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August 10, 2014

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Church & Worship, Family, Friends & Fellowship, Love & Works

WHEN ONE PART SUFFERS, WE ALL DO

Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. [Matthew 24:9 (NLT)]

This morning, while we sit peacefully in our churches and worship without fear, Christians in the Middle East are victims in a campaign of terror. Iraqi extremists are systematically wiping out the Assyrian Christians of northern Iraq, an ancient culture that converted to Christianity early in the first century. Offered the choices of abandoning their homes, paying an enormous tax, immediately converting to Islam or death, it appears that no matter what choice is made, death is usually the result. This is not a political forum and I can’t pretend to have any idea how to end this tragedy, but I know we can’t ignore religious persecution just because it is on the other side of the world. Something has to be done to ensure the rights and physical survival of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Action must be taken to protect the Assyrians, humanitarian efforts are desperately needed to aid the many refugees, and displaced families should be allowed to safely return to their ancestral homes. Please, remember these fellow Christians in your prayers.

Father, give courage, strength and hope to those who are persecuted because of their belief in you. Guide the world’s leaders to find a way to stop this campaign of terror. Guide us to know how we, as members of the Christian community, can help them in their troubles. Protect your suffering children and fill our hearts with love and compassion.

Not only do Assyrian Christians lay claim to some of the oldest literary, architectural, and geographical artefacts of Christianity, they also speak the language of Jesus. All of this history – along with the lives of thousands of families – is on the verge of destruction. Christianity is facing extinction in the places where it first emerged. [Op-Ed by Nuri Kino, in 8/4/2014 “Huffington/World Post”]

If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. [1 Corinthians 12:26-27 (NLT)]

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. [1 Timothy 2:1 (NLT)]

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August 7, 2014

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Peace of God, Trusting God

OUR ROCK OF REFUGE

ROCK9393aWEBTurn your ear toward me. Rescue me quickly. Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me. [Psalm 31:2 (GW)]

Naomi Sachs, a landscape architect and designer of hospital healing gardens, says this about safe havens: “We feel safest when we can see with a clear view – prospect – from a safe vantage point without being seen – refuge.” While hiking one day, I saw a rock that made me think of David’s “rock of refuge.” High in the mountains, it afforded a clear view of the valley below and yet provided both a place of concealment and shelter from a storm. Of course, David was speaking figuratively when he likened God to a rock of refuge. It was not until I read Sachs’ words, however, that I truly understood why this metaphor is so apropos. We can’t all climb a mountain and rest in the shade of a huge boulder while gazing out at the world below us, but we all do have a rock of refuge that welcomes us: our Lord. He not only provides a vantage point for our lives but also shelter, protection and salvation.

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my Savior, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the strength of my salvation, my stronghold. [Psalm 18:2 (GW)]

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August 6, 2014

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Obedience, Prayer

LISTENING

Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. [Psalm 5:3 (NLT)]

I expect God to listen to me, but do I listen to him?
When he calls, do I answer?
When he speaks, do I hear?
When he commands, do I obey?
Perhaps it’s time to remember why He gave me two ears and only one mouth!

We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak. [Epictetus]

Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my plea! Answer me because you are faithful and righteous. [Psalm 143:1 (NLT)]

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August 4, 2014

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Attitudes & Behavior, Fruit of the Spirit, God's Plan, Obedience, Spiritual Gifts

WHAT’S YOUR PURPOSE?

We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. [Colossians 1:9b-10 (NLT)]

What is my purpose, my goal, in life? Now in my seventh decade, I still vacillate over the answer. Moreover, the answer seems to have changed over the years. Was it to be an obedient child and a good student? To be a good mother and homemaker? Is it now to be a loving grandmother? Has it been to be a community volunteer? Is it now to be a writer? Was it to help my husband in business? Is it now to enjoy retirement?

What is our purpose in life? Is it to be someone, have something, achieve a special goal, accomplish a specific task, or to amass a particular amount of money? Upon reading the Bible, however, I realize there is no reason to be uncertain when answering that question. Our purpose is clearly laid out for us in Jesus’ own words:

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” [Matthew 22:37-40 (NLT)]

 

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August 3, 2014

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God's Plan, Prayer, Trusting God

HIS FATHER’S PLAN

And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” [Luke 2:49 (NKJV)]

When Jesus tasted the vinegar, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and died. [John 19:30 (NCV)]

Even Jesus had to follow a plan: God’s plan. Jesus knew what he had to do, he did it, and he knew when it was completed. God has plans for us, too. Too often, however, His plans are not the plans we have in mind. Instead of asking God to bless the plan we make, let’s ask God to make our plan be the one that He blesses!

This agrees with the purpose God had since the beginning of time, and he carried out his plan through Christ Jesus our Lord [Ephesians 3:11 (NCV)]

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August 2, 2014

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God's Word: The Bible, Love & Works, Obedience

WHOSE LAW IS IT?

Then he asked them, “Is it right to do good or to do evil on the day of worship, to give a person back his health or to let him die?” But they were silent. [Mark 3:4 (GW)]

“You’ll go to Hell if you do that,” was the judgmental pronouncement given to my friend because she would be the witness at her son’s wedding to an atheist. Whose law was that, God’s or man’s?

In Exodus 20, God commanded that the seventh day was supposed to be a day of worship and rest. By the time of Jesus, however, the religious leaders had made many additions to that law with complicated designations of what was considered “work” and what was “rest”. Except in an emergency, healing was considered “work” and unlawful on the Sabbath. Of course, there were more explanations of what defined an “emergency”.

Although Jesus knew the law, he healed on the Sabbath at least seven times. Which honored God more: giving sight to a blind man or ignoring his need? Which brought someone closer to God: healing a lame man or walking away from him?

Those two questions can continue to guide our behavior today. Which honors God more: being loving or judgmental? Which might bring someone closer to God: seeing His love in an accepting mother-in law or starting a marriage with discord, strife and disapproval? Demonstrating God’s love and grace is the best witnessing we can ever do. Jesus gave us the only two commandments we really need: love God and love our neighbor. They should always be our guide in every action; if we follow these two mandates, we can’t go wrong!

Jesus answered him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’” [Matthew 22:37-39 (GW)]