Tonight starts our new bible study. We are studying Lisa Bevere’s Nurture book. Cost is $12.00 for the workbook. Can’t wait to see all of you there!
When my husband calls me these days my ringtone sings a Jason Mraz song whose lyrics go, “Happy to be loved by my best friend, happy to have been where I have been….”
Hold up though, where I’ve been has been pretty rough. A widow at 35, held at gunpoint in a stalker/attempted kidnapping, married my husband and then went through the hell of blending a family and being labeled the wicked stepmother. So how can I relate to a song that says, “happy to have been where I have been”?
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Somehow when all is said and done, I have walked through the darkness and come out in the dawn. My faith has been tried and tested and it looms larger than life. I have huge faith for you too because I know that I am not God’s favorite kid, he treats us all that way.
I have learned big huge lessons and today it’s good to be alive, I couldn’t always say that. I have somehow fallen into the arms of the Father and he has placed me in a wonderful place. I have a husband who loves me. We aren’t perfect but I could tell you stories that would show you the miracle of our marriage and that we survived the white water rapid-like beginning of it. My kids are grown and doing well. My stepkids, whom I call stepkids for this writing only, have settled down and we have a good relationship now. I work at a job I love. I have good friends.
So here you have living proof that even when we go through trials and it feels like you’re not going to make it, you will! You’ll learn something with every goodbye. You’ll somehow or another wake up each and everyday, and if you’ll apply your faith, forget about your “right” to be okay all the time, realize life happens and suffering happens, you’ll see the dayspring as well. The bible says, it rains on the just and the unjust. Meaning life is just life, there are hills and valleys for all of us. There are great lessons to learn if you’ll walk it out and not throw yourself down on the ground and throw a fit. Through this process I’ve learned that God was with me even in the dark days, that all I had to do was take his hand and trust him to lead me to light and show me a few things about the process in the meantime.
Just like the day, it’s always darkest before the dawn, but the sun does eventually come out. Here is a Josh Wilson song that touches my heart.
Before The Morning
Misc 1
(PRE-CHORUS 1)
Someday somehow you’ll see you’ll see
Chorus 1
Would you dare would you dare to believe
That you still have a reason to sing
‘Cause the pain that you’ve been feeling
It can’t compare to the joy that’s coming
So hold on you gotta wait for the light
Press on and just fight the good fight
‘Cause the pain that you’ve been feeling
It’s just the dark before the morning
Verse 1
Do you wonder why you have to
Feel the things that hurt you
If there’s a God
Who loves you where is He now
Verse 2
Maybe there are things you can’t see
And all those things are happening
To bring a better ending
Verse 3
My friend you know how this all ends
You know where you’re going
You just don’t know how you’ll get there
So say a prayer
Verse 4
And hold on
‘Cause there’s good for those who love God
But life is not a snapshot
It might take a little time
But you’ll see the bigger picture
Misc 2
(PRE-CHORUS 2)
Once you feel the weight of glory
All your pain will fade to memory
Chorus 2
It’s just the hurt before the healing
Oh the pain that you’ve been feeling
It’s just the dark before the morning
CCLI Song No. 5520800
© Ariose Music | Ben Glover Co-Publishing Designee | Meaux Hits (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) | (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) | (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)
Ben Glover | Josh Wilson
For use solely with the SongSelect Terms of Use. All rights Reserved. http://www.ccli.com
CCLI License No. 2285171
Work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete), your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ). Philippians 2:12 Amplified
I think that’s the crux of the issue we have as Christians in America. We trust ourselves more than we trust God. Do we worry about whatever might offend God? Do we say we are Christians and then live like fools doing whatever is pleasing to ourselves and forgetting that in the process we discredit the name of Christ, which includes the church, and the congregation? If I am calling myself a Christian, and living contrary to what the bible says, then do I stain your name as a believer?
Mark 11:12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
Matthew:25:34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37″Then the righteous will answer him, ‘LORD, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’40 “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
Just a quick thought today. Do you have fruit to feed others when they are hungry? Inasmuch as you have fruit to feed others you feed Jesus. Nothing goes unnoticed. Let’s be fruit bearers. Fruit bearers who notice people who are not just hungry for food, although that’s a big consideration, but hungry for life giving word and love.
So last night we had V.I.P.’s, our youth group, service at the new building. It was significant in that our vision is reach the next generation for Christ. That building is not the church until the people unite there. It was built so that generations from now, followers of Christ will still have the opportunity to unite in the name of Jesus.
I don’t know if the youth understood the significance of the moment until I pointed it out. Then I saw the lightbulb go off and the smiles come onto their faces and I saw a different posture. A posture of ownership and meaning. We had communion there last night, before the grand opening and the first sermon, a gathering the willing leaders of the future. The youth looked as solemn as youth can look when in the presence of other youth.
You’ll never know how that touched my heart. I am part of something so much bigger than myself and it makes everything else in my life so insignificant. To work to bring Jesus to the hearts of youth blesses me. To work daily in the service of our Lord is a privilege. Sometimes, I must admit, that I am like the youth were yesterday in that I fail to recognize the honor in what I get to do, and then it hits me, and humbles me, like it did last night.
We sang this song last night, acoustically, a guitar and youth voices. It doesn’t get better than that!
Today we have a guest writer! TQO one of our TLC friends wrote this as a help to everyone who reads this blog. Enjoy!
Play Now-Pay Later vs. Pay Now-Play Later. One way financially binds you vs. the other way financially Frees you. It’s your choice. Because Money does matter… to God, to you, and to me. You want to be in control of your finances, not your finances in control of you. Don’t get buried in “interest”, “contracts”, “termination fees”. Every decision matters, even the cell phone and cable. It is easier said than done. It takes hard work, commitment, planning. I call it “Diligence”.
Lenders & credit card companies will qualify you for more than you can afford, appealing to your “I want it now” need. They are setting you up to fail, in order to make their sale. In the long haul, it may have been better for you to have waited until you could have saved more. It is up to YOU to create your own limits.
My husband and I agree on our monthly budget log. It begins with
I Cor. 4:2 “Moreover it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful”.
We then list the 1st paycheck date of the month and the bills to be paid from that, and then the 2nd paycheck date of the month and the bills to be paid from that. We then include any special extras and any big expenses for that month from our “goals for the year” log. We plan the best we can, and leave room for unexpected emergencies.
We’ve tried teaching this to our teen class, but their mind set is on Play Now, Pay Later. The advertising companies are smart to capture this age bracket. Our teens seem to understand they could be paying up to 3times as much for the same item, but for now they just shrug their shoulders as if to say, I’d rather have it now anyway.
Back when I was young and naive, I found myself responsible for over $16,000.00 in credit card debt. It was not my fault, but I had to take action to protect my credit. Praise to the Lord, that debt was paid in full in 9 years, and not one cent to interest! I received 0% interest applications with zero balance transfer fees as needed until it was done! I am now free and loving the financial freedom!
I have spent some precious time in serious meditation and prayer these days. Yes, there’s a difference between the two. Prayer is my dialogue with the Lord. It’s me, coming before the Lord and pouring my heart out, letting him know what is going on in my life and the direction I’d like it to go. Meditation is where I am still. It’s where I allow his pursuit of me to show me things altogether different from the perspective I have.
With the church just weeks away from completion my prayers have been about smooth transition, wisdom in not getting so caught up in the newness that we forget it’s a building but that the people are what’s important. It’s about the logistics of how it’s all going to happen and who we will call on to help. It’s about lists for the dedication service and not leaving anyone out.
My meditations, however, have been about comfort. The Lord showed me that in every stage of my life, I’ve gotten comfortable and that I mourn transition. When I was a stay-at-home mom and my youngest reached kindergarten, I took a part-time job. Yet, I struggled with the decision. When I took a full-time job and transitioned into a corporate lifestyle I mourned once again, and again when I went into ministry. Each new level, left me looking back at what I was missing. Yet, I can’t deny the fact that each new level had its own exciting possibilities that the others didn’t and it also had its challenges. So for me, it’s about a thought process and on one hand, a trepidation of walking a new path, on the other hand, an excitement of possibilities and challenges.
Yet life changes from thing to thing does it not? I mean my titles have changed throughout my adult life but I am still a mom, I am still an administrator, I am still in ministry, I am still Susan. My perspectives have changes and my skills and abilities have changed and I am more comfortable in my skin. My husband took this picture of me recently and I noticed new wrinkles over the last few years. Yes, the smile is still the same but my eyes show a contentment that I feel in my soul and an anticipation for what the future holds.
Our titles change, our goals change, our lives are shaped differently than we ever could have imagined, but God is at work in our lives. He is molding a life that has adventure and risk. He is calling us all to not get too comfortable in any aspect of our life because one thing is for sure, things will change and more will be required of us. Are you ready for the challenge God has for you? Are you ready to do a new thing? Mourning the old is healthy and natural, but don’t get stuck in the process to where it takes too long and you miss your next step. We must move forward into the things of God for that is where our real future lies!
Luke 19:10. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.
Ask any follower of Christ who was lost in this passage, and they shout, “Humanity”. They would be correct. Jesus came to save humanity from death. The problem is that we have this idea that Jesus only hung out with fishermen, prostitutes and tax collectors. While he did hang out with them, he also hung out with church folk.
Only wait a minute! He came to seek and save what was lost so what was he doing in the church? Sometimes, the person you sit next to in church is so lost. Sometimes we convince ourselves that we are saved.
Ah!! The honesty of a three year-old. I remember it well. I was struck at how often we followers of Christ do the same thing. Oh, we love God when he gives us cookies, or in our adult cases, money, cars, our own way, but we don’t like it much when he says no.
Fortunately, this child will grow up and become a man in his 20’s and realize that his mom knows best and that because of her love, she always had his best interest at heart. Unfortunately, many followers will never come to that realization.
John 3:1. Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.
2. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.”3. In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. “
In this passage Jesus says no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. That word see means to know, to perceive, to behold.
4. “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”
5. Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
6. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
Then Jesus continues and says to enter the kingdom of God we have to be born of water AND the Spirit. That word enter means to arise, to come into.
So we see that there are two distinct transitions in a believer’s life. One, where he sees the kingdom of God, as in the three year old who sees his mom as either likable or not, depending on what she is requiring of him. The other where the believer enters the kingdom of God, as in the three year old, a few years down the road, who understands that because his mother loves him, she says no sometimes.
So we see two distinct types of believers.
John 1:12. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God
These are believers who are called children by mere fact of birth. They are the ones who see the kingdom of God. They are the three year-old who proclaim, I love you but I don’t like you all the time. Or in Christian language, “God why is this always happening to me?”
Romans 8:14. because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
These are believers who are called sons because of character or behavior. They’ve matured, they live being guided by the Holy Spirit. In Christian language, “I know You have a purpose and even though I don’t understand it, I know you’ll make a way.”
Galatians 4:1. What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate.
This believer is an heir, meaning he should be growing and maturing, but if he is still being told what to do and how to do it then he is still not walking in the freedom of Holy Spirit.
So do a gut check today. Are you still letting God know you love him, but don’t really trust him, or like him a whole lot, or have you figured out that it all works together for good, and it will be alright in the end?
As we get ready to go back to our building after the fire and the rebuild, I can’t help but thank God for the blessing of a temporary building! It was God’s provision for this time. So today, I want to honor God and thank him for the roof over our heads. Here is a picture of the gathering of the willing ones!
Pastor Susan 