Okay, I know it has been 8 days since the last blog; so I decided to do something a bit different. I set myself up for failure when I told myself I woul blog everyday (which is still my long-term goal), but I want to make it a little easier for all of us to succeed. At the beginning of every week, I will give you the readings for a week; therefore, if I do not get to blog one day, you still have a reading for the day. I really want you to share your comments on those daily readings as well. I want you to share what you learned, how God used it in your life that day or that week. I want to know how He changed a belief you once had and now know that is not God's way,and I will share with you the same. Please ask the tough questions; admitting to unbelief or misunderstandings is really okay. In Mark 9:24 a desperate man asked Jesus " help my unbelief." This whole thing is about helping you walk with God in a personal relationship daily; this blog is about walking together and making a relationship with God real. Do you always understand what your best friend, family member, spouse, or even you do all the time? No! (and if you do, can you teach me how?) At least God understands Himself.
Also, maybe you are in the middle of a Bible Study and it is too much to read the passages I give you; please share what you are learning elsewhere, or feel free to ask questions here that you may not want to ask in front of your Bible Study Group. When God teaches you; He wants you to help others with it as well.
For instance, on Wednesday, January 12, I read Matthew 10:1-31with verse 8 really catching my eye. This is when Jesus sends out his disciples to do what he has been doing. He gives them the following instructions:
"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give."
And I prayed, "Father, how can I apply this in today's world?" I know I don't have the gift of healing currently, or raising the dead at this time. Jesus was telling them to not charge people for these services; for they were freely given these gifts. Well, on Friday, I was talking to a client of mine who inherited money from a relative, and she was telling me the story of how she just freely gives it to those who will not squander the money, she does not charge interest, and even though her family may tell her they will pay her back she gives not expecting it back. That is where the Holy Spirit knocked me upside the head with a spiritual 2x4; she freely received and now she freely gives. God gives things to us to give back to Him and use it for His glory. I shared that verse with her and we had a great discussion on the verse. Now, to follow this story; be careful of those you see on television who will sell you a "healing rock" or "holy handkerchief" with miracle powers; or that say if you give this much God will bring healing and happiness. If these people have the true gift of healing, according to scripture they are to freely give it. Don't be deceived.
There is a difference between charging for gifts God has freely given someone and being paid for a full time ministry position; so please do not take the above and turn it around. That same passage in verse 10 says that "a worker is worthy of his support." There is a difference. So support your church staff; but be careful of those who charge for their "miracles."
Have you ever had gone through a situation and just thought "why me God, it isn't fair!" Well the other day, I had some very close friends go through an extremely devistating situaiton. I could not even begin to imagine how they were feeling, but in the midst of it, I sensed an overwhelming calm. I knew they were looking to God for comfort and encouragement. As I thought about and prayed for my friend and his wife, I could not help but be reminded of the Bible passage out of Philippians Chapter 1. It is an excerpt of a letter that the Apostle Paul had written while he was in chains in jail. It reads as follows: "12 Now I want you to know brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the Gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throuhout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of m chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more t proclaim the Gospel without fear." There is more to the letter he wrote and I encourage you to read on, but as I read these words I thought about stuff and situations I had gone through, and wondered if my reaction were Like Paul's. In the situation my friend and his wife went through, is it easy to have a positive outlook? I can honestly say that this is was not always my reaction. However, I want to encourage you all, myself included, to begin to look at the situations you go through in life as an opportunity to share the message of hope to all you come into contact with. As others see how you face adversity and hard times, will show where you put your hope. The ONLY Hope there is in this life is Jesus Christ! If you are trusting in anything else, it will fall short. Let us choose to put our hope in the Lord.
ReplyDeleteI must say that I have experienced the "calm" that Jon speaks of in his comment above. In September of 2008, my husband, Greg, experienced numbness in the entire right side of his body. Scans and MRIs determined him to have a malignant tumor at the base of his skull. Every emotion you could imagine came over us, but in the same instance, I felt a calm. I knew God would take care of us. God blessed us and the doctor that was scheduled to see Greg had to be out of town so he had to see Dr. Almefty instead, who by the way, happens to be the #1 neurosurgeon in the country! Greg had to have a craniotomy and even though every piece of the tumor was removed, he was sent to Boston for 2 months for radiation. During all of this, people kept asking me how we were doing, and without hesitation, I would say, "great". And I meant it. My husband was in Boston getting radiation for 2 months while my 5 year old son and I (6 months pregnant at the time)stayed in Northwest Arkansas battling ice storms and power outtages and I could honestly say we were great! Through all of this, God blessed us more than He ever has. We experienced what I call miracles everywhere we went. God provided #1 neurosurgeon, #1 radiation therapy, free lodging for Greg, people donating sick days, Greg being able to work from Boston, gifts of plane tickets for Avery and I to fly and see Greg, gift cards were given to us to pay for expenses, casseroles, and most importantly, opportunities to share our experience to others. Greg was upset one day because he had to have another MRI done and he was going to have to wait AGAIN in the waiting room for probably an hour or more. While sitting there, he was able to witness to a woman who was waiting for her husband to get out of his MRI. She presently goes to our church and she brings her son with her. He learned from that experience that God was in this with us. God was using Greg's bad situation to bring life to others. If he didn't feel the calm before, he absolutely did then. He knew he would be taken care of no matter what happened. He learned that it was not about Greg but about God.
ReplyDeleteGreg has been cancer free for 2 years now. Praise God! We don't know if it will come back. We don't know exactly why God would allow this to happen to our family, but I can guess. Since this has happened, my husband has been able to share his story in front of groups of people and one on one to complete strangers. Is this why God allowed this to happen? Would Greg be so open about God's love if he had not experienced this terrible situation? Why does God allow Greg to be cancer free right now and not the little boy at my church who was given 6 months to live? I don't know. I don't know, but God knows, and I pray for His guidance and thank Him for the peace or the calm that He gave to us during my family's storm.
We have been studying Ephesians at our church and in our small group Bible Study. Today we discussed Ephesians 2. It talks about how we are made alive in Christ. Verses 1-3 are how we sin because we are sinners. We cheat because we are cheaters. We lie because we are liars. We have followed the ways of the world and by nature we are children of wrath. The wages of sin is death, BUT Don't despair! In verses 4 and 5, it is written, "But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved." God offers life, love, and hope to all sinners like me, and all we have to do is ask for it.
ReplyDelete