Have you Ever?

The sixth time reading through this, which is not counting the numerous times I've read it before, I stumbled across something I never noticed. It really helps me better understand the need to constantly be in the word. So without further ado here is what I discovered.

Galatians 6:7
"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked."

My husbands version reads that "God's justice cannot be mocked." Wow! No matter how hard those of the world may try to mock God's character it isn't possible. Why is that? Well the verse continues on to talk about how we "reap what we sow". If we have hatred in our hearts towards the one true God it will be brought to light when the time comes to give an accounting for our lives. Maybe this verse isn't saying that people are not able to mock God but simply that if we do mock God we will take on the eternal consequences of doing so. We cannot mock God and with the same tongue declare a personal relationship. We can't have it both ways. Paul knows this very well. When Paul was mocking Christ he was mocking the very character of God. Paul was called to answer for his behavior. When confronted with the truth he chose to accept God's call on his life. Each of us is presented with this decision in our lives. How we respond to it makes an eternal difference. Do we continue mocking God and casting him aside with eternal damnation on the line or do we accept a call that leads to eternal salvation?

Stop fighting or I'll turn this car around

It really is amazing just how little things have changed in 200o years or so. The letter to the Galatians is written because of a disagreement in the church. There are the folks who are holding tight to every single law that was in place before Christ and those that never really knew anything about those laws. The one group is saying that the law still needs to be followed. Things need to stay the same way. Does this sound familiar? I've sure seen it in the current day church. "We can't have drums. There weren't drums when I was growing up in the church." "The pastor really should wear a three piece suit. Jeans are sacreligous." I know that we've all heard things like that. Paul writes to these folks to tell them to stop fighting over such inconsequential stuff. The huge issue seems to be circumcision. Paul tells these folks that it doesn't matter. Jesus was the fulfillment of the nitty gritty part of the law. Let's move on to more important issues Paul is saying. Let's make sure that the truth is taught and not tainted by meaningless bickering. Boy can we all learn from Paul's words to the Galatians. We need to focus less on the little things and focus more on the correct and truthful teaching of the word. After all, the Bible never told us we couldn't have drums.

Walking with Paul

It's been awhile here but now I'm getting back to this thing. While listening the the radio, my husband heard a really great idea. Basically you read the same part of the Bible for three or four weeks. It really helps commit the bible to memory. So both of us are starting with the book of Galatians. It is six chapters and a great start. So I'll be spending time reflecting on the book of Galatians over the next few weeks.
I first want to start with a general reflection on the life of Paul. For anyone who doesn't know, Paul was a leader in the Jewish community. He was a very righteous, law loving guy. He was moving up in rank among the Jews faster than most men his age. He absolutely hated those who were following Christ. But then, he was stopped in his tracks and turned completely around. How completely? This to me is mind blowing. He not only accepted Christ but he was sent out to witness to the people that he would have detested the most, the gentiles. His calling was to be a missionary to the gentiles! Why not to the Jews by whom he was respected? Why not witness to the people he knew and loved? Instead God called him as far out of his comfort zone as possible. He not only answered that calling but he embraced the calling. He cast off the burden of the laws he had so fully embraced and instead carried a burden of love for a people that were viewed as lower than low.
When reading the bible it would be very easy to think of Paul as a righteous, almost perfect man. It would be easy to think that he never questioned the call given to him. Before he went out to be a missionary though he spent a good bit of time in seclusion seeking the knowledge and wisdom of God. I can't help but think that during that time, and probably many times after, that Paul questioned what he was called to do. He probably had that Jonah experience, wanting to jump off the boat and swim as far away as possible. The difference between Jonah and Paul is significant. Jonah went begrudgingly to Ninevah. Paul went willingly to the gentiles. He loved them.
What is your calling and what is your response to God? Are you willing to give up everything you're comfortable with to follow the call of God on your life? Not everyone is going to be called to a foreign country, teaching a foreign people. We all at some point will be called to do something that we are not comfortable doing. When that time comes will your response be a Jonah response or a Paul response?

Peace

I was just playing a worship song and I loved the lyrics.

"My peace I give unto you; it's a peace that the world can not give. It's a peace that the world can not understand; peace to know, peace to live, My peace I give unto you."

It really fits in with my recent mind wanderings. I was thinking about how Christians always say that God will never give us more than we can handle. I often catch myself thinking that I am no Job and there is no way I could go through certain things. The Bible also tells us that with God anything is possible. Luke 1:37 -- "For nothing is impossible with God". With God on our side we can handle anything. It may not always be gracefully for we are imperfect. So, when I look at Job and think that I could never go through that I know that isn't the truth. I can go through it and God can refine me on the way through. In the meantime I pray for peace in my circumstances and find that God is giving me that peace. There are days that are more of a struggle but there are also days where I am incomprehensibly at peace. What are your giants this week? What are you battling? God will be by your side guiding you through because with God it is possible to endure and overcome!

How do you Worship?

There are two different kinds of worship. Individual and corporate. I am a very emotional person. In corporate worship I often cry. That is very hard for me to do because as emotional as I am I also don't like showing those emotions. I've come to realize though that it is through my tears that I can worship God. They may be tears of joy, sorrow, forgiveness. When I am on my own there is one specific way I love to worship but don't get to do often. I love to worship God through the piano. I am no Mozart, shoot I'm not really that good, but when my fingers touch those keys I am able to convey exactly what is in my heart. I am able to go before God's throne with my heart wide open. When I was in college I frequented the chapel almost every night to play on the beautiful grand piano. How I miss those days! If only I had a piano available to me. Someday when we have our own place we will invest but for now I take any time I can get. Right now I am listening to a piano solo and it is speaking the heaviness in my heart but that will need to be shared later, after the kids are in bed.

Sin -- forgiven but forgotten?

As I was driving back home Sunday night I had some time for thinking as all of the kids were out cold in the back seat. I was thinking about sin, specifically the forgiveness of sin. Every single day it seems like there is something that needs confession and forgiveness. The bible tells us that when we seek God's forgiveness that we will be washed whiter than snow. The ultimate forgive and forget. So why then do we hold onto our past sins? I know there are quite a few that I have a hard time letting go. It occurred to me that it is a way for Satan to try to stick his foot in our Godly walk. He knows that he can't win us over to his side but he still wants to reak havoc in our lives. What better way than to continually throw all of our sins back in our faces? The perfect way to halt us on the path of righteousness and invite us to wallow in our past. Maybe recognition is the first step to casting off any stronghold that satan tries to place on our lives. If we understand that being plagued by past sins is not from God we then know that it must be from satan. The second step would be praying for a release of that stronghold which if we pray in God's name will be granted. If we state to God that we will no longer wallow in the sins of our past but learn from them and move on God will provide the strength we need to do so. This is my challenge for the week. I need to seek out God, repent for the last time of the sins that hold me back and continue on my journey to righteousness.

Birthday dinner conversation

My husband and I actually had a date, out of the house, away from the kids, just the two of us! Doesn't happen often but we enjoy it when it does. We were discussing spiritual growth in the past year when Chris asked me where I was spiritually. I never realized how hard of a question that was to answer. There is always room for improvement. We must always strive to do better as Christians. I'm not where I want to be but I'm working on it. I'm praying more for sure and I can thank my Christian sisters for that. Praying for their needs has led me back into a life of prayer that I have desired to have and was putting off. I, however am not in the word as much as I should be. We were then talking about worship and how God created everyone with different worship styles. How true. If we all worshipped the same way it would not be reflective of the creative God we worship. The conversation then turned to how we witness. I have heard it commented about people being "quiet" Christians. I would probably say that about myself as well. It's just my personality right? But I was thinking about my mom and the growth that I have seen in her life in the past fifteen years or so. She is by no means an outgoing type of person. She hardly speaks up and she doesn't like confronting people. In her spiritual growth though the Lord has equipped her to share the gospel and to pray outwardly for those around her. She will pray with complete strangers and offer a bibilical word of encouragement for most everyone. Is it her personality to do so? Definately not. I was thinking then about the scripture to go forth and make disciples of all nations. It doesn't say outgoing people spread the word or those that like to talk go spread the word. It is a calling for every single person that is reborn in Christ. God calls all of us to be outgoing in our faith. He will provide everything we need to do so. It is through spiritual growth that we gain the confidence to witness. I want to be like my mom! Right now in my life I am usually scared to speak up. Usually scared that people will think I'm a religious freak. Scared that I might sound seriously dumb! Scared, scared, scared. Why do these things even matter? Really? I may be uncomfortable but what if I am the only person that someone will ever hear the gospel message from? God will hold be accountable for all the missed opportunities. Will He love me less? No but we are still called to spread the word. I pray that as I grow spiritually the word of God will overflow from my heart and mouth and that I will forget what men think and instead focus on what God thinks.