Week 7: Thy Kingdom Come

Who ascend to the hill of the Lord?

Psalm 24:3-4

Who shall dwell in the hill of the Lord?

Psalm 15:1

Thoughts to ponder

 

Goats are very intelligent animals. They can be trained to pull carts and walk on leads. Goats are also known to test their fences and escape.

Sheep are related to goats but they have a flocking behavior. Not only do they stick together but they also follow their leader to greener pastures.

On the day of judgement Jesus will separate the goats and the sheep. 

Read Matthew 25:31-46

Are you a goat or a sheep?

Do you test your fences and escape to greener pastures or do you follow your leader's call to the right pasture?

Is God welcome in your home and in your heart? Do you flock near Him?

Action Steps

"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him." 2 Chronicles 16:9

Consider the story of Manasseh.

Read 2 Chronicles 33:1-20

The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people but they paid no attention.

Pray and ask God to reveal to you the times when you did not pay attention.

The king of Assyria captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze.

What bondage are you in? Are you aware of that bondage? Pray that God will show you your areas of bondage.

Manasseh prayed to God and God was moved. Then he knew that the Lord was God.

Do know that you know that you know that the Lord IS God? 

The voice in the wilderness is still crying "repent for the kingdom is near."

Prayer

If you have never accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior but have felt the calling, run back to your shepherd and accept him in your heart.

 Maybe you have been a Christian for a while but have wondered away from the flock tempted by the "freedom" that others seem to enjoy. Repent and return to your shepherd. He will keep you safe and lead you in the best pastures for you.

"When you get up in the morning, there is a presence and you do not feel it. There is a light and you do not see it. You get up in the morning and there is a voice but you cannot hear it."  

Tozer, "And he dwelt among us"

Pray for His Kingdom to come, right here, right now in your heart that you may feel, see and hear.

Memorize Psalm 139:23-24

 

Week 4: Family

What makes a family?

If you are following the news and/or Hollywood you will know that family has been broaden to same sex couples and the right to have children outside of wedlock. If you value the judo-christian model of family you are qualified as an outdated and old fashioned snob. I can live with that. Can you?

Family is God's design and His first covenant with us. Family is important to God and therefore family is important to us. Strength comes from family.

So what makes a family?

Prayer focus

Remember that you are part of God's family. John  3:16
As part of God's family pray that you will always honor the name you bear. Proverbs 11:29
Be mindful and watchful over your family. Proverbs 31:15

Thoughts to ponder

"Commitment, prayer, romance, forgiveness and even Legos are all part of growing a spiritually strong family. I challenge you to become a part of a family revolution, one that reclaims our world for the glory of God—one heart, one marriage, one home at a time." Dennis Rainey

Action Steps

Share God's words with your children Deuteronomy 6:6-7
Pray for your husband Proverbs 31:30
Pray for your children
Pray for your extended family
Lift up the family of believers Hebrews 10:25
Make God the cornerstone of your home Psalm 127:1


Memory Verse Ecclesiastes 4:12

Week 3: Wisdom

I have found it difficult to ponder wisdom. The topic is so wide and I am not wise. Then I remembered this quote by Dr Seuss "Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple."

What is wisdom?

According to the Hebrew culture, "Chokhmah (wisdom) is a response to the teaching (torah) of the personal God (YHVH), who is holy and just, and who expects those who know him to exhibit His character in the affairs of life."

Wisdom is a response to the teaching of God. 

From the NIV version there are 219 mentions of wisdom and 189 mentions of the word wise.

This seems like a good place to start.

Prayer Focus

Ask God to fill you with wisdom James 1:5

Ask God to reveal to you times when you have been wise in your own eyes Proverbs 3:7

Pray that when making decisions you will fear God more than men Psalm 11:10

Ask God to reveal to you how you react to heated situations Proverbs 29:11

Thoughts to Ponder

"knowledge is knowing the tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in your fruit salad." Miles Kington.

Ray Ortlund Jr. wrote that "Wisdom is more than brains. It is more than morals. We could memorize the whole Bible, and mean it from the heart, without wisdom. Wisdom is skill, expertise, competence that understands how life really works, how to achieve successful and even beautiful results." (Click here to read the rest of this article)

What wisdom do I speak? Proverbs 10:19

Do I rely on the wisdom of men or on the power of God? Proverbs 19:21

Do I walk in wisdom? 1 John 1:7

Do I think wisely? Luke 6:45

Action Steps

Pray, pray, pray and when you are done pray some more. 

Fear God in everything you say, think or do.

Look up all the verses on wisdom and memorize the ones that speak to your heart.

Read Job 28 and meditate on it.

 Memorize Job 28:28

Watch and sing along :)

Week 3 of "7 Weeks to a Healthier Heart" series

Week 2: Surrender

Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be they name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done...
Matthew 6:9-10

                                                                                                                                               

I have been crucified with Christ 

and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. 

The life I now live in the body, 

I live by faith in the Son of God, 

who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed 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.

Romans 12:1-2

Prayer focus...

Pray for a spirit of repentance, asking God to make you "faithful and true". 

Spend time in quiet prayer  examining your heart/mind for areas of  disobedience, disbelief, anxiety, rebellion, idolatry, unforgiveness...

Ask God to show you, to teach you, to empower you to "surrender" all to Him.

Ask for FAITH to believe.

Thoughts to ponder...

Have I surrendered my life to God and received eternal salvation?

Do I TRUST God? 

Am I following the ways of the world? Or am I following the way of God?

Am I faithful with my money, my time, my resources, my family....?

What do I need to surrender  today, right now?

Action Step...

One day or every day this week - physically “open your hands”, kneel, or lay down in position of surrender to the LORD asking Him to help you to trust Him fully.

Listen to praise and worship music and meditate on what it means to "surrender"

 SONG - Lead Me to the Cross

Share "your story" of surrendering to CHRIST with your family & with a friend this week.  

Pray with someone this week concerning these things. Be real & be specific as you pray.

Memorize: Galatians 2:20

Week 2 of "7 Weeks to a Healthier Heart" series

Week 1: Praise & Thanksgiving

Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens!  Ps 150:1

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are His*;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; 

give thanks to him and praise his name.For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. 
Psalm 100    
 *Psalm 100:3 Or and not we ourselves

Prayer focus...

Think on the words of this Psalm and Worship Him.

Spend extra time this week focusing on praising His name privately and publicly.

Pray for a joyful and thankful heart despite circumstances.

Thoughts to ponder...

What are 10 things off the top of your head you are thankful for?  

What trial or challenge are you presently or recently thankful for? 

How can you “enter His gates with thanksgiving & His courts with praise” this week?

Action Step...

Keep a praise/gratitude journal for self and/or family.

Make a praise jar for the summer and decide together a way to celebrate when the jar is filled.

Commit to waking up each morning with praise on your lips! Let the first words out of your mouth be a word of thanks or praise. "Thank You God for this day" Phil 4:4-13

Share your list of things you are thankful for with someone.

Memorize: Psalm 100  

Week one of "7 Weeks to a Healthier Heart"

"See" like a cat

Did you know that of all the senses, a cat's hearing is its sharpest. Felines can perceive the slightest noise and accurately judge where it's coming from. In a way a cat sees better with its ears than its eyes.

You have also probably heard that you should not believe everything you see. Well cats do not, they believe what they hear.

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. Romans 10:17

With tragedies happening at our doorsteps and images of those tragedies replaying on TV screens and newspaper it would be easy to believe that this world is in chaos. Yet God promised us that he would never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

When you see other people pass you for promotions because they spread rumors and make themselves look better, it would be easy to lose heart. But God says that he will avenge us (Romans 12:19).

There are two ways to live in this world. You can go by what you see or you can trust God’s promises.

Faith comes by hearing.

Do you hear Him? He speaks to you daily. Be attentive. Be still (like a cat) and listen. See with your ears. Trust what He is telling you.

Let the temporary pains, disappointments and chaos fade away. Know that if God is for you, then who should you fear.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

The affairs of your household

I like to believe that my house is a reflection of who I am. The way I decorate, the colors I choose, the pictures on the wall, the kind of furniture I have. I also believe that most days it is also a reflection of how I feel. When I feel good, the house looks good. When I feel bad, well it looks bad......
There are days when I feel so overwhelmed that the simple task of doing the dishes seem too much. There are days I pretend that all the laundry is done simply because it is in the dryer and the hampers are not overflowing. And yes the laundry in the dryer has been dried for a while now and I have even reset it a couple of times but facebook was calling my name and I will get to it eventually.
There are days when I cannot get to cleaning the floors because I was researching on Pinterest the best non toxic floor cleaner recipe.
Procrastination is my evil twin. I live with it, invite it in all the time and deeply despise it. When I procrastinate, I feel bad about the things I did not get to do and in return the things I did not get to pile up and depress me even more.
All this to say that I have a love/hate relationship with the Proverbs 31 woman. She has it ALL together and make me look bad and I do not like to look bad. Yet at the same time she encourages me to try harder and strive to become a Proverbs 31 woman.

"She watches over the affairs of her household" Proverbs 31:27

What does it mean to watch over the affair of your household? Well I believe that it means that we make sure that there is food on the table (healthy food), that clean and neat clothes are available for everybody, that regular cleaning is done and that the atmosphere of the house is one of joy and peace.

Watching over the affair of your household does not mean that your house always look like the cover of Architecture Daily or that your children are styling in the latest fashion or that dinner should be featured in Gourmet magazine.

It took me a while to realize this and I pray that you will find encouragement this week in simply focusing on watching over the affairs of your household.

We will provide you with some tips and ideas later this week so make sure to come back and check it out. In the meantime stop striving for perfection and start watching over the affair of your household.

Selah

As I am reading through the book of Psalms, I find myself pondering on this one word,

Selah

Selah does not have a translation.Some believe it means forever, others believe that it is like an amen. Another explanation comes from the root word Celah which is used in the Bible to indicate weight as in scale or value (cf Job 28:15-16).

Another modern theory is that it means lift up. 

This mystery word occurs seventy-one times in the book of Psalms and three times in Habakuk.

It is a mystery word and I love mysteries!

    When I come across something I do not know or understand, I tend to pause and think about it. So let’s look at some examples of that pause that can mean “amen” or “forever” or “valuable” or “lift up”:
Psalm 3:8 From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.  

Selah (pause-amen-forever-valuable-lift up)

Psalm 4:2 How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?  

Selah (pause-amen-forever-valuable-lift up)

Psalm 4:4 In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Selah (pause-amen-forever-valuable-lift up)

Psalm 85:2 You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins.  

Selah

Hab. 3:13 You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot.  

Selah (pause-amen-forever-valuable-lift up)

I encourage you to read through the rest of the Psalms and Habakuk and find the other Selah.

    So why pause and weigh what you read? 

Who has time to pause and weigh in the situation? 

Surely not me! I have children to take care of, a house to upkeep, laundry to clean and fold and put away (yes I do skip the ironing....), groceries to buy and the list goes on and on. There are days when I barely have time to shower and brush my teeth so why would I pause? Because God said so. He asks us to pause, reflect and praise Him seventy one times in the book of Psalm. “From the Lord comes deliverance”, pause, weigh in, amen, lift up your hands and praise Him forever! “You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one”, pause, weigh in, lift up your hands and praise Him forever amen! Nothing else matters. Put God first and reflect on His goodness and your world will be a better place.
    There are Selah all through the Bible, written on all the pages right after that verse you read that seems to speak straight to your heart. Take the time to pause, weigh in and praise Him! He is gently whispering to your ear

“be still my child and know that I am God, be still, selah....” 

I am challenging you in the midst of your busy days to pause and remember what matters the most. Pause at the exact moment you think you ought not to or do not have the time. Recite a verse and pause. I guarantee you that this pause will add time to your day, peace to your mind and joy to your heart.

    You are His beloved. No one can snatch you out of His hand (John 10:38). He will never leave you nor forsake you (Deut. 31:6). Take His yoke and give Him yours so you can find rest (Mat 11:29-30). Above all be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). 

Selah

As for me and my house....

“As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:15

    This statement by Joshua came at the end of a long and fruitful life. Joshua was not a king, nor a judge or a prophet. He was a soldier, who gave his life to God. He was in the desert with Moses, he defeated the Amorites. He crossed the Jordan River into the promised land. He conquered Jericho. If you went to church as a kid, those are your Sunday School lessons.
    Joshua knew firsthand the power of God. He knew to obey and serve Him. When Joshua made that statement he was talking to all the Israelites and reminding them of who they were serving. At Shechem he renewed the covenant.
    Joshua was a leader by example. When he declared “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”, he was not only referring to his close family but also to everybody in his household and his sphere of influence. The rest of the people declared right there and then that they too would not forsake God and that they would serve Him. They knew that Joshua meant what he said because he lived it everyday.
    What I find the most fascinating about this passage is how the story ends.

“Israel served the Lord throughout the Lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.”
Joshua 24:31

What a testimony that is to Joshua and how he lived his life.
    How we live our lives will influence people in our family and our community. We do not need to preach to convert. We need to live it.
    Will you stand today and say, “as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”

Saint or Sinner

We have all seen her. She dresses provocatively. Men stare at her. We know what her occupation is and we feel that we are doing so much better being busy at home with kids, laundry, cleaning and hosting the pastor for supper tonight.
We know what she does for a living and deep down we despise her......

And behold, a woman of the town who was an especially wicked sinner, when she learned that He was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment (perfume). Luke 7:37 AMP

 Jesus went to a Pharisees' house for dinner...... And she came.....

"Illicit" entertainment was common at those gathering but that did not stop the men (there were only men present at those dinners) from snickering and pointing their fingers. She walked past them, making her way to the head table where Jesus was. 

I wonder what was going through her mind, did she hear the remarks from the other men, did she care......

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41

And we meet her again. This time she is the sister of our good friend. And once again she is worthless. We are slaving in the kitchen and she is with the men....again..... We want to impress Jesus..... What did he say? She.... She has chosen what is better.......

How did this happen? What is it that I am not getting? Mary, the especially wicked sinner, has chosen what is better. She knows the secret to true sanctification. She does not pretend to be someone she is not. She is a sinner, like you and me, she is broken like you and me. She needs a savior like you and me and she goes and seek Him. 

When she found Him, she gave Him everything she had (her perfume, her tears) and everything she was (her means of living, herself). She held nothing back and she felt no shame. She gave it all and in return she received it all....

and.....

it will not be taken from her.

And today I want to be her.

I'll bring you more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what you have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

Agent Blue

“Where can I go from your spirit?” 

Psalm 139:7

Wouldn’t it be wonderful and amazing if Jesus was still among us today? He could answer our daily emails filled with questions and requests. We would be able to go see him on tour and listen to his teachings. I am sure that arenas and stadiums would be filled with eager people and that tickets would be sold out a year in advance. Even though it would be wonderful to have the ability to see him face to face in this life (the good news is we will get to see him one day), we would also be missing out on one of God’s most precious gift: the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit could only come after Jesus ascended to heaven. Jesus refers to the spirit as the counselor (John 14:16), the spirit of truth (John 14:17). Through the spirit Jesus promises that he will come to us (John 14:18). Since the spirit lives in us, we have access to Jesus 24/7. No need to wait for a response to an email or the next conference.

I occasionally buy for my children the Listerene Agent Blue™ (I have no affiliation with the company nor will I receive monies for mentioning this product. As a matter of fact Listerene does not even know I exist.)

Agent blue reveals spots that still need to be brushed. So the kids brush their teeth, do the rinse and check for spots. Agent blue makes the stains visible. When used regularly, it helps prevents plaque, cavities and gingivitis. In many ways the Holy Spirit is like an Agent Blue in our lives. When used properly it reveals those “stains” aka sins that we need to confess and turn away from. When used regularly it prevents “sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry, and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissension, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies and the like.” (Galatians 5:19-20) After repeated uses side effects can be “joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

Are you ready to use some Agent Blue in your life? It is powerful and can be intimidating at times. After all who wants to have their dirty spots revealed? I know though from personal experience that the results are amazing and well worth going through the process. So let’s do this together. Pray with me

“Search me O God and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Psalm 139:23-24

If you have not yet received the gift of the Holy Spirit or are not sure about it please talk to a pastor, a chaplain or a godly friend. And please let us know how we can pray for you.

Sacrifice

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. 

Romans 12:1-2 The Message

Sacrifice..... 

The word evokes images of pain and suffering. Bloody animals at the altar, things taken that we did not want to let go of. Nothing that we would want to go through or do on our own.
Yet for the Jewish people sacrifice was a regular occurrence that was not only necessary but looked forward to. Without sacrifice there would be no forgiveness, no redemption, no getting closer to God. It was engrained in their minds.

Purposes of QorbanotContrary to popular belief, the purpose of qorbanot is not simply to obtain forgiveness from sin. Although many qorbanot have the effect of expiating sins, there are many other purposes for bringing qorbanot, and the expiatory effect is often incidental, and is subject to significant limitations.The purposes of qorbanot are much the same as the purposes of prayer: we bring qorbanot to praise G-d, to become closer to Him, to express thanks to G-d, love or gratitude. We bring qorbanot to celebrate holidays and festivals. Others are used to cleanse a person of ritual impurity (which does not necessarily have anything to do with sin: childbirth causes such impurity, but is certainly not a sin). And yes, many qorbanot, like many prayers, are brought for purposes of atonement.The atoning aspect of qorbanot is limited. For the most part, qorbanot only expiate unintentional sins, that is, sins committed because a person forgot that this thing was a sin. No atonement is needed for violations committed under duress or through lack of knowledge, and for the most part, qorbanot cannot atone for a malicious, deliberate sin. In addition, qorbanot have no expiating effect unless the person making the offering sincerely repents his or her actions before making the offering, and makes restitution to any person who was harmed by the violation. 

The Jewish sacrifice was mainly to get closer to God, not simply for the forgiveness of sins. It was therefore something that they looked forward to.

Romans 12:1-2 exhort us to take our everyday life and place it before God. Every day life.

Every

Day

Life

What does it look like? Get up in the morning and thank God for another day. As you get up give Him today, as you drink your coffee thank Him for coffee beans, as your kids leave for school, leave them in His hands..... You get the idea.

Every

Day

Life

Give it a try, become a living sacrifice, get closer to the maker of this world. I promise you will not regret it.

What are some things that can be a living sacrifice pleasing to God? Share with us!

Love others?

"We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19)

I hope as we continue to grow as individuals, the love of God is known. I hope that the love that we have for each other is not weak, flimsy or interrupted, but rooted in the conquering love of our outpouring God. The first letter of John reveals the substantial, complete and finishing love of God. 

• God is love (1 John 4:8).
• God is the fountain and source of love (1 John 4:7).
• God’s love is the message from the beginning (1 John 3:11).
• God’s love is manifested through Jesus (1 John 4:9).
• God’s love is truly for us (1 John 4:10).
• God’s love covers our sin (1 John 4:10).
• God’s love allows us to love (1 John 4:19).
• God’s love within us proves whether or not we are his children (1 John 3:10).
• God’s love perfects us (1 John 4:12).
• God’s love is a command (1 John 5:2–3).
• God’s love is for the lost (1 John 4:12).
• God’s love gives us confidence going into the judgment (1 John 4:17).

How can God's love for us change our love for others?

We receive this love freely and unconditionally,and  there are no wrongs Christ cannot love us through with repentant hearts. God want's us to show this same love to each other. We are human, and I know we have not treated every person with Godly love, and in his loving grace we pardoned. This undeserved and outpouring of love and grace for us is our promise. Our love story with God is a great inspiration to love others purely, unconditionally, and gracefully. 

reflect Him

Who can you love this week?