"for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (Matthew 5:45, NRSV)
On April 17th of this year, I decided to take my Boston terrier, Buddy, on a walk. We both rejoiced in the beautiful sky and cool temperatures. We had walked this way many times before with no problems. In fact, I had walked that exact route the day before with my Lab, Squirt.
Buddy and I were obeying all the laws. We were walking north on the southbound side of the road, Buddy was on a leash, and we were pulling over to the side for oncoming traffic. We were in complete obedience.
Then the unthinkable happened. Two dogs, one a collie mix and the other a pit bull, came running at us from behind a house on the other side of the street. The pit bull was dragging a tie out cable. Buddy and I continued to be obedient to our training and we did not run. We stood still and I tried to keep Buddy behind me on the leash.
But the dogs had another idea. All three dogs sniffed each other in greeting and then the pit bull growled. I grabbed his cable and attempted to pull him away from Buddy. We wrestled across the street until we all fell into a drainage ditch on the other side.
The pack attack was on! The collie mix pulled at Buddy's legs and the pit bull shook him by the scruff of his neck while I covered him with my body to try to protect his vital organs. Buddy suffered not only MANY bites but also a torn ACL in his right hind leg and I suffered bites to both arms.
The terror and the pain of that attack has affected both Buddy and I for many weeks. And I was haunted by the question, "Why, when we were doing everything right and nothing wrong, did we get so viciously attacked?"
Matthew 5:45 tells me why. We as Christians, no matter how "right" things are, are going to suffer trials. As a matter of fact, it is my opinion, that the more obedient we are, the more our old nature tries to knock us off track to damage our witness.
God does not spare us pain and suffering just because we are His children. Job tells us, "1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man
was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil." Job was obedient. He followed all the rules. Yet, God allowed Satan to cause Job to suffer and as a result, Job's faith was made stronger.
It took a pit bull to remind me that even though I follow all the rules, God may still allow me to suffer. Not because He hates me but because He loves me and wants me to mature in Him.
He took a pit bull to remind me that what I do for God, whether it is attending church every Sunday, teach a Sunday School class or singing in th choir, will not keep me from suffering in this world. For this I praise Him. Not for the suffering, I'm not to the place where I "can call it joy," but for bringing me one step closer to the goal where I CAN call it all joy. Thank you God!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
The Names of God
I found this while viewing another video on the names of God. To sing something is a great way to learn anything. This song and video was put together for New Life church in Germantown. I think this is not only an appropriate start to our study on the names of God, but also a good way to map out how we will approach each name- as a form of worship. Next week we will start at the beginning with Elohim, the first of God's many names in the Bible.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Pecans From Heaven
"The sons of Israel said to them,'Would that we had died by the Lord's hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out to this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.' Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction.'" Exodus 16: 3-4 NAS
Have you ever found yourself wondering about some of the things the Bible is silent about like personal reactions to the things that happened? I found myself in that position yesterday morning as I picked up the pecans that had fallen from our tree during a horrible windstorm Sunday night. Let me explain,
When my husband and I moved into this house, we inherited a very large, very old pecan tree that stands beside the carport. We didn't nurture it or raise it. It was just there as a blessing from God. And every year we have harvested the pecans from that tree both in good years and bad years. So you could say that the pecans are our manna from God.
Well, all the people around here that had pecan trees were convinced that this was going to be a bad year. There was a drought this summer and many windstorms that caused the green pecans to fall from the tree. Then two early snows in November and we all "knew" by Thanksgiving that this was going to be a bad year for pecans.
Then a funny thing happened. We had a milder than normal winter with plenty of rain allowing what was still on the tree to ripen and fall. God has really helped out in the falling department. There have been several windstorms throughout the winter due to the warmer than normal temperatures. So God made possible the perfect conditions for the pecans that were left (and there were LOTS of them) to ripen and fall to the ground. Like the manna fell to the ground every morning for the Israelites.
Yesterday morning I went out to pick up pecans. The wind had been so bad that I had to get all the pecans off the porch before I could pick them up on the driveway and in the yard! After about an hour and a half of bending over to pick up pecans and discovering I was not even CLOSE to being done, I began to grumble. That's right. I started to complain to God about picking up all these pecans. Many times I thought about stopping and letting my extremely healthy fox squirrel and his buddies have themselves a party and just go back into the house. But I knew there were people who were counting on me so I picked, complained, picked, complained.
Then I started to wonder if the children of Israel ever complained about having to bend over and pick up the manna. Did they do like I did and complain about their legs hurting or their back hurting. Did they ever complain about their head hurting or their feet being tired as they harvested what God had so graciously given them? The manna cost them nothing, just like my pecans, yet did they complain about the work it took to harvest it?
It's an humbling thought. How often do I complain about having to work for something that has cost me nothing. How many times do I complain about doing what is required of me for God's blessings? Were the Israelites as ungrateful as I was being?
We all want God's blessings...our manna from heaven. But can we pass the test and follow His instructions?
After God planted those thoughts in my mind, I quit complaining. I kept hearing in my head the phrase I was taught as a kid, "Waste not, want not." Then it dawned on me that I would ask the people I give these pecans to, to give me a one gallon-sized plastic bag of the nuts for all the work I did picking them up all winter so they could have them. After all, it took me 3 hours and filled two paper grocery sack full of nuts.
So lookout family (that's who I have been providing nuts to all winter), this time I am going to ask nicely to be "reimbursed" for my labor.
Doesn't the Bible say somewhere that a laborer is worthy of his hire?? I wonder if that is with complaining or without?
Have you ever found yourself wondering about some of the things the Bible is silent about like personal reactions to the things that happened? I found myself in that position yesterday morning as I picked up the pecans that had fallen from our tree during a horrible windstorm Sunday night. Let me explain,
When my husband and I moved into this house, we inherited a very large, very old pecan tree that stands beside the carport. We didn't nurture it or raise it. It was just there as a blessing from God. And every year we have harvested the pecans from that tree both in good years and bad years. So you could say that the pecans are our manna from God.
Well, all the people around here that had pecan trees were convinced that this was going to be a bad year. There was a drought this summer and many windstorms that caused the green pecans to fall from the tree. Then two early snows in November and we all "knew" by Thanksgiving that this was going to be a bad year for pecans.
Then a funny thing happened. We had a milder than normal winter with plenty of rain allowing what was still on the tree to ripen and fall. God has really helped out in the falling department. There have been several windstorms throughout the winter due to the warmer than normal temperatures. So God made possible the perfect conditions for the pecans that were left (and there were LOTS of them) to ripen and fall to the ground. Like the manna fell to the ground every morning for the Israelites.
Yesterday morning I went out to pick up pecans. The wind had been so bad that I had to get all the pecans off the porch before I could pick them up on the driveway and in the yard! After about an hour and a half of bending over to pick up pecans and discovering I was not even CLOSE to being done, I began to grumble. That's right. I started to complain to God about picking up all these pecans. Many times I thought about stopping and letting my extremely healthy fox squirrel and his buddies have themselves a party and just go back into the house. But I knew there were people who were counting on me so I picked, complained, picked, complained.
Then I started to wonder if the children of Israel ever complained about having to bend over and pick up the manna. Did they do like I did and complain about their legs hurting or their back hurting. Did they ever complain about their head hurting or their feet being tired as they harvested what God had so graciously given them? The manna cost them nothing, just like my pecans, yet did they complain about the work it took to harvest it?
It's an humbling thought. How often do I complain about having to work for something that has cost me nothing. How many times do I complain about doing what is required of me for God's blessings? Were the Israelites as ungrateful as I was being?
We all want God's blessings...our manna from heaven. But can we pass the test and follow His instructions?
After God planted those thoughts in my mind, I quit complaining. I kept hearing in my head the phrase I was taught as a kid, "Waste not, want not." Then it dawned on me that I would ask the people I give these pecans to, to give me a one gallon-sized plastic bag of the nuts for all the work I did picking them up all winter so they could have them. After all, it took me 3 hours and filled two paper grocery sack full of nuts.
So lookout family (that's who I have been providing nuts to all winter), this time I am going to ask nicely to be "reimbursed" for my labor.
Doesn't the Bible say somewhere that a laborer is worthy of his hire?? I wonder if that is with complaining or without?
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
But I Didn't Mean To!
"Therefore, if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, then come and present your offering." (Matthew 5: 23-24, NAS)
Yesterday, we once again put electronic collars on both our dogs. Now before all you dog lovers crucify me, we only use the vibrate and tone. Never the shock! We put them on because since the death of our other Boston Terrier, there has been some real confusion as to who was in charge of the pack. Both dogs were wrestling, going out the door first by shoving past us, and wandering off while not responding to our calls to "come". Since we live in a rural area with most roads posted at 55 mph and people are hunting all year round, the latter was VERY dangerous. So the decision was made to invest once again in electronic collars.
When we placed the first collar on our Lab, it was set at "0". It took some fiddling around, but we soon found a vibration that she could feel and responded too. Since the first one was set on "0", my husband assumed that the one we put on our Boston Terrier was also set on "0".
Our Boston needed to go out to handle his "business" so I took him out with the assumption that my husband had adjusted his collar while I was out with the Lab. The Boston began to wander away into the field above our house and refused to come back so I "buzzed" him. Unbeknowst to both me and my husband was that the second collar was set at "100"!
The poor little guy was scared to death by the teeth-rattling vibration that exploded around his neck. He crawled all the way back to me with his head low and ears back just looking up at me with those big, sad brown eyes. Truthfully, I wanted to cry. Not in a million years would I have intentionally done that to my little Buddy.
For most of the afternoon, he stayed away from me and stayed under my husband's feet. He actually wanted to be protected from me! And no matter where he went in the house, he crawled or slunk to get there in an attempt to be invisible to me.
At first I tried to tell myself I didn't care. After all, I did MEAN to hurt his spirit. It was just an accident and accidents happen even in the human world. He could just get over it. (sound familiar?)
Then I sat down to write yesterday's blog. I had serious writer's block as I watched my poor little Buddy crawl around the den trying to be invisible. I HAD to make this right.
I called him over and began to pet him beneath his chin at the same time raising his head up at about 2:00 pm. Slowly he began to move past what had happened at noon yesterday. I kept on "apologizing" by raising up his head while petting him but it was 7:00 pm before all was forgiven and he climbed up in his usual spot next to me in my recliner.
Once I stopped focusing on how I had not deliberately done anything wrong and placed my focus on the little dog that I had hurt, the words started to come to me to write my blog. I had left my "offering" at the altar and been reconciled to my doggie "brother".
The same goes for people. While my Dad was dying with cancer, we had a HORRIBLE fight on the phone on a Saturday night. Even though it was my belief that Dad had started it, the ugly words I had spoken bothered me all night. I kept telling myself it wasn't my fault and he should apologize to ME!
Sunday came and I got ready for church with this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, You know the one, when God is really convicting you of a sin. I made it through Sunday School and then told my husband that I just couldn't sit through church. I had to go home and make things right. And I did. We apologized to each other and never fought again.
See, God didn't want my "offering" of praise and worship in church. He wanted me to be obedient to His Word in Matthew 5 and be reconciled. Sunday night, with a clear conscience, I was once again able to offer God my praise and worship.
We all hurt people without meaning to. And we can generally see the results, if we will just allow ourselves to really look at the other person. They may be like me and my Boston Terrier, slinking around trying to avoid you. Or like my Dad and just not speaking to you. Either way, God says it doesn't matter if you "meant to". All that matters is that your brother (or dog) has something against you and you- yes, YOU- need to make it right before you can offer yourself to the Lord.
When conflicts happen- and they always do- someone has to be first to say "I'm sorry." God says that person needs to be you.
Yesterday, we once again put electronic collars on both our dogs. Now before all you dog lovers crucify me, we only use the vibrate and tone. Never the shock! We put them on because since the death of our other Boston Terrier, there has been some real confusion as to who was in charge of the pack. Both dogs were wrestling, going out the door first by shoving past us, and wandering off while not responding to our calls to "come". Since we live in a rural area with most roads posted at 55 mph and people are hunting all year round, the latter was VERY dangerous. So the decision was made to invest once again in electronic collars.
When we placed the first collar on our Lab, it was set at "0". It took some fiddling around, but we soon found a vibration that she could feel and responded too. Since the first one was set on "0", my husband assumed that the one we put on our Boston Terrier was also set on "0".
Our Boston needed to go out to handle his "business" so I took him out with the assumption that my husband had adjusted his collar while I was out with the Lab. The Boston began to wander away into the field above our house and refused to come back so I "buzzed" him. Unbeknowst to both me and my husband was that the second collar was set at "100"!
The poor little guy was scared to death by the teeth-rattling vibration that exploded around his neck. He crawled all the way back to me with his head low and ears back just looking up at me with those big, sad brown eyes. Truthfully, I wanted to cry. Not in a million years would I have intentionally done that to my little Buddy.
For most of the afternoon, he stayed away from me and stayed under my husband's feet. He actually wanted to be protected from me! And no matter where he went in the house, he crawled or slunk to get there in an attempt to be invisible to me.
At first I tried to tell myself I didn't care. After all, I did MEAN to hurt his spirit. It was just an accident and accidents happen even in the human world. He could just get over it. (sound familiar?)
Then I sat down to write yesterday's blog. I had serious writer's block as I watched my poor little Buddy crawl around the den trying to be invisible. I HAD to make this right.
I called him over and began to pet him beneath his chin at the same time raising his head up at about 2:00 pm. Slowly he began to move past what had happened at noon yesterday. I kept on "apologizing" by raising up his head while petting him but it was 7:00 pm before all was forgiven and he climbed up in his usual spot next to me in my recliner.
Once I stopped focusing on how I had not deliberately done anything wrong and placed my focus on the little dog that I had hurt, the words started to come to me to write my blog. I had left my "offering" at the altar and been reconciled to my doggie "brother".
The same goes for people. While my Dad was dying with cancer, we had a HORRIBLE fight on the phone on a Saturday night. Even though it was my belief that Dad had started it, the ugly words I had spoken bothered me all night. I kept telling myself it wasn't my fault and he should apologize to ME!
Sunday came and I got ready for church with this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, You know the one, when God is really convicting you of a sin. I made it through Sunday School and then told my husband that I just couldn't sit through church. I had to go home and make things right. And I did. We apologized to each other and never fought again.
See, God didn't want my "offering" of praise and worship in church. He wanted me to be obedient to His Word in Matthew 5 and be reconciled. Sunday night, with a clear conscience, I was once again able to offer God my praise and worship.
We all hurt people without meaning to. And we can generally see the results, if we will just allow ourselves to really look at the other person. They may be like me and my Boston Terrier, slinking around trying to avoid you. Or like my Dad and just not speaking to you. Either way, God says it doesn't matter if you "meant to". All that matters is that your brother (or dog) has something against you and you- yes, YOU- need to make it right before you can offer yourself to the Lord.
When conflicts happen- and they always do- someone has to be first to say "I'm sorry." God says that person needs to be you.
Monday, January 16, 2012
What's In A Name?
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet?" - Shakespeare
If we believe this much quoted line by Shakespeare, names are really not important. So is a name really important? Well, it is to me!
My name is Susan. Not Suzie, Suzie Q, or Sue. If you call me a nickname, I will correct you once and then I will pretend not to hear you. Think that's a bit harsh? No more harsh than when a child tells you,"Someone called me out of my name!"
We are all particular about what we are called. If there were no names, then we would not know who wants us. And most people still think it is rude for someone to scream, "Hey, you!"
Now I think we have established names are important in a worldly sense, let's see what God thinks. II Chronicles 7: 13-15, "If I [God] shut up heaven so no rain falls, or if I command locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, If My people who are called by MY NAME , shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer offered in this place." (Amplified Bible, emphasis mine)
God takes His name pretty seriously. So seriously that the only way to improve things is for the people who are called by His name can effectively change the world we now live in.
So which name is He talking about? Even though most of us would answer that question, "Well, 'God'of course!", we are not aware that the entity we call "God" has many names and each name reveals a different aspect of His character.
So I am going to once a week (starting next week) talk a little about some of the names of God. This is by no means an academic or complete study. It will be more of a devotional study of each name and its application to our lives.
My favorite professors always told us that when you don't feel the presence of God, you hold on to what you know of God as revealed in Scripture. This in one way you and I can come to know better the One who sacrificed His only Son because He loves you so much.
The rest of the week I will write about what I have always written about, where and when I see God in my everyday life. So let's pack our bags and get ready to travel to places where we have never been before or to revisit a place that has become dear to our heart.
By any other name would smell as sweet?" - Shakespeare
If we believe this much quoted line by Shakespeare, names are really not important. So is a name really important? Well, it is to me!
My name is Susan. Not Suzie, Suzie Q, or Sue. If you call me a nickname, I will correct you once and then I will pretend not to hear you. Think that's a bit harsh? No more harsh than when a child tells you,"Someone called me out of my name!"
We are all particular about what we are called. If there were no names, then we would not know who wants us. And most people still think it is rude for someone to scream, "Hey, you!"
Now I think we have established names are important in a worldly sense, let's see what God thinks. II Chronicles 7: 13-15, "If I [God] shut up heaven so no rain falls, or if I command locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, If My people who are called by MY NAME , shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer offered in this place." (Amplified Bible, emphasis mine)
God takes His name pretty seriously. So seriously that the only way to improve things is for the people who are called by His name can effectively change the world we now live in.
So which name is He talking about? Even though most of us would answer that question, "Well, 'God'of course!", we are not aware that the entity we call "God" has many names and each name reveals a different aspect of His character.
So I am going to once a week (starting next week) talk a little about some of the names of God. This is by no means an academic or complete study. It will be more of a devotional study of each name and its application to our lives.
My favorite professors always told us that when you don't feel the presence of God, you hold on to what you know of God as revealed in Scripture. This in one way you and I can come to know better the One who sacrificed His only Son because He loves you so much.
The rest of the week I will write about what I have always written about, where and when I see God in my everyday life. So let's pack our bags and get ready to travel to places where we have never been before or to revisit a place that has become dear to our heart.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Swingin' On A Star?
"But Jesus said, "Let the children alone and do not hinder them from coming to me; for the kindom of heaven belongs to such as these." (NASV)
I was in church last Sunday and found myself offended by the children's message. It was presented by one of our older saints who is always complaining about how the children behave in church. The following was the text of her lesson:
Would you like to swing on a star
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Or would you rather be a mule?
A mule is an animal with long funny ears
Kicks up at anything he hears
His back is brawny but his brain is weak
He's just plain stupid with a stubborn streak
And by the way, if you hate to go to school
You may grow up to be a mule
Oh would you like to swing on a star
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Would you rather be a pig?
A pig is an animal with dirt on his face
His shoes are a terrible disgrace
He has no manners when he eats his food
He's fat and lazy and extremely rude
But if you don't care a feather or a fig
You may grow up to be a pig
Oh would you like to swing on a star
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Would you rather be a fish?
A fish won't do anything, but swim in a brook
He can't write his name or read a book
To fool the people is his only thought
And though he's slippery, he still gets caught
But then if that sort of life is what you wish
You may grow up to be a fish
A new kind of jumped-up slippery fish
And all the monkeys aren't in the zoo
Every day you meet quite a few
So you see it's all up to you
You can be better than you are
You could be swingin' on a star
Her point was that they could choose to be a mule, a pig, a fish, or a monkey OR you could choose to swing on a star. WHAT?!
Jesus loved the children and had patience with their childlike behavior ( like pushing their way up front so they could talk to Jesus). Jesus' disciples were like this lady. They wanted the children to "behave" and stay away from the Master.
Children will behave like children. They are not trying to desecrate the church. They are just being children. Do they need to be taught how to "act" in church? Sure they do. But if their parent is a new Christian or a Christian that has never been discipled, then don't expect the parents to know how to guide them.
In Ephesians Paul writes, "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other as God in Christ has forgiven you."
Last Sunday's children's sermon was ANYTHING but kind and tender-hearted. We are to value our children as Christ valued them and not call them mules, pigs, fish or monkeys! If you see a child running through the church, in love and kindness, correct their behavior and show them a better way. As a teacher, it has been my experience that children respond to correction given in love.
My recommendations for this elderly saint: Next time use the Bible instead of something written by the world. You will stand a better chance of making your point. Try using Phillipians 3: 13b-14, "forgetting what lies behind, and reaching toward what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. You could still have discussed making new choices. And oh...I almost forgot...apologize to the children.
I was in church last Sunday and found myself offended by the children's message. It was presented by one of our older saints who is always complaining about how the children behave in church. The following was the text of her lesson:
Would you like to swing on a star
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Or would you rather be a mule?
A mule is an animal with long funny ears
Kicks up at anything he hears
His back is brawny but his brain is weak
He's just plain stupid with a stubborn streak
And by the way, if you hate to go to school
You may grow up to be a mule
Oh would you like to swing on a star
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Would you rather be a pig?
A pig is an animal with dirt on his face
His shoes are a terrible disgrace
He has no manners when he eats his food
He's fat and lazy and extremely rude
But if you don't care a feather or a fig
You may grow up to be a pig
Oh would you like to swing on a star
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Would you rather be a fish?
A fish won't do anything, but swim in a brook
He can't write his name or read a book
To fool the people is his only thought
And though he's slippery, he still gets caught
But then if that sort of life is what you wish
You may grow up to be a fish
A new kind of jumped-up slippery fish
And all the monkeys aren't in the zoo
Every day you meet quite a few
So you see it's all up to you
You can be better than you are
You could be swingin' on a star
Her point was that they could choose to be a mule, a pig, a fish, or a monkey OR you could choose to swing on a star. WHAT?!
Jesus loved the children and had patience with their childlike behavior ( like pushing their way up front so they could talk to Jesus). Jesus' disciples were like this lady. They wanted the children to "behave" and stay away from the Master.
Children will behave like children. They are not trying to desecrate the church. They are just being children. Do they need to be taught how to "act" in church? Sure they do. But if their parent is a new Christian or a Christian that has never been discipled, then don't expect the parents to know how to guide them.
In Ephesians Paul writes, "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other as God in Christ has forgiven you."
Last Sunday's children's sermon was ANYTHING but kind and tender-hearted. We are to value our children as Christ valued them and not call them mules, pigs, fish or monkeys! If you see a child running through the church, in love and kindness, correct their behavior and show them a better way. As a teacher, it has been my experience that children respond to correction given in love.
My recommendations for this elderly saint: Next time use the Bible instead of something written by the world. You will stand a better chance of making your point. Try using Phillipians 3: 13b-14, "forgetting what lies behind, and reaching toward what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. You could still have discussed making new choices. And oh...I almost forgot...apologize to the children.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Mary, What Did You Know?
http://youtu.be/XiaZYZor6vI
"Mary Did You Know" by Mark Lowry is my favorite Christmas song. I love the word picture drawn by the words of this moving song.
However, someone once told me that good songs or hymns don't necessarily make for good theology. Just look at "We Three Kings." Just because there are only three named in Scripture does not mean there were ONLY three. So I decided to look into just what Mary was told and what she did know.
In Mt. 1:18 she is told by Gabriel that she is pregnant by the Holy Spirit. This is also repeated in Luke 1:26. Luke, however, goes into more detail about this conversation. He tells Mary that He will be called the Son of the Most High. In verse 35 she is told that the Holy Spirit will come upon here and the power of the Most High will overshadow her and He is to be called the Son of God.
So it is reasonable to assume that she knew that when she kissed her little baby, she kissed the face of God. It is also safe to assume from her conversations with Gabriel that she knew that her baby boy was Lord of all creation and that he would one day rule the nations because Joseph was of the house of David. Even further, in Luke 1:43 Elizabeth (Mary's cousin) asks, "'Why am I so honored that the mother of my Lord should visit me?'"
She also knew that he was capable of the miraculous. Remember the wedding at Cana? Mary did not hesitate to ask Jesus to make more wine for the wedding. Even though Jesus objected, she informed the servants to do whatever He asked of them.
She may not have known what specific miracles He would perform, but she was aware of His ability to do them. So, yes, in a sense she "knew" about all the miracles mentioned in the song.
Did she know that her baby boy would save our sons and daughter, make her new and deliver her? Yes, again, she knew. In Matthew 1:20-23 the angel of the Lord (predominately believed to be the preincarnate Christ) tells Joseph that His name is to be Jesus for He will save his people from their sins. I am sure Joseph shared this piece of information with Mary even though the Bible is silent on that matter.
Even though we are told by Scripture that "Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often" (Luke 2:19) Mary was not the only one who knew these things. Zechariah knew. He knew that his son was going to be the forerunner of the Son of God. Zechariah also knew that Jesus was to be the fulfillment of God's covenant with Israel. As I have already mentioned, Elizabeth knew. The shepherds knew as well as the wise men.
So Mary did know that when she held her sleeping baby he was the great I AM. Does that ruin the song for me. No, no, a thousand times "No". "Why?" you may ask. Because I know that there was much that Mary did not know and I am sure she wondered about. Even though it is fairly certain that Mary knew some of the things in the song and in the rest of her life, she did not know the specifics and I feel certain that she did not know that her son was "heaven's perfect Lamb." For if she had, like any other mother, she would have tried to interfere with the completion of God's plan. What mother wants to know that her baby was born to die on a cross to save the world? So the song is still in that sense, a great song.
"Mary Did You Know" by Mark Lowry is my favorite Christmas song. I love the word picture drawn by the words of this moving song.
However, someone once told me that good songs or hymns don't necessarily make for good theology. Just look at "We Three Kings." Just because there are only three named in Scripture does not mean there were ONLY three. So I decided to look into just what Mary was told and what she did know.
In Mt. 1:18 she is told by Gabriel that she is pregnant by the Holy Spirit. This is also repeated in Luke 1:26. Luke, however, goes into more detail about this conversation. He tells Mary that He will be called the Son of the Most High. In verse 35 she is told that the Holy Spirit will come upon here and the power of the Most High will overshadow her and He is to be called the Son of God.
So it is reasonable to assume that she knew that when she kissed her little baby, she kissed the face of God. It is also safe to assume from her conversations with Gabriel that she knew that her baby boy was Lord of all creation and that he would one day rule the nations because Joseph was of the house of David. Even further, in Luke 1:43 Elizabeth (Mary's cousin) asks, "'Why am I so honored that the mother of my Lord should visit me?'"
She also knew that he was capable of the miraculous. Remember the wedding at Cana? Mary did not hesitate to ask Jesus to make more wine for the wedding. Even though Jesus objected, she informed the servants to do whatever He asked of them.
She may not have known what specific miracles He would perform, but she was aware of His ability to do them. So, yes, in a sense she "knew" about all the miracles mentioned in the song.
Did she know that her baby boy would save our sons and daughter, make her new and deliver her? Yes, again, she knew. In Matthew 1:20-23 the angel of the Lord (predominately believed to be the preincarnate Christ) tells Joseph that His name is to be Jesus for He will save his people from their sins. I am sure Joseph shared this piece of information with Mary even though the Bible is silent on that matter.
Even though we are told by Scripture that "Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often" (Luke 2:19) Mary was not the only one who knew these things. Zechariah knew. He knew that his son was going to be the forerunner of the Son of God. Zechariah also knew that Jesus was to be the fulfillment of God's covenant with Israel. As I have already mentioned, Elizabeth knew. The shepherds knew as well as the wise men.
So Mary did know that when she held her sleeping baby he was the great I AM. Does that ruin the song for me. No, no, a thousand times "No". "Why?" you may ask. Because I know that there was much that Mary did not know and I am sure she wondered about. Even though it is fairly certain that Mary knew some of the things in the song and in the rest of her life, she did not know the specifics and I feel certain that she did not know that her son was "heaven's perfect Lamb." For if she had, like any other mother, she would have tried to interfere with the completion of God's plan. What mother wants to know that her baby was born to die on a cross to save the world? So the song is still in that sense, a great song.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Here I Am
"Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, 'Abraham!' And he said, 'Here I am.'" (Gen. 22:1) "When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush, and said, 'Moses, Moses!' And he said, 'Here I am." (Ex. 3:4 New American Standard Version)
"Here I am." Those words began to haunt me as I studied my Sunday school lesson this week. God has been reminding me in soooooo many different ways that by ignoring this blog, I am being disobedient to Him. There have been pastor's sermons, songs, Sunday school lessons, even an impulsive comment from a friend. He even "poked" me through the devotional posts by a friend on Facebook.
Oh, I had all kind of excuses. "I don't have time. You know, God, it takes one hour to do a post properly and I have a house to clean, dogs to take care of, a half hour of exercise to do every day. Not to mention laundry, dusting, vacuuming, cooking..... And now with Christmas coming, there are parties, ceremonies, performances, basketball games, gifts to buy and wrap, and more cooking...."
The more I tried to get out of doing what God wanted, the lamer the excuses became. Then came the lesson I had to teach yesterday because our regular Sunday school teacher had had cataract surgery and I am the class substitute teacher. The passage? Genesis 22: 1-13.
In just 13 verses, Abraham says TWICE, "Here I am." So today I searched the phrase "here I am" through the whole Bible and I was surprised at what I found. In Genesis 31:11 and 46:2, Jacob tells the LORD, "Here I am." In Exodus 3:4, Moses tells the LORD, "Here I am." In I Samuel 3:16 and 12:3, Samuel responds to God, "Here I am." Isaiah has the same response in Isaiah 6:8. God responds to Israel, "Here I am." in Isaiah 52:6 and 65:1. Even Ananias, when called by God to go and lay hands on that murderer Paul, responded to God's call in Acts 9:10, "Here I am."
So that begs the question, "Where am I?" All the reasons (excuses) in the world do not wipe away my disobedience to God's call.
God wants my total obedience, body, soul, mind and spirit. A pastor once taught me that obedience is doing the right thing with the right attitude at the right time.
This is my time to be obedient. Okay, Lord, I think I have it this time. Here I am.
"Here I am." Those words began to haunt me as I studied my Sunday school lesson this week. God has been reminding me in soooooo many different ways that by ignoring this blog, I am being disobedient to Him. There have been pastor's sermons, songs, Sunday school lessons, even an impulsive comment from a friend. He even "poked" me through the devotional posts by a friend on Facebook.
Oh, I had all kind of excuses. "I don't have time. You know, God, it takes one hour to do a post properly and I have a house to clean, dogs to take care of, a half hour of exercise to do every day. Not to mention laundry, dusting, vacuuming, cooking..... And now with Christmas coming, there are parties, ceremonies, performances, basketball games, gifts to buy and wrap, and more cooking...."
The more I tried to get out of doing what God wanted, the lamer the excuses became. Then came the lesson I had to teach yesterday because our regular Sunday school teacher had had cataract surgery and I am the class substitute teacher. The passage? Genesis 22: 1-13.
In just 13 verses, Abraham says TWICE, "Here I am." So today I searched the phrase "here I am" through the whole Bible and I was surprised at what I found. In Genesis 31:11 and 46:2, Jacob tells the LORD, "Here I am." In Exodus 3:4, Moses tells the LORD, "Here I am." In I Samuel 3:16 and 12:3, Samuel responds to God, "Here I am." Isaiah has the same response in Isaiah 6:8. God responds to Israel, "Here I am." in Isaiah 52:6 and 65:1. Even Ananias, when called by God to go and lay hands on that murderer Paul, responded to God's call in Acts 9:10, "Here I am."
So that begs the question, "Where am I?" All the reasons (excuses) in the world do not wipe away my disobedience to God's call.
God wants my total obedience, body, soul, mind and spirit. A pastor once taught me that obedience is doing the right thing with the right attitude at the right time.
This is my time to be obedient. Okay, Lord, I think I have it this time. Here I am.
Monday, June 27, 2011
What Do We Stand For?
"I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one." Ezekiel 22:30 NASV.
My dad used to always tell the five of us, "If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything." I have learned since my dad died in 1992 that he was a very wise man. Like any other teenager/young adult I found my dad's euphemisms annoying at best. But as I have, as my eye doctor enjoys saying, "grown older and wiser" I have learned he knew more than I thought he did.
So what do I stand for? First I stand for God and His Word. I would like to think that I do a good job at this but in reality, I'm not very good at it. Oh I teach Bible Studies and Sunday School Classes and have had a few VERY interesting conversations with evolutionists and atheists on Facebook, but all these have been on MY terms and in MY time. I often wonder how often I really stand up in GOD'S time and on GOD'S terms.
The second thing I stand for is Christianity. Please notice here that I did not give a specific denomination. In my life's journey, I have found Christians in almost every denomination, Protestant and Catholic. In fact on of the dearest Christians I have every known was a Catholic priest named Father Miller who served at Fort Knox while we were stationed there. We were newlyweds and he took us under his wing and helped us in our spiritual walk.
But do I go about and spread the Gospel? Well, yes and no. I don't give my testimony as often as I probably should, but then I find myself being a testimony when I am not aware of it. Case in point a Jehovah's Witness came to my door last month (he must have been a real go- getter because it is a half mile between houses out here!). Anyway, he came to my door and I answered it. He asked me to take his literature and I politely informed him that I was of another belief. Then we had a pleasant discussion about who the 144,000 in Revelation were. As he was leaving he thanked me for not "Sicing" my dogs on him (?????). I was extremely puzzled by that but I just let it pass. He offered me a piece of literature and I graciously took it. As we said good-bye he told me that he could see that I was "a nice, Christian lady" and once again thanked me for not "sicing" my dogs on him. ?????? Apparently there were Christians out there who don't answer their door, treat him rudely, slam the door in his face and send their dogs out to chase him off. I may not be the greatest witness for Christ but I would like to think I am better than that!
Then comes family and country. I am like a momma bear with one cub when someone attacks my family. I would not cover up wrong doing. I don't even do that for myself. If your wrong, your wrong. May as well stand up and say it. I feel the same way about my country. America is not always right but it provides me the privilege to have that discussion with the Jehovah's Witness without fear of retribution or death. We could agree to disagree and go on celebrating the freedom that some of the best and brightest of our young and old have fought and died for. I honor their memory by honoring our country and its flag.
I would imagine not many of you are old enough to remember Ray Stevens. He was mostly a comedic singer but sometimes he got serious about what he was singing. That was the type of song that has been running around in my head for weeks causing me to reflect on what I stand for. The name of the song is "Stand Up" and this is the chorus:
What'll make you stand up?
What'll make you rise
With a cheer on your lips
And a tear in your eyes?
What forges your Will
Not to budge one inch more?
What'll make you stand up? (Stand up)
It's time to stand up. (Stand up)
We've all got to stand up. (Stand up)
Stand up for what we stand for. (Stand up)
For what we stand for. (Stand up)
We've got to stand up. (emphasis mine)
In today's world where everyone is so worried about 'offending" someone I know I am not as prone to stand up, either for Christ or country. I believe there is disaster ahead for all of us if we
don't begin to stand up for what matters to us. Especially if we as Christians do not stand up for Christ. If we will not stand for Christ, do we really deserve the privilege of asking for His Blessings?
My dad used to always tell the five of us, "If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything." I have learned since my dad died in 1992 that he was a very wise man. Like any other teenager/young adult I found my dad's euphemisms annoying at best. But as I have, as my eye doctor enjoys saying, "grown older and wiser" I have learned he knew more than I thought he did.
So what do I stand for? First I stand for God and His Word. I would like to think that I do a good job at this but in reality, I'm not very good at it. Oh I teach Bible Studies and Sunday School Classes and have had a few VERY interesting conversations with evolutionists and atheists on Facebook, but all these have been on MY terms and in MY time. I often wonder how often I really stand up in GOD'S time and on GOD'S terms.
The second thing I stand for is Christianity. Please notice here that I did not give a specific denomination. In my life's journey, I have found Christians in almost every denomination, Protestant and Catholic. In fact on of the dearest Christians I have every known was a Catholic priest named Father Miller who served at Fort Knox while we were stationed there. We were newlyweds and he took us under his wing and helped us in our spiritual walk.
But do I go about and spread the Gospel? Well, yes and no. I don't give my testimony as often as I probably should, but then I find myself being a testimony when I am not aware of it. Case in point a Jehovah's Witness came to my door last month (he must have been a real go- getter because it is a half mile between houses out here!). Anyway, he came to my door and I answered it. He asked me to take his literature and I politely informed him that I was of another belief. Then we had a pleasant discussion about who the 144,000 in Revelation were. As he was leaving he thanked me for not "Sicing" my dogs on him (?????). I was extremely puzzled by that but I just let it pass. He offered me a piece of literature and I graciously took it. As we said good-bye he told me that he could see that I was "a nice, Christian lady" and once again thanked me for not "sicing" my dogs on him. ?????? Apparently there were Christians out there who don't answer their door, treat him rudely, slam the door in his face and send their dogs out to chase him off. I may not be the greatest witness for Christ but I would like to think I am better than that!
Then comes family and country. I am like a momma bear with one cub when someone attacks my family. I would not cover up wrong doing. I don't even do that for myself. If your wrong, your wrong. May as well stand up and say it. I feel the same way about my country. America is not always right but it provides me the privilege to have that discussion with the Jehovah's Witness without fear of retribution or death. We could agree to disagree and go on celebrating the freedom that some of the best and brightest of our young and old have fought and died for. I honor their memory by honoring our country and its flag.
I would imagine not many of you are old enough to remember Ray Stevens. He was mostly a comedic singer but sometimes he got serious about what he was singing. That was the type of song that has been running around in my head for weeks causing me to reflect on what I stand for. The name of the song is "Stand Up" and this is the chorus:
What'll make you stand up?
What'll make you rise
With a cheer on your lips
And a tear in your eyes?
What forges your Will
Not to budge one inch more?
What'll make you stand up? (Stand up)
It's time to stand up. (Stand up)
We've all got to stand up. (Stand up)
Stand up for what we stand for. (Stand up)
For what we stand for. (Stand up)
We've got to stand up. (emphasis mine)
In today's world where everyone is so worried about 'offending" someone I know I am not as prone to stand up, either for Christ or country. I believe there is disaster ahead for all of us if we
don't begin to stand up for what matters to us. Especially if we as Christians do not stand up for Christ. If we will not stand for Christ, do we really deserve the privilege of asking for His Blessings?
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
What Is A Blog??
That is the question that I have been trying to answer these past six months. Exactly what is a blog??
I have heard a blog defined as the realm where little people try to feel important by writing down their thoughts for the world to see. As I searched my heart, I realized that I am a "small" person standing only 5' tall, I do not write this blog to try to feel important. Truth is that I have never felt overly important. In fact, in God's view of creation, I am totally expendable. The Bible says that He could use rocks to glorify His name. Have you seen how many rocks are around?? Anyway, who wants to be shown up by a rock?
I have also seen, as I cruised around the blogosphere, that a great many people use their blogs to espouse their political beliefs and comment on the days events. Democrats and republicans of all ages use their blogs to try to sway people to their way of thinking about issues and candidates. Personally, I am a political independent with no urge to tell anyone how to vote...particularly myself. I always thought democracy was about voting for people not parties and that men and women have fought for the right for my vote to be a secret. Yet I receive every campaign season wanting to know how I voted and how I good a job I think the President is doing. I find that strange since it really doesn't matter how I think about the job he is doing. After all, he is going to be President until the next election, isn't he?
Another type of blog I have seen is used to keep people updated on people they have asked prayer for. I like those kind of blogs. On Facebook friends will ask you to pray but never update the status to tell you how it all turned out. I have been tracking a 5-year-old with brain cancer that way so I know what to specifically pray for her and her parents that day. I see those blogs very useful.
There are the celebrity blogs, though not many celebrities blog anymore. What with Facebook and Twitter where they only have to write 142 words instead of a whole paragraph. That's probably a good thing since they are so busy making movies and such. I watched "Celebrity Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" a few weeks ago and I am not sure I would want to read a blog by a celebrity. In five days not ONE celebrity was smarter than a fifth grader. I think I would rather them tweet than blog.
I also found how-to, how-don't, fashion, news, as well as blogs that just don't seem to have a purpose at all.
In all of this I have found a purpose for this blog. My purpose is exactly what the subtitle says, finding God in the every day things. I believe that God is everywhere and that He is actively involved in my life. I seem to see Him and the lessons He wants to teach me EVERYWHERE!
I have been told not everyone can do that and I should share my gift so they can know where to start looking...to quit looking for the "big" miracle and realize that most of God's miracles are in the small, mundane things of life.
I was told two things that have brought me back to the blogosphere. First, an older and wiser Christian who is known for speaking his mind told me that my writing was a gift from God and that I shouldn't waste it. The second was a sermon that I heard last Sunday at the baby dedication of my niece's baby. The pastor said that God gives you gifts and you should never be afraid to use them nor be afraid of what people say about you. Ouch!
So, I have decided that now that I have true purpose and I have always intended this blog to be about God, not me I am going to try, yet again, to bring God glory through the things He allows me to see and think. I may not be the brightest crayon in God's box, but even white has a purpose.
I have heard a blog defined as the realm where little people try to feel important by writing down their thoughts for the world to see. As I searched my heart, I realized that I am a "small" person standing only 5' tall, I do not write this blog to try to feel important. Truth is that I have never felt overly important. In fact, in God's view of creation, I am totally expendable. The Bible says that He could use rocks to glorify His name. Have you seen how many rocks are around?? Anyway, who wants to be shown up by a rock?
I have also seen, as I cruised around the blogosphere, that a great many people use their blogs to espouse their political beliefs and comment on the days events. Democrats and republicans of all ages use their blogs to try to sway people to their way of thinking about issues and candidates. Personally, I am a political independent with no urge to tell anyone how to vote...particularly myself. I always thought democracy was about voting for people not parties and that men and women have fought for the right for my vote to be a secret. Yet I receive every campaign season wanting to know how I voted and how I good a job I think the President is doing. I find that strange since it really doesn't matter how I think about the job he is doing. After all, he is going to be President until the next election, isn't he?
Another type of blog I have seen is used to keep people updated on people they have asked prayer for. I like those kind of blogs. On Facebook friends will ask you to pray but never update the status to tell you how it all turned out. I have been tracking a 5-year-old with brain cancer that way so I know what to specifically pray for her and her parents that day. I see those blogs very useful.
There are the celebrity blogs, though not many celebrities blog anymore. What with Facebook and Twitter where they only have to write 142 words instead of a whole paragraph. That's probably a good thing since they are so busy making movies and such. I watched "Celebrity Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" a few weeks ago and I am not sure I would want to read a blog by a celebrity. In five days not ONE celebrity was smarter than a fifth grader. I think I would rather them tweet than blog.
I also found how-to, how-don't, fashion, news, as well as blogs that just don't seem to have a purpose at all.
In all of this I have found a purpose for this blog. My purpose is exactly what the subtitle says, finding God in the every day things. I believe that God is everywhere and that He is actively involved in my life. I seem to see Him and the lessons He wants to teach me EVERYWHERE!
I have been told not everyone can do that and I should share my gift so they can know where to start looking...to quit looking for the "big" miracle and realize that most of God's miracles are in the small, mundane things of life.
I was told two things that have brought me back to the blogosphere. First, an older and wiser Christian who is known for speaking his mind told me that my writing was a gift from God and that I shouldn't waste it. The second was a sermon that I heard last Sunday at the baby dedication of my niece's baby. The pastor said that God gives you gifts and you should never be afraid to use them nor be afraid of what people say about you. Ouch!
So, I have decided that now that I have true purpose and I have always intended this blog to be about God, not me I am going to try, yet again, to bring God glory through the things He allows me to see and think. I may not be the brightest crayon in God's box, but even white has a purpose.
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