I was listening to K-LOVE recently and they were talking about people in Rwanda who do not have clean water.  Parents have to make the decision between giving their children water to drink that may make them sick, or to buy wood (which is expensive) in order to boil the water to make it drinkable.  The little money they have would be spent on wood, instead of food, which creates another problem.  K-LOVE was asking listeners to donate to Compassion International in order to provide filters so these families can have clean water for life.

As I sat in my car listening to this, I tried to imagine what it would be like to live in that kind of reality.  I went over in my mind all of the times during my daily routine I use clean water that is right at my fingertips.  I just couldn’t fathom the heartbreak of not having clean water to give to my child.

Then I started thinking about the joy these families must feel when they receive the water filter and realize they no longer have to worry about getting access to clean water.  What a wonderful experience to be there and witness this organization being the hands and feet of Jesus – not only providing clean water for physical needs, but also sharing the Gospel with these same families.

In John 4:13 Jesus speaks to a Samaritan woman at the well:  Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.  The water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Then the Holy Spirit gently reminded me…I don’t have to go to Rwanda in order to offer “the water of eternal life” to others.  God has placed me in my own little mission field…in my neighborhood and in contact with certain people in order to do the very same thing.  Sometimes in the busyness of life, it’s easy to forget that people we see everyday who do not know Jesus personally are thirsting for the water of eternal life that only comes from Him.  As followers of Jesus, we are called to share the Gospel with them so that they, too, can experience true joy and freedom in Christ.

Melissa

Sometimes in our circumstances we feel alone even though we know God is with us. This made me wonder if Jesus ever felt alone.

What human could He talk to that would fully understand His life? No one else made of flesh was like Him.

No one else was sin-free yet was accused of wrong doing. No one else was free of sin and yet bore the weight of everyone else’s. When He hung on the cross no one else would ever be that alone or, I imagine, feel that alone.

We sometimes feel alone but we’re not. No matter what burden we carry Jesus offers to carry it for us. No matter what sin we’ve committed He offers forgiveness. He never turns away. He’s been alone so we don’t have to be.

Shagufta

Do you ever try to figure out the things of God that confuse the human mind?  I know I do.  In Mark chapter 2 some scribes did this as well.

After watching Jesus forgive a man of his sins (and moments later heal his paralysis), “…some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts” (Mark 2:6 NKJV).  They didn’t understand that Jesus was God incarnate and could forgive sin.  “But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, ‘Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?’ ” (Mark 2:8 NKJV)

As believers we have the benefit of  knowing who Jesus is but the scribes’ thoughts reminded me that sometimes I try to “reason” the things of God in my heart as well.  It dawned on me that when I do this I’m trying to reduce the kingdom of God to something a mere human heart or mind can understand.

If we want Him to be fully understandable by our hearts/minds, then we’re asking Him to be small.  Are we going to receive anything worth receiving from a small god?  Are you asking a small god to heal a loved one?  Is a small god going to open the eyes of your unsaved family and friends?

The paralyzed man who was healed in Mark chapter 2 received a miracle but his healing didn’t come out of something small and ‘reasonable’. It came out of the King of kings and the Lord of lords. 

Whatever you’re praying for, don’t try to reason with the details of the situation.  God isn’t in the ‘reasoning’.  He’s in the vastness beyond that.  Seek Him and pray to Him beyond reason.

Shagufta

The name of Jesus is above all people and all things. Every problem is smaller than His name. Our enemies are nothing compared to His name. All the power of everything in the universe put together is still less than the power of Jesus’ name.

The name of Jesus is glorious and awesome (Deut 28:58), excellent (Ps 8:1), trustworthy (Ps 9:10), enduring (Ps 72:17), and everlasting (Is 63:16). His name brings healing (Acts 3:16), carries salvation (Acts 4:12), and is to be feared among the nations (Mal 1:14). One day at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord (Phil 2:10-11).

How kind of our Savior to even tell us His name, even though He knew many people would treat it irreverently. And not only do we know Jesus’ name but as followers we’re also identified by it. Pastor Brian once said, “Praise God for the privilege of being called by His wonderful name.” And God treasures you so much that in heaven He will even write His name on you (Rev 3:12 & 22:4).

Lately when I pray, I speak the name of Jesus over whoever or whatever I’m praying for because His name is The Word of God (Rev 19:13) and God’s word is the sword with which we battle the devil (Eph 6:17). No other name causes darkness to flee.

Lord we thank You that You told us Your name and that You share the power of it with us. Help us not to see Your name with such familiarity that we forget the holiness of the word ‘Jesus’.

Shagufta

I like how my feet look in a cute pair of shoes. I’m quite partial to a peep-toe. But as cute as I think my feet look in a peep-toe, I know God isn’t always pleased. He doesn’t care that my toe nail polish might be chipped (ok, it is chipped) but He does care that the attitude I sometimes walk around with is chipped. The ‘shoes’ God wants me to wear are ones that show off His peace offering to mankind, which is Jesus.

As part of putting on the armor of God, the apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:15 to “…shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.” I like the New King James version of this passage because it uses the word ‘shod’. It reminds me of how a horse is shod. The shoes are nailed on to the hooves. A shod horse does everything with her shoes on. Can you imagine having the gospel so securely attached to you that you did everything with God ‘on’?  That would include shopping, talking with your kids, discussing a sensitive issue with your spouse, resolving a problem with a co-worker, driving in rush hour traffic…

The other word that gets my attention in Ephesians 6:15 is the word ‘peace’. Our Father offers reconciliation and eternal peace to everyone through Jesus. As His representatives, we are to carry this offer to the world around us. But if we aren’t living peaceably with others, we won’t be able to effectively share God with them. I struggle with this when it comes to my Dad. We clash on so many things and I often do a poor job of being a peacemaker with him. I thought avoiding him would help keep the peace but I then read in John Bevere’s book, The Bait of Satan, that Jesus did not say, “Blessed are the peacekeepers.”  Bevere says,  “A peacekeeper avoids confrontation at all costs to maintain peace, even at the risk of compromising truth. But the peace he maintains is not true peace. It is a touchy, superficial peace that will not last. A peacemaker will go in love and confront, bringing truth so that the resulting reconciliation will endure.”

A few weeks ago I asked for my Dad’s forgiveness for my bad attitude. I’m praying I don’t remove the shoes of the gospel of peace. Unlike a horse who has no say in having shoes nailed to her hooves, we have a choice in whether or not we wear all the armor of God. So don’t go barefoot. If you put on God’s peep-toe shoes, you can show His beauty to those around you. A nonbeliever might take notice and ask, “Where did you get those shoes?”

Shagufta

I think of the times I’ve messed up in my Christian walk and it fascinates me that God delivered me over and over again. His kindness is so amazing. This passage jumped out at me last week:
“We have sinned, even as our fathers did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly. When our fathers were in Egypt, they gave no thought to Your miracles; they did not remember Your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea. Yet He saved them for His name’s sake, to make His mighty power known.” (Psalm 106:6-8 NIV).  

All of Psalm 106 is like this.  The people kept sinning and He repeatedly delivered them because of His compassion and love for them.  (Of course, they did have trying times because of their sin.)  “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.”  (2 Timothy 2:13 NKJV).  I wonder how much more He would have opened His hand to them if they had been repeatedly faithful to Him.

James 1:17 (NKJV) says every good thing “…comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” His forgiveness and deliverance are abundantly good things. God’s kindness and favor should melt our hearts. He didn’t have to create us. He chose to do it. (James 1:18). He wants to be with us. How much more should we bow down to Him in every deed, every thought, and every word.

And despite knowing everything about us, He’s preparing our eternity with Him.  “…as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.’ “ (1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV). I always thought of this as meaning no human eye/ear/mind (and maybe that’s what it means). But it does say no eye/ear/mind. That makes me wonder if even all the angels and creatures in heaven haven’t seen what God has prepared for us. Some of those creatures have a multitude of eyes, so that would be pretty amazing if even they haven’t caught a glimpse of it! Revelation 4:6 says the apostle John saw four creatures around the throne of God who were “full of eyes in front and in back.”  (I’m thinking nothing gets past them. They don’t even sleep! Rev. 4:8)  Maybe the great unveiling of what God has prepared for us will be a first time viewing for all the eyes in heaven too. The Greek word apokalupsis means ‘revelation’ (as in the book of Revelation) or ‘unveiling’.

He has already unveiled His goodness to us in so many ways. First and foremost, Christ saved us (because HE LOVES US). Then He unceasingly walks with us, guides us, forgives us, delivers us, has mercy upon us, and even talks with us. We should gladly bow down to the God who is for us and with us.

All of this reminds me of Revelation Song, which is based on verses in Revelation, chapters 4 & 5. Click on the link below and sing to our Worthy Lamb who has shown us much mercy.

Shagufta

“Revelation Song“

When this blog posts, I will be on a beautiful island in Lake Winnipesaukee (NH) with some of my family. But I’m writing it while on an airplane.

I think this is pretty amazing stuff.

Here I am, high above the Earth.  As I look down I see mountains, rivers, lakes, highways, towns and cities.  There are dark places where the clouds make shadows on the ground.

1890 miles to go.

Millions of people are going about their day with no idea, and mostly not caring, that I am looking down on them.

That is such a sad thought.  Wait!  I’m getting ahead of myself ’cause that’s not the sad thought.

I think it’s often that way with God.  People have no idea He’s there watching over them, and many don’t care.

If I want the people to know me, I have to bring myself to them, and typically, someone will introduce me.

God brings Himself to people, and sometimes we need to do an introduction.

Are we doing that?  Are we taking the time to help people initiate the most important meeting that any of us will have in our life?

“Person, this is God.  And have you met His Son?”

Of course it’s not that easy, but don’t get all bogged down in the words because, after all, if you don’t know what to say, God does.

1423 miles to go.

Peace!

Barb

I’m currently having a wonderful experience. 

Truly.

Mommy is visiting me right now and I love it!

I know how childish this is all going to sound, but as usual I will have a point by the end.

My mom hasn’t been out this way in about three years.  She and my dad would visit my sister (in CA) and me every year, but since Dad died in 2006, Mom hasn’t made it out.  I am so excited that she’s here!

Wait, I mentioned that already.

The thing is when she is here, I feel like a kid again.  It’s her chance to mother me, and I’m all for it!  She’s there to tell me that everything is going to be okay, and that someone will hire me.  I really like it when she makes me dinner.  She came to rehearsals and video shoots, and Girl’s Night Out, and I’m like a little kid saying, “See Mommy!  Did I do good?”  She was so impressed with the cast and crew, and tells me so (and most of them).  I go to bed knowing she is here, and wake up knowing she is here.  She encourages me to eat better (less sodium, more fruits and veggies, milk, etc), and exercise.  She’s there to listen to me, and I can listen to her.  She gives me guidance, but makes the choice mine.

By now, any regular readers have figured out where I’m going with this.

Let’s apply this to God everyday.

Everything I love about my mom being here is what I should love about God being with me all the time.  He comforts me.  He encourages me.  He is always with me.  He listens to me and talks to me.  He guides me.  He doesn’t make my dinner, but he gave me the talent to cook it myself.

I feel this way about God so often, but what if I took this child-like enthusiasm and applied it to my life everyday?  How enticing would that be to people who don’t know God?  How encouraging would it be to others who are drifting?

The thing is – it’s a choice that I need to make.  It’s a choice He wants me to make.  Delight in my Father being with me every moment of every day.

It’s not going to be easy, but I’ll try, because He will be there every time I ask, “Daddy?”

Peace!

Barb

I went to get an oil change today.  Not for me actually, but for my Jeep. 

You know the routine.  Every three thousand miles (or so) you have the oil changed.  Every six thousand (or so) you have the tires rotated.  The list goes on and on.  The higher the miles, the more extensive the service required.

However, if you don’t keep up with the services, a belt breaks or a hose cracks, and then you are really in for it.  You’ll probably have to call AAA and get towed into your mechanic.  Pumps get damaged, engines over heat, expenses rise.  So we keep up with the tune ups.

But when was the last time I had a spiritual tune up?

I really don’t have a schedule for routine spiritual maintenance, but I should.  How often do I find myself mired down in sludge?  Distractions during prayer time, over scheduled volunteer time, lack of focus when I read my Bible.  Next thing you know I’m broken down on the side of the ol’ Roman Road.  No good to anyone.

I can’t imagine that I’m alone in this.  We all let things get away from us, and it usually happens one little bit by bit.  By the time we realize what’s happening, it’s time for the tow truck.

Now we can’t avoid all the troubles that come our way.  There are always struggles that crop up like a dead battery in Phoenix in August.  But what are we doing to head off the problems we can foresee?  The ones we know are coming.  We are promised trouble all the way through the Bible, but we should also be prepared. 

So I want to know – what’s your spiritual maintenance schedule?  I am in need of my own and looking for suggestions.  I’m sure there are other people out there in need of one too. 

Be a spiritual mechanic.  Add a comment to this blog with suggestions, ideas, and comments, anything you can think of that has helped you with your own Spiritual Tune Up.

When I have mine worked out I’ll post it here for anyone else to fine tune to their own specifications.

Time to roll!

Peace!

Barbara