Despite, the lack of comfortable sleeping arrangements, and lack of hospitality, Mary and Joseph settle in for the night in the only place they could find, a smelly manger. Only to their surprise, her water breaks, and labor begins. Minutes turn to hours, and finally, with one final push, He has come. Just minutes old, mother and dad are holding the Ancient of Days. Human hands are caressing the Hands of God. The One not bound by time or space is wrapped in dirty cloths made of linen. Nine months of anticipation and wonder are but a small segment of the wonder this baby would bring into their lives. Settling in for their first night together as a family, there is a knock at the door. Shepherds wide eyed with wonder, have come, for they were given an angelic announcement about the birth of the Savior. Shepherds were the lower class of their day, dirty, unclean, and uncivilized. How strange, that God would come the socially unacceptable to announce His arrival. You would have thought that God would announce His coming at the Temple. Wouldn’t the religious elite delight at the news? That would have made sense, but sometimes God just doesn’t make sense. He doesn’t have to, you know? Shepherds just don’t leave their sheep in the field, but then again, it’s not everyday an angelic host announces the birth of the Messiah. The birth of Jesus would bring more guests. Wise men from the east, come roughly two years later with gifts of incense, gold and myrrh. What possibly could this baby need, but still they came, and still they gave gifts. I guess the saying is true, wise men still seek Him. No other birth in history has been so revered. For no other child has held the promise of eternity like this one does. Jesus was no ordinary child. And people come to this event still wide eyed with wonder. The world will slow down, even if for just a moment to remember this baby born in an out of the way manger. What child is this? Have you let Him, grow up in your life? As we go about the hustle and bustle of the holidays, may we keep proper perspective about what this holiday is all about. December will come and go, but the promise of life lingers long after the tree is put away. Take time this year to remember the reason why we are celebrating. It may do you some good. Merry Christmas. By Jason Retherford |
Monday, December 3, 2012
Just The Way You Are
I haven't blogged in almost a month. Sorry. The holidays hit our house hard and fast. From cooking the entire Thanksgiving meal like my Granny does and decorating for Christmas, my hands have been full. But I read something this morning that I just had to share. In all the hustle and bustle of the season, my prayer is that we not only remember the reason for this season- JESUS but also who we are in Him.
This excerpt from Beyond Me by Norma Kvindlog and Esther Lingren Anderson is part of My Daily Sanctuary readings in my NIV Bible. It is entitled Just The Way You Are: Acceptance, Spiritual Growth, Family
God's people tend to suffer a lot of false guilt over sins they have already confessed and received forgiveness for. The big ones and the minor ones. Even attitudes. We long to live lives that are beyond reproach. We want to be perfect partners, perfect children, perfect friends, perfect Christians, perfect people. But we are not always empatheticand forgiving. We have trouble demonstrating unconditional love. We are not always kind. Sometimes we even have temper tantrums. And sometimes we are blanketed by depression.
Why do we have all the struggle? Why is it so difficult to see ourselves as God sees us--on the one hand, sinners who cannot be good enough to please him; on the other hand, his beloved children, forgiven and restored? One reason, as we've discovered, is that we're often preoccupied with the opinions of other people rather than with God's. We've adopted this world's standards. We judge ourselves and others by those standards, forgetting all that the Father has to say about us.
But as we begin to recognize and accept our standing in God's value system, we can be free from the struggle for self-esteem, the maneuvers to bolster our egos, the fight for our place in the pecking order. Freedom will come when our views of ourselves don't depend on looks, physique, or intelligence we inherited, the family we were born into, the size of our bank account, or even how others treat us. A general principle is: When you feel comfortable about yourself, about who you are and what you have, you can direct your focus away from yourself and toward others.
This excerpt from Beyond Me by Norma Kvindlog and Esther Lingren Anderson is part of My Daily Sanctuary readings in my NIV Bible. It is entitled Just The Way You Are: Acceptance, Spiritual Growth, Family
God's people tend to suffer a lot of false guilt over sins they have already confessed and received forgiveness for. The big ones and the minor ones. Even attitudes. We long to live lives that are beyond reproach. We want to be perfect partners, perfect children, perfect friends, perfect Christians, perfect people. But we are not always empatheticand forgiving. We have trouble demonstrating unconditional love. We are not always kind. Sometimes we even have temper tantrums. And sometimes we are blanketed by depression.
Why do we have all the struggle? Why is it so difficult to see ourselves as God sees us--on the one hand, sinners who cannot be good enough to please him; on the other hand, his beloved children, forgiven and restored? One reason, as we've discovered, is that we're often preoccupied with the opinions of other people rather than with God's. We've adopted this world's standards. We judge ourselves and others by those standards, forgetting all that the Father has to say about us.
But as we begin to recognize and accept our standing in God's value system, we can be free from the struggle for self-esteem, the maneuvers to bolster our egos, the fight for our place in the pecking order. Freedom will come when our views of ourselves don't depend on looks, physique, or intelligence we inherited, the family we were born into, the size of our bank account, or even how others treat us. A general principle is: When you feel comfortable about yourself, about who you are and what you have, you can direct your focus away from yourself and toward others.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Simeon & Anna
The Holy Spirit was upon (Simeon) and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord's Messiah...(Anna) never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshipping God with fasting and prayer.--Luke 2:25-26, 37
When Joseph and Mary took eight-day-old Jesus to the Temple for his circumcision, they had two unexpected but delightful encounters. Anna and Simeon--well-worn examples of patient waiting--met them. Both of these godly saints recognized Jesus' identity as the Messiah. Anna and Simeon give us a picture of godly expectations in an environment ripe with expectations.
Simeon was certain he would see the Messiah before he died. We don't know how surprised he was to discover the Savior as a baby in Mary's arms. We do know that he recognized Jesus and praised God for his faithfulness. When Simeon saw the baby, he considered his life complete.
Simeon's exuberance caught Anna's attention. She was another regular in the Temple. Anna's brief marriage ended in widowhood, and she had spent the remainder of her eighty-four-plus years serving as a prophetess. Anna overheard Simeon's prophecy about Jesus and immediately adder her own excited words of praise for the Savior.
Anna discovered that God can make every passage of life meaningful and useful. The long years of widowhood were also fruitful years of worship and service. Both she and Simeon dedicated their lives to God and were rewarded in ways we can fully appreciate only if we are willing to live the same way.
As you interact with people at various stages of life today, think about the development of your relationship with God. When you talk to a younger person, ask yourself, How was God involved in my life at that age? When you notice someone older, ask yourself, How do I want my relationship with God to mature by that point in my life?
Lessons from their lives:
- God does give to some of his faithful followers a deeper insight and clarity about his plans.
-There were those in Israel who did recognize Jesus.
-Advancing age does not invalidate a person's usefulness in God's purposes.
Remember today that age doesn't mean you have to be inactive in God's plans. God will continue to use you if you are willing. You can still change lives, bringing people to God no matter what your age because in the long run age is just a number. So go do God's work today, changing this world until you go home to the next.
When Joseph and Mary took eight-day-old Jesus to the Temple for his circumcision, they had two unexpected but delightful encounters. Anna and Simeon--well-worn examples of patient waiting--met them. Both of these godly saints recognized Jesus' identity as the Messiah. Anna and Simeon give us a picture of godly expectations in an environment ripe with expectations.
Simeon was certain he would see the Messiah before he died. We don't know how surprised he was to discover the Savior as a baby in Mary's arms. We do know that he recognized Jesus and praised God for his faithfulness. When Simeon saw the baby, he considered his life complete.
Simeon's exuberance caught Anna's attention. She was another regular in the Temple. Anna's brief marriage ended in widowhood, and she had spent the remainder of her eighty-four-plus years serving as a prophetess. Anna overheard Simeon's prophecy about Jesus and immediately adder her own excited words of praise for the Savior.
Anna discovered that God can make every passage of life meaningful and useful. The long years of widowhood were also fruitful years of worship and service. Both she and Simeon dedicated their lives to God and were rewarded in ways we can fully appreciate only if we are willing to live the same way.
As you interact with people at various stages of life today, think about the development of your relationship with God. When you talk to a younger person, ask yourself, How was God involved in my life at that age? When you notice someone older, ask yourself, How do I want my relationship with God to mature by that point in my life?
Lessons from their lives:
- God does give to some of his faithful followers a deeper insight and clarity about his plans.
-There were those in Israel who did recognize Jesus.
-Advancing age does not invalidate a person's usefulness in God's purposes.
Remember today that age doesn't mean you have to be inactive in God's plans. God will continue to use you if you are willing. You can still change lives, bringing people to God no matter what your age because in the long run age is just a number. So go do God's work today, changing this world until you go home to the next.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Holiday Hospitality
As the holidays are FAST approaching and houses are prepared for guests, tables are set and food prepared, consider and pray for those who open their homes during this blessed time. Remember, hospitality is a fruit of the spirit. Just wanted to share what I read this morning with you and hopefully it will bring you the same peace it gave me.
This reading comes from My Daily Sanctuary reading out of my Bible:
Using The Gifts In Front Of You:
In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. --Romans 12:6
Paul tells the Romans not only to figure out their gifts, but to concentrate on using them.
I looked at my first column (where I listed my interests). "Talking, Thinking, Asking questions, Journaling, Cooking, Welcoming unexpected guests, Feeling sympathy." It dawned on me that I already used many of these seemingly disparate attributes. Friends laughingly dubbed our African home "Hotel Van Reken" for the steady stream of people flowing through it. How many meals had I cooked? How many cups of water had I poured? But, again, these things didn't seem special. They were normal. Besides, I enjoyed talking with each visitor!
But now I saw that those people weren't unplanned interruptions in my schedule. Rather, they were God's assignments for me--and ones I could do at home while taking care of my kids! The lengthy conversations at my kitchen door, around meals, or late at nigh, were ways God used my gift of sympathy through "talking, thinking, and asking questions," to comfort and encourage others. Writing in my journal gave me practice for writing follow-up letters as people moved away....
Three years later, author and speaker Jill Briscoe came to our town. By then I'd begun using my gifts of "talking, thinking, asking questions" to lead a small Bible study. After one of Jill's seminars, I approached her. "Jill, we'd like to see our Bible study grow. How did you develop your groups into such a large network?" Jill looked me in the eye and said, "Ruth, just ask God what's in front of your face, and do it. You have eight women in your Bible study now. Prepare as though they were eight hundred. If they become eight hundred, great. If they don't, eight women will have been fed, and you never know what God has planned for them. Lots of poeple never do anything because they can't figure out how to do everything."
Powerful, practical, life-changing words--wherever you live.
-Ruth E. Van Reken
From Closer to God
As a child and into my teenage years, we had a family tradition that is still going on today. All my Grandpa's family, brothers, sisters and ALL their kids came to my grandparents for a family reunion on Thanksgiving Day. I love it. All those people we don't get to see a lot and all the kids running around, not to mention all the food. There is always more than enough to feed an army thanks to everyone bringing food and my Grandma overpreparing as usual. Good times. It got hard for me to enjoy Thanksgiving when I moved away because I couldn't always come home for Thanksgiving mostly due to working in retail. In fact, I missed more Thanksgivings than I attended. So when I got married I prayed and hoped and wished that one day my home could be the house that my family came to for Thanksgiving, kinda carrying on the tradition my grandparents started. Now, a lot of people would ask why I wished to have to cook and clean and do all that preparation instead of just going to someone else's house and relaxing but for me part of the joy of the holidays is providing a good meal and wonderful atmosphere just like my Granny still does to this day. Though we may not all be together, I feel like we are because of the tradition I have started in my own family. I still call Granny for advice on what to cook or how to cook something. It is such a blessing that I can do that. Hospitality is our family tradition. You have to just be careful what you wish for because God will give you exactly what you wish for. What A BLESSING! Today I am thankful for all the hard work and good food that my grandparents put out every year so that others can feel loved and enjoy being with family. THANKS GRANNY & PAPA!! LOVE YOU!!!
Hope you all have a blessed day and know that God loves you and so do I!
This reading comes from My Daily Sanctuary reading out of my Bible:
Using The Gifts In Front Of You:
In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. --Romans 12:6
Paul tells the Romans not only to figure out their gifts, but to concentrate on using them.
I looked at my first column (where I listed my interests). "Talking, Thinking, Asking questions, Journaling, Cooking, Welcoming unexpected guests, Feeling sympathy." It dawned on me that I already used many of these seemingly disparate attributes. Friends laughingly dubbed our African home "Hotel Van Reken" for the steady stream of people flowing through it. How many meals had I cooked? How many cups of water had I poured? But, again, these things didn't seem special. They were normal. Besides, I enjoyed talking with each visitor!
But now I saw that those people weren't unplanned interruptions in my schedule. Rather, they were God's assignments for me--and ones I could do at home while taking care of my kids! The lengthy conversations at my kitchen door, around meals, or late at nigh, were ways God used my gift of sympathy through "talking, thinking, and asking questions," to comfort and encourage others. Writing in my journal gave me practice for writing follow-up letters as people moved away....
Three years later, author and speaker Jill Briscoe came to our town. By then I'd begun using my gifts of "talking, thinking, asking questions" to lead a small Bible study. After one of Jill's seminars, I approached her. "Jill, we'd like to see our Bible study grow. How did you develop your groups into such a large network?" Jill looked me in the eye and said, "Ruth, just ask God what's in front of your face, and do it. You have eight women in your Bible study now. Prepare as though they were eight hundred. If they become eight hundred, great. If they don't, eight women will have been fed, and you never know what God has planned for them. Lots of poeple never do anything because they can't figure out how to do everything."
Powerful, practical, life-changing words--wherever you live.
-Ruth E. Van Reken
From Closer to God
As a child and into my teenage years, we had a family tradition that is still going on today. All my Grandpa's family, brothers, sisters and ALL their kids came to my grandparents for a family reunion on Thanksgiving Day. I love it. All those people we don't get to see a lot and all the kids running around, not to mention all the food. There is always more than enough to feed an army thanks to everyone bringing food and my Grandma overpreparing as usual. Good times. It got hard for me to enjoy Thanksgiving when I moved away because I couldn't always come home for Thanksgiving mostly due to working in retail. In fact, I missed more Thanksgivings than I attended. So when I got married I prayed and hoped and wished that one day my home could be the house that my family came to for Thanksgiving, kinda carrying on the tradition my grandparents started. Now, a lot of people would ask why I wished to have to cook and clean and do all that preparation instead of just going to someone else's house and relaxing but for me part of the joy of the holidays is providing a good meal and wonderful atmosphere just like my Granny still does to this day. Though we may not all be together, I feel like we are because of the tradition I have started in my own family. I still call Granny for advice on what to cook or how to cook something. It is such a blessing that I can do that. Hospitality is our family tradition. You have to just be careful what you wish for because God will give you exactly what you wish for. What A BLESSING! Today I am thankful for all the hard work and good food that my grandparents put out every year so that others can feel loved and enjoy being with family. THANKS GRANNY & PAPA!! LOVE YOU!!!
Hope you all have a blessed day and know that God loves you and so do I!
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Your Thoughts...Build You Up or Tear You Down??
Today, I want to talk about thoughts. They are what drive our actions, compel our words and even control our minds. They can build us up one minute and tear us down the next, as they can also do to others if expressed.
So how do we wrangle our thoughts into control? How do we wrestle this bull to the ground? The only solution that I can find is this: God's Word and prayer.
Seeking truth about our thought processes in God's Word will show us that what we think about ourselves is not correct as least not all the time. It will also shed some light on how to change our perceptions of the negative thoughts and continually encourage us to grow the good and positive thoughts not only about ourselves but about others as well.
Prayer is the other piece of the puzzle. Reading about how to change our mindset is good and great and all but if we don't put into the action the steps we read about and ask for help along the way, then we are simply spitting in the wind. Prayer is our conversation with God, where we get a chance to sit down with God and tell Him all the tactics that have worked and all the others that have gone wrong as well as ask for His guidance in all areas of our lives. This special time is sitting down with your best friend and pouring your heart heart to Him, asking advice and seeking encouragement. It is PRICELESS!!!
So today, instead of letting your thoughts get the best of you, go to God and get the best out of your thoughts.
Verses about thoughts:
I Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.
II Corinthians 10:5
We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
Isaiah 55:8
"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you can imagine."
I Corinthians 3:20
And again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless."
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
Prayer for the Day:
Give us grace, O LORD, to work while it is day, fulfilling diligently and patiently whatever duty Thou appointest us; doing small things in the day of small things, and great labors if Thou summon us to any...Go with me, and I will go; but if Thou go not with me, send me not; let me hear Thy voice when I follow. Amen.
Christina Rossetti
You need not cry very loud; he is nearer to us than we think.
Brother Lawrence
Have a blessed day and know that God loves you and so do I. :)
So how do we wrangle our thoughts into control? How do we wrestle this bull to the ground? The only solution that I can find is this: God's Word and prayer.
Seeking truth about our thought processes in God's Word will show us that what we think about ourselves is not correct as least not all the time. It will also shed some light on how to change our perceptions of the negative thoughts and continually encourage us to grow the good and positive thoughts not only about ourselves but about others as well.
Prayer is the other piece of the puzzle. Reading about how to change our mindset is good and great and all but if we don't put into the action the steps we read about and ask for help along the way, then we are simply spitting in the wind. Prayer is our conversation with God, where we get a chance to sit down with God and tell Him all the tactics that have worked and all the others that have gone wrong as well as ask for His guidance in all areas of our lives. This special time is sitting down with your best friend and pouring your heart heart to Him, asking advice and seeking encouragement. It is PRICELESS!!!
So today, instead of letting your thoughts get the best of you, go to God and get the best out of your thoughts.
Verses about thoughts:
I Corinthians 13:11
When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.
II Corinthians 10:5
We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
Isaiah 55:8
"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you can imagine."
I Corinthians 3:20
And again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless."
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
Prayer for the Day:
Give us grace, O LORD, to work while it is day, fulfilling diligently and patiently whatever duty Thou appointest us; doing small things in the day of small things, and great labors if Thou summon us to any...Go with me, and I will go; but if Thou go not with me, send me not; let me hear Thy voice when I follow. Amen.
Christina Rossetti
You need not cry very loud; he is nearer to us than we think.
Brother Lawrence
Have a blessed day and know that God loves you and so do I. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)