New….. I woke this morning to find something new…well, a picture of the something new….a baby boy.
I knew the process had begun. The waiting has been ongoing…nine months of waiting. The entire family waiting in anticipation for the something new to finally be reality. But in fact, it has been reality for the entire nine months. Preparations were made and a name chosen. Identity. This child was real and greatly loved long before arrival.
You may disagree, but I believe (strongly) that life begins the instant the sperm meets the egg, the process set in motion, new life growing until the time comes to leave the nurturing place and enter the world, ready to grow and develop even further, eventually repeating the process of reproducing life.
“For You created my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Ps. 139:13)
“this is what the Lord says- He Who made you, Who formed you in the womb, and Who will help you….” (Isa. 44:2)
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you...before you were born I set you apart…”(Jer. 1:5)
Babies. New life…God’s gift. Welcome to our world child….you are ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ (Ps. 139:14)
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Planting
Planting.. My husband and I don’t always agree on how things are best done. We don’t agree on planting techniques. I like to plant seeds close to each other. I like the plants to be thick enough to cover the ground and help shade the soil from sunlight…he thinks each plant needs more space so they don’t compete for nutrients…he says they need room to grow and bush out.
Regardless of whose method is best, both of us have purpose in our planting. We don’t go with seed and just toss it out. ‘When a farmer plows in order to plant, does he plow without stopping? Does he keep on breaking up the soil and making the field level? When he’s made the surface even, doesn’t he plant caraway seeds…doesn’t he scatter cumin? Doesn’t he plant wheat in its proper place? Doesn’t he plant barley where it belongs….’ (Isa. 28:24) The ‘how’ is important.
As a disciple of Christ, I am called to tend the garden. Jesus said ‘Go into the world….go everywhere and announce the Message of God’s good news to one and all.’ (Mark 16:15 The Message)
I don’t live in Eden, but I live in God’s world, (Mt. 13:38)and there is soil to plow, fields to level, and seed to plant. There is a time to water. Paul planted seed, Apollos watered the fresh young plants.(1 Cor. 3:6) There is a time to remove weeds that threaten to strangle out the life of fruit bearing plants, but the ‘how’ of that is even another matter. (Matt. 13:29) Tending the garden is necessary, and the ‘how’ is vitally important.
I heard it said once that it is possible to beat somebody up with Jesus. I think there is much truth to that. Our mission is planting a seed successfully, and seeing that seed germinate into new life. I can shove a seed into a hole in hard ground and never see new life. I can toss seeds over sod so rooted with other things that the seed has very little chance of germinating. The technique (attitude), the ‘how’, …. is important.
Don’t misunderstand…a seed’s germinating is not because of me nor anything I ‘do’. God brings new life…not me. “It’s not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at the minimum wages. What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving..” (1Cor. 3:7-9 The Message)
“We are God’s fellow workers…” (1Cor. 3:9) It’s time to put on the gloves, get the how…I mean hoe….and get to gardening. The Son is shining !
Regardless of whose method is best, both of us have purpose in our planting. We don’t go with seed and just toss it out. ‘When a farmer plows in order to plant, does he plow without stopping? Does he keep on breaking up the soil and making the field level? When he’s made the surface even, doesn’t he plant caraway seeds…doesn’t he scatter cumin? Doesn’t he plant wheat in its proper place? Doesn’t he plant barley where it belongs….’ (Isa. 28:24) The ‘how’ is important.
As a disciple of Christ, I am called to tend the garden. Jesus said ‘Go into the world….go everywhere and announce the Message of God’s good news to one and all.’ (Mark 16:15 The Message)
I don’t live in Eden, but I live in God’s world, (Mt. 13:38)and there is soil to plow, fields to level, and seed to plant. There is a time to water. Paul planted seed, Apollos watered the fresh young plants.(1 Cor. 3:6) There is a time to remove weeds that threaten to strangle out the life of fruit bearing plants, but the ‘how’ of that is even another matter. (Matt. 13:29) Tending the garden is necessary, and the ‘how’ is vitally important.
I heard it said once that it is possible to beat somebody up with Jesus. I think there is much truth to that. Our mission is planting a seed successfully, and seeing that seed germinate into new life. I can shove a seed into a hole in hard ground and never see new life. I can toss seeds over sod so rooted with other things that the seed has very little chance of germinating. The technique (attitude), the ‘how’, …. is important.
Don’t misunderstand…a seed’s germinating is not because of me nor anything I ‘do’. God brings new life…not me. “It’s not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow. Planting and watering are menial servant jobs at the minimum wages. What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving..” (1Cor. 3:7-9 The Message)
“We are God’s fellow workers…” (1Cor. 3:9) It’s time to put on the gloves, get the how…I mean hoe….and get to gardening. The Son is shining !
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Fellowship
Fellowship.. Today is potluck day. There will be more food than we can possibly eat, and we’ll all probably eat more than we should.
Our culture seems to build everything around a table full of food. ‘Going out to eat’ has become entertainment, and even replaced the home cooked meals for some people, opting instead to ‘drive thru’ and purchase food already prepared.
I wonder that we haven’t lost a great deal more than we realize because of our lack of table fellowship these days. My family gathers at the table together at the same time only on very special occasions now, holidays mostly. And even then it is more about the food than the fellowship. We talk about the food way more than we talk TO each other ABOUT each other.
‘They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.’ (Acts 2:42 NIV) There was about three thousand newly baptized believers in this ‘they’ of scripture. I don’t doubt that jobs and family life continued with business as usual. But I think conversation topics changed, priorities changed and when free time did come…there was fellowship to be had with people who’d had the same experiences and knew the same Jesus. Seems to me they used the simple fact that they HAD to eat as an excuse to spend time together to study and pray. Killing two birds with one stone you might say.
‘koinonia’ = fellowship in this passage in Acts 2. The word in the original language means partnership, literally a participation. It means to commune or communicate. The same word is used in 1 Cor. 10:16 and is translated as communion in the KJV. ‘The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, it is not the communion of the body of Christ?’( the NIV uses the word participation)
Hebrews 13:16 uses the word koinonia also. The KJV translated it communicate. ‘But to do good and to communicate, forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.’ the NIV translates it ‘to share with others’.
Fellowship….it’s about communication….communing with our spiritual siblings, filling our hearts from the overflowing joy and love of others…
It’s not about filling our stomachs.
If you are getting this in an email, will you please notify me ?
Our culture seems to build everything around a table full of food. ‘Going out to eat’ has become entertainment, and even replaced the home cooked meals for some people, opting instead to ‘drive thru’ and purchase food already prepared.
I wonder that we haven’t lost a great deal more than we realize because of our lack of table fellowship these days. My family gathers at the table together at the same time only on very special occasions now, holidays mostly. And even then it is more about the food than the fellowship. We talk about the food way more than we talk TO each other ABOUT each other.
‘They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.’ (Acts 2:42 NIV) There was about three thousand newly baptized believers in this ‘they’ of scripture. I don’t doubt that jobs and family life continued with business as usual. But I think conversation topics changed, priorities changed and when free time did come…there was fellowship to be had with people who’d had the same experiences and knew the same Jesus. Seems to me they used the simple fact that they HAD to eat as an excuse to spend time together to study and pray. Killing two birds with one stone you might say.
‘koinonia’ = fellowship in this passage in Acts 2. The word in the original language means partnership, literally a participation. It means to commune or communicate. The same word is used in 1 Cor. 10:16 and is translated as communion in the KJV. ‘The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, it is not the communion of the body of Christ?’( the NIV uses the word participation)
Hebrews 13:16 uses the word koinonia also. The KJV translated it communicate. ‘But to do good and to communicate, forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.’ the NIV translates it ‘to share with others’.
Fellowship….it’s about communication….communing with our spiritual siblings, filling our hearts from the overflowing joy and love of others…
It’s not about filling our stomachs.
If you are getting this in an email, will you please notify me ?
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Gardening
Gardenening… Last year I didn’t get the exact kind of seed I wanted to plant in our garden. I waited too long, and the store was all sold out. I’ve fussed at myself all year, determined that I wouldn’t make that mistake this year. We tried to buy them last week..they didn’t have them yet. Maybe today…
Gardening is a lot of work. The ground has to be properly prepared. It can’t be too wet, or too dry…it must be tilled, not hard and compacted. The soil must be ready, or else the chances of a seed germinating are slim.
Paul speaks in gardening language in 1 Corinthians 3. He talks about the planting and the watering. He uses carpenter language in referring to the preparation time and how important the foundation is. In gardening, the foundation is the soil and it’s preparation.
If you call yourself by the Name of Christ, you’re a gardener. You are either tilling soil or packing it down. You’re either making a heart softer and preparing it for seed, or you’re packing it down, making it harder so that it will reject seed.
You may not be a sower, your gifting may not be as an evangelist… ( and don’t get that confused with a job description that comes with a paycheck). ‘Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy….or ministry….or teaching…’ (Romans 12:6,7)
Make no mistake, Adam was created a gardener…‘ The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Even to work it and take care of it. ’ (Gen. 2:15) ….and in the New Adam, Jesus Christ, we too are gardeners. The soil of our garden plot is under our feet every moment of our life. ‘Go into all the world….and preach…’ (Mark 16: 15)
This soil issue is as important as the seed. I can buy the seed store out…throw it on the ground, and see no harvest…no peas on my table. I could plow and till the ground until I drop in my tracks…but if somebody comes behind me with a steam roller, pressing the soil down, the ground will be packed and need yet more attention.
I want to be a good gardener. I want always to be making the soil of hearts ready to receive the Seed, whether it is me that sows it or someone else. The Seed will germinate only when the heart is ready.
God forgive us when we pack down soil with our bad attitudes and self-righteousness, hindering the soil of that heart to receive and sprout the Life of God.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Decide
Decide.. Whether we think about it or not, we make decisions every moment of every day. A lot of them make no big impact…but a lot of the choices we make will change the course of our lives and the lives of others. It is important that we make those choices with our mind in gear and our hearts open to what the Spirit speaks before we decide…
My decision to allow the other car to have the parking space might alter that person’s attitude just enough to stop them from lashing out in frustration at a poor clerk, or worse …an innocent child .
My decision to tough it out in a difficult relationship may end up being a key element in the work that God is doing in that life.
My decision to take a firm stand and speak truth when it isn’t easy or comfortable may be a necessary element in waking someone up to the absolute truth of God’s Word being THE measure of all behavior.
How we decide is important, and even more important is the ‘how’ we follow thru as we act on our decision. ‘God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love…’ (Eph. 4:15 The Message) ‘..conduct yourselves in love’ (2John 1:6 The Message)
I am instructed to do ALL that I do… in love. I have found that the hard decisions I make are easier carried out in anger and frustration, or even worse…in judgment. I have a clear revelation of truth in scripture, and I can make decisions accordingly, yet I am not the one to carry out the sentence. ‘..for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.’ (James 1:20 NIV)
God sets the standard that I endeavor to live by…and God is the one to issue punishment….not me. Don’t let’s get punishment and discipline confused…nor the elements of right and wrong, nor love and hate.
All of us need discipline, and God, being our Perfect Father, disciplines us….punishment will come, but only to those who refuse Him, His love, and His Son. And even then…not because of hate, but because He gave us our will and honors our choice, and all of us bear consequences of our poor choices.
He has gone to such great measure to help us really understand the options before we decide…. Life or death. Good or evil. ‘….choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve….as for me….I will serve the Lord.’ (Joshua 24:15)
How very tragic that so many do not know what they are really choosing when the moment comes to decide….
My decision to allow the other car to have the parking space might alter that person’s attitude just enough to stop them from lashing out in frustration at a poor clerk, or worse …an innocent child .
My decision to tough it out in a difficult relationship may end up being a key element in the work that God is doing in that life.
My decision to take a firm stand and speak truth when it isn’t easy or comfortable may be a necessary element in waking someone up to the absolute truth of God’s Word being THE measure of all behavior.
How we decide is important, and even more important is the ‘how’ we follow thru as we act on our decision. ‘God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love…’ (Eph. 4:15 The Message) ‘..conduct yourselves in love’ (2John 1:6 The Message)
I am instructed to do ALL that I do… in love. I have found that the hard decisions I make are easier carried out in anger and frustration, or even worse…in judgment. I have a clear revelation of truth in scripture, and I can make decisions accordingly, yet I am not the one to carry out the sentence. ‘..for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.’ (James 1:20 NIV)
God sets the standard that I endeavor to live by…and God is the one to issue punishment….not me. Don’t let’s get punishment and discipline confused…nor the elements of right and wrong, nor love and hate.
All of us need discipline, and God, being our Perfect Father, disciplines us….punishment will come, but only to those who refuse Him, His love, and His Son. And even then…not because of hate, but because He gave us our will and honors our choice, and all of us bear consequences of our poor choices.
He has gone to such great measure to help us really understand the options before we decide…. Life or death. Good or evil. ‘….choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve….as for me….I will serve the Lord.’ (Joshua 24:15)
How very tragic that so many do not know what they are really choosing when the moment comes to decide….
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Familiar
Familiar… I find security in ‘the same ole’ same ole’…I like to move my furniture around, but I don’t want to move it to another house. I like my nest. I like the memories attached to it. I like remembering when my grand-daughters and I planted the bulbs that are blooming bright yellow all over my yard this morning…
But…some of ‘the same ole’ stuff sure gets old….the tedious daily tasks that are not ‘fun’….the stress of days filled with problems to solve, issues to resolve, people to deal with.
As I ready to meet another day, I was seeking God about some of those things, asking Him things like, ‘Where do I ________? What does_______? How should I _____ __________? Who will _________?’
‘By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God’s call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going….Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations…the city designed and built by God.’ (Hebrews 11:8.10The Message)
I can only guess at how I’d have reacted to such a call. Something along the lines of .. “WHAT?!!” “WHERE?!!” and “WHY?!??” Leaving everything familiar is beyond my grasp of thought. No walking in the dark to the bathroom…no knowing the dry path to walk across the wet yard…not having ‘my own bed’ to sleep in at night…no favorite place to sit and meditate….I could name hundreds. What would you miss the most?
The past is familiar…I’ve been there. The present is familiar…I am here. The future is far from familiar….as yet…. but it is secure. I will be safe there. “I have been with you wherever you have gone…” (1Ch. 17:8) “ ..surely I am with you always…”(Matt.28:20)
God does not ask great things of me….I’m not called to Africa or China. He calls me to the familiar places and familiar things of my ‘same ole’ life. And even though I am guilty of grumbling about it…I am thankful.
But…some of ‘the same ole’ stuff sure gets old….the tedious daily tasks that are not ‘fun’….the stress of days filled with problems to solve, issues to resolve, people to deal with.
As I ready to meet another day, I was seeking God about some of those things, asking Him things like, ‘Where do I ________? What does_______? How should I _____ __________? Who will _________?’
‘By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God’s call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going….Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations…the city designed and built by God.’ (Hebrews 11:8.10The Message)
I can only guess at how I’d have reacted to such a call. Something along the lines of .. “WHAT?!!” “WHERE?!!” and “WHY?!??” Leaving everything familiar is beyond my grasp of thought. No walking in the dark to the bathroom…no knowing the dry path to walk across the wet yard…not having ‘my own bed’ to sleep in at night…no favorite place to sit and meditate….I could name hundreds. What would you miss the most?
The past is familiar…I’ve been there. The present is familiar…I am here. The future is far from familiar….as yet…. but it is secure. I will be safe there. “I have been with you wherever you have gone…” (1Ch. 17:8) “ ..surely I am with you always…”(Matt.28:20)
God does not ask great things of me….I’m not called to Africa or China. He calls me to the familiar places and familiar things of my ‘same ole’ life. And even though I am guilty of grumbling about it…I am thankful.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Shame
Shame… Ever been told ‘Shame on you!’ ?? Guess who I believe started that?
Until evil came onto the scene in the garden, when there was no knowledge of evil brought on the Adam and Eve’s choice, there was no shame.
‘They were both naked ..and were not ashamed.’ (Gen. 2:25) As I’ve heard it said, ‘it is what it is’….they were just as they were. Then the wrong choice was made…and shame began. ‘…because I was naked, I was afraid and I hid myself.’ I love God’s reply… ‘Who said?’ (Genesis 3:10-11 my paraphrase)
Shame was introduced by the realm of evil. It’s a dreadful weapon that is used against us still. God had walked with them in the garden, just as they were…. He had never shamed them.
Don’t lets get shame and remorse, repentance, regret, disappointment, sorrow, or guilt confused. Shame carries with it a desire to hide or cover up. In fact, I believe it is an enemy of repentance. We may have remorse for something, regret it…be sorry about it…be guilty of it….but hiding or trying to excuse it is only a devil’s lie. God knows it anyway. Our hiding only keeps us in our shameful state.
‘The Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’ (Gen. 3:9) He still calls. I believe without a doubt that God knew where Adam was and why he was there. I think God calls us to answer Him so that we must face our circumstance, own our poor choices, and confess them to Him. Only then can He restore us and remove our guilt. ‘Wash me and I will be whiter than snow..’ (Ps. 51:7)
It’s a whole other issue to accept that cleansing. There again the enemy will lie.. ‘you don’t deserve…’ ‘God won’t do that for YOU…’ ‘you aren’t _____________ enough’ (you fill in the blank with whatever that demon uses against you…smart, pretty, handsome, worthy, brave, good, kind, patient, healthy, strong, or a million other things….)
As long as we hide and make excuses…well, de-Nile (denial) ain’t just a river… You may be hiding, but you’re not hiding from God, and you’re hiding WITH what you are ashamed OF.
What thing is in that blank? What is it you are hiding with?
Until evil came onto the scene in the garden, when there was no knowledge of evil brought on the Adam and Eve’s choice, there was no shame.
‘They were both naked ..and were not ashamed.’ (Gen. 2:25) As I’ve heard it said, ‘it is what it is’….they were just as they were. Then the wrong choice was made…and shame began. ‘…because I was naked, I was afraid and I hid myself.’ I love God’s reply… ‘Who said?’ (Genesis 3:10-11 my paraphrase)
Shame was introduced by the realm of evil. It’s a dreadful weapon that is used against us still. God had walked with them in the garden, just as they were…. He had never shamed them.
Don’t lets get shame and remorse, repentance, regret, disappointment, sorrow, or guilt confused. Shame carries with it a desire to hide or cover up. In fact, I believe it is an enemy of repentance. We may have remorse for something, regret it…be sorry about it…be guilty of it….but hiding or trying to excuse it is only a devil’s lie. God knows it anyway. Our hiding only keeps us in our shameful state.
‘The Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’ (Gen. 3:9) He still calls. I believe without a doubt that God knew where Adam was and why he was there. I think God calls us to answer Him so that we must face our circumstance, own our poor choices, and confess them to Him. Only then can He restore us and remove our guilt. ‘Wash me and I will be whiter than snow..’ (Ps. 51:7)
It’s a whole other issue to accept that cleansing. There again the enemy will lie.. ‘you don’t deserve…’ ‘God won’t do that for YOU…’ ‘you aren’t _____________ enough’ (you fill in the blank with whatever that demon uses against you…smart, pretty, handsome, worthy, brave, good, kind, patient, healthy, strong, or a million other things….)
As long as we hide and make excuses…well, de-Nile (denial) ain’t just a river… You may be hiding, but you’re not hiding from God, and you’re hiding WITH what you are ashamed OF.
What thing is in that blank? What is it you are hiding with?
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