tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48997490843839390822024-03-12T18:57:09.166-07:00ReflectionsWhitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15327786202354051851noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4899749084383939082.post-54735410005080496952010-12-02T19:31:00.000-08:002010-12-02T19:31:16.430-08:00Wait, What Are We Doing?<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Hello!</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’m writing this now as Christmas, and all the shopping that comes along with it, is before us and fills our thoughts and much of our free time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a fun and crazy time of year, and honestly, I rather love the craziness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am just as guilty as anyone in getting caught up in the over-the-top gift giving, crafting, decorating, cooking, baking, and hosting and attending holiday parties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me, all that is fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, (you knew that was coming didn’t you?) as a Christian it can be a hard time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can be a hard time for one’s faith to grow during this time because often we’re running around focused on ourselves and our families and friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly it’s Christmas and your pastor at church tells you that you’re supposed to be thankful for Jesus making the sacrifice to come to earth as a man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An incredibly humble man who took no glory for Himself though He is King of All, and a man who further sacrificed himself for us through His death on the cross so that He could be the perfect payment for our sins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as He was resurrected from the dead, so are we resurrected from our bondage to sin and we are reconciled to God because of Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the problem is, when your pastor says that you think “Oh yeah, that is right, this is all about Jesus and I should be thankful for him.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then you either feel guilty because in the month leading up to Christmas you’ve had one of your driest spiritual times yet because you’ve made no time for Him, or you push guilty thoughts away because you are more focused on the ham that is currently roasting in your oven at home, or what side dishes you need to make when you get home so it can be ready to take to your in-laws the next day, or what the presents beneath the tree contain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But all of this is shallow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am not going to recommend to you what you should do in order to be on an all time “God-high” come Christmas time, but one thing that Scott and I feel has been place on our hearts by the Holy Spirit this year is giving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">Jesus never took glory for himself, ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He always gave glory to the father and served everyone else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is his mission statement taken from Isaiah 61:1 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: red;">“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,”</span> you’ll notice that it says nothing about bringing glory to himself, instead it is about serving and freeing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we are called to be like him, 1 John 4:16b-17 says, <span style="color: red;">“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: <b>In this world we are like Jesus</b></span><span style="color: red;">.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So to go backwards and unpack that, let’s figure out more of John’s definition of love is first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Earlier in that same chapter John says <span style="color: red;">“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”</span> So from that we can conclude that love is sacrificial, will give anything, and love initiates, love goes first and does not wait for reciprocation to act.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, God is this love and if we live in this sacrificial love then we must live in God since they’re one and the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But how is love made complete, or perfect, in us, imperfect people?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Love is made complete when we, in this world, are like Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jesus initiated love, relationships, reconciliation, and forgiveness, even when it seemed unfair to extend such grace, he was ironically humble and selflessly sacrificial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we are like Jesus our love is perfected, our imperfect love cannot be complete without God, he perfects our motives, our love, and thus us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we are like Jesus, and our love is made complete in him, then <b>we can have confidence on the Day of Judgment</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Isn’t that a whopper?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the Day of Judgment I think I’ll feel more like peeing my pants in front of The Holy One than having confidence.)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">So, be like Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That begs the now clichéd question, “What would Jesus do?”<b><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What would Jesus want us to do on his birthday honoring him?”</i></b><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Normally when you honor someone you recall or do something that they did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think Jesus would want us to honor him by giving of our wealth and our talents and our love to those who need it. He would want us to love, to give, to <span style="color: red;">“proclaim good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scott and I do not need to be lavished with gifts, God has already done that, and we believe he’s given us these gifts so that we might bless others with them (Matthew 25:14-30).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are only stewards of all of our blessings, </span><b><i>not</i></b><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"> owners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want to bless those who need it most, we want to bless those who are always on God’s mind: children, orphans, widows, the poor, the oppressed, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We want to let our light shine, and with that, bring hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hope for those who currently have none.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Why not act like a Christian on the day that the world sees as a Christian holiday? Why not give? </i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">So, what does that mean for Scott and I?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scott and I will not be giving extravagant gifts for Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They will be simple, under $20.00, and often homemade (just because I like to craft/bake), however, in conjunction with these gifts, we will be donating towards organizations that are doing great things for God’s kingdom in the names of our family members.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">What if you still want to buy elaborate (anything over $20.00) gifts for loved ones because it is “tradition”?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I say challenge yourself and give dollar for dollar what you spend on loved ones to a charity/mission organization(s) of your choosing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So if you spend $500.00 on gifts total, give $500.00 to a mission organization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know this is a big challenge for some of you, but that’s the point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So go for it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My bet is that you’ll find it freeing, satisfying, rewarding, fulfilling, mood-lifting, and thankfulness-inducing. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">If you are already as excited and pumped about this idea as we are then “Hallelujah!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are, then I believe you are doing what Romans 12:2 instructs,<span style="color: red;"> “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the <i>renewing</i></span><span style="color: red;"> of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When your will aligns with God’s will, BIG things can happen!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>Then</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> John 15:7 applies, <span style="color: red;">“If </span></span><span style="color: red;"><i>you remain in me</i></span><span style="color: red;"> and <i>my words remain in you</i></span><span style="color: red;">, ask whatever you wish, and it <i>will</i></span><span style="color: red;"> be done for you.”</span><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16.0pt;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">Below I’ve listed some organizations that I really like that may give you some ideas.<o:p></o:p></div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-autospace: none;"><b>World Vision</b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <a href="http://www.worldvision.org/#/home/main/christmas-gift-catalog-items-1-1271">http://www.worldvision.org/#/home/main/christmas-gift-catalog-items-1-1271</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>World Vision is probably one of the most well known and largest Christian humanitarian organizations there is and they do great work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While you may know them for their sponsor a child program or their relief work, they do SO much more than that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Poke around their website and see if something doesn’t stir your heart.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-autospace: none;"><b>Stop Child Trafficking Now </b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.sctnow.org/">http://www.sctnow.org</a> This organization fights child sex trafficking within the US by going after and convicting the predators.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To understand more about the magnitude and frequency of child trafficking in the US click on one of the news links under “”Latest News” on the right hand side of the page. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-autospace: none;"><b>Freedom Firm</b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <a href="http://www.freedom.firm.in/">http://www.freedom.firm.in/</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This organization rescues female child sex slaves in India.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read one of the girls’ stories and you’ll probably start to cry. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-autospace: none;"><b>Hope of the Nations</b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <a href="http://www.hopeofthenationstz.org/casey-finch/">http://www.hopeofthenationstz.org/casey-finch/</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My dear friend Casey Finch is a missionary for Hope of the Nations in Tanzania and you would not believe the things she has done and experienced, you would be amazed at the spiritual warfare she has encountered, and you would be awestruck at the lives changed because of God working through her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please pray for her.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-autospace: none;"><b>Charity Water </b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.charitywater.org/">http://www.charitywater.org/</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Charity water is an awesome and necessary organization that drills water wells in villages in developing countries so the people can have access to clean water that won’t make them sick or kill them.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-autospace: none;"><b>African Children’s Choir </b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://africanchildrenschoir.com/">http://africanchildrenschoir.com/</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, this is the amazing, famous, made-me-cry-for-a-half-an-hour-before-I-could-get-a-grip-on-myself African’s Children’s Choir.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The money raised by this choir, comprised of some of the neediest children in their respective countries, goes to fund or help fund quality schools and orphanages in seven different countries in Africa, giving superb, free, educations all the way through the University level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids at these schools represent the hope and future of Africa.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: list .5in; text-autospace: none;"><b>Ascent Ministries </b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://ascentbase.org/">http://ascentbase.org/</a></span><b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;">My friends Jeff and Natalie (married) are a part of this ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They voluntarily live in a house they bought inner city Kansas City surrounded by gangs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There, they primarily minister to the young men around them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jeff is a volunteer football coach at the local high school where he reaches out to many of the young men on the team, after school a lot of the neighborhood guys come to hang out at their house just to be in a safe, peaceful place where they will be loved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is dangerous, but God is protecting them and the stories they share in their quarterly updates have God’s fingerprints all over them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I write all of this b/c their website does not share this, perhaps to protect the people they are ministering to.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">So that was just a <i>quick</i> brainstorm but there are many more!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like Durham Rescue Mission in Durham (helps homeless and addicted meet Jesus and become contributing members to the community), the SECU House in Chapel Hill (a free place to stay for families who have someone critically ill at UNC Hospital), Compassion International, missionaries that you may know, mission groups focused on the elderly with no family, Ronald McDonald houses, etc. etc. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">Ok!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’d like to share, we’re excited to hear what you’ve donated to!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sending you many blessing and love,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">Whitney and Scott</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><!--EndFragment-->Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15327786202354051851noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4899749084383939082.post-32140564442329457062010-09-02T09:45:00.000-07:002010-09-02T10:06:06.735-07:00Grandpa Will<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i>My Grandpa Will died August 22nd, 2010. He was 77 years old. He led a good life here on earth. His current, and permanent, residence is in Heaven where he is happily and energetically praising God night and day. The following are my unedited thoughts upon my grandpa's death. </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I don't think I have very many memories of my grandpa. Perhaps if someone told me about something that happened, then I might remember it, but I can’t remember on my own. I do remember, vaguely, going to his seed corn warehouse once, riding with him on his riding lawn mower, and playing baseball with him once or twice when he was in good health. Of course, every Christmas we would get together and I remember how he always had food on his chin while eating the Christmas meal, how he always started opening his presents first before the kids could even have a turn, and how he was always the first to be ready to go home, as if he and grandma were in some kind of a real hurry. I also remember that when you’d shake his hand he would grip your hand very tightly. Is it pathetic that I call that a memory? I’m sorry, but I cannot remember much else. It is not his fault. For the past eleven to twelve years, after his brain aneurism, he’s been without much of his original personality. There was never seemed to be much to talk with him about. If I asked him a question, I may get a one-word answer back. If I asked him a question about selling seed corn or farming, perhaps I’d get a sentence response, but I didn’t know anything about these subjects so there wasn’t a lot I could think to ask him. If I asked him how he was doing, his automatic response was “Good, and you?” I don’t remember if I answered back “good” or if I took the time to tell him what was going on in my life. I hope I would have done the latter.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> Apparently before his brain-bleed he was more interested. He’d watch the news, go to the college football and basketball games, and go to my cousins’ baseball, soccer, and basketball games, but after, it seemed he lost interest in all that. Perhaps that’s why he never came to one of my high school or college tennis matches. Perhaps he also didn’t come because he didn’t understand tennis and therefore it wasn’t exciting for him. I did live over and hour away from him, and he was never the type to leave his small town to go to the “city,” perhaps that is why.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> For my grandpa’s memorial service my mom asked me to read something she had written. It was kind of like a poem of memories with every line ending in “you were there.” I found it ironic that I was reading something that proclaimed how my grandpa was “always there” yet I remembered so little of him. When was he there? Several people told me at the visitation or after the memorial service how he had been there for them and for my family. I’m glad he had been there, and it made me feel good about my grandpa to hear it. People flew in from all over the place to come for the funeral; my grandpa must have meant a great deal to them. Still, despite my mom’s memories, despite people’s praise, despite the large number of people that came to honor my grandpa and hug my grandma, I could not reconcile how he could have “been there” for me, his granddaughter. But then, a half hour before the memorial service, as I was nervously rehearsing what my mom had written, I began to realize how he had really been there for me all along and, in a way, continues to be there for me. The second to last line of my mom’s poem reads something like “When we needed a father to pray for us and our families,</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> you were there</span></i><span style="font-style:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, on your knees each and every night.” Apparently, a few months before his death, my mom had asked my grandpa if he had been praying for his family when she had seen him kneeling at his bedside every night as she grew up. His brief answer was a swift, “You bet.” There is no doubt in my mind that my grandpa and his prayers are in part to thank for my wonderful family. I am enormously blessed to have the family that I have. My grandpa’s faithful prayers have helped to shape our lives thus far, and his prayers will continue to go with us now and in the future. In this sense, he really will be “always there.” Thank you grandpa for always being there for me even when I didn’t realize it. Thank you that even though we didn’t always have a lot to talk about, your love was always with me. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I love you, </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style:normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Whitney</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i>Heavenly Father,</i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i>Thank you for my family! Thank you for my grandma and grandpa, for my aunt and uncle and cousins, for my mom and dad and brother, for my husband Scott, and for Scott’s family. You have blessed me greatly!!!! Thank you. Please be with us all, let us come into your presence and rest, may we not be too prideful and refuse to give you our burdens to carry, may we know and experience your infinite love and your peace. Let us have teachable hearts so that we can learn from your wisdom and follow your ways. Let us serve one another humbly, love each other selflessly, support and encourage one another, and forgive each other readily. Let us live in peace as far as it depends on us. Thank you. I pray these things in Jesus’ name, Amen.</i></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15327786202354051851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4899749084383939082.post-13550688089947127042009-10-04T12:33:00.000-07:002009-10-04T12:34:13.860-07:00Beginning to Understand<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">"Sin? Me? No, not often, not in a 'bad' way anyway. I am a 'good' person after all." That is what I normally think, and that is why, in my "heart of hearts," I am jaded to the wonder of the cross.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I don’t think I’m all that bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When a youth group of the church that I attended in my hometown asked random people in a coffee shop if they thought they were a “good person,” almost everyone said yes, with a few people that identified themselves as Christians saying “no.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>If we think we are good, then we have no need for a savior and Jesus doesn’t make sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>At most you might think it is noble of him to sacrifice himself for others, offering himself as the perfect atonement for everyone’s sins since he led a sinless, perfect life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>You might tip your hat to that, say “thank you kindly sir” and be on your way.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’m guilty of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’ve known it for a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I can praise and thank God for my life and the people in it, I can praise him for each breath he gives me and I have no problem doing it sincerely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>What I can’t do is begin to understand the greatest gift God has given me in my salvation until I understand the gravity of my sin (and the sin of humanity in general).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>The other night I saw the movie “The Green Mile” for first time and wow did it move me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I couldn’t go to sleep that night because my mind was still whirling from the movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In the movie, the character of John Cauphy (not sure if I’m spelling the last name right, all I know is that it is “like the drink, only spelled different”) is on death row accused of raping and murdering two little girls, however (Spoiler!) he is <i>wrongfully</i><span style="font-style:normal"> accused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>John is blessed, or perhaps cursed is a better word, with two amazing gifts: he can heal people by momentarily taking the sickness/evil upon himself and suffering before “coughing” it up, and he can also see into people’s hearts and know what they’ve done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The movie does a great job portraying the wickedness that exists in man and when John says he has had enough of this world you understand why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When Tom Hank’s character (the death row guard) asks John Couphy if he should let him escape or proceed with the execution, John says he will be executed and he is ok with it, in fact it would come as a relief to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>You get the sense that John is a lot older than he appears to be, and the hurts and pains caused by evil that he has witnessed and taken upon himself grieves him terribly and has worn him down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It is when John explains the pain that other humans have caused that I began to understand my own sin and the necessity of Jesus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Jesus too was wrongfully accused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Jesus too died in place of other peoples’ sins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Jesus bears the hurt in pain of everyone as a compassionate and loving God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Jesus, as the Living Word, has been around for eternity and has seen more injustices and felt more pain than we can imagine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>The thing that I realized is that I, as a sinner, hurt Jesus too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Whenever I sin I rarely only hurt myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Is it possible to sin and only hurt yourself?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Often I will hurt others with my pride, by being judgmental, by being bitter, with my selfishness, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I am so guilty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Even though I may not have physically committed a terrible crime in the world’s eyes, like murder, there have been times when I’ve been so angry and frustrated I have thought some terrible things in my fit of rage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In the Bible, Jesus says that thinking things is just as condemnable as doing them. (Matthew 5).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Bible also makes it clear that your sin is <i>not</i><span style="font-style:normal"> relative to other people’s sins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For example, I might think that I am not that bad of a sinner because I have never done anything thing “really bad” like murder, stealing, adultery, etc. but that would be comparing my sins to other people’s sins and you can always find someone who is “worse.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Instead, our sins are relative to God’s holiness, which thus makes every sin about the same in severity because the amount that they are separated from God is infinitely farther then they are separated from themselves (</span><i>if </i><span style="font-style:normal">they are indeed separated).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When we understand just how far we are from God’s holiness, then we can understand more of God’s love and what an amazing thing Jesus did for us on the cross.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>How do we understand the difference between God and ourselves? Study the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The more I read the Bible/the Word of God/what Jesus personified, the more I see my own flaws.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It isn’t fun always, but it does bring me closer to God, humbles me, and allows me to praise God even more.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span>If you can’t see your own sin, deny it, make excuses for it, then you are deceiving yourself, as well as harming yourself (though you may be too stubborn to realize it). “<sup>5</sup>This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. <sup>6</sup>If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we <b>lie</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> and do not live by the truth. <sup>7</sup>But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><sup> 8</sup>If we claim to be without sin, we <b>deceive</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> ourselves and the truth is not in us. <sup>9</sup>If we confess our sins, he is </span><b>faithful</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> and </span><b>just</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. <i><sup>10</sup>If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives</i></span>.” 1 John 1:5-10<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">With confession comes healing.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>With the beginnings of understanding the cross, comes the start of a great adventure--with a happy ending. ;) <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"> “<b>1</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"> <b>2</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"> <b>3</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"> <b>4</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"> <b>5</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"> <b>6</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"> <b>7</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"> <b>8</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"> <b>9</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"> <b>10</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"> <b>11</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"> <b>12</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"> <b>13</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"> <b>14</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"> <b>15</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field;<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"> <b>16</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"> <b>17</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children-<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"> <b>18</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"> <b>19</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"> <b>20</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"> <b>21</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <b>22</b><span style="font-weight:normal"> Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, O my soul.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">(Psalm 103)<o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15327786202354051851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4899749084383939082.post-82138644105028232322009-09-08T19:53:00.000-07:002009-09-09T19:22:48.433-07:00GOD HEALS<div><div><div><blockquote></blockquote>WOW! Praise God! Praise His holy name! My friend in Tanzania (Casey) who I had the vision about (see the posts titles "Peace" and "Encourage") just sent out an email telling the amazing things that God has been doing in Tanzania through her and others! Continue reading below to read parts of her latest update . . . and be encouraged! ;) <em>Note: I put the last part of her letter first and the first part after it for those of you who want to know more about God working in Tanzania and Casey's life there. I have kept her letter exactly how she wrote it. Please pray for these people and for Casey.</em></div><br /><div><em></em></div><br /><div><span style="color:#000099;">Now I can share my favorite story from our time in the village: GOD’S HEALING POWER! During my door to door with Oscar, my translator, we met an old man weaving baskets in the shade. We started talking to him and found out he was a Christian. So I asked if we could pray for him and he said, “Yes, please pray for my son, he is crazy, but he’s all I have left to take care of me.” When he called his son no one came. Then we went to the garden and found what looked like a 15 year old boy playing in the dirt. He wouldn’t answer me when I greeted him. He wouldn’t talk to anyone actually. He was to our eyes mentally handicapped. I was immediately reminded of the scriptures where they brought a sick boy before Jesus who had seizures and people presumed he was medically ill, but Jesus cast a demon out of him. So, I prayed in Jesus name for evil to leave this son. I just prayed for him to be healed. But nothing happened then so we finished talking and moved on. When I left the mother came home and told her son to go to the church again to get prayed for. So the next day he came and all of the team and I prayed for him. Again nothing big happened. I decided the next day after that to visit them again. The father said to me right away when I saw him that he was so grateful because his son was HEALED. I didn’t know if it was for real so I asked to see the boy. He was resting so they awoke him and brought him out. He immediately greeted me and my jaw almost dropped. It was a surreal moment. I knew that only one day ago this boy was crazy and not comprehensive. He had been that way for many years. And now I stood looking at a different person. The father said, “Now he is helping me and he acts like a human, thank you”. I praised God. The mama was there and asked us to pray again because she was very tired and having bad dreams at night. I told her how many times headaches and tiredness come from not drinking water since they hardly drink any and then I talked about dreams. I told her how many times satan tries to attack us or scare us in our dreams. But she simply needs to plead the blood of Jesus over her mind and over her house and read scriptures before she goes to bed. Then I wondered if they had ever gotten involved with any witchcraft because that could be the cause if they have any of that still in their house. It’s like an open door to demons to come. They said no, but that they used to be Muslim and killed a goat once for witchcraft purposes, but nothing else since they became Christians. I told them to renounce any evil they had been involved with so there would be no connections. When we held hands to pray I just prayed in English with them. As I was praying and renouncing evil in Jesus’ powerful name, I felt a hand shake a little. So, I opened my eyes and saw the mama was twitching and shaking for a moment. After we finished praying she told me that sometime while I was praying she felt like spirits were leaving! Hallelujah! Here is a picture of our team praying for the boy who was healed and the family and I after he was healed.</span></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_F25Mh6Ngknw/SqgsnyypN9I/AAAAAAAAANs/e77btZS-0Nw/s1600-h/praying+for+boy.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_F25Mh6Ngknw/SqgsnyypN9I/AAAAAAAAANs/e77btZS-0Nw/s320/praying+for+boy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379598817054767058" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 192px; " /></a><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></span></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_F25Mh6Ngknw/SqgsAAfFqOI/AAAAAAAAANk/ztiss_str_U/s1600-h/Casey+with+family.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_F25Mh6Ngknw/SqgsAAfFqOI/AAAAAAAAANk/ztiss_str_U/s320/Casey+with+family.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379598133536073954" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 260px; height: 194px; " /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color:#000099;">The team and I were really excited and we saw such a huge change. We gave the boy a bible and found out that he was 19 or 20 (they don’t remember). Then we found out his name was Monewa which means the oppressed one or one who people throw stones at and is defenseless. So, I told the parents he needs a new name. See, the family had 9 children and 8 of them had died from sicknesses. He was the only child left. I was so sad at his name, but I prayed and felt like God wanted to bless this son of his, that this would be the year of God’s favor and blessing on them. And the family renamed the son Imani, which means faith! Please pray for this family. They have special place in my heart. They need help physically, financially, and spiritually. I noticed the father’s knee bent backwards when he walked. It was hard to look at but he never asked for prayer for it, just for his son. Even now, if you have 30 seconds, pray for this family, pray for this village, pray that Jesus touches their lives. Pray that their eyes would be opened to see the truth. Pray for the Muslim community. Many of them just believe in Allah because that is what their families knew, they never questioned what they believed or tried to find out for themselves the truth. In talking with them they have many similar beliefs but I tell them the reason they need Jesus. They have no atonement for their sins. And ALL have sinned. There is no sacrifice that will do except the blood of the Holy One who never sinned. See, even here people kill goats or drink the blood of people because they think it atones for their sins. But the blood of animals does nothing for humans and even the blood of humans cannot cleanse us because all have sinned, except one. His name is Jesus. He is the perfect sacrifice, “once for all” –Hebrews 10:10.</span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#000099;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#000099;"><span style="color:#000000;"><i>*If you are unfamiliar with demons (a.k.a. evil spirits) check out what I've written at the bottom of this post.</i></span></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#000099;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>The first part:</strong></span></div><br /><div><em>Note: I havn't included all of the pictures Casey mentions, but other than that I chose to keep her letter exactly how she typed it. I did put a few words in <strong>bold</strong> though.</em></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><div><div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); ">There were nine people on this team from California and we kept them busy. The picture is of the Knepper’s, the Ramsey’s, I and the team. The first few days we had different activities planned such as experiencing the “Day in the Life” of a Tanzanian. The women caught, killed, plucked, and cooked chickens for the men <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">who were pouring rock all day long for 2,000 shillings, or </span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">two dollars</span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">. On Sunday we visited five different churches in town where they were able to preach. The people here love guest speakers so they made all of us preach. They don’t mind sitting through 3 sermons, no one is checking their watch when we run over time. I also took the team to kids club in Kamala and Ujiji, villages very close to Kigoma. The taught and played with around 400 kids. Ujiji is known for <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">its </span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">high witchcraft and Muslim population</span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">. We know we have to be careful while we are there. They have thrown </span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">rocks</span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"> at us before</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><i>.</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"> We don’t have a building to teach in either. All of the kids just gather in someone’s yard. While two of the Tanzanian kid’s club leaders were teaching two Tanzanian mamas walked by. One woman said to the other, “If I found my son here I would beat him”. Pray for the Christians in this village. We told them how much they encouraged us and went home. Next we went to a village called Igalula. To the left is a picture from the helicopter. But, sadly we didn’t take a helicopter to this village. We <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">took an </span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">18 hour</span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"> boat ride, an experience I will remember forever. On this small boat there were 200 people, 50 oil drums, chickens, bags of rice, and our team. First, to get on the boat you have to ride a little dingy out to it and sort of jump onto the bigger boat. It is scary as the waves are crashing and people are handing up babies and bags for you to catch so they can jump on. It was very very packed on the boat. We left Kigoma at 7 pm and it soon became dark. I tried to find a place to sleep but I had to step over mamas and babies in the dark to find a little nook. Tons of mamas and babies down in the hull sat on top of the drums but in the middle of the night the men stopped at many villages along the lake and dropped off a few oil drums. So we awoke every hour or so to move out some oil drums. I felt like a human-tetris-piece sleeping on top of luggage and people. The babies and mamas just went to the bathroom down in the hull since it was an 18 hour journey and there was no toilet. So the smell or urine filled the air. Along with that was the smell of vomit of some of the people who didn’t scale the side of the boat soon enough to throw up overboard. During the night a fisherman was sleeping on a skinny board lying across the hull and he fell off landing on top of me. Luckily a tarp draped across the beams partially caught his fall before landing on me and the people beside me. I was fine and we made it to the village finally where we all crashed and fell asleep, still feeling the waves rocking us. Thank God we finally got to these people. The picture on the left is us taking the dingy out to the bigger boat. The picture on the right is the morning after our 18 hour boat ride. I’m somewhere down in the mess of luggage.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">In this village we did many kids clubs as they flocked to us. We also got to teach kids club leaders how to lead their own kids clubs in their villages. The picture to the left is just a pack of kids that followed us that day.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></div></div><blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_F25Mh6Ngknw/Sqgub0QKIqI/AAAAAAAAAOU/cAD0OYhDCj8/s1600-h/line+for+doctor.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_F25Mh6Ngknw/Sqgub0QKIqI/AAAAAAAAAOU/cAD0OYhDCj8/s320/line+for+doctor.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379600810311819938" style="text-align: left; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 319px; height: 216px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_F25Mh6Ngknw/SqgubAXXhtI/AAAAAAAAAOM/rSsifVPN4O8/s1600-h/pack+of+kids.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_F25Mh6Ngknw/SqgubAXXhtI/AAAAAAAAAOM/rSsifVPN4O8/s320/pack+of+kids.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379600796383413970" style="text-align: left; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 290px; height: 219px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><div style="text-align: left; ">We also got to do medical ministry with our doctor. Below is a picture of the line of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">people waiting to see the doctor. He was able to see about </span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">120</span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"> patients everyday <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">for 5 days. People would start forming a line at </span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">5 am</span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"> just to see Doctor Len who comes at 9am after morning devotions, worship, and chai. The team and I would also hike everyday to more remote villages surrounding Igalula. Sometimes we hiked two hours to get to our destination, preached and did door to door, then <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">hiked two hours back. But their was </span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">so much fruit</span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">. I really enjoyed talking to many people outside their house about my love for Jesus. “For the love of Christ compels us…” –2 Corinthians5:14.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div></span><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">I even got to sit down with a group of Muslim men and tell them that I loved them and that Jesus loves them as we sipped some coffee. We had some pretty interesting conversations. And many people </span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">gave their lives to Christ</span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">. We brought around 50 bibles to the village. The problem is they still need so much more. Many Christians there will go their whole lives without bibles. Even pastors and leaders in the church </span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">don’t have bibles</span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">. So, they always remind us to bring bibles with us when we visit. And they cherish the Word. When we gave a bible to a Muslim man who heard about Jesus he sucked it into his chest and held it against his heart, thanking us. It <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">was so cool to see. Please </span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">pray</span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"> for the Word of God to spread in this place. I</span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"><div style="text-align: left; ">got to talk with a man named Fanwel and Imanuel about Jesus. They still weren’t sure if they believed the whole Jesus story so I continued to visit them. Finally one day Fanwel told me he was ready to receive Jesus, so he and his wife prayed with me. Pray for him too. I’ll never forget his beautiful smile.</div></span><p></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_F25Mh6Ngknw/SqguZ9tG6nI/AAAAAAAAAN0/kuXxBiZwBTY/s1600-h/women+walking.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_F25Mh6Ngknw/SqguZ9tG6nI/AAAAAAAAAN0/kuXxBiZwBTY/s320/women+walking.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379600778489424498" style="text-align: left; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 231px; height: 173px; " /></a><div><blockquote><p style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">Above are some mamas we met on our walk. Left is a creek we had to cross to get to the villages Rukoma and Buhingu to preach. I am standing with my friend and translator Rashidi.</span></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_F25Mh6Ngknw/Sqguad6ei8I/AAAAAAAAAN8/BJSTRCW1RJ8/s1600-h/with+translator.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_F25Mh6Ngknw/Sqguad6ei8I/AAAAAAAAAN8/BJSTRCW1RJ8/s320/with+translator.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379600787135433666" style="text-align: left; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 285px; height: 214px; " /></a></p><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_F25Mh6Ngknw/Sqguax7g5hI/AAAAAAAAAOE/tSMkIlr6vQM/s320/speaking+after+movie.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379600792508491282" style="text-align: left; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 311px; height: 236px; " /></span></p><p style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">At night we were able to bring a small generator and projector to show the movies: Passion of the Christ, Jesus film, Muslim testimonies of dreams of Jesus, and a testimony of AIDS. It was so amazing to see 300 people come out to stand for two hours and watch these films. They have never seen a TV in their life, let alone a big screen movie of the Passion. Here is a picture of Harold and Gabriel the translator leading people in prayer. Many many people prayed to </span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">receive Jesus</span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"> that night as Gabriel translated. Thank God! Please</span><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">pray</span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"> that they will get connected to a church and continue to learn about Jesus. These villages were “spiritual warzones”. We would hear drums <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;">beating at night in the distance as we lay in our tents. These were drums the fishermen would beat at night. They like to use witchcraft to help them catch fish and they were calling the spirits to come. Then we would wake up in the middle of the night to the Mosque’s call to prayer. Also, many homes in the village have a tiny little grass hut in the backyard. These are supposedly homes for their spirits to live. Needless to say we prayed a lot, and God moved powerfully. </span><em>Then Casey continued to write what I've posted above.</em></span></span></p></blockquote></div></blockquote></span></i></div></div><blockquote><blockquote><div><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"><em></em></p></blockquote></div></blockquote><div><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"><em></em><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"></span></em></p></blockquote></div><div><blockquote><p><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000099;"></span></em></p></blockquote></div></blockquote><br /><div><em>Please pray for these people in Tanzania and pray for Casey and her team there too. As Casey says, "God bless you! Mungu awabariki wote!"</em></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>*In the Bible Jesus deals with demons on numerous occasions. To read about these check out <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%209:32-33&version=NIV">Matthew 9:32-33</a>, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+4:24&version=NIV">4:24</a>, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+8:16&version=NIV">8:16</a>, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%208:28-34&version=NIV">8:28-34</a>, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2012:22-29&version=NIV">12:22-29</a>, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2015:22-28&version=NIV">15:22-28</a>, <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2017:14-18&version=NIV">17:14-18</a>, Mark <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%201:32-34&version=NIV">1:32-34</a>, hmm, here's a good one <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+16:17&version=NIV">Mark 16:17</a>, and etc. etc. If you're still curious go to Biblegateway.com and type "demon" in the top search box (you'll get 80 results in the NIV translation). I also want to note that demons are definitely still around today in the USA and all around the world. I could go on for awhile about that and it's too much to explain here right now so if you want to know more just ask.</div><div>May God be with you,</div><div>~Whitney</div>Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15327786202354051851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4899749084383939082.post-39015577619631494292009-09-07T19:33:00.000-07:002009-09-09T19:03:16.078-07:00Encourage<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Recently I have been learning a lot about the power of encouragement. I am also learning that I don't do near enough of it. My parents might tell you that I did plenty of nagging, trying to self-righteously push them to do things that I thought they should do, but that is not encouragement! Encouragement can come in many different forms though. At summer camp as a kid, I remember doing this thing where everyone would have a paper lunch bag with their name on it and you would write down "warm fuzzies" (compliments, nice things) about everyone on a scrap of paper and put it in their bag. I </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">loved</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> to read mine, I especially treasured the ones that happened to reassure me in an area where I doubted myself the most. Recently, I've seen encouragement in monster cookies sent to a friend competing in an Iron Man (2.5 mile swim, 115 bike, and then a 26.2 mile run--I'm not sure if I have the bike distance right but it's long!), a (second) thank you note a year after the event to a pastor, and the vision I shared in my last post gave great, and perfectly timed, encouragement to that friend. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For whatever reason, I normally don't give that much credit to encouragement and perhaps that is why I don't do it as often as I ought. However, the three recent forms of encouragement described above meant more than I could have ever supposed to the people who received it! I too have been encouraged recently. I performed in some skits at church and afterwards many people encouraged me by telling me that I did a great job. It's a small thing to me tell me that, but to me it meant so much! And you know that perfect timing of the encouraging vision I had? Well, that definitely encouraged me to know that God's totally working. It also reinforced that God has chosen us to do his work. He could have encouraged my friend himself, but instead he chose to work through me. Often God's method of choice is to work through us instead of doing everything himself. In fact, I think because he worked through me, the encouragement my friend received was greater because God was glorified even more and we were </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">both</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> encouraged by it.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As you can see from these different examples encouragement can be many different things, big or small, but they all bless people and give them strength. It is so important that we encourage one another. You see God's people encouraging each other throughout the Bible. Hebrews 3:13 "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." It is important that we encourage because the world is </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">hard</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and the devil is always on the attack. Add into that the fact that God usually choses us as his method to spread the good news of salvation and you really find need for encouragement. I often either feel inadequate/unworthy to spread the gospel or I'll be selfish and forget (yikes!) about others. Either way, I would benefit from someone practicing 2 Timothy 4:2 on me, "</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">correct</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, rebuke and </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">encourage</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">—with great patience and careful instruction." </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CC0000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So let us encourage one another with the same purpose as Paul, "My purpose is that they may be encouraged</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ" (Colossians 2:2). Finally, let us not forget that we already have eternal encouragement from the promise that we will one day be reunited with God where love reigns and there is no more evil or pain. "</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">his grace</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> gave us </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">eternal encouragement</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and good hope, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (emphasis added).</span></span></div>Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15327786202354051851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4899749084383939082.post-78802472685738073992009-08-24T06:39:00.000-07:002009-08-24T06:41:50.164-07:00I was reading <a href="http://wmcc.jointhejourney.com/log/30768">this</a> devotional online and I found this comment on the devotional to be very interesting and, I believe, true. I post it for you to reflect on. Here it is:<br /><br />Steve Faris<br />August 22, 2009 10:20 AM<br />Enjoyed this Aaron. And then going the next step you suggest of the challenge to "Run to Jesus", can be a real dagger, and I believe is, for many us who confused running to the religion of Christianity versus Jesus. One runs to the things surrounding Jesus (religion) and not Him (relationship), ends up in a worse situation than before. Trying to substitute one form of sedative (accomplishments, thrill, numbing of pain, etc) with another sedative (religious activity, ritual, traditions, cultural interpretations of Christ, etc) only serves to scream to us of worthlessness and emptiness. And how easy that is to confuse. The more I seek Jesus himself, the more I am both at peace and challenged - and it is all good. The more I seek things claiming to represent Him, the more I am frustrated and disheartened - and even more so inclined to wonder what life is all worth. Thnx for your words and they are a reminder this morning to run to Him alone, and not the things that are man made images of him. Appreciate your efforts amidst his body to point people to the living and satisfying Bread.Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15327786202354051851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4899749084383939082.post-11168915798630649422009-08-13T19:30:00.000-07:002009-08-13T20:15:08.218-07:00PeaceI went on a run tonight and it was so peaceful. The sun had set, the sky was a vast, deep blue with just a bit of light blue, and a strip of pink leftover from the sunset to the west. I praised God for his majesty, his greatness. I prayed for friends that are his faithful servants as they bear witness to him around the globe. As I did this, an image came to mind; it was almost as if they were floating on an invisible cloud in the big, velvet sky. They were in his presence, only God and them, and He was smiling at them, adoring and proud, protecting and loving. Just like a father. With this image I was filled with such peace -- I still feel it now! It's like I'm in a cloud of warmth and love, with nothing to fear. With this peace, I knew that my friends were well, and well loved, and I understood a little bit more about how Christian martyrs can often be <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">completely</span> peaceful when they are tortured or executed. Sorry to be blunt, but it's something I've always wondered about. You see, at that moment on my run with that image in my head, I was <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">home</span>, I was at ease, I felt such great comfort and love. I praise God for giving me the gift of my faith, however small it may be at times. I know I have nothing to fear and tonight, unlike so many others who are lost, confused, abandoned, and frustrated, I fear nothing. PRAISE GOD!Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15327786202354051851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4899749084383939082.post-67311761119488669752009-07-28T15:57:00.000-07:002009-07-28T16:12:16.555-07:00Run the Race<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My husband has told me several times that he thinks I would have made a “great” cross-country runner because he thinks I have the right build.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I have always replied that I may have the build, but that doesn’t mean that I would be any good!</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I need to be stronger, have greater endurance, and more heart to push myself onward when I feel like I can’t.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I have never considered myself much of a runner.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My runs are usually a little more than one mile, and my ‘long” runs never go much more than two miles.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Besides Scott, other people have also thought that I should be a better runner than I actually am, even assuming that I could “easily run six miles’.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I have to reply that I absolutely can </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">not</span></b></span><span style="font-family:Georgia"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> run six miles, much less three miles thank you very much!</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Well, last Sunday, excited and a little nervous about how my body would respond, I decided to try a 3 mile run (I believe it was actually a little over three miles), because I knew they were right.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I could run three miles, maybe even six with a well rested body and lots of adrenaline.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It was time for me to stop being content with comfortable, and instead, push myself to start reaching my potential.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Running the 3+ miles was hard work, and I had to give myself plenty of encouragement along the way, but I did it--with a little bit of help and encouragement from God too!</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">About two thirds of the way through the run I had an </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">epiphany</span></b></span><span style="font-family:Georgia"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">: as a Christian I am also supposed to be running a great race that requires perseverance.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Hebrews 12:1 says “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” What is necessary for perseverance? Suffering.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Paul says, “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3-4). It is the same as a long run when you feel your body aching and fatigued asking you to quit, but you must press on and persevere. For by doing so, and not taking the easy way out and quitting, you do develop great character and strength and find that, yes, you can indeed do it.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">From this realization of course comes hope, and hope is a great and powerful thing.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As I finished my last third of my run I told God that I was willing to run His race and follow His course and I knew that no matter what happened, God would not forsake me. “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Duet. 31:8)</span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As I told God that I trusted him and knew that he would provide for me whatever I need to get through the toughest times of the “race”, it started to sprinkle!</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Light, refreshing, cool drops of rain encouraged me onward, pushing me towards the finish.</span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I rejoiced and praised God for this simple, but beautiful and perfect gift! I think this was God saying “Yes, Whitney, I will be here for you always and give you what you need, never fear.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In the same way he will give us exactly what we need when we need it, encouraging us until we reach the Finish and our eternal Home. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Georgia"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What is this “race”?</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It is throwing off anything that hinders us or causes us to sin; it is living a righteous life, striving after what is holy, and blameless and pure. It is choosing God’s plan over our own comfort.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 Corinthians 9:25-27 says, “</span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">25</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. </span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">26</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. </span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">27</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Paul explains that he “beats his body” in order to discipline himself to do what is right.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">To overcome sin in our lives, especially habitual sin, we can’t play nice with it.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sin needs to be destroyed, and to do that we may need to continually remind and discipline ourselves to overcome those sins.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This is not easy, and this may not come without pain.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For me, I need to constantly reprimand myself for choosing my way over God’s way, for considering myself better than others, and for judging the very people that Jesus came to save (</span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%204:17-19;&version=31;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Luke 4:17-19</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">), just to name a few.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Georgia"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We are not only called to run this race, but to win it. “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24).</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Just as you can’t win a foot race by only running select parts of it and sauntering through others, you also can’t win our life race by choosing to only eliminate certain sins, or choosing to follow God only so far, but no further because “that’s just crazy” and “he might ask too much.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">That’s a lie!</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">He will never ask “too much,” he gave Moses what he needed to free the Israelites, he gave me the rain to finish my run, and he’ll give you what you need. (Matthew </span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206:30;&version=31;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">6:30</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, </span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%208:26;&version=31;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">8:26</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, </span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2014:30-32;&version=31;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">14:30-32</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, </span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2016:8-9;&version=31;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">16:8-9</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Georgia"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If it is not fear that stops us from running the race then it is comfort. Many times we only “run the race” when we feel like it--which really isn’t being in a race at all!</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We use the same excuses as I did as to why I “couldn’t” go on a long run; we’re not strong enough, we don’t have the endurance, and we just plain lack the will.</span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Running the race could get uncomfortable after all, and we like being comfortable!</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">When God calls us to step out in faith and trust him and take a “risk”, we often recoil and tell him “no thanks, that would make me uncomfortable and I wouldn’t want me to be uncomfortable, would you?”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Well, if making us uncomfortable forces us to trust him alone, focuses our attention on him, draws us closer to him, reveals his glory, refines us (thereby shaping us into a righteous man/woman after his own heart), and causes us to have greater faith as he provides in a way that only He can, then, yes, he might want to shake things up a bit in our lives.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So let us trust in God.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">He has great plans for us if we would only run the race to win it.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Don’t let fellow man put you, or God, in a box. “ Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?” (Isaiah 2:22).</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Why should man determine what you can and cannot do?</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After all, it is the Lord who reigns, not man, so let us trust in him only.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Georgia"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Just as in life when you push yourself to your limits physically, or in any other area of life, where you sacrifice, have to persevere, and break through limits, it is </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">so</span></b></span><span style="font-family:Georgia"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> rewarding when you finish the race.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Your perseverance pays off and you are thrilled and proud because you actually did it! You pushed through and you accomplished something great. It is the same when you run your spiritual race.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There will be hard times where you need to really push yourself to keep going and stay focused, but the end result is more than just a sense of accomplishment.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Romans 8:18 says, “</span><span style="color:black"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> 2 Corinthians 4:17 says, “</span><span style="color:black"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” </span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The race is tough yes, Jesus tells us it will be, but it is more rewarding to run it and run it full out knowing that you have done your best.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So let us do it, make the decision, no more excuses, and no more fear.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15327786202354051851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4899749084383939082.post-63945295390899353542009-07-06T16:12:00.000-07:002009-07-06T16:20:09.563-07:00Being fake<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Satan is the master deceiver, but I would say I’m pretty darn good at deceiving myself too!</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I like to be “good”, I like everything to be ok, and I </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">really</span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> like to be right. Because of this, when I pray and present myself before God, I often only “reveal” surface level things about me and my life at that moment.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I’m Whitney after all, and I’m “good.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Help!</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">How pathetic is that?</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px; "><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">God already knows every intimate detail about me, who am I fooling?</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">Only myself.</span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">God is our heavenly </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">loving</span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "> Father, he wants us to seek him (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%204:29;&version=31;">Deut. 4:29</a>), to love him (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%206:5;&version=31;">Deut. 6:5</a>), to cast all our burdens on him (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2011:28-30;&version=31;">Mat. 11:28-30</a>), and to be friends with him (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2015:15;&version=31;">John 15:15</a>). If I do not choose to be intimate with God, then God becomes a “Force” whom I either view to be manipulated, or to be displeased with me.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">When he’s a “Force”, I falsely seek to please Him. It is false, because I don’t seek to please out of love for God or to bring </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">Him</span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "> glory.</span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">In my twisted mind I think if I just do “enough” to keep God happy and keep some imaginary “good” classification before God, then everything is ok.*</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">But this is not ok!</span><b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "> </span></span></b></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">When I do this I am being completely fake!</span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "> </span></b></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">In order to have a fully enriching and fruitful relationship with God, I need him to be my closest friend.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">I need to do all the things I normally do with my closest friends: not be fake for starters, spend time with God, </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; ">trust</span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "> him, respect him, communicate (not just me talking all the time, but actually taking time to listen to him), not be controlling, not be duplicitous (<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206:24;&version=31;">Matthew 6:24</a>), and even going through trials together which bring us closer.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">When I take down my defenses and get real with God, I discover great freedom.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I find Proverbs 28:13 to be so true, “He who conceals his sins </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">does not prosper</span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">When I confess my sin, bluntly tell God my frustrations,** let him take my burdens, trust him with my future, seek him alone, and listen to him, I find so much peace.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Another perk of confessing my sin, is that I recognize I’m no more worthy than anybody else of God’s favor and grace.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">With this recognition comes humility, which I don’t always possess a lot of, but humility is essential to be an instrument of God who calls us to love, love, love </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">everyone</span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Having pride, or selfishness, does not allow me to love to the full extent of which I am called by God.</span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(I read <a href="http://wmcc.jointhejourney.com/log/30725">this</a> devotion today, which talks of pride and humility and it spoke to my heart so feel free to check it out!)</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Abba Father, I am sorry for when I do not come to you in my times of need, forgive me of my pride.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Help me to lay down my pride and selfishness daily and instead take up humility and love.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Give me the</span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> energy </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">and</span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> compassion</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> to love others as you do Father.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Help me to recognize myself for the unworthy sinner that I am so that I can recognize my need of you, and so that I am not proud or judgmental.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thanks for listening to me and loving me always. I am in</span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> absolute </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">awe that you count me as your friend.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Yours,</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Amen</span></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">*By the way, this type of thinking fuels the </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">lie</span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> that God likes you when you’re good and when you’re not then he doesn’t.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Instead, God’s love is steadfast and unchanging, and he loves us always.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">When we believe the lie it prevents us from having the pure, intimate relationship with God that we are called to have.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">**Yes, you can tell God when you’re ticked, either at him or others, and even use violent language if necessary.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Why? Because you’re being honest and real which is necessary for a healthy relationship with anyone. Once you let your frustration out you’re more ready to move on and more willing to take God’s hand to help you up. If you don’t you may become embittered toward God.</span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If you look you’ll find many Psalmists (loudly) voiced their frustrations as well!</span></span><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15327786202354051851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4899749084383939082.post-43569658675403671432009-05-27T10:19:00.000-07:002009-05-31T11:10:03.172-07:00Check yourself<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I recently finished reading the second book of Francine Rivers' Mark of the Lion series (I love the series so far!), and as I read about the developments in one of the character's life, my conscience was struck with the realization that I do not know for certain if I am doing God's will. In the book, the character of Phoebe pours herself out and wears herself down while caring for poor widows and their families. She visits them everyday, sews new clothing for them every night, and brings them food, money, and love. However, though noble and good, this is </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">not</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> God's will for her at this time. Eventually, Phoebe suffers a stroke, becomes paralyzed on one side of her body, and can no longer communicate by talking, yet she is still fully aware. It is in this state that she truly understands and accepts God's will for her, which is to pray unceasingly for her two children who rejected God and live lives that no mother would want for her children. Before the stroke, Phoebe was too busy and too fatigued from her work with the poor to pray for her children. I think she subconsciously used her work to distract her from facing the messed up state of her children's lives, thus avoiding and failing to pray for them when they needed it most.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We so easily get distracted! This is especially true here in the U.S. Our lives our busy and filled with excess. Not only that, but we are told to seek our own; the media is full of messages that we are number one, our needs are first, and we can fill our needs by doing x, y, and z. In response to this, God may choose to take us by the shoulders and plunk us down into situations (possibly not as serious as a stroke!) where we have no choice but to be redirected. This may be frustrating and confusing at first, but then often we have that "Ahhh, yeah, ok, I get it God" moment. God did not have to "redirect" me for me to come to the realization that I don't truly know if I am doing God's will. I don't know his will because I havn't asked him recently. I felt God leading me in his will a couple of months ago and so I started down that path, but I haven't consulted him since! I've just gone on my merry little way, asking for help and guidance with certain things, but never pausing long enough to actually <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">listen</span> to God. How could God give me guidance when I would not be lead? Yes, God is all powerful and he could sit me down and tell me how it is, but that is not his nature. From the beginning he's given us choices and he's let us make them for better or for worse.* </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.churchinchapelhill.com/a-confession/"></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In order to follow and carry out God's will we must <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">seek</span> his will. It doesn't work to go about our daily lives focused on ourselves and only pay attention to Him when life gets bumpy. We are called to a greater purpose. If I truly desire to know God's will, then I must have both eyes open wide and see beyond myself. I must seek God every single day so that I can be filled up with his Holy Word (</span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=4&verse=4&version=31&context=verse"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Matthew 4:4</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">), which brings wisdom, truth, lasting joy, peace, comfort, protection, and displays God's unceasing love. With my eyes open and the armor of God on, I can go and do God's good and perfect will--with his help of course! Romans 12:2</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> "</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><sup id="en-NIV-28233" class="versenum" value="2" style=" font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; line-height: normal; font-size:0.65em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Do not </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">conform</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> any longer to the pattern of this world, but be </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">transformed</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Don't know if you're doing God's will? A pastor once told me that you know if you are doing God's will if you are "bearing fruit," for this is what Christ appointed us to do (</span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=50&chapter=15&verse=16&version=31&context=verse"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">John 15:16</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and </span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=52&chapter=7&verse=4&version=31&context=verse"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Romans 7:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">4</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">). There are two main thoughts on what Jesus and Paul are referring to when they say to "bear fruit." One thought, is that when we bear fruit we will possess the fruits of the spirit </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><sup id="en-NIV-29169" class="versenum" value="22" style=" font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; line-height: normal; font-size:0.65em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">22</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, </span></span><sup id="en-NIV-29170" class="versenum" value="23" style=" font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; line-height: normal; font-size:0.65em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">23</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(Galatians 5:22-23) So in this case we will know if we're doing the will of God if these qualities make up who we are. The other thought is that to bear fruit is to show God's light to the lost, so that they may see and believe and no longer be lost, but be adopted as sons and daughters of God (</span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=52&chapter=8&verse=23&version=31&context=verse"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Romans 8:23</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">)--this would be bearing fruit for God's harvest </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"</span></span><sup id="en-NIV-26183" class="versenum" value="36" style=" font-weight: bold; vertical-align: text-top; line-height: normal; font-size:0.65em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">36</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together."</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> John 4:36. This "harvest" is God claiming as his own, thus granting eternal life, all who claim Jesus as their savior. I believe that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">both</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> of these thoughts are what it means to bear fruit as both work perfectly together. The first step to bearing fruit is to give up control and completely trust in the Lord </span><sup id="en-NIV-19365" class="versenum" value="7" style="vertical-align: text-top; line-height: normal; font-size:0.65em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">7</span></span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">8</span> He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Jeremiah 17:7-8 </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Father God, I am sorry for not seeking your will but instead selfishly and ignorantly always following my own. Help me not to deceive myself by pretending to seek your will just so that I can put a "check mark in the box." Instead, let me seek after you with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind, and with all my strength. I will need your help in doing this Lord! I am so easily distracted! Let it be as it is in the prayer you taught us to pray, "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven." Wow! If your will was done on earth as it is in heaven, earth would be unrecognizable! It would be a utopia where unselfish love for one another would abound. Help me to seek you in whatever I do, for it is my desire to glorify you and you alone will sustain me, you alone can give me my deepest desires. Thank you for banishing worry and fear, thank you for giving me peace and purpose, thank you for your absolute faithfulness and love. All glory be to you, in Jesus name, Amen.</span></span></div><div><sup id="en-NIV-26181" class="versenum" value="34" style=" vertical-align: text-top; line-height: normal; font-size:0.65em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">34</span></span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work." John 4:34</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102); font-family: 'Charis SIL'; font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">*</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Because he loves us he doesn't force us to do anything, but rather leads us using the Bible, and the circumstances were faced with, some disciplinary, are all to his glory, all to refine us and make us more like him.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Verdana;"><div class="result-text-style-normal" style="font-family: 'Charis SIL', charis, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; "><p></p></div></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div>Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15327786202354051851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4899749084383939082.post-51090536830664539132009-05-18T12:41:00.000-07:002009-05-21T17:03:52.226-07:00<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Times;"><div style="BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 3px; PADDING-LEFT: 3px; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 3px; MARGIN: 0px; FONT: 100% Georgia, serif; WIDTH: auto; PADDING-TOP: 3px; TEXT-ALIGN: left; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px"><div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">The Right Mindset</span></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><div><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I've discovered that I </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">often</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> could care less about God's big plan, for the world or for me. Usually, I'm completely caught up in the here and now, my mind is preoccupied with it and I can't see beyond it. In the mornings I think about the day before me and the possible challenges I might face at work, or the things I want to get done around the house that night. I focus on the weeks and weekends and how busy each is going to be or how I'm looking forward to spending time with Scott once it is the weekend, or once fill-in-the-blank. Usually, the farthest I look into the future is a couple of years from now, wondering what I will do for my occupation or if I will go back to school for something. I am happy when everything goes my way, I can become moody when things don't. I am focused mostly on me in the here and now. If you are like me well, I'm afraid there is something very wrong with our mindsets!</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><div><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In Colossians 3:1-2 Paul writes </span><span style="color:#ff6666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Or as The Message translation of the Bible puts it: </span><span style="color:#ff6666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"1-2 So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective." </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You see, the world is so much bigger than us! When we are focused on whatever is right in front of us we fail to see the "grand design." We chase after meaningless, worldly things though in the end they gain us nothing, if not bitterness. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It is important to think bigger than the here and now when we consider the things we desire for ourselves, when things are going well, and when life is challenging. When I desire things, an "eternal outlook" helps to keep me from desiring/idolizing/worshipping worldly things that really aren't that good for me and will turn to "dust" (Ecclesiastes!). When times are good, this outlook helps me to keep things in perspective and reminds me what I am here for, to do God's will and bless others. When times are tough having an eternal mindset can make all the difference.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Granted, I haven't experienced the tough times that some have, but I know that it is crucial during these times to follow the advice in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"</span></span><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-28860" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; VERTICAL-ALIGN: text-top; LINE-HEIGHT: normalfont-size:0.65em;" value="16"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">16</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. </span></span><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-28861" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; VERTICAL-ALIGN: text-top; LINE-HEIGHT: normalfont-size:0.65em;" value="17"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">17</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For our light and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">momentary</span></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> troubles are achieving for us an </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">eternal</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">glory that far outweighs them all. </span></span><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-28862" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; VERTICAL-ALIGN: text-top; LINE-HEIGHT: normalfont-size:0.65em;" value="18"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">18</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> First, in verse 16, I love that if we lean on God he gives us all the strength we need and he, The Living Water (John 4:10), The Bread of Life (John 6:35), renews and sustains us through difficult times. The struggles we experience are only momentary, and as Christians, what waits for us in eternity "</span><span style="color:#ff6666;"><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">far</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> outweighs them </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">all.</span></em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">" This means that if you put the worst things that happen to you, or anyone, in this life here on earth on one side of a balance and the glory of eternal life in God's presence on the other side of the balance there is </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">no</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> competition! Or as Paul writes in Romans 8:18 </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"</span></span><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-28120" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; VERTICAL-ALIGN: text-top; LINE-HEIGHT: normal" value="18"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">18</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">and Paul was definitely a man who knew what suffering was. The promise of eternity with God is too great, God's just too awesome! Praise God!</span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><div><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">When I look back on the tougher times in my life I can see benefits that have resulted from each one. In middle school, I struggled through some hard times and at that time I wasn't too happy with God for allowing these struggles, but now I believe God put these struggles in place to </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">prevent</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> me from going down a certain detrimental path that I am sure I would have otherwise. Then in highschool, God addressed what caused me so much pain in middle school, and blessed me with something </span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">much</span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> greater than I had imagined as an answer to my prayers. Thank you God! I have seen similar things happen in others lives as well, where God denies us something, or gives us hardship, only for things to come out much better than they would have otherwise. Remember, we can only see a teeny, tiny, microscopic amount of what is really going on and what is really going to best for us.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div></div></span><div><span style="color:#336666;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As I make an effort to shift my mindset to focus more on the eternal, I need to remember that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"in all things God is working for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">his</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> purpose . . . to be conformed to the likeness of his son."</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Romans 8:28-29. Though things may not be stellar, God is working for my ultimate good and that good is to do God's will as he conforms me to the likeness of his Son. I have been, and will continue to be "refined like silver in a furnace of clay" as </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">refined</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time." </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(Daniel 11:35) and while being refined isn't a whole lot of fun, I have already seen the benefits of time when I was "refined" in college. I can think of three very significant things that resulted from it, all of them positive. You see, if I adopt an eternal mindset I can have patience and I can bear through tough times knowing that God has my best interest in mind. Instead of hopelessness I will have hope. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"</span><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-28038" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; VERTICAL-ALIGN: text-top; LINE-HEIGHT: normal" value="5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">5</span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> Romans 5:5 Along with this mindset, let us also keep in mind Romans 8:38 "</span><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-28140" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; VERTICAL-ALIGN: text-top; LINE-HEIGHT: normal" value="38"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">38</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, </span></span><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-28141" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; VERTICAL-ALIGN: text-top; LINE-HEIGHT: normal" value="39"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">39</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="COLOR: rgb(255,102,102)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."</span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="color:#336666;"></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span></span> </span></p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;color:#336666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><div><br /></div></span>Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15327786202354051851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4899749084383939082.post-69510049833598341892009-04-26T11:31:00.000-07:002009-04-26T13:25:34.755-07:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After reading my post about pride, a friend was kind enough to share with me this prayer that she wrote a few years back when she discovered in herself this troublesome companion and with her permission I share it with you now.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Deliver</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"> me, Jesus</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">From the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">desire</span> of being loved . . .</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">From the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">desire</span> of being honored . . .</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">From the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">desire</span> of being praised . . .<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">From the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">desire</span> of being preferred to others . . .<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">From the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">desire </span>of being consulted . . .</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">From the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">desire</span> of being approved . . .<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">From the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">fear</span> of being humiliated . . .</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">From the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); ">fear</span> of being despised . . .<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">From the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); ">fear</span> of suffering rebuke . . .<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">From the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); ">fear</span> of being forgotten . . .<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">From the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); ">fear</span> of being wrong . . .<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">From the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0); ">fear</span> of being suspected . . .<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">And Jesus, grant me the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">grace</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"> to desire</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">That <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">others</span> might be loved more that I . . .</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">That <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); ">others</span> might be esteemed more than I . . .<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">That in the opinion of the world, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">others</span> may increase as I decrease . . .</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">That <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); ">others</span> may be chosen and I set aside . . .<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">That <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); ">others</span> may be praised and I unnoticed . . .<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">That <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); ">others</span> may be preferred to me in everything . . .<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">That <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0); ">others</span> may become holier than I, provided that I become as holy as I should.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div> <!--EndFragment--> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> The words are so honest and cut right to my heart. I found that I <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">felt</span> I could pray and desire the first part in earnest, but when I got to the second half something within me started protesting. "Do I really have to desire that for others? Isn't the first part good enough and cover everything?" The answer is no. If I desire the first part with a pure and true heart then I desire the second, there is no difference. If I am truly free from the desire of being loved, praised, esteemed, then I should not protest when others are over me. The first part addresses pride (note: being self-conscious is a form of pride! Sneaky, eh?) and the second part is the application of Jesus' commandment in John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." Jesus clearly loved us more than he loved himself and we <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">cannot</span> love others with this selfless love <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">unless</span> we first pray the first half of this prayer and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, dispel our pride. With pride it is impossible to achieve the second half. It is impossible to be rid of pride without the help of God. We must choose to let go of our pride and this is not a one-and-done deal, we need to make this choice daily, if not more often. Can you imagine though if we kept Jesus' commandment and loved others as he loved us? We'd all be Mother Teresa! We would fulfill the verse following this commandment, John 13:35 "By this <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">all</span> men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre; "></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Father God, help me to recognize my pride and cast it aside, teach me to truly love others, let your will be my will. Give me the daily strength to do this--may I not be tempted otherwise. Forgive me of the times when I go my own way and help me to forgive others who have gone their own way and hurt me. To you be the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory forever. Amen.</span><br /></span></div></div>Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15327786202354051851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4899749084383939082.post-49306442209826948632009-04-05T17:07:00.000-07:002009-04-16T19:34:49.382-07:00<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">The Root of Sin</span></span></span></div><div><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Well, on the plus side I've identified what's been causing some problems in my life lately, but on the negative side, I cling to this very thing, it has been hard for me to get rid of, you see, it always comes back, or rather, I always bring it back. The name of my troublesome companion is Pride.</span></div><div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What is pride? Pride is an over-estimation of oneself . . . an undue confidence in one's accomplishments, skills, possessions, or position. Pride is easier identified in others than in oneself. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pride attributes glory to self</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. Christian thinkers Augustine and Aquinas considered </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">pride to be the very essence of sin</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. Pride contaminates virtue and turns virtue into sin . . . Vaunting myself above others because I consider myself spiritually stronger is sin. We will always be able to find those weaker than ourselves. Pride in my perceived virtue will keep me from the repentance I desperately need.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> I cannot over-value myself without at the same time under-valuing others.</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">-The Deceit of Pride</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> by Thomas R. Fletcher (emphasis added)<br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">These last few weeks I've been a little off, not my normal happy, cheery self, and I didn't know why until now. It started when Scott had a busy rotation in medical school, it had him getting up at 4:30AM, getting home at 7:30PM, then studying for his test, and going to bed at 10:00PM. I knew Scott needed to study for his test so I figured when he was home I'd let him study and busy myself with other things, like starting my Expeditions in the Kitchen blog. My "selfless act" of letting him study turned into a very self-centered thing. I expected to pursue and do whatever </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> wanted during this time not be interrupted. I am ashamed to admit that sometimes there was resentment when Scott would "interrupt" what I was doing and want to spend time with me. Couldn't he wait a little bit? We were both busy and under stress, we were both thinking about ourselves (most likely myself more than he), and so we bickered when we had never bickered before.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">PRIDE had reared its ugly head</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Proverbs 13:10 fulfilled: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pride only breeds quarrels</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, but wisdom is found in those who take advice."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Knot (a wedding magazine and website) was having a competition for the best wedding of 2008. Of course, I had to submit ours. I worked all afternoon one Saturday sorting through our pictures, finding the ones that represented it best, writing paragraphs that described each picture, and when I went to submit it that night the web page had expired and everything was lost. What a waste of time. Still on Sunday I was at it again, this time it was successfully submitted, but it was still a waste of valuable time. Why didn't I spend this time with Scott whom I hadn't seen very much the week before? Or call my family, or a friend, or read God's word, or do something else that enriches life? Because I sought my glory. This was meaningless and fruitless. Why do I seek after such things?</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">PRIDE</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ecclesiastes 2:11 fulfilled:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun."</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And on it went. I thought about what I'm going to do when Scott starts residency. Get a job I suppose, but would I be able to find one? What would I do? More research? Something I like more? Go to school? Needless to say all this thinking, or worrying, focused me on myself even more. When one worries, or is anxious, it is very hard to be fully aware of others around you and their needs, instead your mind is occupied with your worries/troubles and thus you are focused only on yourself. On top of this, worrying is a desire for control, and when we seek control we are not trusting God, instead "we know best." This is pride.<br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Matthew 6:25-34<br /><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">25"Therefore I tell you, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">do not worry about your life</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[</span></span></span><a title="See footnote b" href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=6&version=31&context=chapter#fen-NIV-23310b"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">b</span></span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">]?</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">first</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You see, what I have been doing these last few weeks may not be thought of right away as pride, but instead as selfishness. However, when I am downright honest with myself, my selfishness comes from my pride; from thinking I am better, more valuable, more important, more "worth it" than others. It is this pride/selfishness that is the opposite of the humility described in Philippians 2:3-4 "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I had heard before that pride is the root of all sin. I didn't believe it when I heard it but I now confess it to be true. When you are prideful you consider yourself to be #1. If you're number one, God is not. You are not seeking </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Him</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, you are not seeking to love others as He does, and so you botch God's plan (for the moment, praise God for mercy!), you bicker, you glorify/worship yourself, you cannot fully trust God, you judge others, you are a hypocrite. So take care, next time your mind is filled with thoughts of yourself, any thoughts, positive or negative, check for pride and get rid of it! Instead seek His truth and His will. I've found the greatest fulfillment comes from going after God's Kingdom. Take it from me, life is better when not preoccupied with self! </span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Other thoughts on pride taken from "The Deceit of Pride" by Thomas R. Fletcher</span></div><div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pride deceives us in many ways. Pride deceives us into believing we are self-sufficient. Pride can deceive us into thinking we have a special line of communication to God because of our virtue, that we are somehow more special to God than others. Pride deceives us into believing the good we receive from God is somehow deserved. Pride deceives us into thinking we are better than others and in so doing makes us worse. Pride isolates us from those we look down upon. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pride hardens the heart.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We lose compassion for others</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pride brings discontent</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. It makes us feel we lack the recognition we deserve. Pride brings contention--we can't all have first place, so we fight about it. Pride denies guilt, it rationalizes and justifies actions, but refuses to accept blame. Pride leads to presumption upon God. Ultimately pride will lead the Christian to disappointment with God. We go off on our own, assuming we are "God directed," only to have things fall apart. We then feel that God has let us down. No, we have let God down by going our own way while claiming His direction.<br /></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">and<br /></span><p align="left"></p><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pride is an abomination to God (Proverbs 16:5). It is abhorrent to Him for at least two reasons: one is the separation it brings between us and Himself and the second is the separation it brings between us and others. A proud Christian is of more service to Satan than to God. Such a one can keep others from Christ.</span></blockquote><p></p></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">For his full article, click</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.proseandphotos.com/Pride.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">here</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />Bible quoted from NIV translation on</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">biblegateway.com</span></span></span></a><br /><br /><div></div></div>Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15327786202354051851noreply@blogger.com0