I went to church today. I was very excited about it because I had read all of my devotions for the week. I was eager to hear what Pastor Larry got out of it as well as our Sunday School class. I was also curious to see how deep each would go.
As Pastor Larry went through his sermon, which he admittedly had to give an overview since it was over the fist 11 chapters of Genesis and it is so full of lessons that it could take, I'm sure, 11-15 sermons easily. You have creation, the fall of man, the great flood, and the Tower of Babel.
It's always interesting to see God revealed to others in the same scriptures. Both Pastor Larry and Marc pointed out things that I didn't see because God was pushing me in a different direction. I guess that is what I love about the Bible. You can read scripture over and over and God reveals something different or more in depth every time.
The points that Pastor Larry pointed out to me that really stood out was that creation was started just by God SPEAKING. That's all it took, a spoken word for Him to create a world, a universe, so vast and complex. No one else has ever done it and never will. That alone sets Him apart.
He also pointed out how Satan is the father of lies. In John 8:44, it says....
"You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
When we think of Satan, we usually think of this devil, red with horns, seedy eyes, long tail with a pitchfork. Something despicable to look at. I asked the kids today if someone offered them a cupcake and they looked like that, would they take it. They responded quickly and said "no"....except Colby. He said he would shoot him with an arrow and kill him and then take the cupcake. :) But Satan doesn't come to tempt us looking like that, because it is not attractive to us. He comes in forms that are pleasing to our eyes, just like that fruit was to Eve. It may be in the form of a social network site, TV, culture.
When he comes in these forms, he takes God's word and twists it to confuse us and make us question God's word. That's what he did with Eve. "Did God really say that you couldn't eat this fruit?" Yes, God did. But Adam was the only one that received that command and so rather than asking Adam that question (who relayed it to Eve), Satan went for the weakness of Eve, who could technically say that she didn't hear God say it verbatim. He attacks us when we are weak (which is ironic because God says He is perfected in our weakness) and deceives us with his mastery of lies. I emphasized to the kids today (and to myself) that if we ever doubt what God has said about something, go to the Bible. Don't go anywhere else, period.
The best part of the sermon today. The Bible starts off with God and a good beginning with man in an close relationship, who is sinless. It ends the same way. Our God is victorious. When we think He has abandoned us, He has never left us. He always wins. We already know the outcome, thanks to the Bible. Thank you God for loving us despite our faults. Thank you for creating us when you knew what the outcome would be, but went ahead with your plan.
In Sunday School, a question of mine was answered that I had wondered about but a new twist was added to it that I had thought about a little but not a lot.
Genesis 1:26...
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
There is a plural there. It's not singular like we would think it would be. When I read this verse the first time, I had to reread it. Why didn't I recognize this before when I have read over the book of Genesis? I don't ever remember it being emphasized when I was a kid. In my head, when I reread it, I knew that it was speaking of God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit. But when didn't dawn on me was that this was during CREATION. Yes, I guess I knew that Jesus was also around, but I guess I never stopped to think that God already had His plan in place. Wow! His love for us is that great.
And to think that He was willing to redeem us speaks volumes. His covenants attest to his willingness to forgive.
We serve an awesome God. I pray that God helps me stay the course and reveal new and exciting revelations to me. And I pray that my kids will get as much out of this series and have a grow desire to learn more about God daily.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
So I'm at it a second time....
Ok...obviously I am guilty of not keeping up with my journal. I am the perfect sinner, through and through!
Our church has started a daily reading through the Bible in a year series. As of today, I have completed 4 days of reading the Bible. Woohoo!!
I found this great website called the Mom's toolbox. It gave an sample of a way of journaling that I want to try. It is called "SOAP".
Our church has started a daily reading through the Bible in a year series. As of today, I have completed 4 days of reading the Bible. Woohoo!!
I found this great website called the Mom's toolbox. It gave an sample of a way of journaling that I want to try. It is called "SOAP".
S: Scripture-Write the ONE scripture that I feel God is using to speak to me in today’s reading
O: Observation-What might He be telling me with that scripture?
A: Application-How can I apply it to my life?
P: Prayer-What is my prayer to ask God in helping me to make that application?
So I am going to start doing this. It is part of my resolution. Will I complete it or not, I am not sure. I am praying that God help me because I know that I can not do it alone. I need his strength to get me through this. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit so here's to forming a habit! :)
I want to sum up my first four days of reading. There was one scripture in Genesis 3 that stood out to me. God was talking to Cain and telling Cain that sin desires us. It is us that must rule OVER it. It really stuck out to me that it is always about choice. That is the recurring theme for me lately. I was going over with the kids about why did God put that Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden when He didn't have too. Both responded that it was a test to see if we would CHOOSE God. When Adam and Eve CHOSE to eat off of that tree, there were consequences. Adam and Even quickly hid when they heard God approaching. It reminded me of when Colby hides when he knows he is in trouble. God is our Father and thank God that He loves us despite the stupid choices that we make! There are consequences in life that are doled out just like the consequences that He gave Adam and Eve for their sins. Thank you God that you didn't just scrap the whole universe plan for their huge stupid choice! He is willing to stick it out with us til the end because He knows that we will mature in our faith if we CHOOSE to follow Him.
So I have been praying that I choose to follow and pursue Him daily and that my kids will do the same. :)
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
The Principle of Scripture and Supplication....
Well, as you can see, Satan is very active in trying to deter me from my blogging! Satan, you will NOT win because I have God on my side! Get out of my way because I chose God!
Since I am way behind on the blogging, I am going to write about what I have studied for the past TWO weeks.
First of was the principle of Scripture and how important it is that we read Scripture daily. In John 15:7, it says, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." This verse has come to mean something totally different to me now as a result of this scripture. It has also caused me to really think about what the verse is really saying. I think as a society, we tend to focus on the part of the verse, "ask, whatever you wish, and it will be done for you" mainly because we are selfish and only think of ourselves. I have come to realize that if we are in the scripture everyday, then we will pursue God's will and as a result, our requests will be directed toward God's will. So, it's not a "give me everything I wish" type of request that we will seek of God, but one that is directed toward His will. That was a very powerful concept for me to realize.
I also learned that the more I read, the deeper my relationship with God will be. I will be able to get a better idea of WHO God is and His attributes as well as His will for my life. He is my Heavenly Father, why wouldn't I want to know Him better. I have really abused it up to this point and I guess it is typical of most people because He isn't someone we see as tangible and in our face physically everyday. We just tend to think of Him as this "guy" "way up there" that doesn't really care about the little things in our life. Yet, He does. He wants us to give it all over to Him.
Another revelation I learned was that I don't need to be a scholar to understand His word. I'm going to understand the scripture and get something different out of it than the person next to me, reading the same scripture. That is the Holy Spirit at work in us. Isn't that amazing! I loved this statement that I read, "It is not simply a book (Bible) that we read, it is a book that reads us." As my teacher pointed out, if you compare the writings of the day when the Bible was written, only the Bible is considered "living" because it applies to our lives even today whereas most writings of the time were only applicable for that time period. In Proverbs 30:5, it talks about how His word is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. How can we fail, when we have God and His word to protect us in our time of need!!
Another part of the lesson talked about our faith and the Word. It spoke directly to me when I read "What a difference it makes when we stop trying to solve our problems and start trusting God!" That is so true!! When I got my teaching certificate, I tried to find a teaching job and had applied at over 50 school districts across Texas. When the only phone calls I received asked if I was a coach as well, I got very frustrated because all I wanted to do was teach!! Come on, didn't they want a great teacher??? I remember having a conversation with our pastor one night (shortly before the school year started and I was still jobless) and He had asked me if I had given it over to God. I told him that I hadn't. When I got out to my car, I kid you not, I literally looked up and said, "Fine God, you want to find me a job...Find it because I am sick of trying to find one!" Literally, less than 24 hours later, I got a call from Kingwood High School requesting an interview. I drove over there the next day and on the drive back, I was convinced that I probably didn't get the job because most Social Studies teachers tend to be liberal and I mentioned that my favorite book up to that point was a Christian one talking about God's purpose for me. I couldn't believe it, by the time I got back home, they called me to tell me that I got the job. I had to be there by Friday, although school started on Wednesday. I literally got the job in less than 24 hours from giving it over to God!! Since then I have given over that portion of my life to God, but being the control freak that I am, there are still some areas that I think I can do better than God. That is crazy but I am slowly learning to let go of it all and give it to Him.
I know this post seems very long, but there was such good information, I don't want to overlook it!
The next section was looking at life with a renewed mind. It was very interesting to think that God looks at all of our situations differently than us. I had never thought of this concept before now. He sees ahead of us and knows the ultimate ending so why wouldn't He? He takes the negatives in our lives and turns into something positive although we may not see it at the time.
In terms of receiving His word, we learned that God has planted the seed of his Word in our hearts once we accept Him into our lives, but it is what we do with that seed that really matters. Do we neglect it and produce nothing? Do we use it solely for ourselves? Or do we water it and produce many fruits? It really made look at what I do with Jesus and His word and if I am really producing anything? Wow! That is profound! It's like it says in James 1:22, "But prove yourselves doers of the word, not merely hearers who delude themselves." It is like looking the mirror. I can read the word (looking in the mirror) but if I don't use it (leaving the mirror), it is worthless.
I think the most controversial part of this whole study that I have done was on supplication. I loved the statement that we typically associated or equate prayer with asking. Isn't that the truth!!?? The only time a lot of people (including me) pray is when we want something whether it be riches or just answers to our misery. In fact, prayer is our communion with God. It is what builds our relationship. Now to the controversial part, the author said that it is a sin not to pray for literally EVERYONE. I am still processing that one. He quotes Samuel saying that it was a sin not to pray for the people He was responsible for. He also mentions Jesus' command (not request, mind you) to love your enemies and PRAY for them. We debated this topic with no definitive answer except for that God is going to convict us of who we need to pray for.
What I found really interesting was the lesson on Jesus' model for prayer, also known as the Lord's Prayer. I have always found it interesting that some churches use it as THE prayer rather than a model. It was like I was telling the teacher, even using the format that it suggested in the book (just like saying the Lord's Prayer over and over), I feel like my prayer likes a sincerity if I follow some format rather than just talking straight up to God. It really does take on a new meaning though if you really dig deep into what the prayer is saying....
The last lesson of our class ( MAJOR :( ) was the author's advice. He says that one of the most powerful ways to pray is to pray Scripture. I have found that to be so true. When Bailey was afraid of the dark a few months back, we prayed together and I used the Scripture in Isaiah 41:10 (?) that says "Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my mighty right hand." How powerful of a Scripture that is. I kept reminding Bailey that God says that He never leaves us. It is Satan telling us to be scared but God assures us that He is with us always. Now, my daughter doesn't have a fear of the darkness and I know it is because we prayed Scripture. What a powerful and wonderful tool that God has given us to live our lives!
Now I am faced with my biggest fear since the study is over! Will I maintain my routine of studying His word or will Satan win and convince me to stop. I pray that God wins this battle because I want my kids to see a Godly woman in me. :)
Since I am way behind on the blogging, I am going to write about what I have studied for the past TWO weeks.
First of was the principle of Scripture and how important it is that we read Scripture daily. In John 15:7, it says, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." This verse has come to mean something totally different to me now as a result of this scripture. It has also caused me to really think about what the verse is really saying. I think as a society, we tend to focus on the part of the verse, "ask, whatever you wish, and it will be done for you" mainly because we are selfish and only think of ourselves. I have come to realize that if we are in the scripture everyday, then we will pursue God's will and as a result, our requests will be directed toward God's will. So, it's not a "give me everything I wish" type of request that we will seek of God, but one that is directed toward His will. That was a very powerful concept for me to realize.
I also learned that the more I read, the deeper my relationship with God will be. I will be able to get a better idea of WHO God is and His attributes as well as His will for my life. He is my Heavenly Father, why wouldn't I want to know Him better. I have really abused it up to this point and I guess it is typical of most people because He isn't someone we see as tangible and in our face physically everyday. We just tend to think of Him as this "guy" "way up there" that doesn't really care about the little things in our life. Yet, He does. He wants us to give it all over to Him.
Another revelation I learned was that I don't need to be a scholar to understand His word. I'm going to understand the scripture and get something different out of it than the person next to me, reading the same scripture. That is the Holy Spirit at work in us. Isn't that amazing! I loved this statement that I read, "It is not simply a book (Bible) that we read, it is a book that reads us." As my teacher pointed out, if you compare the writings of the day when the Bible was written, only the Bible is considered "living" because it applies to our lives even today whereas most writings of the time were only applicable for that time period. In Proverbs 30:5, it talks about how His word is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. How can we fail, when we have God and His word to protect us in our time of need!!
Another part of the lesson talked about our faith and the Word. It spoke directly to me when I read "What a difference it makes when we stop trying to solve our problems and start trusting God!" That is so true!! When I got my teaching certificate, I tried to find a teaching job and had applied at over 50 school districts across Texas. When the only phone calls I received asked if I was a coach as well, I got very frustrated because all I wanted to do was teach!! Come on, didn't they want a great teacher??? I remember having a conversation with our pastor one night (shortly before the school year started and I was still jobless) and He had asked me if I had given it over to God. I told him that I hadn't. When I got out to my car, I kid you not, I literally looked up and said, "Fine God, you want to find me a job...Find it because I am sick of trying to find one!" Literally, less than 24 hours later, I got a call from Kingwood High School requesting an interview. I drove over there the next day and on the drive back, I was convinced that I probably didn't get the job because most Social Studies teachers tend to be liberal and I mentioned that my favorite book up to that point was a Christian one talking about God's purpose for me. I couldn't believe it, by the time I got back home, they called me to tell me that I got the job. I had to be there by Friday, although school started on Wednesday. I literally got the job in less than 24 hours from giving it over to God!! Since then I have given over that portion of my life to God, but being the control freak that I am, there are still some areas that I think I can do better than God. That is crazy but I am slowly learning to let go of it all and give it to Him.
I know this post seems very long, but there was such good information, I don't want to overlook it!
The next section was looking at life with a renewed mind. It was very interesting to think that God looks at all of our situations differently than us. I had never thought of this concept before now. He sees ahead of us and knows the ultimate ending so why wouldn't He? He takes the negatives in our lives and turns into something positive although we may not see it at the time.
In terms of receiving His word, we learned that God has planted the seed of his Word in our hearts once we accept Him into our lives, but it is what we do with that seed that really matters. Do we neglect it and produce nothing? Do we use it solely for ourselves? Or do we water it and produce many fruits? It really made look at what I do with Jesus and His word and if I am really producing anything? Wow! That is profound! It's like it says in James 1:22, "But prove yourselves doers of the word, not merely hearers who delude themselves." It is like looking the mirror. I can read the word (looking in the mirror) but if I don't use it (leaving the mirror), it is worthless.
I think the most controversial part of this whole study that I have done was on supplication. I loved the statement that we typically associated or equate prayer with asking. Isn't that the truth!!?? The only time a lot of people (including me) pray is when we want something whether it be riches or just answers to our misery. In fact, prayer is our communion with God. It is what builds our relationship. Now to the controversial part, the author said that it is a sin not to pray for literally EVERYONE. I am still processing that one. He quotes Samuel saying that it was a sin not to pray for the people He was responsible for. He also mentions Jesus' command (not request, mind you) to love your enemies and PRAY for them. We debated this topic with no definitive answer except for that God is going to convict us of who we need to pray for.
What I found really interesting was the lesson on Jesus' model for prayer, also known as the Lord's Prayer. I have always found it interesting that some churches use it as THE prayer rather than a model. It was like I was telling the teacher, even using the format that it suggested in the book (just like saying the Lord's Prayer over and over), I feel like my prayer likes a sincerity if I follow some format rather than just talking straight up to God. It really does take on a new meaning though if you really dig deep into what the prayer is saying....
The last lesson of our class ( MAJOR :( ) was the author's advice. He says that one of the most powerful ways to pray is to pray Scripture. I have found that to be so true. When Bailey was afraid of the dark a few months back, we prayed together and I used the Scripture in Isaiah 41:10 (?) that says "Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my mighty right hand." How powerful of a Scripture that is. I kept reminding Bailey that God says that He never leaves us. It is Satan telling us to be scared but God assures us that He is with us always. Now, my daughter doesn't have a fear of the darkness and I know it is because we prayed Scripture. What a powerful and wonderful tool that God has given us to live our lives!
Now I am faced with my biggest fear since the study is over! Will I maintain my routine of studying His word or will Satan win and convince me to stop. I pray that God wins this battle because I want my kids to see a Godly woman in me. :)
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Awesome Bible Study Lesson Today
Today was very good for me. If you haven't noticed, I haven't blogged in several days. It is Satan definitely attacking me either through my kids' school issues or through the pain in my shoulder as a result of the car accident two years ago. When he attacks, he definitely attacks hard.
So, to be honest, I have not finished the lessons for this week. I am three days behind, but what I got out of today's lesson at church really moved me.
This is the week that we studied about thanking the Lord. God commands us in I Thessalonians 5:18 to "give thanks to the Lord." It's not a request, but a command. Every day, something new was pointed out that we need to be thankful for whether it is the people that we struggle with or the results of painful events in our life. Now, I didn't say be thankful for the pain inflicted, but the results that will come as a result. It talked about how these struggles and painful things we encounter as Christians, while not caused by God but He helps us through it, produce a ministry in us. I told my class today about my brother, Kevin, and how I lost him five years ago this year. I distinctly remember hearing, "I will praise you in this storm" on the radio and I clung to that song to help me make it through my drive to my parents' house. When the pastor asked if there was anything special we wanted to occur at the funeral, I asked that he offer the plan of salvation because I knew a lot of my brother's friends were not Christians. As a result of the plan of salvation being offered, I believe it was around seven people that came to know Christ that day. I know that this will sound odd to some, but that actually helped me cope a lot with his death. Would I love to have him back? YES! In a heartbeat, I would love to him call my name in his odd way just one more time or even sing a song for me and ask me to turn my head so I wouldn't look at him when he sang since it made him nervous. I guess I look at it as that he didn't die in vain because he now has friends that will meet him in Heaven one day. One thing that did help me cope with his loss was Johnny's cousin's wife, Jeannie, who shared her similar experience with her brother. God used her that night to help me get through the difficult time. It has only been recently that I feel like I have been able to offer myself to others that are going through similar situations. I am thankful for that and hope that I can offer the same comfort that Jeannie offered me that one night.
I also had some revelations today. I need to be more thankful for what I have. The teacher today was saying that if anyone makes over $40,000 a year, that they are considered in the top 1% of the wealthiest people in the world. Here I complain about not having some stuff in my life, and I live above my means. I did notice that last year, we, as a family, learned to live off substantially less than previous years, but we made it through just fine. I had given it over to God and He provided beyond my expectations. It blew me away.
I also need to be thankful for my kids. Strangely, this verse spoke volumes to me today.
"Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests." Proverbs 14:4.
I instantly thought of my kids with this verse. You have to understand that I am a control freak. When I see their messy rooms, I about lose it. But as the verse says, the manger is empty but with the ox comes abundant harvests. They may have the messiest room, but they give me so much love. Just last night, we were getting on to Colby for his messy room, but he got up this morning and cleaned it and next thing I knew, Bailey and Colby were fighting over who was going to snuggle with me. That is my abundant harvest!! It is definitely better than an empty manger!! The same thing can be said of my wonderful husband! There are times that tough between us, but in the end, I could not live without him and his unconditional love for me, even when I am not the nicest person. :)
I can't wait to do the rest of the lessons to see what else I can be thankful for! I have so much to be thankful for. What about you?
So, to be honest, I have not finished the lessons for this week. I am three days behind, but what I got out of today's lesson at church really moved me.
This is the week that we studied about thanking the Lord. God commands us in I Thessalonians 5:18 to "give thanks to the Lord." It's not a request, but a command. Every day, something new was pointed out that we need to be thankful for whether it is the people that we struggle with or the results of painful events in our life. Now, I didn't say be thankful for the pain inflicted, but the results that will come as a result. It talked about how these struggles and painful things we encounter as Christians, while not caused by God but He helps us through it, produce a ministry in us. I told my class today about my brother, Kevin, and how I lost him five years ago this year. I distinctly remember hearing, "I will praise you in this storm" on the radio and I clung to that song to help me make it through my drive to my parents' house. When the pastor asked if there was anything special we wanted to occur at the funeral, I asked that he offer the plan of salvation because I knew a lot of my brother's friends were not Christians. As a result of the plan of salvation being offered, I believe it was around seven people that came to know Christ that day. I know that this will sound odd to some, but that actually helped me cope a lot with his death. Would I love to have him back? YES! In a heartbeat, I would love to him call my name in his odd way just one more time or even sing a song for me and ask me to turn my head so I wouldn't look at him when he sang since it made him nervous. I guess I look at it as that he didn't die in vain because he now has friends that will meet him in Heaven one day. One thing that did help me cope with his loss was Johnny's cousin's wife, Jeannie, who shared her similar experience with her brother. God used her that night to help me get through the difficult time. It has only been recently that I feel like I have been able to offer myself to others that are going through similar situations. I am thankful for that and hope that I can offer the same comfort that Jeannie offered me that one night.
I also had some revelations today. I need to be more thankful for what I have. The teacher today was saying that if anyone makes over $40,000 a year, that they are considered in the top 1% of the wealthiest people in the world. Here I complain about not having some stuff in my life, and I live above my means. I did notice that last year, we, as a family, learned to live off substantially less than previous years, but we made it through just fine. I had given it over to God and He provided beyond my expectations. It blew me away.
I also need to be thankful for my kids. Strangely, this verse spoke volumes to me today.
"Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests." Proverbs 14:4.
I instantly thought of my kids with this verse. You have to understand that I am a control freak. When I see their messy rooms, I about lose it. But as the verse says, the manger is empty but with the ox comes abundant harvests. They may have the messiest room, but they give me so much love. Just last night, we were getting on to Colby for his messy room, but he got up this morning and cleaned it and next thing I knew, Bailey and Colby were fighting over who was going to snuggle with me. That is my abundant harvest!! It is definitely better than an empty manger!! The same thing can be said of my wonderful husband! There are times that tough between us, but in the end, I could not live without him and his unconditional love for me, even when I am not the nicest person. :)
I can't wait to do the rest of the lessons to see what else I can be thankful for! I have so much to be thankful for. What about you?
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Wow...Satan is attacking..
The last week has been hard on me. I had a cold/sinus infection for the second time in a month. That is very unusual for me. I typically get a cold or two during the year and that's it. I think Satan is not too happy that I am doing devotionals. That is my reason for not blogging. It is not a good one at all. Satan may have stopped me from blogging for a few days but he didn't stop me from doing my devotions except for one night! I was determined that he wasn't going to lead me astray!
This week's devotions have been directed to confessions. The statement that has really hit me is that "Sin is appealing. Otherwise, no one would do it." I also liked the statement that confession should not be a result of guilt but a desire to become closer to God. I guess I have always looked at it as a guilt thing. I've been convicted about certain things in my life. I know that that is the Holy Spirit working in me but when I have slipped, it has caused guilt. It doesn't deny that you will feel guilt because I would think most people would feel guilt for doing something wrong, but the main guiding force for confession should be your desire to come closer to God. It's like when you have a fight with someone close. You may have felt guilty for something nasty that you said to them, and you ask for forgiveness because you want nothing to come between your relationship again. It's that desire for closeness that makes you confess, not the guilt.
In the whole process of this devotional study which is teaching you how to do a devotional, it's given a format for praying. I'm on the fence about a format for praying because it makes me question my sincerity when praying. The format is ACTS, which I have heard before. A is for adoration; C is for confession; T is for thanksgiving; and S is for supplication. In the process, I have really started thinking about what I adore about God and what I am thankful for. It suggests that you use some praise songs for adoration. I've really been thinking about the words of praise songs lately and taking them to heart.
I think I have about two more weeks of this Bible study and then I am out on my own. I'm going to be honest. I am a bit nervous. Will I be able to keep it up? That is the biggest challenge! I pray that God guides me through it and gives me strength because I know that Satan is going to try his best to get me out of the habit that I am trying so hard to accomplish.
This week's devotions have been directed to confessions. The statement that has really hit me is that "Sin is appealing. Otherwise, no one would do it." I also liked the statement that confession should not be a result of guilt but a desire to become closer to God. I guess I have always looked at it as a guilt thing. I've been convicted about certain things in my life. I know that that is the Holy Spirit working in me but when I have slipped, it has caused guilt. It doesn't deny that you will feel guilt because I would think most people would feel guilt for doing something wrong, but the main guiding force for confession should be your desire to come closer to God. It's like when you have a fight with someone close. You may have felt guilty for something nasty that you said to them, and you ask for forgiveness because you want nothing to come between your relationship again. It's that desire for closeness that makes you confess, not the guilt.
In the whole process of this devotional study which is teaching you how to do a devotional, it's given a format for praying. I'm on the fence about a format for praying because it makes me question my sincerity when praying. The format is ACTS, which I have heard before. A is for adoration; C is for confession; T is for thanksgiving; and S is for supplication. In the process, I have really started thinking about what I adore about God and what I am thankful for. It suggests that you use some praise songs for adoration. I've really been thinking about the words of praise songs lately and taking them to heart.
I think I have about two more weeks of this Bible study and then I am out on my own. I'm going to be honest. I am a bit nervous. Will I be able to keep it up? That is the biggest challenge! I pray that God guides me through it and gives me strength because I know that Satan is going to try his best to get me out of the habit that I am trying so hard to accomplish.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Convictions and Confessions....
I like what my devotional was saying today. Convictions lead to confessions. They work hand in hand. You can't confess something unless you are convicted of it.
When we confess, we are also acknowledging our specific sin. I have been asking God to search my heart and convict me of anything that is unpleasing to Him. That is hard to do, because as a sinner, sometimes I don't want to give up my sins. Am I alone in this? I have a few sins in my life that I have become quite comfortable with yet I know that they are wrong. I have been praying that the Lord just make them very unattractive to me because I know that Satan has his hand in on it and has a pretty firm grip. I don't want him to have the grip. I pray that the Lord hears my cry and helps me break through because I know that I can't do anything without Him!
When we confess, we are also acknowledging our specific sin. I have been asking God to search my heart and convict me of anything that is unpleasing to Him. That is hard to do, because as a sinner, sometimes I don't want to give up my sins. Am I alone in this? I have a few sins in my life that I have become quite comfortable with yet I know that they are wrong. I have been praying that the Lord just make them very unattractive to me because I know that Satan has his hand in on it and has a pretty firm grip. I don't want him to have the grip. I pray that the Lord hears my cry and helps me break through because I know that I can't do anything without Him!
Monday, January 31, 2011
God is worthy to be praised....
I had a great session at our weekly meeting yesterday. I had a couple of thoughts that really struck me throughout the week. (I might seem repetitive here.)
1. Being human, I was really examining why I didn't praise God everyday. Besides taking it for granted, I was really examining my reasons. One thought that came to mind was that doesn't God already know how great and awesome He is? Does He really need me to tell Him that. As I was thinking this thought, it struck me. Who doesn't love to be praised? I know I personally love it! I think the only difference between us receiving praise and God receiving praise is that His self esteem doesn't rest on our praises. He craves our praises just like we do. I think He wants to know that we have made the choice and the commitment and that praise is one form of showing it.
2. For some reason, in our discussion, we got on the topic of different religions such as Buddhism. Buddhists bow before the statutes and burn incense. I don't see how this gives them comfort. Buddha is dead. He's not coming back. He gave some great advice, but that's about where the buck ends. It was at this time that I realized that we have an idea of what Buddha looked like based on the age of the statutes. We have yet to see a picture of God. Yes, we have images of Jesus although they are most likely not accurate since He has been made in the image of a white man (but that's another story). There is no statute of God for us to worship. I find that extremely interesting! He tells us to not put any other idols before us to worship. Man created idols because we're visual (heck, we can see that Eve! ;). We need something tangible. Yet, God asks us for our faith, our belief in Him. That is the ultimate test I think. Believing in the unseen. This was a great revelation to me this week!
God has so many outstanding qualities to adore Him for. How can we not begin our prayers with the awesome characteristics He has!
Rejoice Evermore! I Thess. 5:17 (Think about this verse. It says evermore. It doesn't say when to begin or when to stop. There is no beginning and no end. We are to rejoice!
1. Being human, I was really examining why I didn't praise God everyday. Besides taking it for granted, I was really examining my reasons. One thought that came to mind was that doesn't God already know how great and awesome He is? Does He really need me to tell Him that. As I was thinking this thought, it struck me. Who doesn't love to be praised? I know I personally love it! I think the only difference between us receiving praise and God receiving praise is that His self esteem doesn't rest on our praises. He craves our praises just like we do. I think He wants to know that we have made the choice and the commitment and that praise is one form of showing it.
2. For some reason, in our discussion, we got on the topic of different religions such as Buddhism. Buddhists bow before the statutes and burn incense. I don't see how this gives them comfort. Buddha is dead. He's not coming back. He gave some great advice, but that's about where the buck ends. It was at this time that I realized that we have an idea of what Buddha looked like based on the age of the statutes. We have yet to see a picture of God. Yes, we have images of Jesus although they are most likely not accurate since He has been made in the image of a white man (but that's another story). There is no statute of God for us to worship. I find that extremely interesting! He tells us to not put any other idols before us to worship. Man created idols because we're visual (heck, we can see that Eve! ;). We need something tangible. Yet, God asks us for our faith, our belief in Him. That is the ultimate test I think. Believing in the unseen. This was a great revelation to me this week!
God has so many outstanding qualities to adore Him for. How can we not begin our prayers with the awesome characteristics He has!
Rejoice Evermore! I Thess. 5:17 (Think about this verse. It says evermore. It doesn't say when to begin or when to stop. There is no beginning and no end. We are to rejoice!
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